Poor Marcus. Completely unaware of it all, he continued going about his business while, behind the scenes, people were watching him, investigating him, and making plans around him.
Most of all, he had no idea that Blaze Phoenix had already set his sights on him, seeing him as someone he absolutely had to recruit, or control.
In a way, Marcus had unknowingly contributed to the situation himself.
He had always preferred staying in the shadows. He never flaunted his strength, never built a reputation, and never made a spectacle of himself. While being the anonymous number one on Dominion's Level Leaderboard attracted curiosity and envy, it wasn't enough to intimidate anyone. Since nobody had actually witnessed the extent of his power, many naturally underestimated him, assuming he was simply a lucky player who had gotten ahead.
Reputation wasn't built through rankings alone.
