Date: July 25 of the year 106 in the Hongli Federation Calendar.
Location: a coastal area in East Sea Country called Redfish Village.
A moist, cool sea breeze swept through, lifting layer upon layer of waves in the ocean. It resembled rows of white egrets soaring in the distance. The waves crashed against the rocks, spraying water up to nearly ten feet before blossoming into countless white, sparkling droplets.
The sea roared and the waves shattered into white, frothy foam, while the black rocks stood unyielding. A man in a trench coat and wide-brimmed hat stood atop the rocks, holding a black suitcase, as motionless as a tree.
On the yellow beach beside the rocks, a group of fishermen were pulling their wooden boats ashore, having just returned from the sea. Each person clearly had their own tasks—some unloaded the freshly caught fish, while others began wrapping the ropes around the rocks.
"We caught quite a lot today, almost a whole week's worth!" said an old fisherman with dark skin as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, admiring the mountain of fish the two apprentices were holding. He smiled in satisfaction.
"Let's go back and have some hot fish soup!" he called out.
The other five or six fishermen laughed heartily as they gathered together and walked, leaving footprints in the sand.
"Huh? Uncle, why is someone up there?" A young man with a buzz cut squinted into the distance, toward the setting sun where a figure stood on the rocks.
"Probably a tourist?" the old fisherman guessed, then shook his head. "But there's no fish to catch here."
"A tourist?" The young man scratched his head. "Then I better go warn him. We can't let him stay near the beach for too long. Those man-eating bees love targeting people who are alone!"
"Alright, but hurry up and catch up with the rest of the group. We don't want you to get left behind on your way back," the old fisherman said, rubbing his nose.
"Okay." The young man quickly ran over.
He made his way to the man in the trench coat's side and said, "Sir, sir, don't stay here too long, the beach is dangerous. There are man-eating bees the size of human heads in the coastal forest; they often go after people who are by themselves!"
The young man spoke sincerely, but the man in the trench coat seemed indifferent. The young man scratched his head. Maybe it sounded too far-fetched. After all, who would believe in man-eating bees the size of human heads? If he hadn't seen it himself, he would have scoffed.
The young man reorganized his thoughts and started to speak again, "S—"
A blur flashed before his eyes, and the man who had been standing there moments ago was gone. He had transformed into a shadow, leaping from the rock's summit and sprinting across the beach. The wildly flapping hem of his trench coat resembled a dark cloud.
The young man scanned around and was startled to hear terrified screams in the distance. When he looked up, he saw a black shadow the size of a human head hurtling toward his uncle and the others, leaving behind a twisting trail of gray mist to mark its flight path.
Just as the "man-eating bee" was about to catch up with the fishermen, a figure cut in front of it. A shining silver longsword sliced through the air with a buzzing sound. In that moment, the young man's mind was filled with the image of the powerful figure fiercely swinging the steel blade.
Date: August 16, year 106 of the Hongli Federation Calendar.
Location: East Sea County, Purplelight Street in Tingda City.
The night market in Tingda City was bustling, with the dim yellow lights from the tightly packed shops lining both sides casting shadows on the ground. Various street vendors sold all kinds of goods and snacks along the road, and couples were aplenty in the dense crowd.
"Roy, this ornament is so pretty! Can I buy it?" A youthful and pretty girl stood in front of a small vendor's stall. She showed off a bracelet of mixed gold and silver in her hand.
"Of course!" A young man in casual clothes smiled helplessly. "How much for this bracelet, boss?"
A pale man stood stiffly behind them, his expression wooden. Amidst the crowd, the man had eyes for nothing except the young man's back. His eyes were filled with inexplicable greed and malice.
The man's eyes widened as a sharp line of blood appeared on his neck, and blood began to spurt out wildly!
A large hand reached out from behind, firmly grasping him by the hair, and yanked. A man whose wide-brimmed hat covered most of his face gazed at the decapitated head with half-lidded eyes and softly murmured to himself, "We meet again, my old friend..."
"Murder! Someone's been killed!"
"Run! There's been a murder!"
Screams and shouts immediately erupted, and the surrounding crowd scattered in a panic, like a school of fish fleeing in all directions.
A headless corpse knelt in the middle of the street as blood continuously gushed from it.
Date: October 5, year 106 of the Hongli Federation Calendar.
Location: Mida Mansion in Ganang County, Dier City.
A grand banquet was being held with many of Dier City's upper-class individuals in attendance. Its prestige was ruined by the screams echoing through the luxurious main hall.
The main door burst open with a loud bang and gentlemen, usually dressed handsomely in suits, fled in disarray.
A beautiful socialite in a revealing dress lost her balance, twisting her ankle in her high heels, and tripped. Her low-cut dress revealed a soft, white curve, and her eyes welled with tears of pain. But she forced herself to get up and hobble toward the exit.
Meanwhile, inside the splendidly decorated main hall...
Face cold and with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, Cassius kicked the man in front of him, ripping his longsword out. The corpse crumpled to the ground with a thud. He wiped off the blood.
He spat out the cigarette and glanced at his slightly ruined clothes; he could see bone from the two to three shallow wounds there. The warm blood stung as it soaked through the white shirt underneath. He made a slight miscalculation, but nothing major. Cassius had managed to complete the final task.
It took seventy-one days to complete all six tasks!
Some were easy to complete, while others proved to be more challenging. If Cassius wasn't in a combat realm far superior to his physical prowess, he might have failed in several of the earlier tasks. Regardless, Cassius had finished the tasks ahead of schedule, leaving him with ten days to return to Black Rain Manor.
Eight days later, on October 13, year 106 of the Hongli Federation Calendar.
A man wrapped in bandages, wearing a trench coat, stood on the edge of a remote town. A narrow, overgrown path led to a slender bronze pillar that had stood for who knows how many years. The pillar clearly bore marks of erosion from years of wind and rain.
The man held a large suitcase and took out a bell from his coat. He shook it, but no sound came out. A hazy, dreamlike feeling engulfed him and when it faded, a light rain began to fall from the sky.
A black carriage charged through the mud and sped toward him.