Under the morning light at the border of the slums. The faint fragrance of tea mingled with the sweetness of biscuits.
Ravy sat there, leisurely flipping through the pages of a book. In front of him, a neat little table: a steaming teacup, a plate of biscuits placed properly. He reached out, took one, bit off a small piece, then sipped his tea. Every movement was graceful and calm, as if he were in a quiet tearoom.
Yet the surrounding scene was hell itself. Dozens, hundreds of bodies cut into pieces, piled up like trash. Blood flowed onto the ground, the stench of death heavy in the air.
Ravy (exhaling softly):
"Another gang again…
Didn't you say the Kowloon Gang had influence here?"
From the shadows, a girl stepped out. Lare — long silky hair, sharp eyes glinting with amusement. She showed no hesitation, casually took a biscuit from Ravy's plate and ate it with relish.
Lare:
"Yes, the Kowloon Gang had a strong voice. But… there are always some who refuse to listen, especially that ape's gang."
At her feet, a human head rolled. Lare smirked, lifted her foot and stomped down hard. The sound of bones shattering rang out grotesquely.
Lare (mocking tone):
"Oh dear… I've dirtied my foot."
Ravy didn't look up, his gaze fixed on the page, utterly unbothered.
Lare clicked her tongue, annoyed.
Ravy (turning a page, calmly):
"It's been a week already, hasn't it?"
---
One week earlier
Inside the headquarters of the Kowloon Gang, the stench of liquor and blood blended. The leader sat on his armchair, raising a glass of blood-red wine, sipping with smug satisfaction.
The door burst open, a subordinate rushed in, panicked:
"Boss! There's someone… killing our men!"
Leader (raising an eyebrow):
"Killing?"
Subordinate (trembling):
"Y-yes… he's slaughtering everyone! Investigation says… it's the owner of that magic library you once ordered attacked."
The wine glass slipped, shattering. The leader's face twisted in rage:
"What? Don't tell me… he's the Hex Fiend!"
Before the subordinate could answer, blood seeped from his neck. Threads as fine as silk glimmered faintly in the air, tightening—his body was sliced into pieces, falling lifelessly onto the floor.
The leader's face paled, his hand clutching his throat—those same invisible threads coiling around him.
From the darkness, a cold voice rang out:
Ravy:
"So… you're the leader of the Kowloon Gang."
Leader (choking):
"Y-you…!"
Before he could speak further, the threads constricted, blood bursting forth.
Ravy:
"Name?"
Leader (gasping):
"L… Lare…"
The threads loosened. Ravy tossed a stack of books onto the table, pages glowing faintly with magical light.
Ravy:
"I have a deal for you. Countless magic tomes… in exchange, the Kowloon Gang will protect my magic library. Forever."
Lare (shaking, forcing herself to speak):
"You… came here just to… trade? Not… to take revenge for the library's destruction?"
Ravy (cold eyes):
"Destruction? That day… I was there. And I handled them already."
He turned away, walking off as if no blood had ever been spilled.
Lare stood frozen, her hands trembling, her arrogant aura fading. Yet beneath the fear, something strange crept in — excitement.
Lare (whispering, nearly delirious):
"Just… just a little more and I would have died… As expected… he really is tied to the Hex Fiend…"
---
Lare's eyes swept across the alley — corpses everywhere, blood soaking the ground.
Lare (muttering, in her head):
(Casualties: One thousand dead… two hundred injured.)
At her feet, a subordinate knelt, trembling as he wiped the blood off her shoes.
Subordinate:
"Y-yes… we'll clean it all immediately."
Lare chuckled softly, her gaze turning toward Ravy. He still sat there, calmly flipping pages, as though none of the carnage had anything to do with him.
Lare (eyes glinting at Ravy):
"One day… I'll make you my pet."
---
Evening
A black cloak drawn tight, hood pulled low to conceal his face. Ravy's footsteps echoed faintly along cracked stone corridors, leading down into the depths.
This was the underworld — a place where no rule existed but the law of the strong. The stench of blood, opium, and rotting corpses mingled into air so heavy it choked the lungs. The maniacal laughter of drugged men, the clash of metal, the pitiful groans of the tortured — all merged into a repulsive symphony, hammering straight into his mind.
Ravy passed crude stalls one by one. Some sold mana stones, others beast organs, others even forbidden magical artifacts. He didn't linger, silently stacking ancient magic tomes onto the trading counters. The vendors never asked their source, only grinned with blood-stained teeth before handing over the goods.
Once done, Ravy quickly left.
Yet as he passed a narrow alley, he suddenly felt it — a power so overwhelming his instincts recoiled like prey before a predator. His heart pounded, breath caught, his whole body went cold.
Two figures in black cloaks walked toward him. One led in front, the other seemed more obscure behind. But the instant they passed, he felt crushed by an unseen presence, as though a dark abyss had opened before him.
Ravy clenched his teeth, forcing himself to walk faster.
(That power… unimaginable…)
As if sensing his fear, the one in front turned back, eyes flashing from the darkness. But by the time his gaze swept, Ravy had already vanished into the chaotic crowd.
Behind them, Ravy trembled, sweat soaking his back.
(No… impossible. Just a glance… and it made me tremble like this…)
In the shadows, the two cloaked figures continued walking.
Igroth:
"…What's wrong with you?"
Saryx (flatly):
"Nothing."
Igroth:
"Then why drag me into this rotten hole?"
Saryx (mocking, cold):
"I didn't drag you. You keep clinging to me, so I let you tag along.
(It's time… I'll reclaim my power… Hex Fiend…)"