Near the outer wall of Withered Tree Fortress, the night was deep and still.
The camp lay in absolute silence, with the vast majority of Serpents already asleep.
After confirming that no one was watching him, Charles immediately set out, accompanied by his mystical beast.
Before departing, he deliberately left Max behind.
"Stay here and pretend that I'm still around. Don't let anyone notice anything suspicious. If you do get exposed, escape immediately—I'll come back to clean things up," Charles instructed.
Max gave a firm nod.
It followed Charles's orders with complete seriousness.
Right before leaving, Charles hesitated for a moment—wondering whether he should inform Connell of his plans.
In the end, he decided against it.
Connell was, at best, a partner.
What Charles was about to do carried certain risks.
If Liam knew, it might only increase the danger Charles was facing.
Therefore, acting alone was clearly the smarter choice.
