I Hate Systems

Chapter 504: Spy at Work

‘Shit!’ An old man that seemed to be in his late eighties hurriedly hid behind a large trash can, observing a youth walking casually past the street.

He observed the road for some more time, only revealing his eyes through the trash can as he scanned the place for a long time. His heart thumped in nervousness, even though he had trained himself just for this occasion.

Currently, he was acting like a hobo, arriving at the Tura City—of the Gaider Realm—from a nearby Realm. He was a spy sent by one of the System Hosts, intending to glean info about the Gaider Realm and its power dynamics.

Honestly, their original plan had been to invade four years ago. But when spies were sent to probe for information, all communication was cut off.

With a situation like this, it would only mean that their armies would be decimated due to the lack of information. And hence, the invasion plan was postponed until now.

But now, there was no other choice but to invade, as the leaders of the various armies stated.

The invasion date was set in a month. And before then, all valuable information related to the Gaider Realm must be unearthed and transmitted to their respective armies.

The old man was one of the spies sent by the armies. Unlike most spies, he was only a mortal. But, he was an expert spy, having infiltrated countless territories, managing to survive each time while bringing back with him valuable information.

But, in this cultivator society, it would be impossible for a mortal to go past certain limitations. But for that, he had an Artifact that allowed him to execute this.

It was an Ancient Artifact, in a class of its own, with its power at the peak of the cultivation stage. This Ancient Artifact was the best at concealment, not leaking even an ounce of aura.

Secondly, it was able to transform his body into any form, irrespective of his weight, height, or gender. He could transform into any species without restrictions.

Thirdly, it regenerated his wounds, allowing him to survive any injuries that he might sustain in his missions.

This Ancient Artifact was mysterious in nature in that it had fused with his body. Unfortunately for him, despite giving him such mystical powers, it also prevented him from cultivating. So, irrespective of the wealth he had amassed, he could only remain a mortal.

But still, he was able to achieve a lot. And hence, he was prideful of his job. That was until he arrived at Tura City in the Gaider Realm, feeling terrified immediately.

This was a sense that he cultivated through decades of service as a spy, having survived through dangerous territories one after another. And this wealth of experience became his innate ability, a sense that he now was capable of utilising.

He was able to feel the intention behind the gazes of people. And in Tura city, despite there only being cultivators who were mostly in the Origin Refinement Stage, he couldn’t move freely.

Because, the moment he tried to do something, he would feel a gaze on him, one that was observing him keenly. It felt like the gaze would uncover his identity immediately.

And, such gazes arrived from mysterious directions, and from people he would never expect.

The worst blow he got was when he went to a restaurant to buy some food, disguising himself as a beggar of Tura City. The beggar with the same identity had been fed to an Origin Beast in the outskirts.

Only after that did he assume that beggar’s identity to infiltrate the city. The restaurant he visited was something frequented by the beggars, for the food here was the cheapest.

The food quality was questionable, but for the beggars, this was their delicacy. And having observed the actions of the beggar that he now assumed the identity of, he ventured into the same restaurant as usual.

But when he paid the counter with the spare change that he obtained through begging, he sensed someone staring at him.

When he casually looked around, he was shocked, noticing that the stare originated from a baby that was a mere six months old.

This baby, that wasn’t even able to lift its head was staring at him, calmly, observing him. And this was because it felt like he was a tad suspicious.

The moment he observed this, the old man was horrified.

After all, who in their right mind would assume a six-month-old baby would be on the lookout for spies?

He was unable to eat or drink anything for the next two days, unable to digest the fact of the matter that he had witnessed. From afar, the baby looked no different from other babies. It even acted the same with everyone else.

But only when he visited the restaurant would it silently observe him.

After that, the old man became extremely cautious, realising why all the previous spies had failed. ‘If I take a single misstep, I would fail.’

His heart thumped, feeling that he hadn’t been so worked up since his first mission as a spy. He wasn’t physically worked up like a soldier but was mentally worked up due to the pressure he was facing.

No matter what, he had to complete his task. For, it not only was a question of his pride and ego, but it was also because his friends and family were joining the war.

It was pretty much the biggest invasion from their Realm. So, he didn’t wish to screw up, especially since the opponents were so terrifying.

Slowly, the old man made his way into the main street, taking a seat at one corner as he began to beg as usual.

This time, he felt countless gazes on him, as usual. There were the usual gazes that people directed towards beggars.

But from time to time, mixed in them would be an observational gaze, one that was observing whether or not he was a spy.

Thanks to his experience, the old man remained patient, packing up the place by evening. He then walked through the slums of the city, entering an inconspicuous house that was now his. As for the owner, he became an Origin Beast’s dinner.

Once he entered the house, his figure morphed into a teen girl as she took a bath and wore revealing clothes, donning a robe to cover herself fully. She then used a winding network of pathways before using a back alley to enter a luxurious pub, one that catered to the high society of the city.

‘I’ll find something today.’ Thinking as such, she sauntered into the place, having long since made the arrangements to be an employee at the luxurious establishment.