Two guards stood in front of a massive closed door, firearms ready, while many more patrolled the area, all fully armed, their footsteps echoing through the tense surroundings.
One guard suddenly paused, noticing something from the corner of his eye. "Who's there?" he shouted, stepping forward cautiously—
…but there was no one.
"Phew…" Ren exhaled silently, hiding behind the corner, his hand firmly over Azure's mouth to keep her quiet.
He leaned closer and whispered, "Didn't I tell you not to make a sound?"
Azure nodded quickly.
Ren's murmured, eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, "Damn, security's way too tight… just finding this underground place was already a pain."
He peeked again—guards everywhere, armed, alert, no blind spots, his grip tightening slightly as his expression twitched.
"Tch…" thought this would be a simple sneak-and-grab, but this is way harder than I expected.
Ren's eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, "Damn, security's way too tight… just finding this place was already a pain."
Ren slowly moved, step by step, hugging the wall as he slipped from one shadow to another, his hand Azure's as he guided her along.
Azure stayed glued to him, moving like his shadow, her steps perfectly in sync as they slipped behind a stack of crates just as two guards passed by—too close.
Their boots struck the ground in a steady, disciplined rhythm, each step echoing in the tight silence.
Ren didn't breathe.
Not even a little.
His body went completely still as the sound lingered… then slowly faded.
Only then did he let out a controlled breath.
"Stay close," he muttered, tightening his grip on her wrist. No room for mistakes.
They moved again.
Low. Careful. Precise.
Slipping through a narrow gap just as another patrol turned the corner behind them.
A second later—
And they would've been seen.
Ren pressed himself against the cold wall, pulling Azure in with him as both melted into the shadows.
His eyes lifted—
Locked onto the massive closed door ahead.
That was the target.
But between them and it—guards.
Azure leaned closer, her voice low as she asked, "Master… can't we just force our way in? With you… I believe we can."
Ren gave her a light chop on the head, his face turning flat. "What do you think I am… superman or what?"
He clicked his tongue lightly, eyes narrowing as he looked ahead again.
No way I can force this… the information I got from Julius…
The thought settled heavy in his mind.
Every guard here—
They could send an emergency signal instantly, no delay, no warning, and the moment that happened—everything would ruined.
Ren's expression hardened slightly, this wasn't something he could take lightly, not here, not now, one mistake—and he was done. He only had one chance.
"But master… I believe you can…" her face glittered with pure hope, almost blinding—just too much belief.
A grin slowly spread across Ren's face. "Oh? You really have that much confidence in me?"
She nodded without hesitation. "Yes, master. You can do anything."
Ren looked at her, his expression softening for a brief second.
Silly girl…
But the warmth that rose inside him—he didn't deny it.
He exhaled lightly, then his grin sharpened.
"Then I won't disappoint you."
His eyes gleamed.
"Here… the magic."
[ More luck than magic, I'd say. ]
Ren's face went blank.
Oh just shut up… you pile of trash. Don't ruin my good mood.
He murmured under his breath, "Activate—One with Shadow."
[ Activating — One with Shadow ]
A dark energy rose instantly, wrapping around Ren like a living cloak, swallowing his presence whole.
Azure's eyes widened. "What is this, master!?"
Ren smirked slightly. "Just one of my many abilities."
Azure looked at him with shining eyes, her face full of admiration. "Master is really the best."
Ren froze for a second.
A tear almost escaped.
'Control it… control it… what is this feeling—'
He cleared his throat and forced himself back.
"Come here."
Before she could react, he lifted Azure straight into his arms, holding her securely as if she weighed nothing.
She stiffened instantly. "W-What!? Master—!"
Ren clicked his tongue lightly. "I can't use it properly unless you're close."
Azure's face turned slightly red as she instinctively held onto him, her body settling as she was carried. "Master…"
Her head tilted toward his chest as she adjusted her grip.
Ren glanced down at her, pure disbelief written across his face.
…Really? Do these things not have a proper time and place?
[ Really now… of all times!? ]
The dark energy spread further, wrapping around Azure as well, swallowing her presence completely until both of them felt… gone.
Ren started walking straight ahead, directly toward the massive door like nothing could stop him.
Azure tensed in his arms. "Master… they'll catch us!"
"Don't worry about it," Ren said, a quiet confidence sitting on his face.
A guard approached from the front.
Azure's grip tightened. "Master! He'll—"
The guard walked right past them without the slightest pause, his footsteps steady and unchanging, his eyes looking straight ahead as if nothing stood in his path, no reaction, no suspicion, not even a flicker of awareness—nothing at all—as though Ren and Azure didn't exist, as though they were never there to begin with.
Azure froze, her mind blank. "…What?"
Ren smirked slightly as he kept moving forward. "Didn't I tell you not to worry?"
Her eyes stayed wide, still trying to process what just happened.
Ren, meanwhile—
…Now that's what I call luck.
A satisfied grin crept onto his face.
[ Skill — One with Shadow ]
[ Description — The user becomes like a shadow, completely undetectable. No one can see or hear the user as long as they remain covered in the dark aura. The skill can be shared with another person through direct contact; once that contact is broken, the effect disappears from them. Duration: 30 minutes. ]
The two cards I got last time were actually useful… if I think positively.
Ren's expression turned a little stiff as that thought crossed his mind, remembering how the other skill almost given him lifetime pure bad luck.
Not long after, they reached the massive door.
Ren inhaled lightly. "Let's go—"
He stopped just before taking another step, "Hmm?" as a familiar voice caught his attention.
His eyes slowly shifted toward one of the guards standing in front of the door.
"Seriously… if it wasn't for that fucker, I wouldn't be stuck here," the guard grumbled.
Another guard beside him shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. You've been cursing that guy ever since you got posted here."
Ren leaned slightly, taking a careful peek at the man's face. "…Hmm. What's he doing here?" he murmured under his breath.
Recognition hit instantly.
The vice captain…
Ren's brows twitched.
Wasn't he fired? What is he doing here?
Meanwhile, Azure said nothing at all. She was completely lost, her mind drifting somewhere else entirely, too focused on how close she was to his master, how he was holding her, her expression soft and absent like she wasn't even in the same world.
"But tell me where I was wrong!" the ex-vice captain snapped, frustration leaking through his voice.
"Because of that FUCKER, I had to beg the higher-ups again and again. And after all that, I got thrown here as a damn guard!"
"Yeah, whatever," the other guard replied lazily, clearly uninterested. Then, with a faint smirk, he added, "You should stop cursing him so much. Who knows… what if you run into him again?"
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
…Are they talking about me?
The ex-vice captain scoffed, anger flaring up instantly. "He better pray I never see him again. I swear I'll kill him with my own hands. That motherfucker… bastard… that masked freak—I'll shove his knives straight up his ass."
Ren's expression twisted for a second.
"…Oh. He's definitely talking about me."
A vein pulsed faintly on his forehead, yet a strange smile still stretched across his face.
The ex-vice captain continued with a twisted smile, "No… I won't kill him that easily. First I'll cut off his dick, then his limbs one by one, and then… and then—"
The other guard forced a nervous smile. "Hey… isn't that a bit too much?"
Ren watched with an amused expression, a faint grin forming. "Oh… is that so… hmm."
The ex-vice captain let out a rough laugh. "Just you wait… hahah!"
The other guard thought to himself, his smile stiff with fear, He's completely lost it… I'm sure of it.
Ren slowly stepped forward, moving right in front of the ex-vice captain.
Ren spoke as if weighing something important.
"Should I let you go… hmm? I'm a good guy," he said with a faint smile, "so—"
That smile twisted, dark and cold.
"…I'll make you pay for what you just said."
His leg moved.
SWING!
CRACK!