Only those with the Black Tokens can live in the Residential Districts. There were no rules in the Residential District. However, there was a catch, that is, the Great Cleansing.
Every seven months, the risk and the reward, came together. It was a risk for the weak and unprepared, but it was a blissful reward for those who could take the risk head-on and survive.
East to the training ground and wilderness and west to the Marketplace and Trading Centers were the four residential districts.
Those districts were divided into two parts; Western Districts and Eastern Districts, which were further divided into two tiers; Tier I and Tier II. Respectively, they were called the rain and the cloud.
Once every seven months, a wind would blow throughout Western Districts, and Rain would flood the entire Eastern Districts. It was worse in Tier IIs; the wind didn't only blow in the western district, it traveled to the eastern district too, and the rain was also the same. The people living in Tier II had to deal with both the rain and the wind, giving birth to the name, the rain, and the cloud.
The wind and the rain weren't as normal and as simple as they seemed. The wind would scrape away your flesh with every blow, and the rain would wash away your body with every drop.
The residential districts were circular, divided into two halves. The inner you go, the more wind and rain you would have to face. The source of the wind and rain is unknown to anyone till this day, except to a few who claim to have seen it.
No one could survive the wind and the rain, so everyone stayed inside their home. Only someone stupid or someone strong would come out and face the Great Cleansing. The stupid would die, and only the strong that could survive could see the source of it all.
In the beginning, in this lawless district, the weak were preyed upon by the strong. At one time, only one person lived in the Residential District by himself because everyone was too scared to live in the Residential Districts.
To protect themselves, the weak had formed a plan. They created factions and banded together to fight against strong people. That didn't last very long, but they found another idea.
Instead of forming a faction of their own, they followed someone strong, became their lackeys, followed all the orders, and made the person the Faction Leader.
After many years, the tradition of forming factions is still going on, but the way of forming it had changed. The Legion also approved of the factions and made it something official.
Joining a faction wasn't mandatory. One could do whatever they wanted. But people still created factions, some to rule the Residential District, while some only to get the feeling of power and control over others.
After every Great Cleansing, the power of the factions changed. Some became powerful overnight, while some factions became powerless.
The struggle for domination in this place wasn't any less than the struggle and politics involved for the Royal Throne.
Most of the people in the Residential District were in some kind of faction or other. Only a few had the power to roam free in this lawless area.
Crack! Crack!! Crack!!!
Mizar was recalling what Sulong and Shul said to him about the Residential District when he heard a sound coming from the front of his house. When he opened the door, he saw a half-naked man with a long face, slanted eyes, and a hideous grin on his face, carrying a sword on his waist was emanating a robust magical power from his body.
The force of the magic was slowly cracking the protection ward that was protecting his house. He learned from Sulong that once a protection ward was broken, it would take as much as two upgrades worth of resources to repair it.
Using his token, he quickly turned off the protection ward. Just after his protection went away, an intense burst of magical power hit him, and he flew him through his house, stopped by the protection ward of the house behind. His house now had a massive hole through it.
"Did the contract not work, or does that Shul not care for his life? He sent such a powerful man after me."
Mizar slowly got up. The man walked towards Mizar, stopped a few meters before him, and said,
"I am sorry. I called you many times, but you didn't answer. So, I had to force my way through. I will cover all the damages done to you."
He flung a bottle at Mizar. The bottle contained a red liquid inside it.
"Drink it. It will heal your injuries. But I expected more from you. You seem lackluster compared to when you were fighting the Vine in the Ravage Colosseum."
Mizar made a sour face hearing what the man said.
"Haha... I like the face you are making. I want you in my faction even more now."
"Who are you?" Mizar asked with a straight face.
"I am the leader of The Black Tears. You can call me Ray. One thing you would want to know about me is that I don't like sweet things, but I love anything sour, like the face you made before."
Mizar didn't know what to say. This man seemed threatening and friendly at the same time. He also didn't remember any guy named Ray from either Sulong or Shul, but he had heard about the faction, The Black Tear and its Eccentric Leader.
"Is Ray your real name? I need to know about the leader of the faction I am joining, don't I?"
"Seems like you've heard of me. So, are you willing to join my faction?"
"No, I don't think I'll join any faction for now. I will contact you later if I change my mind."
"I have asked you once. I will not ask you again. I've come here personally to invite you, but you denied me. I will go now. Good luck surviving alone here with your level."
Saying that he disappeared. In the place he was standing was a pouch with some blue Mana Stones.
"The Black Tears, huh?"
Shul had told him about the Black Tears. It was a faction increasing rapidly in power in the Tier I district. Although they had no Mage Monarchs, their leader was capable of fighting one.
Unlike most of the mages out there, the Black Tears Leader was good at both long-range and close combat. He had handpicked all the members for his factions, except for some guys who were just meant to do tasks such as cleaning, cooking, etc.
"It truly is a dangerous place. It hasn't even been that long since I entered, and many people are already targeting me." Exhaling a deep breath, he kept the Blue Mana stones into his inventory and made his way towards the Marketplace to upgrade his Protection ward.
"How dare he reject the offer of our Kind Leader? Looks like this kid has to be taught a lesson." A bulky man watching the scene from far away said in an angry tone.
…
"Looks like the Immortal has given the God and the Devil a chance. Let's see if they can catch it." A silhouette said in his breath as he began to cut the flesh and bones of a boy.