City of Adventurers

The city was breathing its shadows under the faint moonlight, as Karsu glided through the alleys like an untouchable shadow. His black eyes vanished into the darkness like an abyss that swallowed all secrets. He was not merely a man in search of information; he was an architect of chaos, weaving the threads of a game that none other could master. He entered the tavern with confident steps, the rough sound of his boots on the wooden floor announcing the arrival of the master of the scene, while the patrons' heads bowed as they caught a glimpse of his grim appearance. He knew that fear was his best ally, for he had planted it in their hearts with a single glance.

He sat in a corner like a panther watching the herd. He raised an empty wine glass with one relaxed hand, while the other played on a knife, as words that had seeped from a distant table began to sound; then he turned toward it slowly. A malicious smile spread across his lips: "How easy it is to break those who are overly confident."

First Merchant: "We have a new shipment of energy stones arriving tonight; we must ensure that they reach the port without any issues."

(This merchant was wearing luxurious clothes that did not suit him at all, for he was as thin as a toothpick—as if he never ate at all!)

Second Merchant: "The guards at the port have become more cautious; we need a new plan to avoid suspicion."

(As for this merchant, he bore the marks of obesity as if he ate as much as ten men a day.)

Those were Karsu's observations upon seeing them.

First Merchant: "Don't worry, we have a man inside the guards who can ease things for us in exchange for a portion of the profits."

Karsu approached the merchants. "It seems you both have a good plan, but there is a small problem… I know everything about it."

The merchants were surprised by Karsu's presence and advanced toward him threateningly.

Second Merchant: "Who are you to dare speak to us in this manner?"

Karsu: "I am the one who can either help you or destroy you. I have detailed information about all your movements, and if you do not cooperate with me, I will go directly to the guards."

The merchants slowed down and realized that they were in a difficult situation.

First Merchant: "What do you want?"

Karsu: "I want half of the stones in exchange for my silence and assistance in securing the shipment's arrival."

"WHAT?! Do you think that merely your knowledge of these matters entitles you to take half?!"

Other Merchant: "Yes, that's right—you may think you are pressuring us, but the truth is, we haven't even started the operation, so we are not criminals."

"Alright, this will be a nuisance," Karsu muttered, and in the blink of an eye, he severed a part of the second merchant's ear due to the sheer speed of his attack; no one saw it, and even the second merchant did not realize that a piece of his ear had been cut off until the blood began to flow.

"Wh–what is this?" the second merchant stammered. He then touched his ear and saw his hand, completely covered in blood, and looked at Karsu in horror to find that he was holding a piece of flesh—indeed, it was a part of his ear.

Calmly and deliberately, with fingers stained with blood, Karsu said, "It was not a request but an order."

The merchants agreed, knowing that they had only one option.

After Karsu forced the merchants to accept the deal in exchange for his silence and his assistance in securing the shipment's arrival, he realized that these merchants would conspire against him to get rid of him. He knew that paying half of the profits to a stranger was not a sustainable option. Thus, he deduced that they had decided to send a professional assassin to eliminate him. For this very reason, Karsu informed them of the meeting time and the gathering place, and he even told them about the cave in which he dwells.

Karsu sat in his cave outside the city, planning all the upcoming steps and the course of subsequent events. "Let's see how their movements will be," he said coldly.

Meanwhile, at the merchants' location in a luxurious setting in one of their houses, they were discussing the misfortune of what had occurred.

First Merchant: "We have a big problem; that man knows too much."

Second Merchant: "Yes! Dile, you don't need to shout—I can hear you! I know we need to get rid of him, but we don't want to attract attention."

Dile: "Obis, trust me, for I know a professional assassin who can end the matter quickly and without a fuss. He possesses Qaz Shadows, and he will leave no trace."

The merchants nodded in agreement with one another.

They went to meet the assassin in a dark corner of the city.

Dile: "We have a target we want you to eliminate. He is a dangerous and intelligent man, and we know you are the right person for this mission."

The Assassin: "Who is the target?"

Second Merchant: "A mysterious man whose name we do not know. He dared to blackmail us, even humiliate us."

The Assassin: "I will carry out the mission tonight. Make sure that I receive what you promised."

At night, the assassin began observing Karsu from the shadows. He knew that the killing must be swift and silent, taking advantage of the properties of Qaz Shadows to move at incredible speed within the darkness—exiting and entering any shadow that led to the required place.

"Is that him?" Karsu wondered as he watched from outside the cave, a few meters away. Then the assassin stepped into a shadow adjacent to Karsu.

Karsu sensed his presence, but he did not have time to prepare. Suddenly, he felt an unnatural movement around him. The assassin burst forth from his shadow swiftly, attacking with a sword coated in poison.

The Assassin: "Not out of malice… but business."

Karsu quickly retreated to the cave, using Qaz light to boost his speed and put distance between himself and the assassin. But the assassin was faster, making use of Qaz Shadows to move at incredible speed in the darkness. He began circling around Karsu from every direction—above, below, right, and left.

Karsu: "Who sent you?"

The Assassin: "The people who do not wish to pay the price for your silence."

Karsu used Qaz threads to weave a net around himself, attempting to slow the assassin's movements. However, the assassin effortlessly cut through the threads with his poisoned sword. Immediately, Karsu began igniting fires using Qaz flame in specific locations, which created bright lights throughout the cave.

Karsu: "You cannot use the shadows if there is no darkness."

The assassin began to feel uneasy, for the light limited his ability to move freely. He tried to attack Karsu directly, but Karsu was prepared. Karsu lunged at the assassin, taking advantage of his moment of hesitation. He attacked and disrupted the assassin's movements, using a combination of swift strikes and evasive maneuvers.

Karsu: "You are nothing but a pawn in a larger game. You should know that before you die."

With a swift and sudden strike, Karsu used his sword to cut the assassin's neck before he could retaliate.

Karsu breathed deeply, aware that the merchants would not cease their attempts to eliminate him.

"Alright, now the first step has been completed."

At that moment, a strange light emanated from the assassin's neck, and there was an insect that desperately wanted to emerge—and with great difficulty it did emerge: (Qaz Shadows).

Karsu, with astonishment, said, "Huh? Well, this is a welcome surprise."

He gently and tenderly grasped it, placed it between his palms, and began polishing it immediately. A strong beam of light radiated from Karsu's palms, and with that, Qaz Shadows was now within the ocean of Karsu's mind, subjugating him by the grace of Qaranus.

Karsu: "Well, how fortunate I am that Qaranus is with me, for otherwise a difficult-to-deal-with Qaz like Qaz Shadows would not have succumbed."

Then he looked at the assassin's corpse and said, "Hmmm, Qaz flame." From his palms he produced fire that burned the corpse and turned it to ash.

Karsu bathed and slept on a bed made of straw.