Published at 20th of December 2025 8:43 am

Chapter 1354: To Be Believed

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Some spells from the School of Alteration allowed the Magus to alter their appearance. Although such spells came in handy, they weren’t really all that practical.

After all, every spell, when activated and during activation, emitted mana fluctuations. If a Magus were to cast a face-altering spell, they would be seen through by another Magus with keen senses just through the spell’s mana fluctuations alone.

That was why most Magi didn’t depend on face-altering spells. They could fool mortals with the spell, or even weaker Magi. But they could not, however, fool a Magus at the same level as them.

The same held true for Artifacts. Their activation also released mana fluctuations. Anything that required a Magus to expend mana would result in the display of mana fluctuations, no matter how faint.

However, the Faceless Mask was different.

This was a priceless artifact once wielded by the Laughing God!

In the twilight years of the first age, when the nine realms were still young, the Laughing God had sought a way to walk unseen in the courts of Gods and the streets of men.

He desired not only to change his face, but also to become the one he impersonated. He didn’t just want to be disguised, he wanted to be believed.

He wanted to breathe their breath, carry their scent, but more importantly, he wanted to fool the gaze of the King of Gods.

And so... he forged the Faceless Mask.

This was an artifact capable of fooling the senses of even the King of Gods!

So then how could it not deceive the senses of mere mortals? In the grand scale of the Magus Universe, a Mana Vortex Magus was nothing more than an Apprentice.

If not even the King of Gods could sense something amiss, how could a mere Apprentice?

And so, when the Laughing God placed the Faceless Mask upon his face, he began his great game...

He laughed and laughed and laughed as he slipped from one realm to the next, whispering treachery and promises in a thousand voices from a thousand faces, all while remaining anonymous.

Now that Adam’s flesh had been healed, he could more freely use the Faceless Mask. Although actively using the Artifact made the voices in his head grow louder, he was already used to it. It was just a minor inconvenience, nothing else.

However, since he lacked eyes, the face he changed into would also lack eyes. He couldn’t create something out of nothing, after all.

He wiped his face again, his appearance returning to normal.

I’d never thought I’d use this damned mask so soon again, Adam mused.

The Tsuitsui Brothers in the room couldn’t help but wonder just how precious Adam’s Artifact must have been. For the Artifact to have its enchantment activated without releasing any mana fluctuations made it extremely valuable.

Of course, if they knew the true origins of the Faceless Mask and that it was forged by a God, they wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

No, in fact, they would not believe such a tale in the first place.

Kagenami turned to Goro and stated, "Brother, I think this might really be possible!"

Seishin nodded. "This is worth a shot!"

However, Yorihiko, the Vice General of the army, turned to Adam and asked with concern, "But this is only possible if you manage to climb the cliff and make it to the other side. Do you think you can do it?"

Everyone turned to Adam. Goro deeply studied his expression as well.

Adam simply laughed in response. He then flexed his hand and patted his bicep. "Auhh!"

Inwardly, he thought to himself ruefully:

This will be my parting gift to you...

Goro intently looked at Adam. He then took a deep breath, then nodded. "Very well!"

He walked to the table, then rearranged the formation on the map. "Although the height doesn’t seem all that great, but because of the extremely harsh terrain, it will take you at least a couple of days to make the climb."

Yorihiko added in a solemn voice, "So our army just needs to hold on until Ao infiltrates the Wall."

"No matter what, we will endure!" Seishin added confidently. "Brother Ao, once you reach beyond the Wall, all you need to do is open the gates. From there on, you can leave the rest to us!"

"Auhh!"

And so, the battle strategy was changed once again. This time, Adam served as the central point of the plan. The Tsuitsui army’s chances of victory were directly related to him infiltrating the Wall and opening the gates for them to enter.

Adam was confident he could do it. A mere cliff could not stop him. No matter how harsh the terrain, he was certain he was capable of scaling to the clifftop.

And just like that, the night passed. A few assassins were caught and subsequently killed. When morning came, the armies of the Tsuitsui Clan and the Teisha Tang clashed once more.

The horns sounded before the sun had fully risen, carrying across the Kurogane Pass like a harsh reminder that rest was only temporary. Troops pushed into formation, magical components prepared, and weapons raised.

The ground was still stained from yesterday’s fighting, but no one spared it a glance. Both sides surged forward again, as if the brief night had done nothing to dull their resolve or exhaustion.

At last, the second day of the Battle of Kurogane had begun.

But unbeknownst to the Tiesha Tang, Adam had slipped away from the battle. He was halfway up the cliff said to be impossible to climb. With his Stealth Cloak active, not a single sentry on the Wall sensed his presence.

The ascent was brutal. Sheer rock, loose edges, and almost no footholds. But Adam moved as if the obstacles weren’t even there.

But once he reached the hundred-meter mark, the winds changed.

They sharpened into blades, slicing at his skin with every gust. The temperature plunged without warning, numbing his limbs until he could barely feel them.

Only then did he finally understand why this cliff was deemed unclimbable...

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