Going back in time, around the time that Will, Ember, and Igni got sucked by the tornado, Fang quickly dove under the shadows using [Shadow Movement]. The tornado lasted a few hours, which was too long for a normal tornado.
“This is definitely the work of someone or something…”
Fang bided her time, unmoving within the shadow world. Since staying within the shadows consumed her stamina rapidly, she was trying to conserve as much as she could. 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝘭.𝘦𝑡
Just as she was about to reach her limits, the tornado vanished like a lie. Other than the damage to the surroundings that it left, there were no other traces of it anywhere. Even the sky turned bright as the dark clouds got wiped clean.
“Is it over?”
Fang was finally able to get out of the shadow world. Her whole body was covered in sweat, as if she had just gotten out of a sauna.
The first thing she did as soon as she got out was to lie down and rest. Without enough energy, moving around would just put her in more danger.
“Leader’s connection is faint… He probably got sent far away… Ember and Igni, both, I can’t even detect. Igni should be fine… But Ember…”
In just a short moment, Fang analyzed the current situation.
“I should prioritize searching for Leader and Ember.”
After lying down for a few minutes, she pushed herself into a jump and stood up. Her eyes were as calm as a clear lake; there was not a single fluctuation in her emotions.
“I could feel Leader’s trace, but the direction can’t be determined. Is he in a sealed area? Like this, I can’t even guess where to head to.”
She then turned her head toward the northeast, where the 13th attack squad was fighting.
“I could smell the scent of blood coming from there even when I was this far. The enemy was more powerful than expected.”
Fang’s eyes were glowing. Getting separated from Will awakened her innate temper. Her cold and calculative side was now out in the open, exhibited without restraint.
“[Shadow Skip]”
After she muttered the name of her new skill, she immediately vanished from her spot. In an instant, she appeared about a kilometer away.
This skill was the upgraded version of [Shadow Movement] that was taught to her by Fatima. It was a complex technique that used both Shadow and Dark energy. Not only is it faster, but it also consumes less energy compared to [Shadow Movement].
The only disadvantage of this technique was that she could only determine the direction she would travel in. If she ends up traveling into a cramped space, then her body will get smashed to bits. It was a high-risk technique.
“But in an open space, it’s unrivaled.”
She immediately used it again and traveled farther. However, this time, her jump landed her in the middle of a demon swarm.
“Cockroaches?”
The insects around her quickly noticed her presence. With disgusting sounds, they charged forward, aiming for Fang. They should be about 5th to 6th level in power; however, they lack durability.
“They should be attack-specialized. I’ll end this quick.”
Fang extended her claws with solidified darkness. Then, with a tap of her feet, she vanished. A breeze swept through the dozens of demon cockroaches. A second later, Fang reappeared behind the one who was farthest from her initial position.
*Slosh*
Each one of the insects turned into a thousand pieces as they fell into a pool of their own blood and guts. Fang waved her claws, removing the remaining blood from her claws.
“… Weak.”
Without wasting a second, Fang vanished again.
Across the entire field, the bodies of dead demons started appearing. All of them were shredded into pieces. The hard ones died after a precise hit to their vital organs, like the brain and the heart.
The cause of the bizarre situation, Fang, was still busy looking for the others’ traces.
“There are just too many nuisances around…”
Fang’s eyes were turning colder and colder as every second passed. Right now, her presence alone is enough to scare a 5th-level demon, despite only having 3rd-level power.
“Leader… Where are you… Don’t leave me alone…”
As she was just about to jump once more, she suddenly turned to the north. A familiar presence was moving closer to her.
“This… Ember!”
Her frozen expression melted, and a faint smile appeared on her face. With a tap of her feet, she vanished from her position and reappeared at the place where she felt Ember’s traces.
“Isn’t this Ember’s clone?”
However, what she found was only Ember’s clone. The clone stopped moving as she noticed Fang’s presence. The blob, about a centimeter in diameter, jumped up and down as if celebrating.
“Ember, guide me to your location.”
Fang asked; however, the clone stopped jumping and slumped. If it could speak, then it would be saying, “I can’t.” Since it was inconvenient that they were unable to communicate, the clone used [Polymorph] and turned into a 1:12 scaled figure of herself and jumped toward Fang’s feet.
“[I’m currently looking for Master. I’m in an unknown location underground, so I can’t guide you to my location. Look for Igni with my clone instead.]”
“You found traces of Leader?”
“[Yes. He should be underground and rapidly descending even now. I’m currently chasing him, and my link is getting stronger.]”
Fang stopped to think. Ember seemed to be chasing Will’s traces and was gaining on him. Right now, finding Igni and ensuring her safety should be a higher priority.
“Got it. I’ll leave tracking Leader to you; I’ll go and search for Igni first.”
“[Okay. Take this clone with you, so we could communicate. I need to concentrate on my skill, so I won’t be speaking for a while.]”
Fang nodded her head in understanding.
“Got it. Then, later!”
After they divided their roles, Ember’s clone returned to mini-slime ball mode and entered the gap between Fang’s breasts. After she confirmed that the clone had settled, she tapped her feet again, activating [Shadow Skip].