At once, everyone inside the briefing room turned thier heads and looked at a young man in his early twenties. It was an Acolyte, the sa person who was talking to Billy earlier.
Being stared at by everyone all of a sudden, the man couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Especially considering the fact that the Tyrant was also looking at him. Right then, Liriel spoke to him, "Bucky, what's the progress on mapping out the sewage network?"
Bucky, the brown-haired Mana Foundation Magus, was given the task of acting as the interdiary between the Brotherhood and all the informants that they had nurtured within the city.
Moreover, he was also given the mission to properly map out the sprawling underground tunnel system. The Brotherhood had long since suspected their enemies of using the sewage system for their own ans, after all.
Bucky rushed to the corner of the room and grabbed a scroll from the wooden cabinet. Then, he made his way to the table where everyone had gathered and unfurled the scroll.
The scroll contained the map of Ravenfell. However, instead of displaying the streets and alleys that ran through the city, it detailed the tunnel system that ran underneath it.
"Hmm." Adam placed his hands on the table, leaning forward as he scrutinized this new map. "These red lines are the tunnel pathways that you've explored, eh, Bucky?"
"Yes, sir!" Bucky straightened his back involuntarily.
Whoa! He spoke to ! He thought inwardly.
"Not bad." Adam nodded. He could see that most of the exploration had taken place underneath Corvid Quarter, followed by the Harbor Quarter.
"So you haven't found traces of people in these pathways, is that it?" He asked.
"Only the occasional beggars and drifters, my lord," Bucky answered truthfully. "I haven't seen any large groups of people making use of these tunnels to transport goods or... well, humans."
"Get a brush and so blue ink," Adam ordered with an outstretched hand, his attention still on the map.
At once, one of the Acolytes ran and got the items that Adam had demanded. As he dipped the brush in blue ink, he began, "You see, Bucky, a couple of years ago I caught so rats from the Umbra Thieves in these tunnels."
He circled a junction in one of the neighborhoods in Corvid and explained, "Right here." Then, he drew a straight line running adjacent to the red line that Bucky had drawn before, but all of a sudden, the blue line went in a separate direction, causing everyone to frown.
Bucky was the first one to speak up as he intently looked at the location where Adam's blue line had diverged from his red line and exclaid, "But my lord there's no pathway there!"
"Oh, but there is," Adam smirked. "There is always more than ets the eye."
Based on his mories, he drew the tunnel pathway that he had used to pursue Alvertos a few years ago. It was a very limited network that he had drawn, but it was enough to surprise everyone present.
"There's another secret layer of tunnel network underground?!" Liriel asked with astonishnt.
"There is." Adam nodded. "But it is very difficult to notice them unless you know exactly where they are. I was able to find them out because I was secretly tracking a spy from the Umbra Thieves."
"My Lord, so how can we uncover these secret tunnels?" Bucky asked, amazed. "Is there a thod you can tell us?"
"thod? Not really." Adam chuckled. "Well, if you're highly sensitive to mana and can identify the illusion set in place in these underground tunnels you might just be able to find them."
After drawing the secret passageways that he knew of, Adam stood up straight and added, "But I have a better thod. It also contains very little risk for our n here."
"What is it?" Liriel urged.
"Everyone, back away a few steps please," Adam instructed as he himself took two steps away from the central table.
All the Magi present watched him with curiosity, wondering what he was about to do. None of them interrupted him, however. The next mont, they saw Adam raise his hands and weave a series of hand seals in a fluid motion.
Following that, a wave of mana rippled outward with him at the center. Then, a terrifying and oppressing atmosphere descended upon everyone in the room.
Everyone simultaneously raised thier heads in alarm, only to see a dark portal forming on the ceiling-a portal that led to the Spirit World!
A primal aura of fear gripped everybody's heart as the connection to the other side was ford. Adam closed his eyes and mystically scoured the Coil for the creature he was looking for.
After a few monts, he opened his eyes and looked at the portal. Right at that mont, a black snake descended from above, gazing at everyone inside the briefing room with its cold and indifferent eyes.
HISSS!!!
The snake was a little more than ten ters in length. It gently landed on the table, coldly gazing at everyone with frightening hostility-everyone except Adam, that is.
When it cast its gaze on Adam, it could feel a great sense of familiarity, almost as if he was one of its own. It slithered towards him and cautiously nudged its scaly head against his chest. Unlike before, Adam didn't feel appalled at the sight of snakes. He too felt a sense of familiarity from them. He surmised that this feeling was because he had signed his na with mana on the Scroll of Coil.
He extended his hand and gently patted the terrifying-looking black snake on the head. Seeing the creature close its eyes and seemingly enjoy his patting, Adam couldn't help but chuckle, "Who would have thought? That snakes could act this way."
"W-What is this creature?!" Liriel asked nervously. She could feel an abnormal aura of danger radiating from this snake. She could tell that it had a strength comparable to a Rank 2 Magus!
The black snake coiled around Adam's torso and then rested its head on his shoulder. Adam glanced at Liriel and muttered, "Its a serpent born from shadows. This little guy has the ability to hide its presence and even mana signature."
He looked at the slumbering black snake and smiled, "He'll be perfect for reconnaissance- and, if the situation calls for it-assassination."
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