From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 655 Prisoner
The Crusader's raid on the city of Favor was highly effective. The legion of Hell Knights and Mythical Adventurers had been transported into the city by Ivy's [Legion Teleportation] spell, and the main force led by Godfrey and Irabes had also broken through the first city wall with Ivy's help.

Ivy flapped her wings, traversing the wisps of black smoke rising from the city of Juanze, and amidst the cheers of the Crusaders, she drew an elegant arc and headed in another direction within the city.

His target was the Elysian Prophet imprisoned in jail. As someone who could operate behind enemy lines and continuously transmit reliable intelligence, she was of significance to the Crusaders, regardless of her true identity.

Although the timing of the Crusaders obtaining this information was very subtle, just before the main force attacked the City of Favor, making it impossible not to suspect that it was a targeted trap, Ivy still decided to go and see. He believed that apart from the demon lord himself going to the front line, there were not many demons worth his attention.

Not to mention that he didn't go alone; he had a temporary advisor with him, the old magician Zechariah who lived in the snow sphere, Ivy's second necromancy magic advisor. Compared to the mummy lord in Faerûn who enjoyed a materialistic life, Zechariah the Sufferer's pursuit of magic was undoubtedly purer, as can be seen from the lich conversion ritual he created independently.

Although less than two days had passed since Ivy put Zecarius inside the snow globe, the two had already established a certain level of trust through exchanging magical knowledge. Zecarius shared some of his knowledge with Ivy, though not without reservation; he did dictate the most essential and interesting parts to Ivy.

However, there is no suitable place for him to experiment right now. Even if he studies new necromancy, it will have to wait until he captures the stable stronghold of Jueze City.

Ivy flew through the air, coldly observing the demons and cultists below. These guys didn't dare to attack a giant creature like him, and just kept hiding in the shadows of the buildings.

However, simply hiding could not quell Ivy's desire to attack. He spread his wings in the air, creating a storm of force field missiles.

These crimson force field missiles can automatically track and lock onto enemies. Even if the demons and cultists have hidden themselves behind buildings, they cannot escape the missiles' tracking. Although the damage of each missile is very small, Ivy's profound magical abilities make up for this with sheer numbers.

Because they are designed to track and locate enemies, these magical missiles cannot be avoided by conventional means. Apart from the target's own spell resistance, only magic or spell-like abilities such as shield spells and arrow-proof spells can prevent them from flying.

Furthermore, the force field missiles created by Ivy's flapping wings can bounce between multiple targets, with a single enemy potentially being hit by up to ten missiles. These missiles can also be enhanced by the Mythical Golden Dragon's Path abilities, each dealing 1d6+1 damage. While this is somewhat ineffective against high-ranking demons who also wield Mythical power, it proves exceptionally useful against numerous low-threat enemies. Moreover, this Evocation spell, though only a third-circle spell, demonstrates a firepower coverage far exceeding that of typical Legion ranged units thanks to Ivy's extraordinary spell repertoire.

Batch after batch of low-level demons fell to Ivy's missile storm, unable to mount an effective counterattack, because the spell's range, boosted by Ivy's caster level, was a full 1440 feet, far exceeding the attack range of ordinary demons.

The golden dragon, hovering high in the sky, looked down at the demons falling like grass and let out a satisfied sigh. Its huge size, combined with the deep red bullets flying out, gave it the same exhilarating feeling as piloting a helicopter and strafeing the infantry below in a New Year's game.

However, this feeling of exhilaration didn't last long, as he wiped out the demons and cultists in several blocks.

“How did you do that…” Zecarius’s teeth chattered as his voice came from the snow globe floating beside Ivy. “I’ve never seen a spellcaster with such an exaggerated number of spells cast… and you still seem to be handling it with ease…”

“I’m afraid this is the difference between knowledge and age.” Ivy landed on the ground with a smile, transforming back into human form. “Magic always has infinite possibilities, just like your choice to become a lich to break the limitations of lifespan. Don’t limit yourself, old Ze.”

"..." Seemingly unaccustomed to Ivy's tone, Old Ze remained silent for a long stretch of the road afterward.

Like the city itself, the prison in Juanze City is a dilapidated building. Moreover, the prison environment is even worse than that inside the city. It smells bad, is cold and damp, and most of the guys who can survive being locked up here for a long time must have some skills.

Just as Ivy had predicted, the demon had indeed laid an ambush in the prison, but the mythical demon that I had envisioned did not appear.

Ivy was also thinking of catching one and imprisoning it to conduct experiments on it, so as to figure out the source of the mythical power.

Aside from a large number of low-level demons hiding with invisibility magic, the most conspicuous creature in the prison is an abyssal minotaur capable of casting divine spells.

With the blessing of Righteousness, Tree Skin, and several other buff spells, the minotaur wielding a large cleaver was almost hitting the ceiling.

Multiple magical lights flickered across his body. Judging by the levels of human adventurers, this priest of Baphomet was probably at least level 18, which could be considered as a half-step legendary realm.

Unfortunately, although this minotaur could use Baphomet's power to cast divine spells, it was still not a traditional spellcaster who used magic as its main means of attack. Its spells were mainly used to enhance its melee combat ability, otherwise it would not have been carrying that great cleaver that symbolized Baphomet.

Ivy had already gained considerable experience in dealing with this type of enemy. A surge of light and flame erupted from the dragon head that condensed behind him, almost turning the minotaur into a giant torch.

With a few swift strokes, the Beast-Biting Sword completely extinguished the terrifying monster's life force.

"Your breath is only effective against the undead? What's the logic behind that?" Old Ze, who had taken a breath spell head-on in the basement of the New Sanctuary, immediately saw through the trick and screamed in frustration.

“Who knows? Maybe it’s fate,” Ivy shrugged, giving an ambiguous answer. “Now, let’s see who has the honor of being invited into the prison by the devil.”

A pair of ruby-like eyes peered warily at Ivy from behind the rusty iron bars.

It was a beautiful woman trying to unlock the door with her long fingernails, but the long horns on her forehead and the wide wings on her back proved her identity.

“A succubus.” Ivy wasn’t too surprised. In fantasy worlds, you’re bound to encounter some unusual creatures sooner or later—fallen angels, demons that have strayed from their nature. If you live long enough, you’re bound to see some strange characters. Besides, the kind-hearted succubus archetype was a bit too old-fashioned and ordinary, giving Ivy a refreshing feeling, like meeting a pretty country girl.

"There's also a half-dead dwarf," the old wizard Ze said in a sinister tone, reminding Ivy to look at another cell.

Ivy glanced at it twice before confirming that the dark mass on the ground was indeed a dwarf wearing armor. He looked to be in bad shape, his face covered in dried blood and grime, with the largest wound on his head, from which white bone fragments could be faintly seen.

It's quite a miracle that someone can still breathe despite such injuries.

“He’s dying…” the succubus who lived next door to the dwarf whispered sadly. “Although I can’t see his face and he has never answered my calls, I can hear his breathing getting weaker and weaker.”

"You're a... Crusader warrior, aren't you?" the succubus asked timidly. "Are you here to liberate the city of Jubilee? My name is Elusaree."

"It may be hard to accept, but please believe me, I share the same goal as you. I am also fighting against the army of the Abyss. Ever since Desna helped me understand how disgusting the life of a succubus is, I have been passing on the demons' plans to the Crusaders and carrying out various acts of sabotage... I tried to warn them that Kannabri would be attacked, which is why I was locked in this cage." The succubus, who called herself Elusare, said earnestly, clearly hoping to gain Ivy's trust. However, her words did not have any major logical flaws and echoed some things that Ivy knew.

For example, the Crusader warriors who received her warning were probably the three Desna followers who were very close to Ilinica and seemed to have formed a very small theater troupe, which included several indescribable special actors, such as a mentally challenged cyclops or a pair of dwarf twins who played normal human roles by stacking themselves on top of each other.

“Clearly, a nightmare of reformation,” Zecarius muttered sarcastically. “Don’t tell me you believe a single word that comes out of her mouth.”

“I am indeed a succubus, which means that even if something like me speaks with credibility, I should not be entrusted with any trust.” Elsaly lowered her eyes, revealing eyeshadow as deep blue as the night sky. “But I am not going to lead you to evil. I will not promise you an easy way to defeat a demon and then lure you into a trap. I will not offer any deals.”

"I only ask for one thing: let me leave this prison. I will leave and never bother you again."

“I’m afraid you won’t gain any freedom until your identity is further verified, Miss Elusare.” Ivy nodded noncommittally, announcing her decision. “To be honest, my arrival at this prison is indeed related to you. Where were you yesterday afternoon, and what were you doing?”

"What? I... have been in prison all this time..." The succubus cast a puzzled look at her. This beautiful creature did indeed possess an innate charm, and Elusa's purity, unlike that of other succubi, seemed to amplify this charm even further.

“Think it over carefully, Miss Elusare. Or I can give you a hint—Desna.” Ivy said slowly, as he took the Hufflepuff’s golden cup from his side, poured a little water from it and fed it to the dwarf next to him. The dwarf’s life force was like a candle flickering in the wind, making one worry that even speaking a little louder would extinguish it.

Soon, the dwarf half-opened his eyes and regained consciousness, but he didn't seem to appreciate it. Instead, he stubbornly pursed his lips, turned his head to one side, and muttered in a weak voice, "Let me die... Demon! You can't torture me anymore..."

“Mr. Blacksmith, what you are facing is not a demon, but the Crusader. They have come to liberate the city of Jueze.” The succubus Elusare explained enthusiastically on Ivy’s behalf, but the dwarf was clearly unimpressed. He merely glanced at Ivy and then closed his eyes again.

Ivy didn't press the matter; after all, he'd already drunk some of the holy water from the golden cup, so he wouldn't die anytime soon. "He's a blacksmith? How did you know?"

“I could hear the sound of anvils in the cell, and the sound never came again until this gentleman was sent to the cell… so I guess he was the blacksmith in the city,” Elsa explained. Her ears, hidden in her black hair, were also pointed, much like an elf’s, though none of the elves Ivy knew had such good hearing.

“Before this dwarven blacksmith is willing to speak, let’s talk about you, Miss Elusare. You haven’t answered my question yet.” Ivy turned his attention back to the succubus. He had set a time trap in his previous question; if the succubus answered incorrectly, she would be imprisoned by Ivy and used as experimental material.

“Alright…” The succubus glanced cautiously at Ivy and tentatively asked, “Speaking of Desna… I did meet a messenger from Elysium through her… but she appeared to be a woman… and that was about two days ago… There’s no sunlight here, so I can’t estimate the exact time, and those demon guards never distribute our food on time…”

They answered all the questions correctly.

Ivy nodded with some regret. It seemed that the succubus in front of her was indeed the Elysian Prophet that Irina had mentioned.

The intelligence obtained from within the enemy ranks was not obtained through divination magic, but rather through the succubus's personal infiltration.

Ivy snapped her fingers, and the cell door that had been locked up for a while opened automatically: "Your identity has been verified, Miss Elusare. However, I'm afraid I can't let you leave freely. The Crusaders need to integrate every force, and special cases like yours require special utilization. However, the succubus identity is indeed prone to causing internal conflicts within the Crusaders. I need to give you a little disguise first."

Ivy recited a short incantation, and magical light erased the succubus's long horn on its forehead, its wings on its back, and its tail extending from its rear.

"They've all disappeared?" Elsare touched her forehead and butt in disbelief. "This... isn't just simple invisibility magic?"

“Of course not.” Ivy gave him a look that said, “You’re making a fuss over nothing.” “This is a shapeshifting spell. I’ve temporarily turned you into a human for about a day. I hope you won’t act on your own during this time.”

"You turned me into a human?" Elusare, emerging from the cell, practically threw herself at Ivy, looking at him expectantly. "Then...can I dream? Desna is the goddess of dreams, but demons don't dream, neither good dreams nor nightmares...I..."

Seemingly realizing her posture was inappropriate, Elsa blushed like an innocent high school girl and took a big step back.

(End of this chapter)