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Heir of the White Lotus (Web Novel) - Chapter 2152: First Rule of Espionage
Chapter 2152: First Rule of Espionage
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
Drip. Drop.Drip. Drop.
That sound filled Garrick Voss’s mind, bringing him out of his deep slumber and plunging him into a pool of dread.
His eyes fluttered open, the effects of poison long gone. He looked around, first in confusion and then in terror.
He was in a dimly lit cavern. Water trickled down the stalactites in the distance, creating an eerie music of impending doom.
His body was cold. His hands were fastened above his head. His legs were stretched by ropes. He was pinned naked to the cavern wall.
Voss let out a whimper. Then he screamed. "Help! Help me!"
The sound of footsteps approached from the corner. Adam walked with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he were taking a walk in the park.
"Ah, you’re awake," he said with a friendly smile.
"Who are you?!" Voss blurted out.
He was a Templar Paladin, yet the poison had knocked him out cold. What was even more frightening was that he hadn’t even sensed the poison at all.
"No. No. No." Adam shook his finger. "I’ll be the one asking you questions. Answer truthfully, now."
"Do you know who I am?" Voss roared in anger and terror. "You mess with me, you mess with the Watch!"
"Should you really be threatening the person who has your life in his hands?" Adam rolled his eyes. "Come on. You’re better than this."
Voss gulped. His eyes trembled. "W-What do you want?"
Adam stepped forward. He said in a cold voice:
"Answer my questions. Speak truthfully. If you lie, I’ll know. Then I’ll hurt you. Cut open your stomach. Pull out your entrails and strangle you. But before all of that, I will have orcs rape you bloody. Do you understand?"
Voss’s body violently shuddered. "S-Swear a mana oath! You’ll let me go if I answer your—"
Adam let out a sigh. He secretly wove an illusion spell and manifested burly, savage orcs walking toward him from around the corner.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." He shook his head in disappointment. "Do you think you’re in a position to make demands? You are at my mercy. I will ask the questions. You will answer. Understood?"
Voss glanced at the group of illusory orcs in abject horror. Then he shifted his gaze toward Adam. Slowly, the fear in his eyes gave way to resignation, and finally acceptance.
"You’re going to kill me anyway," he whispered. "So be it."
In the next moment, he licked the fake molar inside his mouth. He upturned it, then fiercely bit on it, instantly swallowing the poison.
Adam’s eyes slowly widened. Before he could take a step forward, Voss started frothing at the mouth. The poison acted far too quickly. In the next moment, he began bleeding from his eyes and nose before falling utterly motionless.
Garrick Voss was dead.
Adam canceled the illusion spell and thoughtfully stared at the corpse.
Do the officers from the Watch always carry poison in their mouths?
He couldn’t help but wonder why the Watch was so ruthless with its own people. It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t as if they were spies. They were the police force of Davos.
So why the need for poison? Why go so far?
Should I have left him a way out? Adam wondered with a frown.
A ray of hope perhaps, to give him a chance to survive?
But then again, Adam hadn’t expected the man to be so vicious and decisive.
Garrick Voss’s behavior had been strange. The nagging feeling bothered Adam. He stared at the corpse for a long time. He hurled a few spells at the unmoving body to see if there were any traps. There were none.
With a few simple spells, he destroyed the man’s body, burned it to ashes, then buried the ashes in the cavern. No one would find a trace of the rapist.
Adam looked inward. A few moments later, he sighed helplessly.
No memories, he thought.
He waited for the day when he would be able to fully control the Lotus and unlock its full potential. Until then, it was up to chance.
Adam put on Voss’s clothes and face, assuming his appearance.
Then he exited the cavern in the cover of the night and returned to Davos.
Without the man’s memories, he would have to rely on his own tricks and finesse and try to gather clues regarding Havel Norwood.
***
The City Watch headquarters was located in Lords’ Borough.
It was an imposing building constructed from grey stone. Its facade was adorned with the crest of Davos, while the banners of the City Watch hung proudly above the main entrance.
Uniformed guards patrolled the grounds, and men and women came and went through the gates at all hours. Inside, the building housed administrative offices, briefing rooms, interrogation chambers, and a records department that contained years of reports and case files.
It was a place of order and authority, where the Watch coordinated its efforts to maintain peace and enforce the laws of Davos.
Wearing Voss’s face, Adam arrived at the City Watch headquarters the following morning. Feigning confidence, he casually made his way inside.
He had spent several days tailing the real Voss before his death, carefully studying the man’s habits, mannerisms, and daily routine. Combined with the espionage training he had received in his youth, it was enough to help him imitate the lieutenant to a certain degree.
And just like that, Adam had infiltrated one of the most heavily guarded places in Davos.
Still, Adam didn’t know much about the man. He had only observed Voss for a few days before his death. That was why he didn’t dare linger inside the headquarters for too long. The more time he spent there, the more likely someone would notice something amiss. And the more he spoke, the greater the chances of his cover being blown.
The first rule of espionage: never take unnecessary risks.
Information was valuable, but one’s life was worth more. Especially for Adam, who was all by himself. There was no point in obtaining the truth if he got caught in the process.
A good spy knew when to advance, when to retreat, and most importantly, when to walk away.
Adam was already taking a very big risk shapeshifting into Garrick Voss after only shadowing him for a few days.
His task now was simple.
Locate the records office. Find information about Havel Norwood.
And get out as quickly as possible.
