Chapter 458 - Night Before The Raid

Time goes by quickly during the time I'm training and preparing myself. Tomorrow, I will raid the lab of the Professor.

I thought that he would be wary after he lost communication with the mohawk girl, and she never returned. He should be wary about it. But it seems like, according to Albert's intel, there is something out there in the direction of the compass. They have encountered some mysterious group of people walking through the area they are keeping watch.

The agents didn't get too close to the lab because we're afraid if there are any other master level mage in the lab. Even if they are artificial, none of the agents have the power to fight against them.

The latest information was about a few weeks ago when a huge number of people from the direction the arrow in the compass pointed, are going to the direction of Consenza.

From that information, we are correct to think that the cult is planning to raid the tournament. And the huge amount of people coming means there will be a war.

It will most likely to happen in the final, when the strongest mages from each country who participated in the tournament are too tired after their match.

It's unavoidable. But at least the cult won't get stronger. Though we are powerful as well since we have no master level mage. But I don't think the cult will send their strongest mage right away.

I will be busy during the tournament, so I need to complete my mission as soon as possible before resting.

Those who are spying on the ground near the lab are always in constant danger. Once any master level mage, even if they are artificial, notice their presence, death will come for them. That's why they are disguising themselves as a homeless people trying to live out in the wild. Good thing the soil is good for farming. If the lab is near a desert, it will be difficult to put the agents to investigate.

But the location the compass is pointing at is not that close to where the agents are farming at. It's because they decided that getting too close will get them to be discovered by the artificial master level mage that the professor might have created. Even worse if they have other real master level mages.

How do the agents got closer without getting too close? By following the compass. But they didn't move straight toward where the needle is pointing. They are moving slightly to the side, so when the compass direction changed slightly, they can pretty much estimate the distance from where they are to the location the compass is pointing.

That's pretty smart of them.

"Roy, you keep reading those reports over and over again. Go get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day," Victoria said. She's in her human form, which is quite rare to see nowadays.

"I'm fine. I can also sleep after casting calming gas on myself. It will help me sleep a lot better. I need to double-check the reports again and again. But when it comes to the real thing, I doubt the reports will be correct," I said.

I know that the real thing will be different. Once I transported myself to where the agents are, I will return them back to the capital and will face the mission alone. Well, I won't really be along. I will have Shelia and Graham with me. And when there are too many enemies, I will call the others to fight.

But for the start, just me and my familiars are enough. I can use Shelia's sense of smell to detect the enemies outside the range of my Divine Vision, and use Graham's shadow clone as a scout.

But is it fine for all three members to be close-range fighters? We can still use long distance attack, but our attacks are pretty much obvious. I mean we just swing or thrust our weapons or claws toward the enemies. But if there's a mage with us, their attack won't be as obvious.

Though I will need to refrain having a mage for now. If the enemy can detect someone from their magic, we don't need to bring our powerful mages with us. I can just call them later. Though we can still use magic, we are good enough to conceal it.

I can't detect someone's presence by their magic, so I asked Angela and Veronica if they can sense our magic at close range. Turns out, Graham and Shelia can conceal their magic so they won't get found out too soon.

Though if it's the artificial master level mage, even when I used Divine Vision at her from distance, that mohawk can still sense that someone is looking at her. How many mohawks will we face? I hope there won't be any of them.

"You are reading the documents again. That's the fifth time you read the same thing," Victoria complained again that I keep reading them.

"Sorry. This will be the last time. Maybe."

"Not maybe. It is. If you're too nervous, it will affect everyone here even if they won't participate in the mission. You need to relax and show them that you can do it and will do it well. Enough reading and get some rest. Even if you can't sleep, at least laying down on bed will make you better," Victoria said.

"I can sleep though. Fine. I'll stop reading. Victoria, bed."

It has been a while since I had Victoria transformed into a bed in my own room. Since I usually sleep with other girls, she sleeps in her own room most of the time. I guess it's her turn to sleep with me. Especially since I have an important mission tomorrow.

"How are you feeling?" Victoria asked.

"Normal. I used calming gas on myself, but I am not sleepy. Though I won't use sleeping gas on myself," I replied.

"Do you think something can go wrong after reading the documents that many times?"

"It can. The Professor should have long realized that the mohawk girl will never return. But he made no obvious move. The lab must be trapped already. Even if there's no trap, any important items in the lab could be destroyed already. We might just go for a wild goose chase. Also, they might be able to tell the location of our compass. It will be difficult, though still doable thanks to some agents who keep travelling while carrying that compass to distract the compass the cult has," I said.

"What will you do if it's a trap?" Victoria asked.

"I just need to report it to Albert. But that mean the cult's force during that will attack during the tournament will be powerful. And I will still need to investigate the lab. After I cleared all the enemies within the lab, I'll bring Wendy and Candy to investigate the whole place. They are better at finding clues than me even with my Divine Vision," I said.

"I guess we can only know tomorrow," Victoria said.

"As for me, the lab being a trap is fine. As long as the enemies waiting are strong ones that we can defeat. The cult's force will be weakened if that's the case," I said.

"How about them not realizing at all that we are raiding at their lab? That would be the best outcome," Victoria said.

And so, while laying down on top of Victobed, Victoria and I chatted about the useless what if cases that might or might not happen. Not just for the ride, we also talk about other stuffs. But it was fun time to spend the time.

I also checked the others to see their condition. Angela couldn't sleep as she enters Kayla's room and they have a chat there. Jewel is sleeping without a care. Candy and Wendy are having sleepover together. As for the vampires that stay in Cassau, they don't really care about my mission. They don't even know what the cult did other than what we told them.

Sophie is sleeping with the children. She will be a good mother in the future. Though I'm still afraid of having children before the cult is destroyed.

Just like Victoria told me before. My illness is really bad. The fear against the cult, no matter how powerful I have become now, is too big and can't be erased that easily. I have to destroy the cult first before I can truly be free. I'm just a man imprisoned by his fear and trauma. Even if I have better life now than before, it's not something I can forget.

No matter how many safe places I built, my mind and my heart won't be at real peace until I know we defeated that Evil God. And we made quite a big progress in that regard. We're going to raid the lab of the cult. If we can kill the Professor, things will get easier during the war. Not easy, just easier.

I chatted with Victoria for a while until I finally fall asleep. After breakfast, I will leave right away. And once I used portal to where the agents are, I will summon Graham and Shelia. That will be the last magic I will use until we encounter the enemies.

…maybe I'll ask Lina to make me breakfast before I go.. I can't fight in an empty stomach.