Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1679: Regret Of The Noble (Part 2)

With how dangerous entering the Noble Territory would be, Raze knew he needed more information before making his next move. He figured that there was a high chance that none of the Guilds in the north would be willing to go up against the Noble Guild on their own. They were too established, too feared.

From the words spoken by Natty before, it sounded like several representatives had been sent out, most likely to all of the other guilds in the surrounding areas. The Noble Guild were playing their hand early, moving pieces across the board before Raze and his group could even formulate a counter-strategy. If the Noble Guild were to show their strength and power like what was being shown here today, with these metallic bodies and refined elemental magic, then it was likely the other guilds would refuse to join any rebellion out of pure terror.

Raze needed to know the specifics. He needed to know what artifacts and what enchanted items the Noble Guild had in their arsenal. More than that, he needed a way to get directly to Idore perhaps without going through the others and wasting his strength.

Raze also still had the mask artifact in his possession. With it, he could disguise himself as Natty and infiltrate their ranks, but such a plan would only work if he had the right information to back up the persona. This was exactly why he was making this offer now. With her life on the line, he was quite confident she would accept it, however, there was one large thing working against him: the deep-seated hatred between their factions.

"Hahaha!" Natty laughed, the sound harsh and mocking against the backdrop of the ruined guild hall. "Do you really think I can believe the words of the Dark Magus? We all thought the Grand Magus were good people on the outside, and look how that turned out in the end! Everyone has a hidden agenda."

She coughed, a bit of metallic-tasting blood hitting the floor. "And now you want me to believe that the Dark Magus will keep me alive after getting all the information that is needed from me? I would much rather fight with every last bit of my breath!"

Natty’s expression shifted from mockery to a terrifying resolve. She placed her hand firmly on her chest, right over her mana core.

"Breakthrou, "

Before Natty could finish the sentence, Raze’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t wait to see the results. He darted across the area, his movement a blur of dark robes and lethal intent. Using the Void Pulse strike to accelerate his momentum, he shoved his sword right through her chest. The blade, reinforced by his dark energy, broke through her metallic body with ease, piercing the heart of the metal.

A breakthrough from a high-level mage like Natty would have been a massive pain even for someone like Raze to deal with. It was an explosion of raw, unfiltered mana that could level the room. It was the best option to end it from the get-go, even if it meant losing his source of intel.

He sighed, looking down at her as the light began to dim in her eyes. He wished, though, he could have at least gotten some information or help from her before it came to this.

"Your iron bodies were what was making the lightning powers expand even stronger than before," Raze said quietly, his voice carrying a hint of cold observation. "It seems that the Noble Guild have quite a few tricks up their sleeve... I wasn’t going to kill you, Natty, if you gave me the information I wanted. But I would have left your fate in the hands of the River Moon Guild, the ones who you tried to finish off."

Natty knew life was fading from her. The cold was setting in. As she looked up at the Dark Magus, she saw something in his eyes that was different from the monsters she usually served.

Even within the Noble Guild, there were those who at first voiced their complaints about the war. Because some of those who lived in the south were family members of the Noble Guild. The destruction of everything had killed relatives and friends of those close to them. They had initially rejected the idea to get involved in such slaughter, but she had seen Idore finish their lives without a second thought.

When Idore killed, his eyes never showed a flicker of emotion. But right now, why was it that when she looked into Raze’s eyes, it was different? It almost felt like, with every life he had ever taken, he always felt a deep sadness... as if he was forced to go down this path, rather than choosing it for himself.

"The other guilds..." Natty whispered, her voice barely audible. "If they don’t join the Noble Guild... we have been ordered to eliminate them. All of them. Save them... if you can."

Those were her last words, the final bit of information she chose to share, all because of that fleeting look of humanity she thought she saw in Raze’s eyes.

When she finally fell still, Song and the other mages of the River Moon Guild let out a collective breath of relief. They were saved, but they were also worried at the same time. They had struggled so much just to kill three members of the Noble Guild. If the Noble Guild were to send more, perhaps dozens or hundreds, wouldn’t this mean the end for all of them?

"Thank you, Dark Magus, and the rest of your group for helping and aiding us," Song said. He struggled to his feet, bowing low even though his ribs were clearly broken and every movement caused him visible pain.

"I’m sorry I got involved without your permission," Raze replied, wiping his blade. "But if you were to perish, I could already see everyone in this territory falling as well. Although I would like to talk more, it seems we have a more important matter to attend to."

Raze then turned to the rest of his allies, Liam, B, and the others. His aura shifted, becoming the commanding presence of a leader.

"You all remember the positions of the Guilds in the North. We don’t have time to waste. We will need to split up and get rid of the Noble Guild members before they can complete their purges! Use everything you have. Get rid of them as quickly as possible. And once we’re done, we’ll attack the main force!" Raze claimed.

The group nodded, the gravity of the mission settling over them. But there was something else on Raze’s mind as he prepared to move. Seeing the Breakthrough Natty tried to perform had reminded him of his own potential.

Before his previous Breakthrough, it allowed him to unlock the peak of his 9-star magic powers. However, now that he was a 9-star mage with a dark core, he wondered what his breakthrough would look like. What would his Breakthrough allow him to do now?