Chapter 400: A Prolonged Ruse
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----
Eventually, using a special technique, Fuhrer was able to match Zirim's appearance almost perfectly. However, there were some imperfections, just not from the visual aspect. Nevertheless, unless the situation called for intimate interaction, then Fuhrer wasn't worried.
Besides, his role was minuscule. At most, he was only being used as a scout. Because, the changed order that Apollo gave him was to infiltrate the stronghold and learn of any changes that weren't listed in the report.
Although the All-seeing Nautilus was a credible source, Apollo wasn't sure how dated the information was, nor was he willing to rely solely upon information gathered by an outside source.
Therefore, if it was Fuhrer who gathered the information, then he'd be much more comfortable.
"Oh my, such a nifty ability. How did you manage to do that?" Geneva wondered while closely inspecting Fuhrer's disguise. Not only did he match Zirim's build, but he even copied any of the otherwise unimportant features.
But, if he was going into a den of demons with an unknown number of Archdemons, then exercising caution would pay off in the long run. After all, the sharp senses of an Archdemon was bound to notice even the faintest inconsistencies in appearance.
"Just a simple technique. It just requires a perfect control of Demonic Anima to morph your predetermined structure," Fuhrer said. Unlike some of the techniques employed by certain Sin Abilities, this wasn't an illusion technique, it was genuine and thorough change.
"Oh really? Does it hurt?" Geneva asked before poking the armor. There was a lot of crunching noises when Fuhrer changed, obviously produced from the reconstructing of his bone structure. Therefore, Geneva could only become skeptical about the level of pain produced.
"Perhaps during your first uses, but, it becomes a tolerable sensation. Although it sounds gruesome, it's not as uncomfortable as it seems. But, we need to move along with our plans. So, handle this individual before regrouping with the young Lord," Fuhrer said before disappearing into a dissipating shadow.
Left alone, Geneva simply stared at the unconscious body of Zirim, "Tch... what do I do with you? I wouldn't have even touched you if it wasn't for my orders." Geneva said with a disgusted frown.
Suddenly, a cluster of flames appeared at her fingertips. Before making a move, she first confirmed that the perimeter was clear of any witnesses. Once she was certain this was the case, she then pressed her fingers against the ground, drawing a slow, straight line.
A perfect line segment appeared on the floor before her, but she was far from done. She moved her hands away from her body while keeping them parallel to the surface and in line with the marking on the floor.
Two large claws appeared above the line, opening it into a chasm. While it wasn't extremely deep, it was large enough to fit a body comfortably.
"Have a nice sleep," Geneva said with a small snicker before kicking Zirim's body inside and sealing it shut. Afterward, she walked away as if none of this took place. While it was unknown how long such a prison would hold him, he only needed to remain hidden long enough for them to move forward with their plans.
----
On the other hand, after delivering new instructions upon leaving the central hub, Apollo glanced around while taking in his surroundings. 'Is it just my paranoia, or is there something different about this place now that we've left?'
Although he couldn't pinpoint the origin of this feeling, after coming out of the door, it felt as if he and the others were being watched. However, the sensation didn't appear the instant they exited, rather it took some time before the feeling encroached on them.
'Could they have conducted a scheme to double-cross the deal and sent someone to track us?' Apollo wondered. It wasn't unusual for these types of businesses to conduct deals where they also pulled one over on their customers.
Not only would it allow them to gain immediate profit—if the target's strength was deemed to be much weaker than their own—but it also allowed them to steal back whatever they sold if the worth was high enough. This would allow them sell it back to an even higher bidder in the future.
But, Apollo wondered if the Nautilus truly operated this way. Would an organization who went to painstaking lengths to set up an informational hierarchy based on security commit such an action? If so, could they possibly stay in business afterward?
Wariness towards this organization would become unusually high if that was the case. Not to mention, after a while, there was a chance of the Lord's entourage investigating the abnormality surrounding the disappearances of those who approached this business.
Therefore, Apollo was fairly certain that this wasn't the actions of the Nautilus. Of course, he could also be wrong, because as a Greater Demon, he did reveal an unusual level of wealth.
Thus, Apollo could only settle for one behavior, 'I'll have to test for myself, whether this is the conniving actions of the Nautilus. If so, I wouldn't mind having Fuhrer raze its existence to the ground.'
Despite his preference to maintain low visibility, coveting his life was one behavior that Apollo didn't tolerate. So, even if it welcome unspeakable levels of danger, if it was within his ability, then Apollo was bound to retaliate and do so ruthlessly.
In light of his intention, Apollo started to move in a pattern without any destination in mind. He merely turned odd corners while accompanying the others to see if the sensation of being watched vanished.
And, despite traveling far, it didn't. So, he escalated his actions even further, now luring the stalkers to an uninhabited corner of Ashiraem. But, to make it seem as if he wasn't all the wiser to their presence, or familiar with the area, Apollo frequently stopped to look around before choosing a direction.
This short stall made it seem like he was evaluating his choices, but, in fact, there was a second reason for his actions.
"Masssster, where are we going? And why does it seem like we're lost. Didn't we have a m-" Ouroboros started to complain over their unusually long route, but Apollo covered his mouth.
"Shh," Apollo said before continuing to keep up the ruse. Noticing his odd behavior, Elaia blinked unnaturally before looking towards Apollo and speaking in a hushed tone.
"Are we perhaps behind followed?"
Apollo looked at her with an intrigued expression before nodding, "It's possible. How did you know? Can you sense it as well?" As an individual with mental abilities, Elaia was bound to have a strong perception, so Apollo wouldn't find it unusual if she could truly sense something, even though his impression was only a vague feeling.
"No, but I did notice the brief change in expression from those two. And, seeing how you're acting, I can only assume that somewhere along the line, you stopped feeling safe. If that's it... can I… try something?" Elaia murmured.
Silently, Apollo gave her permission. Immediately, a hazy energy ripple undulated from her forehead before forming a ring-shape. Outside of Apollo, who was linked to Elaia, the others couldn't even sense her actions.
But, as Apollo stood within the circumference of the ring, he noticed that his mind trembled continuously. This was a sign that he was deflecting a constant influx of intrusive mental energy. In other words, an illusion.
"Have you encased us in an illusion?"
"No, the opposite. I have assaulted the area with a looped illusion. So, if there is someone following us, then we'll know soon enough," Elaia said before pulling Apollo's hand. "Come over here."
Steadily, Elaia led Apollo and the others to a corner as they lied in wait.
Suddenly, three individuals stopped while looking around with a flustered expression.
"What the hell? They were just right here? How did the scent end abruptly?" One of them exclaimed while looking around. Upon closer inspection, Apollo came to realize that this particular individual possessed features comparable to a wolf.
This was a first for Apollo. As far as he was aware, he thought all demons of a Ring were limited to a certain species. But, it seemed that he was wrong. In fact, he shook his head as he realized something, "Why would I believe that is so when Geneva's a succubus? That alone is a variant type of demon."
Meanwhile, Apollo soon obtained the reason for being followed. "I smelled them. It was a strong scent that only exists when in contact with a large amount of those items!"
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----
Eventually, using a special technique, Fuhrer was able to match Zirim's appearance almost perfectly. However, there were some imperfections, just not from the visual aspect. Nevertheless, unless the situation called for intimate interaction, then Fuhrer wasn't worried.
Besides, his role was minuscule. At most, he was only being used as a scout. Because, the changed order that Apollo gave him was to infiltrate the stronghold and learn of any changes that weren't listed in the report.
Although the All-seeing Nautilus was a credible source, Apollo wasn't sure how dated the information was, nor was he willing to rely solely upon information gathered by an outside source.
Therefore, if it was Fuhrer who gathered the information, then he'd be much more comfortable.
"Oh my, such a nifty ability. How did you manage to do that?" Geneva wondered while closely inspecting Fuhrer's disguise. Not only did he match Zirim's build, but he even copied any of the otherwise unimportant features.
But, if he was going into a den of demons with an unknown number of Archdemons, then exercising caution would pay off in the long run. After all, the sharp senses of an Archdemon was bound to notice even the faintest inconsistencies in appearance.
"Just a simple technique. It just requires a perfect control of Demonic Anima to morph your predetermined structure," Fuhrer said. Unlike some of the techniques employed by certain Sin Abilities, this wasn't an illusion technique, it was genuine and thorough change.
"Oh really? Does it hurt?" Geneva asked before poking the armor. There was a lot of crunching noises when Fuhrer changed, obviously produced from the reconstructing of his bone structure. Therefore, Geneva could only become skeptical about the level of pain produced.
"Perhaps during your first uses, but, it becomes a tolerable sensation. Although it sounds gruesome, it's not as uncomfortable as it seems. But, we need to move along with our plans. So, handle this individual before regrouping with the young Lord," Fuhrer said before disappearing into a dissipating shadow.
Left alone, Geneva simply stared at the unconscious body of Zirim, "Tch... what do I do with you? I wouldn't have even touched you if it wasn't for my orders." Geneva said with a disgusted frown.
Suddenly, a cluster of flames appeared at her fingertips. Before making a move, she first confirmed that the perimeter was clear of any witnesses. Once she was certain this was the case, she then pressed her fingers against the ground, drawing a slow, straight line.
A perfect line segment appeared on the floor before her, but she was far from done. She moved her hands away from her body while keeping them parallel to the surface and in line with the marking on the floor.
Two large claws appeared above the line, opening it into a chasm. While it wasn't extremely deep, it was large enough to fit a body comfortably.
"Have a nice sleep," Geneva said with a small snicker before kicking Zirim's body inside and sealing it shut. Afterward, she walked away as if none of this took place. While it was unknown how long such a prison would hold him, he only needed to remain hidden long enough for them to move forward with their plans.
----
On the other hand, after delivering new instructions upon leaving the central hub, Apollo glanced around while taking in his surroundings. 'Is it just my paranoia, or is there something different about this place now that we've left?'
Although he couldn't pinpoint the origin of this feeling, after coming out of the door, it felt as if he and the others were being watched. However, the sensation didn't appear the instant they exited, rather it took some time before the feeling encroached on them.
'Could they have conducted a scheme to double-cross the deal and sent someone to track us?' Apollo wondered. It wasn't unusual for these types of businesses to conduct deals where they also pulled one over on their customers.
Not only would it allow them to gain immediate profit—if the target's strength was deemed to be much weaker than their own—but it also allowed them to steal back whatever they sold if the worth was high enough. This would allow them sell it back to an even higher bidder in the future.
But, Apollo wondered if the Nautilus truly operated this way. Would an organization who went to painstaking lengths to set up an informational hierarchy based on security commit such an action? If so, could they possibly stay in business afterward?
Wariness towards this organization would become unusually high if that was the case. Not to mention, after a while, there was a chance of the Lord's entourage investigating the abnormality surrounding the disappearances of those who approached this business.
Therefore, Apollo was fairly certain that this wasn't the actions of the Nautilus. Of course, he could also be wrong, because as a Greater Demon, he did reveal an unusual level of wealth.
Thus, Apollo could only settle for one behavior, 'I'll have to test for myself, whether this is the conniving actions of the Nautilus. If so, I wouldn't mind having Fuhrer raze its existence to the ground.'
Despite his preference to maintain low visibility, coveting his life was one behavior that Apollo didn't tolerate. So, even if it welcome unspeakable levels of danger, if it was within his ability, then Apollo was bound to retaliate and do so ruthlessly.
In light of his intention, Apollo started to move in a pattern without any destination in mind. He merely turned odd corners while accompanying the others to see if the sensation of being watched vanished.
And, despite traveling far, it didn't. So, he escalated his actions even further, now luring the stalkers to an uninhabited corner of Ashiraem. But, to make it seem as if he wasn't all the wiser to their presence, or familiar with the area, Apollo frequently stopped to look around before choosing a direction.
This short stall made it seem like he was evaluating his choices, but, in fact, there was a second reason for his actions.
"Masssster, where are we going? And why does it seem like we're lost. Didn't we have a m-" Ouroboros started to complain over their unusually long route, but Apollo covered his mouth.
"Shh," Apollo said before continuing to keep up the ruse. Noticing his odd behavior, Elaia blinked unnaturally before looking towards Apollo and speaking in a hushed tone.
"Are we perhaps behind followed?"
Apollo looked at her with an intrigued expression before nodding, "It's possible. How did you know? Can you sense it as well?" As an individual with mental abilities, Elaia was bound to have a strong perception, so Apollo wouldn't find it unusual if she could truly sense something, even though his impression was only a vague feeling.
"No, but I did notice the brief change in expression from those two. And, seeing how you're acting, I can only assume that somewhere along the line, you stopped feeling safe. If that's it... can I… try something?" Elaia murmured.
Silently, Apollo gave her permission. Immediately, a hazy energy ripple undulated from her forehead before forming a ring-shape. Outside of Apollo, who was linked to Elaia, the others couldn't even sense her actions.
But, as Apollo stood within the circumference of the ring, he noticed that his mind trembled continuously. This was a sign that he was deflecting a constant influx of intrusive mental energy. In other words, an illusion.
"Have you encased us in an illusion?"
"No, the opposite. I have assaulted the area with a looped illusion. So, if there is someone following us, then we'll know soon enough," Elaia said before pulling Apollo's hand. "Come over here."
Steadily, Elaia led Apollo and the others to a corner as they lied in wait.
Suddenly, three individuals stopped while looking around with a flustered expression.
"What the hell? They were just right here? How did the scent end abruptly?" One of them exclaimed while looking around. Upon closer inspection, Apollo came to realize that this particular individual possessed features comparable to a wolf.
This was a first for Apollo. As far as he was aware, he thought all demons of a Ring were limited to a certain species. But, it seemed that he was wrong. In fact, he shook his head as he realized something, "Why would I believe that is so when Geneva's a succubus? That alone is a variant type of demon."
Meanwhile, Apollo soon obtained the reason for being followed. "I smelled them. It was a strong scent that only exists when in contact with a large amount of those items!"
----Eventually, using a special technique, Fuhrer was able to match Zirim's appearance almost perfectly. However, there were some imperfections, just not from the visual aspect. Nevertheless, unless the situation called for intimate interaction, then Fuhrer wasn't worried.Besides, his role was minuscule. At most, he was only being used as a scout. Because, the changed order that Apollo gave him was to infiltrate the stronghold and learn of any changes that weren't listed in the report.Although the All-seeing Nautilus was a credible source, Apollo wasn't sure how dated the information was, nor was he willing to rely solely upon information gathered by an outside source.Therefore, if it was Fuhrer who gathered the information, then he'd be much more comfortable."Oh my, such a nifty ability. How did you manage to do that?" Geneva wondered while closely inspecting Fuhrer's disguise. Not only did he match Zirim's build, but he even copied any of the otherwise unimportant features.But, if he was going into a den of demons with an unknown number of Archdemons, then exercising caution would pay off in the long run. After all, the sharp senses of an Archdemon was bound to notice even the faintest inconsistencies in appearance."Just a simple technique. It just requires a perfect control of Demonic Anima to morph your predetermined structure," Fuhrer said. Unlike some of the techniques employed by certain Sin Abilities, this wasn't an illusion technique, it was genuine and thorough change."Oh really? Does it hurt?" Geneva asked before poking the armor. There was a lot of crunching noises when Fuhrer changed, obviously produced from the reconstructing of his bone structure. Therefore, Geneva could only become skeptical about the level of pain produced."Perhaps during your first uses, but, it becomes a tolerable sensation. Although it sounds gruesome, it's not as uncomfortable as it seems. But, we need to move along with our plans. So, handle this individual before regrouping with the young Lord," Fuhrer said before disappearing into a dissipating shadow.Left alone, Geneva simply stared at the unconscious body of Zirim, "Tch... what do I do with you? I wouldn't have even touched you if it wasn't for my orders." Geneva said with a disgusted frown.Suddenly, a cluster of flames appeared at her fingertips. Before making a move, she first confirmed that the perimeter was clear of any witnesses. Once she was certain this was the case, she then pressed her fingers against the ground, drawing a slow, straight line.A perfect line segment appeared on the floor before her, but she was far from done. She moved her hands away from her body while keeping them parallel to the surface and in line with the marking on the floor.Two large claws appeared above the line, opening it into a chasm. While it wasn't extremely deep, it was large enough to fit a body comfortably."Have a nice sleep," Geneva said with a small snicker before kicking Zirim's body inside and sealing it shut. Afterward, she walked away as if none of this took place. While it was unknown how long such a prison would hold him, he only needed to remain hidden long enough for them to move forward with their plans.----On the other hand, after delivering new instructions upon leaving the central hub, Apollo glanced around while taking in his surroundings. 'Is it just my paranoia, or is there something different about this place now that we've left?'Although he couldn't pinpoint the origin of this feeling, after coming out of the door, it felt as if he and the others were being watched. However, the sensation didn't appear the instant they exited, rather it took some time before the feeling encroached on them.'Could they have conducted a scheme to double-cross the deal and sent someone to track us?' Apollo wondered. It wasn't unusual for these types of businesses to conduct deals where they also pulled one over on their customers.Not only would it allow them to gain immediate profitif the target's strength was deemed to be much weaker than their ownbut it also allowed them to steal back whatever they sold if the worth was high enough. This would allow them sell it back to an even higher bidder in the future.But, Apollo wondered if the Nautilus truly operated this way. Would an organization who went to painstaking lengths to set up an informational hierarchy based on security commit such an action? If so, could they possibly stay in business afterward?Wariness towards this organization would become unusually high if that was the case. Not to mention, after a while, there was a chance of the Lord's entourage investigating the abnormality surrounding the disappearances of those who approached this business.Therefore, Apollo was fairly certain that this wasn't the actions of the Nautilus. Of course, he could also be wrong, because as a Greater Demon, he did reveal an unusual level of wealth.Thus, Apollo could only settle for one behavior, 'I'll have to test for myself, whether this is the conniving actions of the Nautilus. If so, I wouldn't mind having Fuhrer raze its existence to the ground.'Despite his preference to maintain low visibility, coveting his life was one behavior that Apollo didn't tolerate. So, even if it welcome unspeakable levels of danger, if it was within his ability, then Apollo was bound to retaliate and do so ruthlessly.In light of his intention, Apollo started to move in a pattern without any destination in mind. He merely turned odd corners while accompanying the others to see if the sensation of being watched vanished.And, despite traveling far, it didn't. So, he escalated his actions even further, now luring the stalkers to an uninhabited corner of Ashiraem. But, to make it seem as if he wasn't all the wiser to their presence, or familiar with the area, Apollo frequently stopped to look around before choosing a direction.This short stall made it seem like he was evaluating his choices, but, in fact, there was a second reason for his actions. "Masssster, where are we going? And why does it seem like we're lost. Didn't we have a m-" Ouroboros started to complain over their unusually long route, but Apollo covered his mouth."Shh," Apollo said before continuing to keep up the ruse. Noticing his odd behavior, Elaia blinked unnaturally before looking towards Apollo and speaking in a hushed tone."Are we perhaps behind followed?"Apollo looked at her with an intrigued expression before nodding, "It's possible. How did you know? Can you sense it as well?" As an individual with mental abilities, Elaia was bound to have a strong perception, so Apollo wouldn't find it unusual if she could truly sense something, even though his impression was only a vague feeling."No, but I did notice the brief change in expression from those two. And, seeing how you're acting, I can only assume that somewhere along the line, you stopped feeling safe. If that's it... can I try something?" Elaia murmured.Silently, Apollo gave her permission. Immediately, a hazy energy ripple undulated from her forehead before forming a ring-shape. Outside of Apollo, who was linked to Elaia, the others couldn't even sense her actions.But, as Apollo stood within the circumference of the ring, he noticed that his mind trembled continuously. This was a sign that he was deflecting a constant influx of intrusive mental energy. In other words, an illusion."Have you encased us in an illusion?""No, the opposite. I have assaulted the area with a looped illusion. So, if there is someone following us, then we'll know soon enough," Elaia said before pulling Apollo's hand. "Come over here."Steadily, Elaia led Apollo and the others to a corner as they lied in wait.Suddenly, three individuals stopped while looking around with a flustered expression."What the hell? They were just right here? How did the scent end abruptly?" One of them exclaimed while looking around. Upon closer inspection, Apollo came to realize that this particular individual possessed features comparable to a wolf.This was a first for Apollo. As far as he was aware, he thought all demons of a Ring were limited to a certain species. But, it seemed that he was wrong. In fact, he shook his head as he realized something, "Why would I believe that is so when Geneva's a succubus? That alone is a variant type of demon."Meanwhile, Apollo soon obtained the reason for being followed. "I smelled them. It was a strong scent that only exists when in contact with a large amount of those items!"
