Just as Black Shadow reached the final line of defense at the entrance to the settlement's cave, one of the Marrow Eaters guarding another passage twitched his ears.
"Strange. Why hasn't the patrol come by yet? We haven't heard any footsteps either. Could something have happened?"
He looked toward the passage in confusion.
"There are still ten seconds left, but things are tense right now. We need to watch every little detail. Let's sound the alarm first!" said the other guard as he moved to press the alarm device in his hand.
"Sigh!"
With a sigh, a cloud of smoke drifted over from the side. The two guards were instantly knocked unconscious and collapsed to the ground.
A figure ten centimeters shorter than the previous Black Shadow silently appeared. He seemed to have known all along that someone wanted to leave this place, and he had come to help that person.
On this silent, cold night, it seemed that many people had not fallen asleep.
Some lay awake, listening to the sounds outside their windows. Others' eyelids twitched as they tossed and turned.
Some were too worried to sleep, drinking water and smoking cigars.
The tall Black Shadow who had appeared first suddenly emerged before the two guards. After using his mental power to control them, he opened the settlement's gate.
He then went outside and prepared to close the cave gate, preventing anything else from taking the opportunity to break in.
At that moment, the second, shorter figure suddenly appeared and said, "Ash, have you really decided to leave?"
"Who?"
Hearing that, Ash spun around and stared at the figure behind him in surprise.
"Hank. You are?" The two figures both recognized each other.
They were Ash and Hank.
Hank looked at Ash with a complicated expression. His eyes