The ex-vice captain suddenly screamed in pain before collapsing to his knees, both hands instantly covering his crotch as his face twisted in agony.
"AAAGHHH—!?"
He trembled violently, barely able to stay upright.
The nearby guards rushed forward, confused and alarmed.
"W-what happened!?" one of them asked, looking between him.
"m-my… my balls—! S-somebody crushed them—!"
The vice captain rolled on the ground, crying and screaming in pure agony.
Ren covered his mouth slightly, shoulders shaking.
"...kekeke… how was that?" he muttered, clearly satisfied with the result.
[ You are really vicious… aren't you? ]
Ren turned with a completely innocent face—like an angel who knew nothing.
"…What are you even talking about?"
[ …Forget it. ]
While all the guards were busy dealing with the chaos, Ren quietly slipped toward the gate, slowly pushing it open without making a sound—
—and entered the room unnoticed.
As they entered, he gently put Azure down.
She snapped out of her daydream, blinking a few times.
"Did something happen?"
She looked completely unaware—her mind not even present.
Ren stared at her with pure disbelief, his face flat and unamused.
He didn't say anything.
He simply patted her head lightly.
"…Nothing."
Ren cracked his neck, a grin spreading across his face.
"Now… where are my lovely-dovey guns?" he said, excitement clear in his voice.
Azure nodded quickly. "Let's find them fast, Master."
They stepped deeper into the room.
It was packed—crates stacked on crates, some reaching almost to the ceiling, old wood, metal locks, numbers scribbled carelessly on the sides. The air smelled of dust and oil.
Ren scanned the place, eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, this is gonna take a while."
He walked to the nearest crate and kicked it lightly.
THUNK
"Let's not waste time. Start opening anything that looks weapon-related."
Azure nodded seriously. "Understood, Master."
They split up.
Ren crouched near a larger crate, running his hand across the surface before prying it open—
CREEEAK—
Inside—metal parts, wrapped in cloth. Not guns.
"Tch. Useless."
He shut it and moved on.
Across the room, Azure was already opening another one—careful, precise.
"Master, this one has blades."
Ren glanced over. "Skip it."
He moved faster now, opening crate after crate—
CLACK—
THUD—
CREAK—
Each one—different junk. Ammo boxes. Broken parts. Tools.
"Where the hell are they hiding them" his excitement started turning into irritation.
Azure paused, then tilted her head slightly.
"Master."
Ren stopped.
"There are markings here… different from the others."
He walked over.
A crate in the corner. Slightly cleaner. Sealed tighter.
Ren's grin slowly returned.
"Now we're talking."
Ren pried the crate open.
CREEEAK—
He leaned in, then froze mid-motion. His brows slowly pulled together as he reached inside and pulled something out.
"…A flare gun…?"
He stared at it for a moment, face turning flat, then instantly twisted in irritation.
"Fucking shit!"
He rotated it in his hand, checking the weight, the trigger, the barrel—clearly not what he was expecting. Still, he slipped it behind him without wasting it.
"Fine… I'll take this," he muttered, but his eyes were already scanning the room again, sharper now, more impatient. "But where the hell are the real ones…"
They didn't stop.
Ren moved from crate to crate, no longer careful, just kicking lids open, prying them apart with force.
THUD—
CLACK—
CRACK—
Wood splintered. Metal latches snapped.
Inside—junk.
Old ammo cases. Rusted parts. Tools. Scrap wrapped in cloth.
Nothing he wanted.
Azure worked beside him, opening crates more neatly, but even her pace started to pick up. "Master, this one is empty."
Ren didn't even look. "Skip it."
Another crate—
BANG—
He tore it open, found nothing useful, and his jaw tightened.
Minutes passed. Then more.
The room that once looked promising now felt like a dump. Open crates everywhere, contents scattered across the floor.
Ren stood still for a second, breathing out slowly, irritation building.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Azure glanced around, still searching, but even her voice carried a hint of doubt now. "Maybe they hid them somewhere deeper…"
Ren clicked his tongue, dragging a hand through his hair as his excitement completely drained.
"Or maybe this place is just trash."
Still, he didn't stop.
He stepped forward again, kicking another crate open.
THUD—
Nothing again and again.
They kept searching—but the result didn't change.
Ren thought with an irritated smile on his face.
I'm telling you, Julius… if you lied to me, I'll make you pay. You keep calling me brother and all—but don't worry, he cracked his knuckles lightly, I won't go too far… just enough so you survive.
If it wasn't for the soundproof room, Ren wouldn't have dared make such a mess with all those noises.
…Maybe we should leave, he thought.
But Azure spoke softly, "Master… I want to take a break," as she sat down on top of an old, rusty crate.
But as her weight settled on the crate, a strange mechanical sound started out of nowhere.
CLICK—CLANK—!
Ren frowned. "What was that—?"
Before he could even process it—
SHRRRK—!
The crate slid back open beneath her.
"Master—!" Azure cried as she dropped inside.
Ren's eyes widened. He dashed forward instantly—but when he looked down, it wasn't a crate anymore.
It was a hidden shaft, a dark, deep passage.
Ren's lips slowly curled into a grin.
"These guys are seriously obsessed with secret paths, huh..."
Without hesitation—
He jumped in.
---
Ren finally reached the end of the slide after minutes of sliding, while Azure was lying on her back. "Ah… that hurts…" she said, rubbing her back.
Ren thought with a deadpan expression, that's may not be a good experience.
He said, "Whatever," as he looked ahead—and the moment the view entered his eyes, they began sparkling with excitement.
Azure followed his gaze, smiling brightly. "Master… this is…"
The entire room was filled with guns hanging all over the walls—not just rifles, but all kinds of snipers, shotguns, pistols… rows upon rows of deadly weapons, with attachments, magazines, parts, and piles of cartes here and there, everything neatly arranged like a treasure vault.
Ren's grin slowly widened.
"Now this… this is what I call a jackpot."
He stepped forward—
But before he could take another step—
A faint, unmistakable sound—very familiar.
Ren's expression hardened, his teeth gritting slightly.
Could it be?
Ren grabbed Azure's hand in haste. With a rush of urgency, he dragged her behind a crate.
Azure tilted her head slightly. "What is it, master?"
Ren pressed a finger gently against her lips.
"Keep quiet."
Soon, two figures emerged into the room—one a small girl and the other a beautiful woman.
Azure whispered, "Why are we hiding?"
Ren replied in a very low voice, "Because the skill has already ended."
He had we lost track of time while searching the whole room.
Ren quietly took a peek sideways, hiding behind the crate.
As his eyes fell on them, he recognized them.
He murmured slowly, "That is—"
It was none other than the loli girl, Tia.
If she finds me out, we are doomed… Ren thought, gritting his teeth.
Then his eyes darted toward the other woman beside Tia.
A tall woman with long lilac hair, styled into a long side braid. Her hair falls neatly, with a few loose strands around her face.
She has red eyes and a sharp gaze.
Her face is beautiful and composed, with clean, defined features.
She wears a black lace bodysuit under an oversized blue coat.
Ren murmured in a very low sound as he gulped. "Then she must be— Snake Empress"
But why does she seem so familiar to me? he thought with a bit of amusement, the tension in his chest warring with a strange, undeniable sense of déjà vu as he stared into those mesmerizing eyes.