The Shadow Behind the Mask
After hearing about Gian's death, Victor quietly stood beneath the fading evening sky, his golden eyes fixed on the horizon. The lively streets of New Fantom City suddenly felt distant. The laughter of children, the voices of merchants rebuilding their stalls, even the sound of hammers striking broken stone—all of it faded into meaningless background noise.
His thoughts had already moved elsewhere.
Gian's death wasn't simply the loss of an assassin.
It was a message.
Someone had deliberately killed one of his people, severed his head, and delivered it directly into the city that Victor now controlled. It wasn't merely murder.
It was a declaration.
Victor slowly folded his arms.
'I underestimated them...'
The realization didn't anger him.
Instead, it sharpened his focus.
He had always believed that the territory surrounding Kanal Village was ruled by an insignificant marquis whose influence barely extended beyond local politics.
Now...
