Published at 20th of December 2025 8:43 am

Chapter 1353: Changing Faces

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A heavy and tense atmosphere pervaded the command tent of the Tsuitsui army.

Standing at the table, surrounded by his siblings, Goro had a grim look on his face as he studied the map on the table and came up with new battle tactics.

"Jinzo," he called out, his voice solemn. "Casualty report?"

"One hundred and fifty-seven have perished, Brother," Jinzo Tsuitsui replied with a heavy heart. "Two hundred fifty are severely wounded. With proper treatment, they might be able to participate in tomorrow’s battle."

The expression on Goro’s face darkened even further. All his current troubles stemmed from the fact that they had been heavily misinformed by the enemy.

"And the enemy side?" he asked.

"I estimate close to two hundred casualties on their side," Jinzo solemnly answered. "Their heavily wounded might be closer to the three-fifty mark."

Goro nodded ever so slightly. However, the fact that the enemy’s casualties were more than his army’s did not provide him a shred of solace. After all, his army numbered close to two thousand and five hundred in the beginning.

And as for the true number of the Tiesha Tang’s army... that was difficult to tell. Worst-case scenario, they might outnumber Goro and his army by double. Or perhaps more.

"Do we have any idea about the enemy’s numbers?" He asked, his voice turning utterly grim.

The Chief of Intelligence, Kagenami Tsuitsui, shook his head. "At this point, we might as well assume that we are heavily outnumbered."

Moreover, there was no way to even depend on further reinforcements from the clan. The journey to Kurogane Pass would take a little more than a month. By the time the reinforcements arrived, the battle would have already been over.

It was only the first day, yet Goro saw no way of winning this battle without excessive casualties. What made it even worse was that all the soldiers within the army were his family members, related to him by blood.

He knew that he’d have to make decisions that would send his clan members to their very deaths, yet now, he couldn’t help but wonder if all the sacrifices at the end of it all would have been for nothing.

No!

He screamed inwardly, I cannot allow doubt to take root inside my mind. There is always a way. I just need to look for it...

Right at that moment, the flaps of the tent opened, and Adam entered. However, he wasn’t alone.

When Seishin Tsuitsui, the Chief Strategist of the army, saw who Adam was dragging behind him, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Brother Ao! Don’t tell me..."

"Auhh." Adam hurled the unconscious man at their feet. He then casually walked to the corner of the tent and started writing something on a parchment.

"Tiesha Tang’s assassin!" Goro sneered. "To think this fool’s first target would have been Ao."

He turned to Yorihiko and asked, "How’s the security at the camp?"

"There are several Mana Vortex Magi patrolling the camp in secret," Yorihiko answered. "Don’t worry about our men’s safety."

Goro nodded. "Tell them to be vigilant. Although the enemy won’t send too many assassins at the Mana Vortex Rank, it’s better to be safe than sorry."

A moment later, he frowned when he noticed that the assassin at his feet was still drawing breath. He then glanced at Ao and couldn’t help but ask:

"...You didn’t kill him?"

"Auhh!" Adam walked up to him and handed him the scroll.

The frown on Goro’s face deepened as he read the characters on the scroll. "You... want us to extract information about the Wall from his mind?"

But he quickly shook his head. "Not possible. Information about anything related to the Tiesha Tang is protected by magic. We’ve tried it before. The moment we try to break through the restrictions, the victim’s brain will explode."

Adam’s brows rose in surprise.

As expected of the Unorthodox Faction, he mused.

Their cruelty is no different from that of the Cult of Bones.

He had truly hoped that he would be able to glean some information about the Wall from the assassin. But it turned out that was out of the question entirely.

Oh, well. Looks like I must improvise. Nothing new, he thought, shaking his head in slight disappointment.

"Why did you want information about the wall, though?" Goro asked.

Adam whistled, gesturing with his fingers that he wished to climb the cliffs.

"Again, not possible." Goro shook his head. "After a certain height, the wind turns into a raging storm, and even the temperature drops drastically. It’s extremely difficult to scale the cliff in that weather. Moreover, the clifftop is home to wild beasts. Going there is practically suicide."

Seeing that Adam wasn’t convinced, Goro continued, this time in a slightly more stern voice:

"Even if you manage to flank the enemy. There is no way you can infiltrate the Wall with so many Mana Vortex Magi out there. Besides, we don’t even know their true numbers. So, forget about it. This battle has only gotten difficult to win, not impossible. Rest assured, victory will be ours."

But can you live with your brothers’ deaths on your hands? Adam thought, sighing helplessly.

He then scanned the tent, confirming that only Goro and the people he deeply trusted were present. Then he removed his blindfold, causing others to be puzzled.

At last, he raised his hands and rubbed his face a few times.

When he lowered his hands again, his face was no longer his!

Everyone in the tent was taken aback.

Goro couldn’t help but blurt out, "How... you said you couldn’t cast spells! No, wait! I didn’t see you invoke any magical components either! An Artifact?"

But Seishin Tsuitsui noticed something that the rest had overlooked. "Brother Ao, you... why can’t I sense any mana fluctuations?!"

It was only then that everyone else realized that when Adam had activated the artifact, there had not even been the faintest mana fluctuations!

Adam grinned, a smug look on his face.

But to others, it appeared as though Goro was grinning at them, except... where his eyes should have been, there were only two hollow sockets.

Adam raised his hand and wiped his face again.

This time, he took on the appearance of the assassin.

"This... this might really be possible!" Seishin blurted out, his eyes gleaming with wonder.

"If Ao’s artifact lets him alter his appearance without giving off any mana fluctuations, then he might really have a chance to infiltrate the Wall!"

Nearly four years after his descent into madness, Adam had once again donned the Faceless Mask, the very artifact that had driven him to insanity in the first place!

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