Three days had passed since the incident in the narrow alley that claimed the lives of the five hired thugs. In that short span of time, rumors of the "Black-Fire Mage from the Capital" spread like a deadly plague to every corner of Black Steel City.
A gripping fear mixed with fanatical respect now enveloped every citizen. Not a single resident, no matter how rough or strong they were, dared raise their voice while within a five-hundred-meter radius of the City Lord's Residence. The alley where the five thugs had been erased was even regarded as sacred ground; no one dared pass through it, as though residual cold from hell still lingered there, ready to swallow anyone who lacked proper manners.
