Black Hearted Mage

Kaisas and Emilie lived a fulfilling life in Redstone City. Every morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone across the cobblestones of Redstone Square, they had already set up their stall. Emilie sorted the weapons and equipment seized from the Night Ravens, while Kaisas lazily reclined on a recliner, occasionally using magic to levitate items to attract customers.

In the evening, the courtyard where they lived was always filled with tempting aromas - sometimes it was the stewed monster meat in a large iron pot, and sometimes it was the sizzling barbecue sprinkled with spices on the campfire, attracting the stray cats nearby to gather on the wall to watch.

Meanwhile, in a deep, fog-shrouded valley, the Night Raven organization's secret base was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. This heavily camouflaged cave revealed a hidden world. The walls of the meeting hall were covered in a variety of weapons, and magical lamps inlaid with magic crystals provided illumination, casting the shadows of a dozen men in black across the stone walls, creating a particularly eerie atmosphere.

"That bastard is slapping us in the face!" A burly man in black slammed a wooden table, sending sawdust flying. "Not only did he claim the reward for Black Crow's body, but now he's even selling our equipment openly! If this gets out, how will Night Crow survive in the assassin world?"

In the corner, a figure shrouded in a black cloak spoke quietly, "What's worse is... I just received urgent reports from all branches. In just three days, we've received cancellations at all seventeen mission locations across the seven kingdoms." His voice was like a venomous snake crawling on the sand. "Employers are beginning to question our abilities. How can assassins complete commissions if they can't even protect themselves..."

At this moment, the lame old man, who had been silent the entire time, stood up, leaning on his snake-head cane. Under the light, the crisscrossing scars on his face looked particularly hideous. "I sent someone to investigate that Kaisus," his hoarse voice instantly silenced the meeting hall. "He's a great dark wizard who spent some time in the Northland Tower before being taken away by the Thorn Flower Trading Company. Most importantly—" the lame old man paused deliberately, "he's only in his thirties!"

"A great magician in his thirties?!"

"How can this be!"

The meeting hall erupted in an uproar, with several young men in black even standing up in shock. In this world where magicians required decades of arduous training, reaching the level of a high-level magician before the age of forty was considered a genius, let alone a great magician.

"Quiet!"

The lame old man slammed his cane on the ground. "I'm not finished yet!" After the discussion died down, he continued, "Informants in Fire Maple City say he's very likely the son of 'Flame Tyrannosaurus' Joanna. As for who Joanna is..." The old man sneered, "No one here wants to experience being burned to charcoal by Dragon Breath!"

"This isn't the end yet," the lame old man pulled out a scroll of parchment from his bosom. "He's currently the deputy commander of Hawkeye in the Roland Empire. And the most interesting thing is..." He deliberately dragged out his voice, "There's unconfirmed news. It's said that 'Shadow' once accepted a commission to assassinate him, but not only was the mission canceled, but even the employer's deposit wasn't refunded!"

This statement struck the meeting room like a thunderbolt. As industry insiders, they knew all too well what "Shadow" meant—that elusive, top-tier assassin organization that never failed, its terror far surpassing that of second-rate organizations like "Night Raven."

A man in black wearing a silver mask suddenly suggested, "Master Lame, you were a ruthless character back then who even dared to attack the 'Female Tyrannosaurus'. Why don't you go to Red Stone City yourself?"

"Fuck your motherfucker!"

The lame old man flew into a rage, lashing out with his cane at the proposer. The man in black, wearing a silver mask, took two steps back, dodging the cane.

"My leg was broken by Joanna's fireball! Now you want me to deal with her son? Why don't you heartless bastards just feed the magic yourselves?!"

The lame old man's saliva made several people in the front row retreat one after another, and the conference hall fell into chaos again.

"I'm not asking you to assassinate Caesars, I'm asking you to test his strength!"

"Why don't you go and test him yourself?" explained the man in black with a silver mask.

"Cripple, just test him and see how strong he is. No need to use your hands, just use your intuition!"

The "Raven" in "Night Raven" said this, and the lame man immediately shut up and nodded slightly.

Kaisas's stall was already packed with people. Ever since the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds in the early morning, the place hadn't been deserted. With only two days left before the Magician's Challenge, he had nearly emptied his space rings and storage rings of supplies. The bright red scales of salamander hides, the snow-white, tough hide of white crocodiles, and unprocessed skulls and claws—these precious magical materials piled like a mountain on the animal hides of the stall, gleaming alluringly in the morning light.

"We only accept high-grade magic crystals, not gold coins! The prices are listed in the item column, no bargaining!"

Emily's clear voice cut through the clamor of the crowd. She stood on a raised wooden box, her golden braids swaying gently as she spoke. The materials for the two high-level magical beasts were truly rare. The crowd gathered, and the constant barrage of inquiries filled the stall like a cauldron.

Several mercenaries in heavy armor stood out as they carefully examined the skulls of salamanders. These skulls were covered in natural magical markings, each indentation imbued with fire resistance. Simply have a blacksmith inlay a metal handle, and they would instantly transform into a majestic and commanding magical shield—even more enticing, at less than 70% the price of a magic shop.

"I want this!"

A bearded mercenary suddenly shouted, holding up a remarkably complete skull. The fangs of a mature salamander gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Five high-grade magic crystals tinkled into the velvet bag in Emily's hands. The mercenary slung the skull behind him like a trophy, even touching it a few more times.

"Give me one too!"

The mercenary's companion, unwilling to be outdone, immediately produced the magic crystal. Suddenly, there was a commotion on the other side of the stall; someone had discovered the alchemy potion hidden in the corner.

"Buy five bottles of advanced strength potion!"

A mercenary in a dark brown cloak shouted anxiously. These potions came from a certain unlucky alchemist. While counting his loot, Caesars realized they were about to expire if he didn't sell them. Now, offering them at a 10% discount to the market price, they immediately attracted discerning buyers. Seeing this, the mercenaries turned in droves, fearing to miss out on this rare opportunity, and a new round of buying frenzy erupted at the stall.

This time, the fire lizard hide was relatively intact, with the fatal wounds in negligible areas, so the price Kaisas offered was not low. However, for those who knew the value of the goods, as long as they had magic crystals in their pockets, they would buy a piece of fire lizard hide.

Whether challenging a fire mage or exploring the volcanic southern continent, equipment crafted from salamander leather is essential. Salamander leather possesses excellent fire resistance, is also incredibly tough, and possesses high physical defense capabilities.

"Make way, everyone, make way!"

A loud-voiced figure pushed through the crowd, pushing aside the few mercenaries gathered in front of the stall. He wasn't a large man, and wore a short, gray-black linen jacket with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his sturdy, powerful forearms.

The man had a beard and his clothes were dirty. He picked up a piece of salamander leather and looked at it carefully. Then he asked, "How much is this leather in gold coins?"

"One hundred high-level magic crystals!"

Emily looked at the visitor. She was a little skeptical about his purchasing power, but she still quoted the price of salamander leather.

"I bought it!"

The man was very straightforward. He took out a hundred magic crystals from his storage ring and handed them to Emily. Then he hurried away with the leather.

"Emily, that man's forearms are incredibly thick, and he smells like rust. He's obviously a blacksmith, much wealthier than the average mercenary. He bought the salamander leather, probably to make gloves and aprons!"

The midday sun gradually dispelled the morning chill, and the crowds in Redstone Square began to thin out. Customers at Caesar's stall also left in twos and threes. The greedy puppy, perfectly timed to be hungry, nimbly stood up, the magic steel bowl in its mouth.

Caesars's gaze lingered in front of the stall, where a suspicious-looking old man stood. This lame old man, dressed in a faded black robe, had been standing there for over an hour. His gnarled fingers pretentiously examined the merchandise, his cloudy eyes constantly glancing back at him. His feigned composure made him look like an old fox gazing at a henhouse.

"Hey, old man," Caesars adjusted his position on the recliner, causing the wooden seat to creak slightly. "You've been hanging around here for half the morning. Even though you're lame, I can smell the sour stench of a paladin across the stall!"

The old man's wrinkled face twitched, his bony fingers unconsciously rubbing the bulge at his waist. He retorted hoarsely, the faint sound of metal clashing coming from beneath his black robe. "Redstone Square is a public place. I can stay wherever I want, old man. What's it to you?"

Caesars suddenly laughed out loud, revealing his white teeth.

"Come on, look at you—" He counted on his fingers, "as skinny as a dried salted fish, with your right arm tucked against your ribs—the standard assassin's stance—and you habitually walk on tiptoe." He leaned forward, his voice suddenly cold. "Are the Night Crow assassins so unprofessional now? You dare to come scout here in broad daylight? It seems there's not a single sane person in your organization!"

"Nonsense, nonsense!" The old cripple was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His body under the black robe was obviously stiff. "I'm just an ordinary old man..."

"I live in the alley behind the Consulate, in a courtyard with a blue wall!" Caesars interrupted him casually. "Will you come to visit me at night?"

The old assassin's pupils suddenly contracted, and his withered wrist twitched, a cold gleam flashing half an inch from his sleeve before quickly retracting. "I... I have to get back to make dinner for my granddaughter. I completely forgot about the time!" He stammered, his limp tripping over the hem of his robe as he turned.

"It's true that the older you get, the less courageous you become!"

Caesars looked at the hurriedly departing figure, scoffing and shaking his head. Killing people casually wasn't allowed in Redstone City, but Caesars was ready to play a trick on the old cripple. He turned to his sister, who was sorting the merchandise. "Emily, do you want to see a good show? Watch the old cripple crawl out of the square!"

The girl looked up in surprise, her golden braid swaying slightly with her movements. "Brother, are you going to break his other leg?" She blinked her amber eyes, her tone as innocent as if she was asking what was for dinner.

Caesars opened his palm, a wisp of gray mist swirling between his fingers. Magical energy silently swept across the square, precisely wrapping around the old assassin's legs.

"No need to use violence, two small spells will be enough to deal with this old guy!"

With a dull thud, the black-robed old man suddenly fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. He slapped his unconscious legs in fear, like a flipped beetle. When he discovered his limbs were intact, his cloudy eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Old man, remember to come visit us tonight!"

Caesars waved enthusiastically. Emily covered her mouth with her hands and chuckled softly, her silver bell-like laughter ringing out across the square.

The old cripple propped himself up with his arms and, with some difficulty, crawled to the edge of the square. His faded black robe was stained with dust, and his disheveled appearance drew the attention of several passing vendors. At that moment, he felt a sense of true despair. He hadn't been able to determine the opponent's strength, but his methods were incredibly strange. He hadn't noticed the fluctuations of magic power before his legs lost feeling.

If the other party wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as pie. The thought of this made the old cripple's forehead sweat, and he crawled faster. He wanted to leave Red Stone City, the farther the better.

"Dead dog, do you remember the smell of this old guy?" Caesars said to the dark red puppy in front of him.

The puppy made a slight humming sound in its throat as a response.

The man nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Just follow him quietly and see where this old man is hiding. If he leaves the city, don't be so foolish as to follow him. I'm worried you'll get lost and not be able to find your way home!"

The corners of Caesar's mouth turned up slightly, revealing a smile. However, the puppy seemed a little dissatisfied with what Caesar said, and whimpered again, as if complaining about Caesar's distrust of it.

However, when a large piece of fragrant barbecue was placed in the magic steel bowl, the puppy's attitude suddenly changed 180 degrees. Its little tail began to wag rapidly like a propeller, and it purred happily, obviously completely conquered by the delicious food.

At that moment, the old cripple had already struggled to reach the edge of the square. Due to the curse he'd been under, his body had been extremely weak. But as time passed, the curse finally wore off, and the old cripple breathed a sigh of relief. Supporting himself with trembling hands, he slowly stood up.

He staggered to the side of the road and stopped a carriage that happened to be passing by.