Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1703: The Architect of the Walls

The commander was more than willing to answer the questions Raze and his group had for him. It was a matter of survival, and it came as no surprise given that Raze had just confirmed the total elimination of the entire barracks. The man sitting behind the desk was terrified; he was facing the Dark Magus, an individual whose power was whispered to be on par with, or perhaps even above, the Grand Magus themselves. The commander knew that his only hope for a quick death, or perhaps a slim chance at life, was to treat Raze with absolute respect and total honesty.

"First, tell me what lies beyond the first and second walls," Raze began, his voice cold and clinical. "Tell me everything we, as a group, should look out for as we move inward."

"The second wall is composed of those who were members of the Noble Guild before the expansion," the commander explained, his voice trembling. "Those who were already part of the guild, even the weaker ones, were granted a place behind the second wall as a reward for their long-standing loyalty. But as you know, the Noble Guild is one of the top guilds in all of Alterian. Even their ’weak’ members aren’t truly weak, and those who stood by the Grand Magus’s side during the initial takeover are far stronger than anyone you’ve seen in the outer ring."

Raze nodded slightly. Natty had been part of the original Noble Guild, which explained why she possessed the clearance to move back and forth to make reports. It was exactly as Raze had suspected: the layers of the city were designed like a funnel, with the concentration of power increasing significantly the closer one got to the center.

"We in the outer wall don’t even know what lies beyond the second wall, other than the palace itself," the commander continued, making sure Raze understood he wasn’t holding back. "That is the inner sanctum, where the Grand Magus reside."

"The towers," Raze asked, shifting the topic. "How do they work, and what is their defensive setup?"

"The towers in the outer wall are manned by mages specialized in long-distance artillery spells. Their purpose is to stop any large-scale wave from approaching the walls and to pinpoint high-value targets," the commander explained. "Each tower is also equipped with a special scrying device that allows the central command to observe everything from their vantage point. It’s a constant surveillance network."

He swallowed hard before continuing. "The towers in the second wall, however, are different. They aren’t manned by mages. Instead, they have strange mechanical contraptions built on top of them. I have no idea what they actually do, I doubt anyone does besides the Grand Magus themselves, but I’ve heard rumors that high-tier beast crystals have been used to power them. They are autonomous defenses."

The news about the towers was concerning for Raze. It wasn’t enough to just kill the mages manning them; the structures themselves, especially those powered by high-tier crystals, had to be eliminated. The problem was timing. If they took down a tower too early, it would immediately alert the entire city to their presence. They had to neutralize the network all at once, precisely at the moment they were finally discovered.

’This is tricky,’ Raze thought. ’How do we get past the second wall if they only accept original Noble Guild members? Will I have to infiltrate again using the mask and then find a way to let the others in from the inside?’

"Is that everything?" the commander asked tentatively. "I’ve answered what I know. If you send me back to the North guilds as a prisoner, I promise I won’t tell anyone. I’ll keep my mouth shut."

"No," Raze said, his eyes narrowing. "It’s not over yet."

At Raze’s signal, Liam pressed his sword slightly further against the commander’s skin, nicking the neck and drawing a thin trickle of blood. The man froze.

"My next question is about enchanted items," Raze said. "What items do you and the other commanders possess?"

"It’s the same hierarchy," the commander stammered. "The truly powerful enchanted items are reserved for the original Noble Guild members in the inner circles. For us commanders in the outer ring, we are all issued the same standard-grade item: a Body Hardening brooch."

Raze looked at the commander’s robes, but saw nothing.

"The brooch can be attached to any robe," the commander explained quickly. "Mine is in my desk drawer. I haven’t been wearing it because I lent mine to one of the expedition teams that was sent out. They haven’t returned with it yet."

"Lent it? Why would you let someone borrow your personal defensive item?" Raze asked. "And when you say expedition team, do you mean the ones sent to the other guilds to ’convince’ them to join the Noble Guild?"

The commander nodded. "Idore has set very strict rules. Only certain enchanted items are allowed to be used within the city walls. The high-level items that the expedition members usually own must be left within the second wall before they are allowed to enter the outer ring. Because they were going outside the walls where the rules are different, the expedition team asked to borrow our lower-grade items to supplement their power while they were in the field."

Raze wondered if the structure was set up as a reward system, a way to make the mages crave the status of the inner circle, or if Idore was simply afraid of someone using high-level items to start a coup from within the outer ring. Either way, it meant the enemies ahead were better equipped than those they had just slaughtered.

"Thank you for your answers," Raze said, standing up and turning toward the door. "But we can’t take any chances with witnesses."

He looked at Liam. "Liam, deal with him. We need to move quickly before the next patrol realizes this barracks has gone silent."

*****

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