"Ahhh…You are too rough!You filled me up to the belly..I just wanted a quickie but you.."Rina pouted as she laid on a desk wasted and almost knocked out by Ethan relentless attacks.

Ethan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Thanks, though I didn't expect it myself."

Rina chuckled softly. She moved toward Ethan who picked him.They entered the bathroom.

After coming out,she picked up a crystal glass filled with wine.

"You never expect half the things that happen around you," she said, swirling the liquid lazily. "Yet somehow, you always manage to stand tall through them.From commoner you have reached such a stage."

Ethan walked over and leaned against the edge of the desk beside her, his gaze drifting toward the wide window overlooking the city. "I guess luck favors me more than I deserve."

"Luck?" Rina looked at him, a faint smirk curling her lips. "No. It's not luck. It's your ability to make people believe in you."

Ethan tilted his head slightly, her words catching him off guard. "You think so?"

"I know so," she said firmly, her tone soft but unwavering. "Even now, look around you. The people in this company work like their lives depend on it. They trust me, yes, but they also know this place thrives because of your decisions, your influence, your strength."

Ethan turned to face her fully, a faint smile forming on his lips. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of hero."

Rina shook her head lightly, setting her glass down on the desk. "Not a hero. But everyone is in awe of your capability."

Her words lingered in the air. The golden glow from the setting sun streamed through the glass, casting soft light across their faces. Ethan didn't speak for a while, though the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Rina wasn't exaggerating. The finesse Ethan had taught her in business strategy was something that left her stunned more than once. His methods were sharp and precise, designed to pull customers in, bind them through subtle dependency, and make them crave what they didn't even realize they needed. Once they were hooked, there was no escape — and that was how his ventures never lost ground.

For a moment, the two stood quietly. The sound of the city below hummed faintly, blending with the distant patter of rain beginning to fall outside.

Then Rina spoke again, her tone more serious. "There's something else I wanted to tell you."

Ethan turned his head slightly, sensing the change in her demeanor.

"A messenger came from the western border yesterday," she continued. "There's unrest brewing among the smaller guilds. Some traders claim that bandits have been raiding their convoys near the Fenwick route."

"Also people had been going missing at Eastern-Western Junction!"

"Rumours are that these are works of Bandits."

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Bandits again?"

"Not ordinary ones," Rina said quietly, setting her glass down with a soft clink. "According to reports, they're well-armed. Someone's supplying them. I don't think this is just random robbery."

Ethan's gaze hardened as he thought for a moment. "For some reason, I don't think it's the simple work of bandits either."

"Maybe," Rina said. "But something feels off. Their attacks are too organized. Too precise."

Ethan straightened up, his expression calm yet focused.

"I have already received the news and sent people to investigate..I haven't received the reports."

Rina nodded, her fingers tightening slightly on the edge of the desk. "Be careful, Ethan."

"Hmm!"Ethan nodded but inwardly he felt a strange unease.

'Why haven't I gotten the report?What are they doing there or did they fail?'

...…..

The rain poured down in sheets, flooding the empty streets and turning the ground into a mirror of dark water. The sky was thick with heavy clouds, lightning flashing faintly in the distance.

The air smelled of smoke combined with acrid scene blood.

Amidst the storm, a man stood alone, his dark cloak soaked and heavy, his boots half-buried in the mud. Around him lay dozens of corpses

Some were half-burnt, others torn apart. The man tilted his head slightly, watching the lifeless faces with a twisted smile.

"You shouldn't have poked where it wasn't needed," he said softly, his voice almost drowned by the rain.

He crouched beside one of the bodies, a man with a dagger still clutched in his cold hand and tapped the corpse's forehead with a gloved finger. "You see, curiosity is dangerous. You dig too deep, and you end up here."

He laughed quietly to himself, his voice echoing strangely in the silence. "Don't look at me like that. You brought this upon yourself. You all did."

He turned his head slowly, eyes glinting beneath the hood. "You thought you could find out who controls the western routes? You thought you could track me?" His tone became colder, darker. "How amusing."

He stood up and raised his hand. A faint black glow shimmered at his fingertips, spreading into a circle of light. Then, with a simple snap of his fingers, a blackish flame burst forth, flickering violently in the rain.

SWOOSH!

The flame didn't die under the downpour. Instead, it grew black and crimson, wrapping around the corpses. The air filled with the smell of burning flesh and charred bone. The screams that had once echoed through the night were replaced by the crackling of demonic fire.

The man watched quietly as the flames devoured everything, his smile widening.

"Ashes to ashes. Secrets to dust."

The rain fell harder, hissing as it met the unholy blaze. When the fire finally dimmed, there was nothing left but scorched earth and smoke.

Then, footsteps echoed faintly through the rain. Another figure appeared, hooded and kneeling before him.

"Lord Apostle," the newcomer said, his voice trembling slightly.

The man.… the Apostle turned his head slowly, his sharp eyes locking on the messenger. "How are things?" he asked coldly.

The messenger swallowed hard. "Sir… our tail has been caught."

The Apostle's expression darkened instantly. His fingers twitched once, and the air around them grew heavier.

"What did you say?" His tone was low, filled with quiet danger.

The messenger flinched, lowering his gaze. "We were followed during the transfer. Someone might have traced the shipment routes."

The Apostle took a slow step forward, his shadow stretching across the ground like a living thing. The faint flame in his hand flickered again, burning brighter.

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