From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 387 The Devil's First Appearance

Faced with Rugen's vigilance, Xie Nian did not retreat. Instead, he silently used the new ability he had just discovered - the psychic power of the Mind Flayer Tadpole.

This power can not only communicate with other mind flayer tadpoles, but also read and influence other people's thoughts to a certain extent.

Rugen's mind was full of worries. The things in the safe were very important. If he didn't deliver it to his superiors, the only two spies left in this escort mission might be punished.

The evil thoughts wanted to extend their tentacles deeper into Rugen's mind and explore more content.

But she was not a real mind flayer after all, and was still a novice in the operation of psychic power, so when the pain in her head like needles and knives began to become more and more intense, she gave up.

Fortunately, Rugen was unaware of what Xie Nian was doing and was still waiting for her answer.

"...You are from the Zhentarim branch in Baldur's Gate, right?" Xie Nian shook his head in a daze, "Is their factional struggle over?"

Rugen's facial features twisted together, showing worry and fear on his face. He denied it flatly: "Although we are always doing shameful things, it does not mean that we are a mob... There has never been any factional struggle. You must be mistaken."

"Really?" Ivy, who had witnessed the entire conversation between Xie Nian and Rugen, interrupted, "The safe you are escorting is very important. I think such an important thing must be escorted by multiple spies who can watch out for each other, right? To prevent someone from taking the goods for themselves... Or, the superior of the Zhentarim completely trusts you because he promoted this entire team personally? Then he must not be very happy with the loss of so many people, right?"

Rugen's face changed completely. Every word Ivy said was like a knife stabbing into his heart. He personally dissected the seed called "doubt".

"Are you a harpist?" Rugen stared at the lute on Ivy's back. "Only those guys who talk about freedom and justice all day long know us so well..."

In fact, Ivy didn't know anything about the Zhentarim, but this underground organization hiding in the dark often had similar methods. They usually had only two ways to ensure the unity and purity of their own team - either relying on faith or relying on interests.

Ivy couldn't say how much faith a spy who always talked about money could have, but the interest chain of such an underground organization must be very complicated.

Therefore, it only takes some seemingly good-intentioned reminders for Rugen to fall into the spider web of "conspiracy and betrayal". This web was not woven by Ivy, but formed by the interest chain of the Zhentarim. This web has existed since the organization began to develop its manpower. Ivy just made Rugen see his situation clearly and reminded him of the possible conspiracies and intrigues.

Besides, who can be sure that the situations speculated by Ivy do not exist?

After completing the first two chapters of the game, Ivy can confirm that there is a halfling Zhentarim merchant named Roa Moonlight in the goblin camp. If the real world is not much different from the game, then there must be more than two different factions within the Zhentarim.

Roa Moonlight represents a faction that cooperates with the Order of the Supreme God. If the cargo that Rugen was transporting belonged to this faction, then why would they send gnolls implanted with mind flayer tadpoles to rob the road?

Therefore, the spy Rugen standing in the cave was most likely just a victim of the power struggle between the two factions. Ivy knew very little about the intelligence of the Zhentarim, but the next move would not affect the overall situation, so why not do it?

"Harper?" Ivy smiled. "I have heard of this organization, but unfortunately, I have never seen a living Harper appear in front of me."

Rugen said nothing, but the suspicion on his face did not diminish.

"Even if I'm a harpist, it won't make any difference to you, and we're not. This adventure team just passed by a bloody battlefield massacred by gnolls and saved two unlucky merchants." Ivy looked at the young man holding a heavy crossbow next to Rugen. He didn't understand the current situation, and his whole body exuded a clear stupidity. "But I want to remind you, Rugen, when those big guys are fighting each other, small characters like us are the most likely to be unlucky. I will at least make two preparations. It's always better to have more ways to survive."

"The Zhentarim are never reluctant to sacrifice," Rugen said sternly.

"Perhaps. Then you should at least let this young man who has been with you through thick and thin survive." Ivy nodded to the spy of the Santalin Society, turned around and called on the others who had tied up the Gnoll Overlord. "It's time to return to the camp. Let's study the Mind Flayer tadpole in its brain."

The evil thought that grabbed the rope around the neck of the hyena commander was the first to move forward, and the others followed one after another.

But just as the team left the cave, Rugen shouted from behind: "Wait! We have a base in Waukeen's resting place, just behind the inn. The Zhentarim are not the kind of people who will not repay a favor. If you want to buy some useful items or equipment, I can persuade Zareth to give you a discount. The password is Snake Short Shadow Long."

"The Zhentarim's shop? I guess it mainly sells contraband?" Ivy waved at him, "Okay, we'll go there if we have a chance."

"Aren't we going with him to Woking's resting place? That's a hotel, which means soft mattresses, clean and delicious food and drinking water!" Xie Nian couldn't help but turn around and ask.

"What we are going to do next is not suitable to be done inside the hotel. If the boss holds us responsible for dirtying his floor, we will have to pay for all the gold coins you have worked so hard to collect." Ivy shook his head and began to plan the route. "We should pass by an abandoned village. Maybe we can find a suitable dissection table there."

The road from the Promotion Road to the Abandoned Village is not far, but there is a cut-off stone bridge in the middle of the journey.

The fracture of the stone bridge looks very neat, more like man-made destruction than natural collapse.

The gap didn't cause much trouble for the team, and even Gale, who used his brain more than his hands and feet, could easily jump over it.

But just as the team regrouped on the other side of the gap, a sudden ball of fire exploded behind Xie Nian.

"Ooooooh-oooh... What kind of place is this? The starting point of the road to salvation, or the precursor to destruction? No one knows, because your journey has just begun."

The man who emerged from the flames wore a dark, elaborate waistcoat with gold embroidery around the collar and cuffs, and his skin was a deep red, similar to most tieflings in the woodlands, but unlike them, this man had no signs of horns on his head.

No matter who the man in the center of the team was, he looked very elegant. He must have a large number of servants serving him every day so that he could maintain a good demeanor in the wilderness that was always filled with killing and blood. There was not even a speck of mud on his boots.

Even a legendary spellcaster like Ivy had to follow Xie Nian and his men and live in the open air for his own goals. However, the devil in front of him was thinking of using a contract to get the treasure that everyone coveted.

It's simply whimsical.

However, Ivy did not interrupt Raphael's opening remarks. He was still hoping to observe the devil in front of him closely and extract some information from him.

Judging from the way he appeared and the deal he offered to remove the Mind Flayer tadpoles, Raphael had more information than even the Devil Duke Zariel of Avernus.

The latter clearly had two representatives in the team, but they never showed up to offer any contracts or deals. It was impossible for Zariel to have no desire for the crown of Karsus. The only reason she hadn't shown up was that she didn't know who was qualified to make a move on the chessboard of the Supreme God, and what was the most valuable spoils of war.

Raphael never boasted about his position in hell, but he knew the core of the entire plan of the Supreme God from the very beginning.

So Ivy thought that either Raphael knew about the existence of the Crown of Karsas very early and had coveted it for a long time; or he was also deeply involved in the entire Supreme God plan.

The executors of the Supreme God's plan are the chosen ones of the Three Death Gods, and the alliance of the Three Death Gods has lasted for several centuries, so it is obviously impossible for a devil to intervene.

Then the answer is obvious. Before the Crown of Karsus fell into the hands of the Chosen of the Three Gods of Death, it was stored somewhere in Baator, and it happened to be a place that Raphael knew.

He had coveted this treasure for a long time, and when the Chosen of the Three Gods of Death brought it out of hell, Raphael felt that he finally had the chance to get his hands on it. A group of victims of the Mind Flayer tadpoles who were struggling to survive became his first choice.

Although Ivy thought he had deduced most of the information about Raphael, there were still some other questions that he was unclear about.

He didn't know whether Raphael knew anything about the mind flayer in the Astral Prism.

As a mind flayer who hides in the astral prism the entire time and tries every means to guide the protagonist and his party, the guy who calls himself the monarch obviously has a lot of story.

But the monarch never showed up, so Ivy had no choice but to pretend that he was completely unaware of his existence.

"The mouse laughed merrily, thinking he could outwit the cat!"

"The sharp teeth and claws all fall, and one move will kill you."

Raphael's opening remarks finally ended when Ivy was absent. He bowed slightly and introduced himself: "Nice to meet you, I'm Raphael, happy to serve you."

Xie Nian was still squinting his eyes as he looked at the noble man who suddenly appeared, unsure of what he was going to do.

"It's not every day that I meet someone as evil as you. I'm really, damn lucky."

The evil thought was trying its best to resist its desire to kill, and was reluctant to talk about it too much: "Who am I talking to? The mouse or the cat?"

"Neither. I am more like a fox in hiding. In other words, I am a silent observer - and I am about to break the silence."

Xie Nian wanted to say something, but Raphael stopped her from saying anything.

"Why don't we go somewhere else to talk? We still have a lot of topics to discuss in detail - until both sides are satisfied. For my taste, this little place is too remote and desolate."

"Follow me..." Raphael smiled and snapped his fingers, and a dazzling white light surrounded the entire adventure team.

It was quite a sophisticated teleportation spell, and Ivy was not designated as the target.

The devil and the other team members had just left, and the two spells of Teleport and Gate to Another World allowed Ivy to catch up with them.

But isn't it a bit too much to demonstrate the ability to cast spells across dimensions right now?

As Ivy stood by the broken bridge, weighing the pros and cons, other footsteps approached.

It was a female dwarf with dark brown curly hair and wearing a red and black robe. Behind the heavy eyeshadow, Ivy did not see any loyalty and stubbornness that were common among dwarves, only cunning and contempt.

"It seems that you failed to get the invitation from the master, bard." The female dwarf said contemptuously, "Then you should work harder to be allowed into his sight. Maybe when you are valuable enough, he will arrange a more planned life for you."

Ivy stared at the female dwarf in front of him. He was a legendary spellcaster, but he was judged to be of no value.

But on the other hand, this also means that Ivy's disguise was very successful. At least Raphael and his dwarf servants were unable to discover Ivy's true identity.

This also shows that Raphael is not at the same level as Ivy, so the value of the intelligence on Raphael is even higher.

A devil with a lot of secrets. If Ivy can find a way to capture him in Hell, he can torture his soul.

Ever since he had killed Voldemort, Ivy hadn't tortured any soul for a long time, so perhaps his skills had become rusty.

"Even if the devil really invited me, I would refuse. Maybe he saw this and didn't talk to me." Ivy said calmly, "What about you? A servant of the devil, you want to get something from me."

"You simply cannot comprehend how glorious it is to be chosen by Lord Raphael!" The expression on the female dwarf's face was called fanaticism, "A shooting star cannot compare with the scorching sun, and a sewage pit cannot be compared with the vast ocean... Your future will be dark, and only Lord Raphael can save you! Do what you should do, and maybe the goddess of fate will lift her skirt for you... But before that, don't cross the line... I am Corella Heartfire, and I look forward to the day when you bow down before Lord Raphael..."

The bright moonlight suddenly appeared, and that was the elegant blade of the Beast Bite Sword.

When it was sheathed again, the female dwarf who was standing defenselessly opposite Ivy had been beheaded.

Ivy imprisoned her soul in a silver cage, and before the blood spurted to the ground, she packed up the entire body of Corella Heartfire and stuffed it into the Tome of Destruction.

The wind blows gently and the grass sways gently.

Except for Ivy who was standing in front of the broken bridge and thinking, there was no other person on this land.

(End of this chapter)