Dark Magus Returns - Chapter 1692: Enter Noble Land

Chapter 1692: Enter Noble Land

The tension on the rooftop eased slightly as the group realized Raze didn’t intend to lead them on a suicidal frontal assault. When they saw him pull out the mask, a flicker of recognition crossed their faces; it was an item they had struggled against in the past, a tool of deception that had caused them no small amount of trouble.

As the mask touched Raze’s skin, his entire physical form began to react. It was a visceral, unsettling process. His bones seemed to shift and restructure themselves, his frame shrinking down slightly to a more slender build. His facial features melted and reformed with fluid precision until, finally, the transformation was complete. Standing before them was someone else entirely.

“Wait, isn’t that Natty?” Kelly asked, her eyes wide as she examined the figure. “The mage from the Noble Guild… the one you killed during the skirmish?”

“Exactly,” Raze replied. Even his voice had shifted, shedding its usual depth for the higher, sharper tone of the woman he now resembled. “Natty was a highly skilled mage belonging to the Noble Guild. Although she was likely expected to return to base much earlier and might have even been reported as dead, there were no actual witnesses to her end. We’re going to play on that uncertainty. We’ll let them believe she managed to survive through sheer luck, or perhaps that she was captured and has only just now managed to escape her captors to return home.”

Raze adjusted the collar of his robes, testing the range of motion in his new body. “While I’m inside, I will gather intelligence. I need to know the exact structure of their defenses, how they are positioning their forces for the inevitable attack, and I need to identify the key figures in each sector that I can neutralize to cause the most chaos. My goal is to find a way to open the door for all of you.”

He looked toward the river. “Once I’ve mapped the interior, I will try to establish a secret entrance. There are still underground sewer systems that connect both parts of the city in a very specific way—relics of the Underside. My guess is that they’ve already set up precautions and traps underneath, but if I can deal with those from the inside and return here, we can launch our full-scale strike with a clear path forward.”

“Why her, though?” Alen asked, tilting his head. “If that mask lets you become anyone, wouldn’t it be a lot more effective to just turn into Idore or even Trubin? You could just walk in and tell everyone to go home.”

“Because they are still very much alive,” Raze answered flatly. “For one, I don’t know their personal habits or how they interact with their subordinates. I’d be found out in minutes by someone close to them. The risk of my cover being blown is too high. But Natty? She’s a mid-to-high-level asset. She’s important enough to be granted access, but not so important that her every move is scrutinized by the top brass. Besides, dead men—or women—don’t usually walk back through the gates unless they have a very good story.”

“Fair point,” Alen conceded with a shrug.

There was another motive driving Raze to get inside, one he didn’t voice to the group. He was acutely aware of the power imbalance within their own ranks. B was formidable with her blood skills and the special cursed weapon that Beatrix once used. Liam had the advantage of the system and his all-cutting sword. Raze himself had his magic and his unique items. However, when it came to the rest of the group—Alen, Londo, Kelly, and even Sophie the cat—they were lacking the high-tier equipment needed for the battle ahead.

Raze knew that if they could target the powerful mages inside the Noble land, they could seize high-quality enchanted items. Unlike the cursed items Raze created, which often came with heavy drawbacks, these were stable, top-tier tools of war. Increasing the group’s collective power was no longer just a luxury; it was a necessity for survival.

Having finished the transformation, Raze instructed the others to stay hidden and wait for his signal. He descended from the rooftop and began to walk across the bridge toward the Noble land. He kept his pace slow and deliberate, acting the part of an exhausted survivor. As he drew closer to the towering walls, he used a subtle application of wind magic to glide his feet across the ground, making it look as though he was stumbling forward under his own weight.

He could feel the weight of a dozen gazes upon him. The mages lined up along the battlements were staring down, their eyes narrowed as they tried to identify the lone figure approaching their fortress.

Raze knew he was taking a gamble. If the Noble Guild had implemented a secret identification code or a magical “handshake” for entry, he would be in immediate trouble. However, he was betting on two things: first, the Noble land was a brand-new construction. While Idore was efficient, creating a foolproof identification system for thousands of mages in such a short time was a tall order. Second, the Noble Guild was arrogant. They were so confident in their absolute defense that they likely believed it didn’t matter even if a spy managed to slip inside.

Despite his proximity, the mages on the wall hadn’t attacked. Raze reached the base of the massive fortification and looked around, searching for a gate or a door, but the surface was seamless stone. He looked up at the guard directly above him, his expression twisting into one of annoyance.

“What are you doing?” Raze demanded, his voice projecting upward. “Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to open the door?”

He reminded himself to stay in character. From what he remembered of Natty, she had a haughty, stuck-up attitude toward those she considered her inferiors. He needed to channel that entitlement if he wanted this to work.

The mages on top remained silent for a moment, whispering among themselves.

“Come on! You’re acting like you’ve seen a ghost!” Raze shouted, adding a touch of desperation and anger to his tone. “I’m not dead, so let me in! I have an incredibly important report regarding the Dark Magus that needs to reach the inner circle immediately. Do you idiots really want to be the ones held responsible for the fallout if this information doesn’t get through?”

The threat seemed to do the trick. After a tense few seconds, one of the mages at the top tapped his foot against a hidden pressure plate. Right in front of Raze, a section of the seamless wall began to grind open, revealing a passage into the heart of the Noble land.

’This is it,’ Raze thought as he stepped into the shadows of the tunnel.