Chapter 708
Chapter 708
There are only two ways in which a demon can appear like any other human:
Cut off the horns or use magic to disguise your appearance.
However, cutting off the horns requires a lot of effort and, depending on the location, there are many cases where it is not even possible to attempt it.
In that sense, the dehorned demons that the Special Forces Division planted in the human territory were relatively hard to find. Naturally, most demons could not do that, and when attempting temporary infiltration, they usually had to use magical tools or magical powers to disguise their appearance, but even that had clear limitations, so it was not used very often.
The first limitation is that this is not a simple illusion, but an advanced mutation magic that transforms the body.
Of course, not just anyone can use it. In addition, because there is a limit to the duration, a wizard must be deployed directly or in a team with colleagues. There is no reason to use a wizard with that level of skill for a backdoor operation, so the Demon King’s army tends to completely exclude this method unless they are planning to launch a surprise attack.
Another limitation is that the process of transforming the body through magic is very, very painful.
It’s not just about enduring the pain, but it’s about installing soundproofing magic and going through a painful process that will make you twist your body, and even when you return, you have to feel the excruciating pain. It’s so terribly painful that the saying that you’ll shit and piss yourself is not an exaggeration, so it’s a magic that will have a mental impact unless you carefully select soldiers with excellent mental strength.
It’s not something that can be done just once or twice, but you have to cast the spell two or three times a day, and depending on the operation, no one knows how long those days will last. What kind of crazy person would willingly accept this spell in such an environment?
Few people know this, but these restrictions have also served as a catalyst to empower illusionist magicians who study the remnants of evil spirits.
If only the environment where you can use illusion magic while moving was prepared, there would be no reason to change your appearance with mutation magic while feeling the excruciating pain of bones. If the unfortunate incident of the tower builder, Kalesi Visis, evaporating in an unexpected accident had not occurred, a future where results were achieved within a few years would have unfolded, and the Demon King’s army’s intelligence results may have drawn an upward curve.
But she died, and the research on illusion magic using the power of the evil god was at a standstill. In the end, the Demon King’s army, who could not choose the option of cutting off their horns and imitating humans due to innate reasons, had no choice but to use mutation magic to infiltrate Levien.
And it was no different for the assassins called Tanissa’s Hounds.
“Ugh···!”
The bodies of the five demons, curled up on the cold dirt floor, are twisting, swelling, and contracting in impossible directions.
Since they are not wearing any clothes regardless of gender, some may find it very obscene, but sometimes, when you see their bodies twisting like monsters and the floor starting to get soaked with sweat, you can’t help but feel horrified.
The same goes for the demon wizard who cast a spell on them. He waited for the group’s transformation to end while caressing the place where the horns he had ground down for this operation were, and at the same time, he was clicking his tongue out in frustration at their patience.
They were clearly groaning, but the pain of mutation magic doesn’t end with just ‘groaning’. In his view, their groans were at best the level of people complaining of stomachache after eating a poisonous mushroom.
They didn’t roll around on the floor, they didn’t scream for the forest to leave, and they didn’t piss or shit. The assassins were accepting the mutation with superhuman patience, to the point where even the most painstakingly installed soundproofing spells were rendered useless.
‘I heard that this is your first time experiencing mutation magic, but it’s to that extent.’
The wizard took a moment to collect his thoughts as he watched the sight that could only be described as a hunting dog raised by a legendary assassin. He then began to draw water from the river right next to him and heat it up.
They are not taking off their clothes because they like to be exposed. They are taking off their clothes to prepare for the possibility that their clothes will tear due to waste products secreted during the mutation process or their bodies twisting into strange shapes. Of course, they need to wash themselves after the mutation is over, so the wizard decided to prepare warm water out of respect for the assassins who, according to his advice, became naked without a word.
As the water that had risen into the air like a giant sphere following his hand began to boil, the moans of the demons began to subside. Although they were not moaning, the assassins, who were clearly exhausted, looked at their horns that had been uprooted and fallen to the ground, and suddenly opened their mouths.
“If it’s going to be uprooted like this, can’t it end in one go?”
“Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In the process of returning to the original body, the joint with the skull is regenerated.”
The assassins’ complexions darkened rapidly at the wizard’s explanation of separating boiled water, mixing it with river water to adjust the temperature, and distributing it to the demons. They barely managed to hold back their groans, but it was clear that they were not immune to pain.
However, there was no time to grumble as it was a matter of success or failure for the operation. The assassins followed the wizard’s instructions without a word, washed their bodies, put on the clothes they had neatly taken off, and moved on as soon as they buried their horns in the ground.
It didn’t take long for them to encounter the various crowds heading to Levien, as they were moving from the interior of Itisel over the rugged mountains in order to reduce suspicion even a little. The assassins, centered around the wizard, naturally mixed in with the passersby, and thanks to the consideration of a merchant who felt sorry for their poor complexion, they were allowed to ride in the carriage.
But no one was satisfied or relieved by that small achievement. They were experts. Instead, they lowered their voices and started talking for a final check.
“Once you enter the city, capture an inn and then disperse until you meet at the hideout, following the trail left by the advance party. Again, the duration of the mutation magic does not exceed half a day. If you cannot pay attention to the time, remember the symptoms. The tips of your hands and feet will start to feel numb first, and your heart will beat irregularly even though it is not beating particularly well. The numbness will go away quickly, but your heart will show the same symptoms at regular intervals when the remaining time is reduced to about 30 minutes. ”
There were no instructions or questions about what to do in that case. At this moment, everyone knew that since Levien had a higher troop density than the capital of Itisel, if they could not find a hiding place, the release of the mutation would mean immediate death.
The wizard nodded slightly at the reaction of the indifferent assassins, took out a wooden identification card from his bosom and a piece of paper with something written on it, and continued speaking while handing them out.
“You are born in Itisel and grew up in a place called Ogwen in the western border. Recently, the city has started to grow rapidly due to the discovery of a dungeon. You tried to make some money by taking advantage of it, but suffered losses and are now heading to Levien to become mercenaries. Memorize the content and throw it away or eat it.”
“···You try everything·”
“I guess you’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Because from the beginning, our job was to go in hiding and then come out hiding.”
That being said, the assassins were quite diligent in memorizing their fake identities and testing each other, as if they were not particularly dissatisfied. It was a very good sign for the wizard. At first, I was worried that they would have a hard time because they were not in sync, but it seems that it was just a worry.
“But why the West? If you’re going to hit from a distance from the battlefield, wouldn’t the North be the safest?”
What I liked most was that he knew how to ask reasonable questions.
“Because there are many neighboring countries in the northern part of Itisel, it is difficult to forge identities. Ogwen is the best place to create fake identities in that regard. When a city suddenly grows in size, unintended loopholes tend to appear.”
The more you know, the more you can prepare for an emergency. There are no unnecessary questions about a fake identity when working as a spy. In that sense, assassins were decent people who tried to memorize their roles faithfully without being restricted by their one-time identity.
As a result, they managed to memorize all the content before they reached the gates of Levien within the limited time.
“You’re from Ogwen?”
“exactly·”
That’s why the wizard didn’t worry at all until the moment he got out of the carriage and was searched.
In his view, the assassins were not just a mere gatekeeper. They had prepared so perfectly in such a short time that he was sure that the only ones he really had to worry about were the cultists or warriors who could sense magic.
“You were born and raised in Ogwen… and then you left your hometown after suffering losses in the dungeon?”
“I was a bit embarrassed. I had borrowed money from my parents to buy equipment, but I failed in the new dungeon. I was thinking that I had to do something when I heard the news about Levien.”
“Huh···”
So, I didn’t feel any anxiety when I saw a reporter suddenly approach me and talk to me while I was having a normal conversation about security and identity.
“How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-five.”
“Your friends too?”
“They’re all the same age.”
However, looking at the strangely luxurious-looking armor and helmet, it was clear that he was not of a low status, but for some reason, I felt a chill down my spine as soon as I heard the question he asked while looking at the identification badge handed to him by the assassins through the visor that was so tight that I doubted whether he could see even the front of the knight who did not have a single common emblem indicating his affiliation.
“What kind of store does the Miller family run?”
“···to?”
It’s wrong
“Where is the location of the Ogwen Crusade branch?”
“Hey wait a minute···”
“Is Milena’s grocery store still on Dongmun Street?”
It was so twisted that it made no sense. Why on earth did an Ogwen knight find them at the checkpoint at this very moment?
“What did the store Alicia ran later become?”
At the same time that I had the illusion that I saw a sinister glare through the narrow visor, the assassins leapt backwards…
-Pubberbuck!
···A projectile that flew in faster than that pierced the heads of five people in an instant, turning them into corpses without giving them a chance to scream.
“I think it’s time to hear the name of the laughing bell.”
A large fist flew into the face of the wizard who had turned his eyes away from the corpses in response to the incomprehensible words flowing out of his helmet.