CHAPTER- THE WESTERN PROVINCE
Rain fell like needles over the western province.
The nation of Velmora also known as the western province was unlike the rest of the continent.
Where other kingdoms still relied on enchanted swords, spell circles, and bulky mana cannons… Velmora had begun forging something different.
Something dangerous.
Something modern.
Gas lamps lined the stone streets.
Rail systems moved cargo through industrial districts.
Air balloons floated above the skyline like silent guardians.
And in the capital city, towering above everything else…
A clock tower struck six.
DONG.
DONG.
DONG.
The sound echoed through the rain.
At the very top of the tower stood a lone figure.
A man wearing a long black coat.
A wide-brim hat.
A porcelain mask carved into the shape of a two-faced demon—one side smiling, the other twisted in rage.
In one hand he held an umbrella.
In the other, he calmly adjusted his hat.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
The rain intensified.
And without hesitation…
He stepped off the tower.
The Fall
Wind roared in his ears as he dropped dozens of meters toward the stone streets below.
Any normal person would scream.
Panic.
Flail.
But the masked man remained completely relaxed.
As if he had jumped from a staircase rather than a tower.
The rain slid across his coat.
His boots pointed downward.
The ground rushed closer.
And closer.
And closer.
Just before impact—
A faint glow ignited beneath his boots.
Runes etched into the soles flickered to life.
A prototype magic device.
A rune circle formed beneath his feet.
The falling momentum instantly dispersed.
He stopped in mid-air for a split second…
Then landed softly.
The rain splashed across the street.
His boots touched the ground without a sound.
But he wasn't alone.
One hundred figures stepped out of the surrounding alleys.
Black cloaks.
Daggers.
Crossbows.
Silent assassins.
The street became a ring of steel.
One of them stepped forward.
"You're surrounded."
Another spoke coldly.
"The Western Intelligence Bureau has been tracking you for months."
Rain ran down their blades.
The man in the demon mask didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't react.
Instead…
He clapped his hands once.
A simple sound.
Clap.
The assassins tensed.
The man standing closest to him opened his mouth.
"You think we'll spare you because of—"
He never finished.
The masked man vanished.
One blink.
One heartbeat.
He appeared behind the speaker.
His gloved hand wrapped around the assassin's neck.
The man's eyes widened.
"What—"
CRACK.
The masked man twisted his wrist.
The assassin's head snapped clean off his body.
Blood sprayed across the rain-soaked pavement.
The corpse dropped like a broken puppet.
The masked man casually tossed the head aside.
The remaining assassins froze.
Then rage erupted.
"KILL HIM!"
Crossbows fired instantly.
Arrows sliced through the rain.
The masked man calmly opened his umbrella.
The arrows struck its surface—
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
They bounced off like they had hit steel.
The umbrella wasn't normal.
Its ribs were forged from enchanted alloys.
Runic engravings shimmered along the fabric.
A portable defensive artifact.
The masked man slowly tilted his head.
Almost amused.
Then he pressed the umbrella's handle.
With a soft metallic click…
The handle slid apart.
A blade emerged.
A long, thin sword.
Elegant.
Deadly.
A duelist's weapon.
The Cards
But that wasn't all.
His other hand slipped inside his coat.
He pulled out something unexpected.
A deck of cards.
The assassins hesitated.
"What the hell…"
The masked man began shuffling the deck.
His fingers moved with impossible speed.
Cards flicked through the air like silver feathers.
All while arrows and daggers continued flying toward him.
He stepped aside.
Leaned.
Spun.
Every attack missed him by centimeters.
His movements were effortless.
Almost playful.
Then—
He threw the entire deck into the air.
The cards scattered like birds.
Rain soaked them instantly.
The assassins charged.
Blades flashing.
The masked man's eyes glinted behind the demon mask.
The first card touched the wet street.
And suddenly—
He appeared beside it.
FLASH.
A sword strike cut an assassin's throat.
Before the body hit the ground—
He vanished again.
Another card landed.
FLASH.
Two assassins split open across the chest.
Another card fell.
FLASH.
A dagger wielder lost both arms.
The assassins panicked.
"What is this?!"
Every card became a teleport anchor.
Each time one touched the ground…
The masked man appeared beside it.
And each appearance meant death.
Bodies fell across the street.
Blood mixed with rainwater.
The assassins tried to retreat.
Too late.
He moved like a ghost.
A storm.
A nightmare that flickered between cards.
Seven minutes passed.
When the last card touched the ground…
Silence returned.
The rain kept falling.
One hundred assassins lay dead.
The masked man stood alone.
His coat barely stained.
He cleaned the blade with a cloth.
Then slid it back into the umbrella handle.
The demon mask stared into the empty street.
Footsteps echoed from a nearby rooftop.
A voice whispered from the shadows.
"…Still ridiculous."
A woman stepped out.
Sniper rifle resting on her shoulder.
Silver hair tied in a ponytail.
"You killed an entire bureau squad."
The masked man tilted his head.
"They were rude."
The woman sighed.
"You're impossible."
He reached down and picked up one of the blood-soaked cards.
Then tucked it back into the deck.
His voice was calm.
Almost cheerful.
"They attacked first."
The woman smirked.
"Greedy as always."
The masked man looked toward the distant horizon.
Far beyond Velmora.
Beyond the mountains.
Beyond the oceans.
Toward a certain corrupted forest where a demon lord had begun reshaping the world.
He chuckled quietly.
"Speaking of greed…"
The woman raised an eyebrow.
"What now?"
He flipped a card between his fingers.
"The continent is getting interesting."
Thunder rumbled.
Lightning illuminated the skyline.
And the masked man finally spoke the name everyone whispered in fear.
The Greedy Goblin of the Human Race.
A man who stole everything worth stealing.
Gold.
Secrets.
Artifacts.
Even lives.
And now…
His eyes were looking toward Draven's rising empire.
The demon mask smiled.
"Let's see how profitable this new world becomes."