# Chapter 18: The Infamous Mr. O
A Gyn ages faster than an Elf. The average Gyn's lifespan is 200 years, while an Elf's is 350. In the first two decades of a Gyn's life, the most changes occur. By age 14, a Gyn is considered a young adult. In contrast, an Elf reaches adulthood at a minimum of 18—though this varies between species.
— A Guide to Maturity by Vander Loudis
---
Leron leaned back, watching the flickering lantern light dance across the room.
"I don't know much about it… I was too preoccupied battling the werewolves," he admitted. "But I tell you this—he was pretty strong. Somehow, he had become stronger than when we fought."
Uriel and Raphael exchanged glances, absorbing his words.
---
{Uthean News Reports}
> "The humanoid wolf-type beasts were wiped out by what citizens are calling a 'black flash.'"
>
> "The Hunters' Association and the Divine Temple have investigated the matter. However, it has been classified as a beast rage—one triggered by an extremely powerful, intelligent beast species."
>
> "Hunter Nero Casagrande, an AA-rank, has been appointed to lead a new branch of the Lion Hunts C guild in Uthean, Northern Usera Duchy."
>
> "House Carter has officially announced its change of name to House Thorne."
---
*One Year Later*
*Night – Outer City / Crime District*
He hovered over the domain of crime, a white mask across his face, a burning halo above his head, covered by a grey cloak hiding every inch of his body.
Behind him were four men wearing similar white masks with numbers across them, draped in simpler grey cloaks.
They had planned this attack for a month now: Adrian, Tobey, Chris, Aghast, and Herla.
Too many criminal activities had gone unchecked. The biggest one being the Vax incident.
Adrian even predicted that the crime lords and the Godfather might have been responsible for the attack that needed Valhalla and his intervention to end.
"Ghost 4, take care of the guards out front," Adrian said. His voice sounded different—much more ethereal and ghostly. Ghost 4 was Aghast, who simply nodded and phased down.
One moment, guards were patrolling, laughter spilling from dim taverns, deals being made in shadows.
Then the next—
The place suddenly became quiet.
An unnatural quiet.
Ghost 4 moved first.
No sound. Nothing.
A guard blinked. Gone.
Another turned. Too late.
By the time the others noticed something was wrong, half their perimeter had already collapsed into silence.
Then a body dropped from above.
Thud.
The man struggled to breathe, his body twisted and deformed.
A message.
"…Intruders!" someone shouted.
Too late.
Ghost 1 and Ghost 3 descended.
Steel flashed once. Twice. Clean. Efficient.
But then—
Clang.
Chris stepped back slightly, his blade halted mid-strike.
"…That's new," he muttered.
From the shadows, a man stepped forward.
No mask. No cloak.
"You're not guards," he said calmly, rolling his shoulder and jumping as if warming up. His eyes scanned them once. "…Five."
Tobey, Ghost #2, nodded slightly.
"Unexpected variable," he noted.
Adrian said nothing. He watched.
"Leave," the man said, almost casually. "You're in the wrong place."
No one moved.
A pause.
Then he moved first.
---
Swoosh.
Chris reacted instantly, using a cross-block.
Impact.
Boom.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he was driven back several meters.
"…Strong," Chris admitted.
Too late. The man was already on Tobey.
How did he move? They all wondered.
Crack.
Tobey's body folded as he was driven into the ground, dust erupting around him.
Aghast phased. Intercepted. Mid-phase. A strike landed anyway.
"…He's moving through the shadows," Tobey coughed, pushing himself up. "A shadow mage."
"Interesting," the man said.
Herla, Ghost 3, entered. Silent. Precise. Twin blades.
Cut.
The man leaned. Minimal movement. Her strike missed by a fraction.
His counter landed.
Herla slid across the ground, boots tearing through stone.
"You learn fast," Tobey observed.
"No," the man replied. "I'm just faster."
---
Adrian stepped forward. He was growing tired of watching the man beat them up. Or maybe he was just interested in the fight.
The air shifted.
The man paused.
"…So you're the one," he said.
"You are Juran."
Adrian spoke his name without asking. That alone changed something.
"…Then this isn't random," Juran said.
"No. Though you are stronger than the myths told."
"Few experience me and get to share the myth."
A pause. Then—
"I'll give you a choice," Adrian continued. "Walk away."
Juran smiled.
"Or?"
"You die."
Silence.
Then Juran chuckled.
"Let's be interesting," he said, jumping up and down once again. "Beat me and I serve you."
Then he vanished.
---
The clash lasted seconds.
But it felt longer, because no one dominated. Not even Adrian—not because he wasn't stronger, no.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Speed. Precision. Control.
Juran moved through them like an assassin.
Chris was forced back again.
Herla couldn't land a clean hit.
Aghast was disrupted mid-phase.
Tobey flew to Adrian's side.
Adrian was genuinely surprised by the man's skill.
Then Juran stopped. Mid-motion. Looked at Adrian.
"…You're not ready," he said simply.
Then he stepped back. Not retreating. Just disengaging.
"But you will be."
A pause. His gaze flicked once across all of them.
"Call me if you need me."
Then he was gone, a piece of paper flickering in the place where he stood.
Contact details.
Silence returned, broken only by uneven breathing.
Tobey adjusted his glasses again.
"…We proceed?" he asked.
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
Then: "Yes."
---
The doors opened slowly.
No guards remained. No resistance. Only one man sat at the end of the room.
Calm. Waiting.
"You took your time," the Godfather said.
Adrian stepped forward alone. The others stayed behind.
Adrian just stared at him, but the Godfather couldn't read his expression beneath the mask.
"I knew someone would come," the man replied. "Power always attracts ambition."
A pause.
"Tell me," the Godfather leaned forward slightly, "which are you?"
Adrian tilted his head.
"Have you ever heard of a man who built a kingdom out of bones?"
Silence.
"No?" Adrian continued. "He didn't kill for pleasure. He didn't kill for power. He killed because he understood something simple."
A step forward.
"People only obey what they fear. Or what they cannot comprehend."
Another step.
"And when they cannot comprehend you—"
The halo above him dimmed.
"—they call you a monster."
The Godfather smiled faintly.
"…And you believe that's you?"
"No," Adrian said.
Then he appeared behind him.
Swoosh.
"I believe I'm worse."
Thud.
The head rolled.
Silence.
---
That same night, three letters were delivered. No messengers were seen. Like ghosts in the mist.
Inside:
[You have seen what happens to those who mistake position for power.
Come.
Kneel.
Or be replaced.
— O]
The room was dimly lit, the scent of blood still lingering in the air. Clad in a sleek grey suit, he sat upon the throne that once belonged to Uthean's most notorious mafia boss—the man whose lifeless head now lay at his feet.
Before him knelt five of Uthean's crime lords, or at least the three that remained of them, their faces taut with fear.
Behind him were the Ghosts of Ragnarok.
"I have a simple task for you," he stated, his voice even. "Engulf Uthean in strife, and your lives will be spared."
He rose from the throne, his presence looming over them like a shadow.
"Yes…" They nodded frantically. Their survival depended on it.
But he saw it—in the eyes of one, the scheming look he recognized.
"You may call me Overlord."
The moment he turned to face them, removing his mask, their expressions shifted from submission to sheer terror.
Shock widened their eyes as realization dawned.
He wasn't just some outsider seizing control.
He was noble blood.
One by one, their heads bowed lower—foreheads pressing against the cold floor—until they declared in unison:
"Yes, Overlord."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Huh."
Then, in an instant, he vanished.
---
*The Next Morning*
Today was the day of Adrian's coming-of-age ceremony.
He stood on the balcony, watching the preparations unfold below.
Unnecessary fuss.
First, he would be baptized. Then blessed by the Archbishop. If all went according to script, Lady Kairos would pass the helm of Lordship to him.
Adrian exhaled slowly, detached from the spectacle of it all.
He picked up his journal, flipping it open to a fresh page.
---
[22/7/239 Era Igneous VII]
*I plan to rule Uthean from the shadows as I climb my way to the top.*
*I have subjugated the mafia and major gangs. The next step is to reduce Uthean to a state of unrest—one volatile enough for revolt.*
*Once chaos erupts, the five remaining lords will be swept out of the picture.*
*I could personally wipe them out—but I won't. There are two reasons for this:*
*1. It would be far too suspicious if all noble heads were eliminated except for Thorne and Wilbert.*
*2. Where's the fun in that?*
*The crime bosses will likely begin targeting trade routes, weakening the county from within. House Wilbert controls commerce—meaning suspicion won't fall on us.*
*Inciting gang wars is also a viable option.*
*I just hope I don't encounter anyone as strong as Leron or Juran again… Though now I have gained another significantly powerful help. He likes the name Shadow. Juran was a skilled assassin with an unknown past.*
---
He rose, walking to the balcony, watching the expanse of the Wilbert domain stretching all the way to Uthean at large—a land that would soon be his, the first piece in this larger battle.
"Huh." He smiled.