Chapter 355: I’m No Hero

West zipped the bag shut. "You’re the guide so obviously, I’ll still pay you since you did your job. But this outcome was already pre planned."

He looked toward the hotel window, watching the sun slowly disappear beneath Orizon City’s skyline.

Darkness spread across the slums like an old friend returning home.

West quietly placed the mask on and got into his dark clothes. "Night operations are always easier."

Sammy swallowed. "You really intend to go back?"

West walked toward the hotel door with a calm an unwavering expression.

"I’m not going back as a customer," he proceeded to open the door. "This time..."

"I’m going as the man who’s taking them away."

•••

•••

The moon hung low over Orizon City’s skyline, barely illuminating the depths of the slums.

The district had changed completely from how it looked during the day.

If daytime revealed poverty, night revealed monsters.

West stood atop the roof of a half-collapsed warehouse, dressed entirely in black. His face was hidden beneath a hood and a mask while his body blended almost perfectly with the surrounding darkness.

His glowing blue eyes quietly surveyed the compound below.

It was the same slave market Sammy had brought him to earlier.

Just like before, the cages were filled with crying children while the same armed guards from this morning laughed while counting money.

With a calm expression, West eyes shifted toward dozens of rusted metal cages filled with children of various ages.

Earlier today he had pretended to negotiate, inspect merchandise and complained that even the broken, crippled teenagers were "overpriced."

He had walked away without buying anyone exactly as planned.

Tonight, he wasn’t here to purchase... he was here to steal.

West slowly raised one hand. "Shadow Anchor."

<[ Shadow Anchor Activated ]>

A black ripple spread beneath his feet as the surrounding shadows seemed to melt together before swallowing him whole.

...

Inside the compound, two guards sat beside a bonfire.

"Hahaha! That rich idiot from earlier looked disappointed."

"He wanted discounts."

"He should’ve bought them before another buyer comes."

"Those crippled ones aren’t worth feeding much longer anyway."

Neither noticed the darkness behind them ripple.

West emerged silently without footsteps or sound.

Two chops to the backs of their heads caused both guards to collapse unconscious before either realized someone had been behind them.

Thud~

West dragged them behind stacked crates.

In as much as he didn’t mind bloodshed, it was better this way. They’d probably wake up later not knowing why they passed out and won’t be able to raise an alarm... less attention.

The rusty door of the first cage creaked open as he unlocked it.

Inside were four terrified boys with the oldest around fourteen years of age.

One immediately backed away. "P-please don’t hit us..."

West crouched. "I’m getting you out."

None believed him... rightfully so.

He sighed. "I have a truck waiting closeby."

They still stared at him silently, in utter confoundment as though he was speaking a foreign language.

"You’ll eat tonight," he extended his hand. "Come."

Slowly... the first child accepted.

Four children was all Shadow Anchor could transport comfortably while keeping enough concentration to avoid detection so this was the perfect number

Darkness wrapped around them as the shadows beneath the cage stretched unnaturally before they disappeared.

...

Several streets away, behind an abandoned textile factory, a large covered truck waited with its engine idling quietly.

The hired driver nearly jumped out of his seat as West materialized from thin air alongside four frightened children.

"What the—"

"No questions."

West opened the rear compartment. "Food and blankets are inside."

The children climbed aboard while the driver stared in disbelief. "T-this is what we’re transporting?"

West simply nodded. "I’ll return."

Before another question could be asked... he vanished again.

...

Back at the compound, West embarked on trip after trip, always with no more than four children.

He went again and again and again, using Shadow Anchor. Fortunately, the cooldown period of this skill had reduced significantly since it reached level four so it made things way easier.

"There are... more than I estimated..." West muttered after twenty minutes had gone by and he saw that the numbers had only dwindled by a little above half.

The children were nearly a hundred after all. His target was initially only the six he was after but later at the hotel, he decided to take them all.

Every cage emptied silently as each child disappeared into shadows with him.

The compound remained strangely peaceful until one final cage remained.

West unlocked it, freeing the six teenagers within. He grabbed four as usual, slipped into the shadows and disappeared for a couple of minutes.

The two waited and waited, very scared that he wouldn’t returned. The sound of guards moving outside the warehouse, increased their beating hearts by a lot, especially when they heard them chatting.

They held each other hands, comforting themselves, praying and hoping.

Just when it seemed like West had abandoned them, he phased out of a shadow behind the cage.

"I’m back," he whispered causing both of them to yelp.

"Shush," West swiftly placed his index finger on his lips while staring at the entrance.

Then he proceeded to the front of the cage "Hurry."

Just as the last two climbed out, a door opened nearby.

"What the hell?" a guard carrying a lantern froze.

His eyes widened upon seeing the emptiness of the warehouse. "The cages—"

West moved like a phantom...

Fwwhiii~

CRACK!

His fist slammed into the man’s jaw before he could even process what was happening.

The guard spun twice before collapsing unconscious.

West caught the lantern before it hit the ground. "...Close."

He quickly dragged the unconscious guard beneath broken furniture and covered him with discarded cloth.

The teenagers stared. "You..."

"...Are you some kind of superhero?"

West chuckled. ’No."

"I’m just someone who dislikes wasting potential."

<[ Shadow Anchor Activated ]>

He proceeded to grab them and they slipped into the closest shadow, vanishing from sight.

...

Nearly ten minutes later, the final group climbed into the truck.

Children huddled beneath blankets, some cried quietly while others stared at West as though he weren’t real.

The driver swallowed nervously. "Sir..."

"Is that all of them?"

West nodded. "Yeah. Drive."

The truck rolled forward, leaving behind everything in their Immediate vicinity.

For nearly ten minutes, everything remained quiet.

West sat beside the driver while constantly scanning the surroundings.

"We’re getting closer."

The driver sighed. "Looks like we—"

Before he could complete his sentence, headlights shone onto their position.

Four motorcycles blocked the narrow road while another pickup truck slid sideways behind them.

The sound of brakes screeching rang out as the truck stopped.

Four men stepped forward, clad in mismatched armor decorated with spikes and gang symbols.

One rested a massive axe over his shoulder, another casually spun two glowing knives, the third member cracked his neck while the last smiled.

"Never seen your truck before."

"This territory belongs to the Black Jackals."

The first tapped the hood. "Unknown vehicles pay tribute."

His eyes narrowed. "...Or become tribute."

West climbed down calmly. "I’m in a hurry."

The first laughed. "We all are."

One gangster climbed onto the truck. "What’ve we got here?"

He pulled back the rear tarp and his grin widened upon seeing what was behind. "Boss!"

"Kids!"

"Whole truck full!"

The first whistled. "Hahaha!"

"Looks like tonight’s payday!"

West sighed. "So talking failed."

The first grinned. "It always does."

"Well, get off, we’re leaving," West stated with an authoritative voice while slapping the wrist of the third away, who had opened ghe tarp.

Suddenly, the first activated his branch and his body began to transform, turning his skin into rocky gray.

The second member arms elongated into bladed appendages, the third gained burning orange tattoos across his chest while the fourth’s legs swelled enormously.

They were all tier ones...

"So you’re awakened," West muttered.

The first smirked. "Too late to regret stopping here."

West smiled faintly. "No."

"Too late for you," West suddenly vanished immediately after saying that.

BOOM!

The first awakened barely reacted before a punch buried itself into his stomach.

CRACK!

The man’s body folded around the impact before launching through a brick wall.

The second swung his blade arms.

SHING!

West ducked and sent a sweeping kick forth, that shattered both knees.

CRACK!

"KIAAARRRHHHH!"The gangster screamed before collapsing.

The third unleashed a pillar of flames but West activated Shadow Anchor again, dissolving into nearby darkness and causing the flames to strike empty air.

"What?!"

West suddenly emerged behind him and whispered. "My turn."

His elbow slammed into the man’s spine, sending the gangster smashing face-first into the road and rendering him unconscious.

BOOM!

The first black Jackals gangster roared as he swung rock-covered fists towards West aggressively.

West swerved left and right, evading the massive fists and causing whooshing air sounds to spread as they missed him by inches.

He suddenly caught one barehanded, causing the asphalt beneath his feet cracked.

The gangster’s eyes widened. "Impossible!"

West twisted with force and in the next instant...

CRUNCH!

The man’s shoulder dislocated.

Before he could even scream in pain, West’s knee crashed into his ribs, shattering the rocky armor covering his skin.