While the group stayed in the room, Tian was sent to scout out the rest of the building. The air serpent only found a single room with thugs inside it. The other rooms were completely empty, revealing little of the building.

“It's not surprising to see so many empty rooms given how many they deployed for combat,” said Belen upon hearing what Tian discovered. "Still, we cannot discount that there could be a secret room somewhere."

Trusting in Belen’s judgment, Ali asked Tian to look again for anything suspicious. The search yielded results several minutes later when a hundred or so thugs appeared out of nowhere. As these thugs headed to the building entrance, the air serpent only had to retrace the thugs’ movement to find a mysterious portal. As soon as the thugs left the building, the group immediately joined up with Tian who waited outside the door where the portal showed up earlier.

“There must be some secret to opening the portal,” said Kurata as he touched the door.

To everyone’s surprise, the portal appeared the moment he made contact. Following a nod from everyone, the group went into the portal. When they came out the other side, they found themselves in a large room dimly lit by some torches. Several rows of shelves took up half the room with the same sort of jars as those they found in the storage earlier. The other half of the room had benches with odd symbols on them. A pillar was beside each of the benches but none of them exhibited any powers. There wasn't anyone present and there weren't any other portals or exits to the room.

“There’s some energy signatures but it’s disappearing fast,” said Belen as she approached the closest pillar. “They must have played a role in those thugs.”

The group then placed the scrolls all over the room before they exited the portal. Having checked everything in the building, the group went to the adjacent building which served the same purpose. Once the explosives were placed, Kamis estimated that they had about two hours left.

“Do we check the other buildings or go to the fortress?” asked Kurata.

“I prefer the other buildings,” said Ali. “We don’t know how much we can get done in the fortress within the two hours but the other buildings are likely less guarded. We’re aiming to weaken the Lightning Clan.”

The others agreed with Ali’s assessment so they headed to the third building. This building looked no different from the two buildings in terms of outer appearance but, upon entering, they realized how deceptive the building was. Unlike the other two buildings, the third one was much smaller on the inside and it was an armory for the Lightning Clan. The group were wary inside because the members couldn’t understand why the armory would be so poorly guarded. Since Tian entered the building, he didn’t see a single guard. They expected a different outcome once they entered the picture but the building had no one inside. They eventually reached the heart of the armory without encountering any traps or guards.

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“These…these are all treasures!” exclaimed Kurata.

Ali was equally stunned by the sight before him. Weapons, scrolls and all sorts of valuables were in the armory, neatly organized in their respective groups. Unable to resist, the group went on splitting up the work of taking everything with them. Luckily for them, Belen managed to get her hands on a grade D storage bag. The bag had a storage space matching the armory which meant they could take everything. To ensure proper organization, the group made use of the various crates and chains in the room. Once the armory was emptied, the four of them headed to the fourth building.

Ali! There’s combat on the fortress roof!

Ali turned to see a fierce battle atop the fortress roof. Once Tian got a closer look, he learned that only five members of the Thunder Badgers remained. The Lightning Clan leaders, two dozen strong, were slowly encircling their foes, ready to deliver the killing blows. He quickly turned to Kamis.

“Can you detonate the explosive scrolls manually?”

“Yes, give me a few seconds.”

Kamis closed his eyes, focusing on the task. Ali kept his eyes on the roof while Tian relayed what was happening. Moments later, explosives from the nearby buildings shook the ground. The explosives weren't enough to cause the two buildings to collapse but the resulting flames had engulfed them. While the Lightning Clan leaders turned their attention to the burning buildings, the Thunder Badger survivors used the opening to flee the headquarters. Ali and the others then followed, wanting to not get caught by the Lightning Clan. They eventually arrived in an empty courtyard where they caught their breath. Their plan was to get a breather before they returned to base with their loot.

“Interesting! It’s just you four? I expected far more to be involved.”

The four of them quickly stood up, covering each other’s backs as they searched for the foe. A mist gathered above a building before a person stepped out. The man was clad in white armor that had multiple sections broken off. Even the man’s blade was cracked in half. Yet, Ali didn’t feel they stood even a small chance against the man. He could feel the overwhelming aura which determined the outcome of the battle before it began.

I will still fight! I refuse to simply give up!

“Worry not! I am merely here to thank you four for saving my life. You belong to the Dark Cult, correct?”

Ali debated how he should answer the question. The individual before them was no ordinary person and the wrong answer could result in the worst case scenario. He wondered if a lie would suffice when Belen spoke up.

“Yes, we were sent to weaken the Lightning Clan and happened to assist you in the process.”

“Excellent! I’ll be sure to thank your leaders personally once I recover. Against the Lightning Clan, we must work together.”

The man disappeared into the mist, giving back the area its tranquility.