Dark Magus Returns - Chapter 1694: Don’t Get Caught (Part 1)

Chapter 1694: Don’t Get Caught (Part 1)

The first place Raze decided to head toward was the perimeter along the interior of the first wall. He was a man who preferred efficiency, and in this instance, he was trying to kill two birds with one stone. His primary objective was to find a viable opening to the Underside, the subterranean network that ran beneath the city, and simultaneously scout for an area where he could eventually create a breach to allow his allies to infiltrate the Noble land.

What Raze noticed almost immediately during his journey along the wall was the sheer level of security. Each of the sewer tops and maintenance hatches he encountered had a complex magic formation engraved directly onto the metal or the surrounding stone. These weren’t just simple locks; they were sophisticated traps designed to act as a silent alarm. Based on the flow of the mana within the runes, Raze could tell that a high-frequency signal would be sent directly to a central command hub if the lid was forcefully removed or even tampered with.

The most interesting thing, however, was the logic behind the magic formation’s design. It was specifically engineered to be triggered if a person attempted to open it from the other side, from the Underside looking up. It seemed Idore had anticipated an attack from below. The formations were one-way filters; they allowed people to pass through from the surface down without much resistance, but they acted as a solid wall for anyone coming from the tunnels.

For Raze, this wasn’t an insurmountable obstacle. He was a master at breaking down magical formations, possessing a deep understanding of runic structures that surpassed most mages in this era. By using his Dark magic, he could carefully erode the anchoring points of the spells, making it relatively easy for him to nullify the formations. However, he had to be strategic. If he moved or deactivated every single magic formation he came across, it would create a pattern of dead zones. Eventually, a technician or a guard would notice the lack of a feedback signal and tip off the guild, which would ruin the whole point of him being in here in the first place. He needed to find the one perfect entry point that could be sabotaged without drawing immediate attention.

While moving across the length of the wall in both directions, Raze originally performed a complete circuit of the first sector. He pushed himself forward with his wind magic, gliding inches above the pavement. Unlike a normal human or even a high-level mage, Raze didn’t really need to take breaks to catch his breath or replenish his stamina in the same way. As he completed his lap, he counted that there were six large buildings situated along the inner curve of the wall, all of which looked identical to each other in their brutalist, functional design.

From the looks of things, these were types of Guild houses, or more accurately now, military barracks. These were the stations where the several mages of the Noble Guild were currently residing, the front-line force designed specifically to protect the outer wall.

Even outside some of these buildings, the activity was constant. Mages were openly training, sparring with staves and casting combat spells against each other. They were clearly preparing for a mass-scale fight, but there was an intensity to their drills that Raze noticed immediately. It wasn’t just standard guard training.

’The training of these mages… it’s beyond what I expected if he was just waiting for me,’

Raze thought, observing a group of mages practicing synchronized area-of-effect spells. ’Even if Idore thinks I will have a large amount of allies, this truly feels like they’re preparing for an all-out war.’

Although Raze didn’t want to admit it, he looked at the state of Alterian right now and saw the truth. With the level of organization and firepower on display here, Idore and Trubin could probably forcefully take over the entire region if the Dark Magus and his resistance didn’t exist to check them. So why go to this massive amount of effort to train everyone to this degree? Some of the mages were far too weak to even be something Raze needed to consider worrying about in a direct confrontation. It suggested a grander plan, a plan that involved more than just defense.

Finally, Raze decided to enter one of these buildings. He chose the front entrance of the barracks closest to the bridge he had originally entered from. This was a strategic choice; if he was going to bring his team in, he wanted them to emerge at the most direct point of entry to maximize the chaos.

Each building was massive, almost as large as a prestigious academy or a school. They featured their own dedicated training fields where mages were practicing both outside and inside the facility. When Raze stepped inside, his eyes immediately began scanning for equipment. He could see various mages using several different enchanted items, rings, bracers, and wands that hummed with stored mana. However, most of these were low-rank artifacts.

’The mages that are in charge here are strong, but not so strong that they’re untouchable,’ Raze analyzed. ’They will have been given decent, mid-tier items that my teammates could actually use to bridge the power gap. But these aren’t the strongest that the Noble Guild has, that’s for sure. The elite forces are most likely stationed beyond the inner walls. You’re really not making this easy, are you, Idore?’

As he prepared to head back out, Raze noticed another detail he had missed earlier. A few of the mages were wearing a specific type of wrist-watch communicator, but it wasn’t a standard-issue item for everyone. It was only being worn by the individuals in charge of the various squads.

It was easy to tell who was in charge even without the tech. They always carried an air of arrogance around them, looking down on the trainees. Even their uniforms were slightly different to denote their rank; the hoods that covered their heads were pointed at the back, and the trim along the top was colored a bright, shimmering gold.

Currently, the head mage who was training this particular barracks was standing outside, watching a sparring match with a critical eye. When he saw someone approaching, someone who didn’t look like they belonged to his squad, he immediately broke off and confronted them.

“Natty? I thought you were dead?” the man said, his voice suspicious and lacking any real warmth.

“Right, right. I’ve heard that a lot since I entered the gates,” Raze replied, doing his best to mimic Natty’s somewhat dismissive tone. “But as you can see, I managed to survive. It was just more difficult than I thought it would be to get back.”

“Then what are you doing here at the barracks?” the man asked, stepping into Raze’s path. “Shouldn’t you be heading into the inner sanctum to make a formal report straight away? Why would you come right here instead of going to your superiors?”

“I wanted to know if there had been anything to do with the Dark Magus recently, or any other attacks by the wall?” Raze asked, keeping his expression neutral. “I want to be prepared before I make my report. My information might be outdated due to how long it took me to get here since the time I was sent out.”

“There have been no attacks,” the man said with a huff of pride. “But those who had agreed to join the Noble Guild and accepted our offer originally, the northern guilds, have finally been brought in. They are being trained as we speak to integrate with our forces. Regardless, go ahead and make your report. I’m not here to save your backside for nearly dying out there. You’re lucky to be back at all.”

By “others,” Raze figured he meant the smaller guilds and mercenary groups that had agreed to join Idore from the North. This was a grim realization; it meant even more enemies to worry about than he had initially scouted.

Raze decided it was time for him to leave before the man’s suspicion grew. It was best to keep the conversations short so he wouldn’t be found out by a slip in his persona. He turned to walk away, but he hadn’t gone three steps before the man’s voice barked out behind him.

“Hey!” the man called out, his tone sharp. “Where’s your communicator, Natty? You know the procedure…Where is it?”

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