Somehow, the news leaked.
It was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a wok of boiling oil—the entire High Tower erupted.
"Did you hear? They actually caught them! The Insects from the Eye of Dusk!"
"Three of them! And one was even on the patrol team!"
"My god... What are they trying to do?!"
"Those flyers from before... could they have been real?!"
"Of course they're real! Where there's smoke, there's fire! There's really something lurking in the shadows!"
"Shh... Keep it down, do you have a death wish?!"
The rumors were no longer just rumors. Now there was "hard evidence."
The panic didn't intensify. Instead, it transformed into a more restless and suspicious mood.
People started looking at each other with more scrutiny, as if everyone was a potential enemy.
This was especially true for the Wizards of the Shadow Faction, who could feel faint, lingering gazes on them wherever they went.
Those who had once scoffed at the rumors now fell silent.
