Azzel breathed deeply, feeling the cold air of the night.

Their morning investigation exhausted him, forcing a later departure than planned. Fresh sensations filled his mind as he examined his magical conduits, his earlier fatigue no longer bothering him.

'Is this because it's nighttime now?' his scarlet eyes stared at the moon above. 'What a terrifying recovery ability.'

Abaddon stood behind him, his voice under the white mask breaking the silence. "Shall we go, master?"

Azzel nodded, "Your sword is too big. Let's store it first.'

Abaddon handed him the large sword. Azzel pointed the ring into the sword before it flashed, storing the large sword inside.

He then put on his black mask and headed to the bedside window.

Doba City's streets were quiet except for some occasional clanking of metal boots as the city guards and some mercenaries patrolled around. A chilly breeze ruffled his short black hair, tightening his cloak as his gaze swept past the small alley.

'Curfew's already in place, and I doubt the tavern owner would be so kind to let us out through the front door.' he checked if the corners were empty before looking down. The drop was manageable though landing silently would be difficult.

'There's no need to hesitate. If I don't use my dark magic now, I won't be able to leave this tavern tonight.'

His thoughts turned to Rudgel and the staff, recalling their precise movements not matching the image of a simple tavern work. The tavern owner's sharp gaze and careful words made Azzel uneasy, and Rudgel seemed to operate under mysterious intentions, barely revealing anything underneath.

"Spectre, carry me out. I'll try to conceal our presence."

Abaddon lifted his master and stepped onto the windowsill. Glancing at the building across the tavern, he leaped effortlessly to the ledge and landed silently.

"Head to the southeast." Azzel whispered, "Go around the watchtowers and stay out of their sight."

Abaddon moved swiftly across the rooftops, dropping silently into an empty corner before weaving through the alleys. His footsteps remained light despite his imposing figure, and the guards could only catch the wind breezing past their cold cheeks.

After a moment, Abaddon's dark, hollow eyes narrowed.

"Shade, someone's following us," Abaddon spoke, calm and alert.

Azzel glanced around, his expression sharp. "I see. Over there, quick." He pointed toward a narrow passage.

Without hesitation, they slipped into the shadows. Azzel channeled his Concealment ability, the dark magic enveloping them and masking their aura and presence entirely.

Not long after, a soft rustle sounded on the rooftop across them. Azzel raised his head, his eyes locking on a crouched petite figure. Her glowing brown eyes scanned the ground below, looking for something.

"Damn it, where did they go?" she hissed, cursing something under her breath.

The crisscrossing alleys worked in Azzel's favor, obscuring their trail and path from her eyes. She hesitated as she gripped the tile tightly, wondering if she should wait.

A sharp whistle cut through the air behind her. She instinctively raised her arm to block the blow but the force slammed into her and drove her backward. She winced as she lost her balance, sending her crashing into the ground.

Another strike came from Abaddon's left hand, landing on her neck and rendering her unconscious. Her limp body lay on the cold ground, hidden in the dark alley. Blood trickled down her mouth, humming with her faint breaths.

Abaddon removed her hood, revealing the face of the barmaid serving them earlier. He glanced at her, his eyes emitting killing intent. "We can't leave her here, Shade. Otherwise, she'll tell about us."

"You're right, but we have no time for questions," Azzel replied. "Let's leave from here immediately."

For him, a corpse was harder to explain than a spy who failed their task. It was better to let the mastermind behind her guessing of their intentions rather than sparking a hostile investigation about murder. After all, who knew what organization she was working for?

Abaddon gave him a nod before the two slipped out of the alley, their figures shrouded in the dark.

Azzel examined his body and noted that his magical conduits were not exhausted, despite channeling his Concealment ability for an extended period of time. Dark magic simply flowed through him, providing him with limitless formidable strength. He could feel the shadows react to his presence, expanding their reach to obscure Azzel and Abaddon's presence.

'The constrain in my magic power is not as hard during the day. It seems that I can benefit much during the night with my dark power.'

The silhouette of the warehouse could be seen ahead, its structure faintly outlined by the moon. A few city guards patrolled around the perimeter, their sharp eyes sweeping through everything around them.

Abaddon adjusted his steps, his body tensing as they approached enemy territory. Not far away, they stood behind a stack of wooden crates and observed the city guard's movements.

"The patrols are too tight. We cannot enter without attracting their attention."

Azzel glanced at his follower, feeling an instinctive behavior emanating from Abaddon. "It seems that the Abandoned Tunnels is a must."

They moved several blocks away, approaching the nearest tunnel entrance obscured by overgrown vines in a dark corner. Faint light shimmered on the walls, coming from a small torch. Azzel noticed two elongated shadows moving around, their mumbling barely audible.

He crouched and reached his hand to the ground. His dark magic power radiated outwards, making the shadow respond as it crept slowly into the tunnel entrance.

He closed his eyes, letting the shadow tendrils give him information. "A pair is stationed around here. This is becoming difficult."

"Should I take them out?" Abaddon suggested, clenching his hands tightly.

"No, wait here. I will deal with them," Azzel shook his head and moved closer while crouching, his hands touching the cold and rough wall.

The stagnant dark magic power surged, deepening the shadows and their forms started waving around the edges. He directed the energy toward the guards, forming a faint black mist that drifted in the vicinity.

The first guard stiffened, his hands hovering over the hilt of his sword. He turned around, jerking his head towards the subtle disturbance.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, his voice low and tense.

The second guard frowned, gripping his spear. "Must have been the wind. Stay on your post."

"No, I must check it out," the first guard moved further, ignoring the second guard's words. The black mist's presence had already drawn his attention, implanting devious suggestions.

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As he stepped into the black mist, a tendril of dark magic lashed out, wrapping itself around the guard's neck and constraining his voice before he could scream.

A sense of drowsiness dawned upon him and he felt his consciousness slowly slip away. His body slumped to the ground, emitting clanking sounds.

The second guard noticed the commotion and tried to scream but Azzel's dark tendrils were faster. They struck his throat and caused him to gag while he fell to the ground. Countless tendrils wrapped him up, draining him of energy, but not his vitality.

Both guards lay on the ground, unconscious. Azzel refused to take their equipment, fearing they might have been implanted with markings.

Abaddon stepped out of the shadows and glanced at Azzel's work. "Shade, your magic control is spectacular."

"Just experimenting." Azzel waved his hands and took out Abaddon's sword. "Here, don't kill anyone yet unless they're a cultist."

Abaddon received it and tucked the sword to his side.

Azzel turned to face the thick vines that were blocking the tunnel entrance. His hands drew them away, revealing a corroded metal gate with dents and scrapes on its surface.

He noticed that the markings on the center seemed structured and deliberate, faintly glowing in deep blue. "Something's not right here. Could this be... a magical sentry of some sort?"

His brows furrowed, realizing that the situation had worsened. 'No need to panic. Let's see if we can break it down.'

Azzel stared at the small magical sentry ward, his fingers tracing the rhythmical pulses of its magical energy. Though he lacked a full understanding of this magic system, his instincts and analytical mindset guided him.

'These things... are like locks.' he muttered, sweat dripping on his creased forehead. 'Disrupt it on the right part and it will be opened. A wrong pull and it'll scream to the whole city.'

He released a small stream of dark magic into the sentry ward's runes, guiding its movement along the surface. The magical energy within reacted to his dark magic, revealing weak points where the flow was less stable.

'Magic flows through conduits or pathways. It's like a web, each node connected by strands of energy.'

The runes flare slightly, resisting Azzel's intrusion. He gritted his teeth and persevered. 'Stop losing control. Guide it, slowly.'

The stream of dark magic energy followed, adapting to the runes' defenses. Minutes passed like hours and he could feel his mind wavering, but he steadied himself and drew strength from the darkness of the night.

Azzel finally identified the key rune, the central point that held the entire ward. He calculated the time before producing a minute fluctuation in the key rune's energy. The sentry ward's glow slowly faded and the intricate runes were no more different than vandalized characters.

"It's done." Azzel stepped back and removed his mask, wiping sweat from his brow. "Let's move. We don't know until someone notices what happened here."

He equipped his mask again and ordered Abaddon to push the metal gate.

They entered the tunnels after a sluggish opening. Azzel noticed a smell of earth and something ancient in the cold, damp air. His leather boots scratched against the hard stone floor, while the torches gave dim lighting and cast flickering shadows across the walls.

The vast darkness improved his disposition and helped him overcome his exhaustion. Feeling better, he decided to take a good look around.

The walls were constructed from large, smooth stones fitted together to form a wall. Markings were frequently inscribed on its surfaces, though Azzel found the inscriptions faded and unrecognizable.

However, it was not the same for Abaddon. "These inscriptions... are familiar to me."

Azzel glanced at him, his eyebrows raised. "You recognize this place?"

"No, not exactly," Abaddon shook his head, "It's somewhat a distant memory. I can't explain what it is, everything is too foggy for me."

Azzel took note of his behavior, "Perhaps this place was part of an ancient civilization..."

He summoned his dark magic power and used the shadows to survey the surroundings once more. With more practice, he could feel the environment's layout taking shape in his mind, though many details remained unclear and confusing to him.

"Strange," Azzel muttered. "My dark magic is... resonating with the earth?"

He paused and laid his hand against the cold stone wall. Squinting his eyes, he felt a faint pulse throb on his hand, trying to determine what he was perceiving.

"These tunnels aren't normal." Azzel mused, "Keep an eye out."

Abaddon remained silent, though his eyes reflected a mix of curiosity and unease.

They continued, deeper into the abandoned tunnels. Azzel became increasingly aware of an odd resonance, a sudden vibration that appeared to respond to his presence as they traveled.

'Is it the same as before? No, there's something else as well.' he frowned. "Do you feel that?"

Abaddon nodded, his gaze wary of whatever lay ahead. "It's familiar..."

"Is it the earth?" Azzel wanted to clarify.

"No. It's a presence... of something... someone..." Abaddon glanced around, his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his sword.

Azzel's attention grew, and he concentrated on the shadows under his control. They moved through the tunnels, looking for the cause of the disturbances. However, it led him to a dead end, and anything beyond it appeared too mysterious for him to proceed.

Not only that, but he felt that the earth was a source of energy for him as well. He couldn't understand what was happening and could only attempt to isolate the earth's resonance with his dark magic.

'This is too much to process. I can't tell if it's the earth or that weird presence. I need to focus on the task first.'

"Something's lying ahead, dormant and waiting," Azzel said. "But whatever it is, it's not for tonight. We'll come back another day."

He worked through the tunnels, eventually finding the path to the warehouse. The spiral staircase at the end of the tunnel led into the warehouse's substructure, its destination unknown. They walked up the stairs with faint light escaping from the top.

They arrived in a dimly lit chamber and were greeted with a fragrance of ancient wood and lingering traces of incense that assaulted his senses. Silence permeated every corner except for the faint humming from a glowing orb at the top of a wooden desk.

Azzel remained still in the darkness, inspecting the room's layout. He realized this was the same room the second rat was sent to investigate earlier in the morning, though something felt different.

His palm contacted the wall, releasing a wave of dark power that swept through the area like a silent ripple. The energy mapped the room in his mind, outlining its layout and revealing the locations of multiple sentry wards inscribed on the floor and walls. Their placements were designed to detect intrusions and trigger a silent alert.

'They weren't here before,' he mused. 'Or did I miss them during the morning?'

He studied a nearby ward, his fingertips hovering over the glowing silver runes carved in the wall. Magical energy poured through at a steady yet rhythmic pulse, connecting each thread to the other wards.

'These wards are going to be a problem.' His eyes glinted. 'They're interconnected. Shutting one down will alert the entire network of wards. A clever but annoying formation.'

He leaned back on the wall, forming a deep frown. 'I could try disrupting the entire network at the core... but I'm not at my best now, and doing this might take a while.'

Azzel was worried that the men behind that barmaid girl would pursue their whereabouts, and if they worked together with the city guards, it might spell doom for him.

A peculiar sensation arose from his body before he could decide on his course of action. It began as a faint vibration beneath his fingertips and progressed to a rapid beating that appeared to come from the walls themselves.

He froze, and his gaze shifted to the wall. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the event in question. It felt like the ground was trembling beneath the weight of several things, with muffled but harsh voices quivering the earth and walls.

Azzel suspected an argument brewing outside, as the violent sound traveled through the walls.

He turned to face Abaddon, who had been silently guarding the stairs. "Did you feel that?"

Abaddon nodded, his tone intensifying. "Shade, I can feel a powerful presence outside. This doesn't seem to be from the city guards."

"Is it the Ashen Veil...or those people?" Azzel exclaimed, knowing that time was tight.

His gaze fell on the tiny traces of line energies connecting each ward.

Each rune fed into the next, creating a dense web of magical defenses. However, the flow was not uniform, and he noted minuscule variations in energy distribution, the glaring inconsistencies within the system.

'The energy flow is concentrated,' he said with a sparkle in his eyes. 'If I break the network core, the system may collapse without sounding an alarm. The question is: Where is it?'

He unleashed another thin stream of dark energy, testing each rune for flaws. Sparks danced around the energy strands as they brushed against the wards, tracing their way back to a single point beneath the desk where a small pedestal lay.

'That's the core! Time to put this thing down.'

Azzel disregarded the growing disorder outside and concentrated on guiding the flow of his dark energy into the network's center. The resistance grew, the opposing energies clashing like two creatures in a frenzy.

He gritted his teeth and slowly revealed the network's structure, disrupting the energy flow to the other wards. As he cut the final strand of energy, a sudden vibration shook the room.

Azzel froze, his breath quickening.

Footsteps shuffled around the warehouse, and he realized that the uproar outside was at its peak. The shouts were barely heard, one appearing to be from a woman and the rest from the city guards' anxious voices.

Azzel immediately summoned Abaddon. "Go guard the door. Let me get this orb first."

He approached the desk, observing the luminous orb resting on its stand. He took out the note and opened it, seeing a little message underneath that stated that the goods should not come into contact with his skin and must be stored properly.

Azzel grumbled and searched for some fabric nearby. He took one lying on top of a tiny cabinet and wrapped the orb around it. He stored it in his storage ring and breathed a sigh of relief.

He then examined the neatly arranged papers on the desk, recalling the obscure diagrams and indecipherable writings that filled the pages. A few letters were also mixed in, which could be useful for him.

His hands hovered above them, checking each document to see if it had been marked. Fortunately for him, this was not the case.

"Some of these could be useful. No, better to get them all instead."

Just as he stored the papers, footsteps echoed in the hallway. A city guard with reddened eyes appeared in the doorway, his eyes widening at the scene.