At 7:40 p.m. in the Forgenate District, an abandoned mansion overgrown with wild shrubs stood mysteriously before the two of them.

  Liam crawled along the wall on the right side of the entrance, while Ren remained on the left, observing the situation as he waited for instructions from the woman who had spoken to him earlier.

  Not long after, a fairly loud explosion erupted from inside the building. Black smoke billowed out through two rusted chimneys. The next blast sent a shockwave that shattered a row of glass windows above the entrance and along the side of the mansion.

  The sound of breaking glass rang sharply. Liam, standing directly beneath it, reflexively looked up, staring at the tiny shards that nearly rained down on him.

  He instinctively leapt aside, his body crashing into the thick grass and rolling beneath it.

  Fragments of glass scattered into the creeping vines clinging to the building's walls. For a moment his eyes widened; the vines glowed beautifully, reflecting a soft blue light between their leaves.

  Before he could admire the strange glow, he heard Ren's cold whisper, ordering him to move immediately.

  Ren ran swiftly along the left side of the building, his steps like those of someone trained, calm and carrying an extremely deep vigilance. Meanwhile, Liam moved right behind him, heading toward a staircase that led to the upper floor at the corner side of the mansion, a connecting room.

  The moment their feet stepped onto the second floor, another explosion thundered briefly through the air. This time it was far louder, strong enough to make residents living several hundred meters from the mansion shout in unison.

  Liam halted his steps, and so did Ren on the first stair after sensing a presence.

  "Look over there!" Liam shouted in shock. He pointed toward the street.

  From where they stood, they saw a line of lanterns approaching, trails of light following the road toward the overgrown mansion, a place that should have long been abandoned and left in ruins.

  They were not sure whether the light came from people, or without them realizing it, a group of robed figures holding several townspeople hostage out there.

  Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance. He realized the woman's action might have been improper, or perhaps the opposite.

  He immediately turned around and signaled Liam to follow all of his instructions.

  As fast as possible. They had to free the hostages before it was too late.

  They exchanged glances, then continued upward. They were almost at the top. The second floor door stood open, and they entered, walking along a dim iron corridor with only a faint light seeping through the cracks in the walls.

  Ren slipped his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. An orange flame appeared, illuminating part of the narrow corridor on the left and the dark space beneath them.

  They kept moving, despite the darkness and the air growing hotter as they stepped forward.

  Not long after, they saw a bright light ahead. Ren froze upon seeing it, quickly slipping his hand back into his coat, gripping his pistol tightly, ready to draw it.

  Liam was slightly surprised when he noticed Ren's quick reaction and became aware that he carried a pistol in his pocket, something he and their family knew about. He chuckled softly, choosing to see what Ren would do next.

  The light grew closer, and a few seconds later, they arrived. Ren extinguished the lighter, then with a swift motion slipped his hand into the left pocket of his coat and observed the room before him.

  A hall with minimal lighting, spacious enough to host a party and accommodate a hundred people inside. The mansion had once belonged to a mid-ranking noble of the Kingdom of Norn and had been abandoned for more than eight years for unclear reasons.

  Along the sides of the hall stood massive iron doors over five meters tall. Of the six doors, two were guarded by two robed men who watched over the hostages while still monitoring the room.

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  Elsewhere, in the empty residential area, other robed companions were still busy dealing with the explosions caused by the woman Ren had previously sent.

  A large chandelier hung firmly from the ceiling, serving as the source of light for the hall despite its dim glow. Various bookshelves, long tables, chairs, and old cabinets covered in cobwebs lined parts of the room.

  Ren drew his pistol without hesitation. He examined every corner before executing his plan. He did not even think about how Liam or his mother might question where he had obtained the weapon.

  Unbeknownst to him, Liam observed him with a strange smile. Since his first direct conversation with Ren, he had indeed been curious and wanted to see what he would do next.

  They waited for the right moment to strike. Half a minute later, after a brief discussion regarding their respective roles. Ren ordered Liam to stay in place and wait for his instructions. He would handle the two guards, while Liam would free the hostages and escort them out of the building.

  From the perspective of the hostages and the two robed guards, Ren was certain they were unaware of his presence on the upper small balcony used by several people to watch performances below, as the chandelier's light did not reach there, making it easier for him to strike silently.

  He laughed softly, raising his pistol toward the ceiling, aiming at the chandelier without the slightest hesitation.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The room descended into chaos. Panic erupted among the hostages, followed by the loud shouts of the two robed guards.

  From the small upper space, Ren jumped down without pause, aiming his pistol directly at the panicked guards. In the darkness, with only faint light seeping through cracks in the walls, Ren had the advantage of seeing clearly.

  Unlike Liam, the hostages and the robed guards. Sensing something was wrong, one of the guards rushed toward the door, intending to alert the others.

  Ren's lips curled upward. Without hesitation, he shot the guard's hand as it gripped the door handle.

  Bang! Bang!

  A scream shattered the air, fresh blood slowly dripping through the back of his fingers, forming a small pool beneath him.

  "Damn it! Where are you? Do you want to die?" the other robed guard shouted, sweeping into the darkness.

  The echoes of panic continued to resound inside the hall. Causing the remaining robed guard to panic at the surrounding situation.

  Ren moved swiftly to the side, searching for an opening to return fire.

  Bang!

  The shot echoed again, this time aimed upward. Meanwhile, from the small upper space, Liam heard the instructions Ren had given.

  He wanted to jump, but hesitated for a moment. With no other choice, Liam recklessly leapt from the small balcony to the floor ten meters below.

  Thud!

  His shoes scraped against the floor, producing a sharp sound before his feet landed firmly on the dirty and cold ground. Down below, it was extremely dark, his vision severely limited.

  However, he remembered the hostages were gathered on the left side of the hall, near another door. After a brief pause, Liam moved carefully, his hand feeling the way ahead.

  His effort paid off. He felt someone standing before him. Several silhouettes moved closer.

  He swallowed reflexively. Not out of fear, but surprise. To be certain, he gathered his courage and spoke.

  "Who are you?" He paused briefly. "Are all of you merchants from the market?" he asked, holding his breath.

  Several seconds passed without an answer. Then one faint blue shadow stepped closer.

  In the darkness, the figure of a woman he knew very well appeared, her hands tied. It was his mother, Mei Actitus, followed by several others, a tall man and a woman.

  Liam froze. Relief flooded his mind when he saw her face again.

  "Mother?" His lips trembled as he spoke the word, then he stepped closer.

  Without thinking, he embraced her tightly, momentarily forgetting the task Ren had given him to get them out of here.

  A man wearing a bowler hat, his hands tied, stepped forward.

  He tipped his hat and said, "Thank you for saving us."

  Liam released the embrace and stepped back two steps. His gaze swept across the people standing before him. He counted eleven people, including his mother, three women, and eight men.

  'What were they planning to do that they had to kidnap all of them?' he thought, while cutting the bindings one by one using shards of glass he had found earlier.

  Bang! Bang!

  "Huh? Is there someone else here besides you?" one of the men asked after his hands were freed.

  Liam turned around, stared at his face briefly before answering, "Don't worry. We need to get out of here now."

  After freeing all the hostages, he led the eleven of them out of the hall, searching for a safe place to hide while waiting for Ren.

  One of the hostages, a bearded man, chose a door beside an old cabinet not far from where they had been earlier.

  Unable to open it and hearing continuous gunshots behind them, panic left him no choice but to break it down.

  He asked for help from the others, including Liam, four men among them agreed.

  A few seconds later, the door came off its rusted hinges and fell immediately, revealing a fairly wide corridor wrapped in silent darkness.

  Without hesitation, upon seeing a possible escape route, five people, four men and one woman, rushed into the corridor, desperate to return home no matter what awaited ahead.

  Zavi hesitated briefly, but the panic on his mother's face erased his doubt.

  "Calm down, Mother," he said, trying to reassure her.

  "But how did you know I was here?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

  His body froze for a moment, he did not know how to respond.

  "Ah… Ren and I were at the square and saw the chaos there. So we came here after getting information from an old woman," Zavi answered calmly, careful not to raise suspicion.

  Mei's blue eyes carefully examined her son's face. She lifted her right hand and gently placed it against Liam's cheek.

  Her hand felt cold. She had been here too long. Time was running out, and Liam wanted to get them away immediately.

  'But how?' he thought, stopping to think.

  The place he considered safest was the upper corridor, and he looked up. However, the sound of gunfire still echoed endlessly.

  With no other choice, he stepped into the corridor ahead. After thinking for a moment, he steadied his decision.

  Six people waited for his decision, wary of what lay inside. Liam turned and looked at the hopeful faces of the other five.

  There was no time. He had to take the risk. Liam ordered them to follow him closely and remain alert as they entered the corridor.

  They all nodded and walked down the passage in search of an exit.

  Meanwhile, Ren was still fighting the remaining guard. The others had died minutes earlier, but this opponent was agile, making it difficult for Ren for the first time.

  Agility alone did not guarantee victory. The robed man had no advantage here, as he could not locate his enemy.

  On the other hand, Ren could move freely in the darkness thanks to his ability. At the right moment, the woman Ren had previously met arrived, slipping in through a window.

  Both of them heard the sound of breaking glass. The robed man, with his sharp hearing, rushed toward the source of the sound.

  With speed and precision, he captured the woman and immediately wrapped his arm around her neck.

  "Ah..."

  "Come out now, unless you want her to die," he shouted challengingly.

  The woman screamed in pain, her voice clearly heard in Ren's ears.

  "Hmph, how careless. Has she finished her task? If so, I will kill that brat immediately." Ren pulled his pistol back, and the bullets embedded in the wall shot back, refilling the magazine.

  He smiled, aiming the pistol directly at the robed man's head, and prepared to pull the trigger.