North of Wildfire City, Sebaron Manor.
Near the sealed attic beneath a tall tower, it was as silent and deserted as a graveyard.
Only an aged hunting hound restlessly licked its paws as it wandered back and forth in the distance.
More than three squads of guards kept watch over the place, even though not a sound had come from the attic so far.
It was only after black light burst forth from Wildfire City like a chick breaking out of its shell that faint sounds emerged from the ancient attic.
A crisp creak rang out.
Then everything quickly fell silent again.
The guards, whose nerves had just been stirred, relaxed their vigilance slightly.
After all, "that lord" was guarding the place.
No matter what happened, there could not possibly be much trouble.
Thinking that, they felt far more at ease. Yet when they saw the black light and recalled the recent rumors spreading through the manor about Young Master Barnes, an indescribable panic arose in their hearts.
"Those are all rumors!"
"They were fabricated by people with ulterior motives to slander Young Master Barnes!"
"No, he's Master Barnes now..."
That was how the guards comforted themselves.
However, what was happening inside the attic was nothing like the calm scene they imagined.
A short candle flame floated eerily in midair.
An old man, naked from head to toe and covered in tattoos, hung upside down in the air.
His eyes bulged, bloodshot; his upper body was covered in powerful muscles, while the intricate, profound tattoos intertwined with the chains binding him, making them difficult to distinguish.
There was a small hole in the floor, and not far away lay a broken old yellow tooth.
The creak just now had clearly been the story of that broken tooth and the hole.