After we finished talking to Babu, we split into two groups. Hiroshi and I went to get the gunpowder while Lezlie and Babu returned to inform the wise.

As Hiroshi and I went to buy some gunpowder, Hiroshi looked at me and said, “Hey kid, are you sure we can trust him?”

“Sounds to me like he wants to get out of here, don't you think?” I asked.

“No,” he replied. “I’ve never seen a species like this before. He has animal qualities but can also talk and move like a normal human. And such oddities usually happen with elite soldiers.”

“Yes, It’s pretty interesting,” I said. “But the important thing is that he came here to help people, and that’s a good way to behave. If he was a bad guy, I'm sure he would have done something already.” He laughed and said, “Yeah, I guess you're right. I also wonder how he fights that belly.”

I laughed too and said, “Actually, I don’t want to lie; I want to see that too.” After we both had a light laugh, I said confidently, “Don’t worry, Hiroshi. The people here are really kind. I’m sure he’s as kind as they are.”

After a short walk, we arrived at the gunpowder shop. The shop was quite small. Before we entered the store, Hiroshi looked at me and then at the cigar in his mouth. Realizing that the place we were about to enter was troublesome, Hiroshi put the cigar out of his mouth. We then entered the shop.

“Welcome to Teren’s Gunpowder shop! How can I help you?” said the shopkeeper.

Hiroshi looked at him and said, “We hear your goods are of good quality. Give us your best shot, partner. We’re not here to waste time.”

“Then follow me and I’ll show you the best ones,” said Teren.

Teren opened a barrel in front of him with his crowbar. “This gunpowder is from the second kingdom. It’s called ‘Red Bomb.’ You can easily detonate many things with it, but it’s not strong enough against iron.”

Hiroshi took the gunpowder in his hand and examined it. Then he turned his head to Teren again. “What else have you got?”

Teren opened another barrel. “This is from the third kingdom. It’s called ‘Black Death.’ It can blow up a lot of things, including iron.”

“How much damage can it do?” asked Hiroshi.

“In two pounds, it can reach eight or ten meters,” replied Teren.

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“We can use it to escape, but it’s still not enough to shut this place down completely. Give us the heaviest thing you’ve got.”

Teren opened the final barrel. “Then this is what you’re looking for. This gunpowder is from the fourth kingdom. It’s called ‘Disaster.’ Even a kilo can completely blow up this big cave.”

“Then we’ll take this,” said Hiroshi.

“So, is that all you want?” asked Teren.

“And by that, I mean all of them here,” replied Hiroshi.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Lezlie)

When Ryuu and Hiroshi went to retrieve the Gunpowder we needed, Babu and I arrived at the wise. All the cave dwellers had gathered in the square to hear the sage's speech.

Babu and I decided to wait until the speech was finished. After a brief wait, the wise appeared before his people. The cave dwellers showed great respect for him and began to applaud as soon as he arrived.

When the applause died down, the wise began to speak.

"As you know, three individuals recently arrived in our cave and have offered to help us escape. It is crucial that we cooperate with them as much as possible during this process. If we work together, we can make it out of here."

At this, someone from the crowd shouted, "But it's too dangerous out there! If we leave, the shadow bloodline will kill us first!"

Another person interrupted, "Yes, he's right. If we try to leave, they will show us no mercy, just like our fallen brothers."

Suddenly, everyone started talking about the dangers of leaving and how it was a bad idea. The applause was replaced by a sense of great unease. The wise signaled for his people to quiet down.

"Please listen. If we don't take action soon, we will face starvation, or worse, the cave could collapse on us at any moment. I understand that it's a risky plan, but we have no other options left," he added. "We've been dealing with food shortages for a long time, and the cave is on the brink of collapse. It's a perilous journey, but it's the only way for us to survive."

A member of the public suddenly stepped forward and asked, “Do you promise that if we follow your plan, we will survive and succeed, Wise?”

Wise was in a difficult situation. I knew I had to help, so I approached him and spoke up. “Please listen to me,” I said.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at me. “I know everyone is worried and scared. I understand how difficult this situation is. But please give Wise’s plan a chance. I can’t make any promises, but if you believe in us and help as much as you can, it will make a big difference.”

Then Babu approached and spoke in a slow and calm tone. “Everyone, please calm down. I know this is hard to accept. But we have to trust them. They are kind and trustworthy people. If you want assurance, I'll vouch for them. Please, let's join their plan and get out of here together.”

At that moment, someone from the crowd stepped forward. “Babu saved my son,” they said. “If Babu believes in them, then so do I.”

After these words, more people came forward one by one. “Babu saved my mother.” “Babu saved my brother.” “Babu saved my father.” “Babu saved my family.” “If Babu trusts you, then so do we!”

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers. Wise looked at me and smiled. “You solved the problem just like your mother would have,” he said. “I’m sure she would be proud of you if she were here now.”

“Thank you, Wise,” I replied.

“No, thank you,” he said. “You have given my people hope again.”