Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1696: The Web of Deception

Raze had somewhat expected that his infiltration wouldn’t be flawless. In a den of mages as prestigious as the Noble Guild, it was only a matter of time before he encountered someone who possessed information that contradicted his disguise. The fact that the man in the tunnel knew Natty had perished was a significant hurdle, but the accuracy of the information was what truly caught Raze’s attention. It sounded too precise to be mere gossip; it was a confirmed field report that hadn’t been completely shared with the lower ranks yet.

’That makes sense,’ Raze thought as he stood over the cooling corpse of the mage. ’Idore is a paranoid man. He likely expected some type of infiltration, perhaps a magical item or an illusion spell that could make one person look like another. By keeping the news of Natty’s death restricted to high-ranking officers, he created a natural trap for any intruder.’ It also suggested that the Noble Guild had eyes and ears deep within the River Moon Guild, passing on real-time intelligence about the skirmishes occurring on the outside. Raze was certain he had eliminated every attacker during the initial fight, and since he had used his corrosive Dark Magic to completely incinerate Natty’s physical remains, there was no physical evidence left behind. Yet, the word had traveled nonetheless.

Now, however, the situation was what it was. Raze needed to think fast. The clock was ticking, and a missing officer would eventually trigger a search. His first move was to use his Dark Magic to encase the body of the man he had just killed, a mage apparently named Web, in a localized void, ensuring no mana fluctuations would leak out. In an instant, the body vanished, consumed by the abyss.

Right after that, Raze reached up and pulled the mask from his face. For a fleeting moment, his true appearance, sharper, more intense, and weary from the constant mask-wearing, shined through in the dim light of the tunnel. He took a breath, centered his mana, and placed the mask back on.

As the enchanted fabric touched his skin, he focused on the image of the man he had just killed. His height shifted, his shoulders adjusted, and his facial features molded into the likeness of the officer.

’Now I have a more perfect disguise,’ Raze thought, adjusting the collar of the uniform. ’No one will ask questions about Web being dead, because the only person who knew was me. If he was high enough in the hierarchy to know the truth about Natty, then I should be able to walk around with even more authority than I could as a mere scout.’

Despite the success of the shift, Raze realized he couldn’t play this part forever. He had no idea who Web really was, his personality, his speech patterns, or his specific duties. The longer he stayed in this skin, the higher the risk of a social blunder. He decided it was now better to find a way to head to the Underside directly from these barracks. His plan was to find the entrance, bring in his small, elite team, and then systematically pinpoint and eliminate the strongest mages in the building.

Walking down the tunnel with a new sense of purpose, Raze headed into the main facility. He began scanning the architecture for the most logical point of entry. If he headed to the communal lavatories or the central plumbing hub, he could destroy a section of the floor or a wall. By following the large-scale piping, he would eventually find a direct link down into the Underside’s maintenance tunnels.

Once below, he would clear out any guards stationed in the subterranean levels to ensure his team had a silent path upward. There was one nagging worry on his mind, though: Web’s rank. While Web’s uniform was certainly more ornate than the standard robes of the Noble Guild, Raze had seen far more extravagant clothing on some of the mages on the rooftops. This indicated that even in these barracks, Web wasn’t the highest-ranking individual. There was still a bigger fish in this pond.

As he entered the main floor of the building and began to explore the corridor leading toward the rear exits, a deep, authoritative voice boomed out from behind him, echoing off the stone walls.

"Web!"

Raze froze for a split second before forcing his muscles to relax. He turned around slowly and saw exactly the man he had feared: the head of this particular base. The commander, wearing a hood with a golden pointed tip that shimmered under the mana-lights, was approaching him. He wasn’t alone. He was flanked by a squad of twelve elite mages, all walking in a tight, disciplined formation.

’I thought the commander would still be out on the field training the newcomers,’ Raze wondered, his mind racing through tactical possibilities. ’It should have been a perfect time for me to slip away. How should I act in this situation? I could fight them all right here and deal with them, but my guess is there is constant communication between the barracks. Killing a commander and his entire personal guard would alert the entire city of an attack.’

He let out a silent, inward sigh. ’It seems my life was never meant to be easy.’

"Yes, sir," Raze answered, standing tall and mimicking the stiff posture of a career officer.

"I’ve been looking for you. Why are you inside the building right now?" the commander demanded, stopping just inches from Raze. "The candidates are waiting for you. You were supposed to be on the field five minutes ago."

"I’m sorry, sir," Raze replied, lowering his head slightly to hide his eyes. "I had a sudden bout of illness and really needed to use the facilities. I was just making my way back out now."

The moment Raze gave his answer, the commander’s eyes flared with fury.

"You are already running behind and you think you can afford to be relaxed at a time like this, Web? You know what could happen at any moment. The Dark Magus could be at our gates as we speak! It is your duty to be out there and assess the potential of the newcomers. We need to know who is worth the gear and who is fodder. Head out there now!" the commander shouted, his voice attracting the attention of several passing mages.

Raze didn’t argue. He gave a sharp nod and quickly moved in the direction the commander had pointed. As he walked toward the exit, he realized the mistake in his initial assessment. He had assumed Web was heading inside to the main building to deliver a report, but Web had actually been on his way from the sleeping quarters to the training field. He was the primary assessor for the hundreds of mages trying to join the guild.

Now that Raze was standing on the edge of the vast field, looking out at the hundreds of mages sitting in organized rows, he felt a strange sensation. These were people from various guilds, all desperate for the protection and power of the Noble name.

’All of these people will eventually become my enemies on the battlefield,’ Raze thought, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. ’Hundreds of them... but I’m the one who gets to decide their worth. Maybe I can do more than just observe here.’

****

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