"Barti, you're in charge here." After the chef leaves, Murphy dispels his illusion charm, revealing himself. "No more screw-ups!"
"Yes, master." Little Barticrouch transforms into the guard he had killed, respectfully replying, "I won't fail again."
Murphy pats Valery on the shoulder, "Be bold now, it's not the time to be cautious. I've got your back."
With that, his vision shifts to a Thunder Crow hundreds of kilometers away, and he uses a displacement spell to leave.
...
In the Bryansk forest, not far from where a railway stretches southward through a sprawling pine forest, Murphy suddenly appears under a massive oak tree.
Immediately, several camouflaged submachine guns are aimed at him.
"Radwan, it's me."
"Give the password," a nearly invisible figure among the foliage stands up and asks.
Murphy thinks for a moment, "Why are there so many tree-lined avenues in France?"
"Because Germans like marching in the shade," Radwan chuckles. "But that was yesterday's password."
"Then today's is: Why do the French always get a lot of votes at the UN?"
"Because they always raise both hands." Radwan laughs heartily. "How did it go over there?"
"Smoothly," Murphy says. "So smoothly, I feel like we could rule the world by tomorrow."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Radwan replies, putting away his gun. "Wizards are amazing. If they claimed to have conquered Earth one day, I wouldn't blink an eye."
Murphy shakes his head, "You're overestimating them."
"Wizards could bring some chaos to the Muggle society, but only that much. Terror attacks can't destroy a country. If a full-scale war broke out, wizards would face extinction."
"Their survival lies in staying hidden, unnoticed."
Murphy's recent success was built on an absolute intelligence advantage. It seems like the Soviet Magic Ministry hasn't informed Chobragov of the wizarding world's existence. He is almost completely unaware of this threat.
If the other side were prepared, even Murphy might not win against a fully armed squad.
That's why he opts for covert operations rather than direct confrontation.
Speaking, he switches his vision to a Thunder Crow a hundred kilometers away, observing a train coming from Kyiv.
This is also a special train, not less grand than Chobragov's, with a platoon of guards. But Murphy doesn't yet know if there are any wizards among those guarding Chelyabinsk, how many there might be, or who they are, making it hard to strategize.
"Is everything ready?" Murphy asks.
"Bombs, the Water of Life and Death, Winged Venom, nerve gas, gas masks..."
Radwan pulls out a box, "Enough to fight a war."
Murphy nods, "Try not to kill, but if necessary, don't hesitate. Better to kill everyone here than let any escape."
"Understood."
"Go prepare."
...
On the green-painted special train, Chelyabinsk is half-lying on a sofa, deep in thought about his plans.
Chobragov is a clown, a coward, no match for him. Soon, he will be the one sitting in that chair.
The key issue now is negotiating with Krachuk and Shukhovitch, two greedy men wanting too big a slice of the pie. But he can't afford to offend them; they need to work together.
He needs to weigh the pros and cons...
Unbeknownst to him, the train has entered the dense Bryansk forest. Nearby, a river shrouds the area in mist.
Thus, even as the fog outside the train thickens, the chief guard remains unalert, finding the area overly humid.
Soon, the fog becomes so dense it's impossible to see. Everything outside is obscured by a thick white mist.
"What's happening?"
"Why is the fog so dense?"
The passengers think they're passing through a foggy area, but outside the train, an odd sight unfolds.
The thick white fog clings to the train like cotton candy, not spreading far, just enough to envelop the train. Beyond the train, it's less than two meters thick, as if the train has been wrapped in a cotton cover.
"What's going on?" Chelyabinsk hears the commotion. "What's happened?"
"Fog outside, sir..."
Suddenly, a booming voice resounds, "Open the carriage door."
Immediately, a guard opens the door, and the dense fog rushes into the carriage.
Thud! The guard falls, followed by another who breathes the fog and stumbles, "Poi...son..."
Before finishing, he collapses.
"It's poison gas!" A quick-reacting guard heads for the emergency cabinet's gas masks but forgets what he's doing as the fog hits his face.
Within moments, the entire carriage fills with the white fog, silencing all sounds.
Suddenly, with a twist in space, several figures wearing gas masks appear in the carriage.
"Radwan, head to the front, take control of the train."
"Alexei, Brorel, check all the carriages, make sure everyone's asleep. Use the magic detectors to find any wizards."
"Felix," Murphy addresses the remaining man, "you've studied acting, right?"
"Yes, boss."
"No time for slow mimicry. I'll transfer some of Chelyabinsk's memories to you. Can you live as him for a while?"
"The greatest performance, boss! I won't let you down!"
"Good."
Murphy waves his wand, and the fog instantly vanishes.
Looking around, five people lie in the carriage: four guards and an old man with white hair.
Murphy approaches the old man. It turns out he's an old acquaintance but a total disaster for his own country.
He plucks some hair, hands it to Felix, and prepares to put the man in a traceless extension box. Suddenly, a guard in the corner, who had opened his eyes, pulls out a thicker-than-normal wand and casts, "Разбитьврага! (Stun the enemy)"
Bang! Felix is hit by a beam, sent flying against the carriage wall, knocked unconscious.
The guard aims the wand at Murphy, casting another spell, but Murphy blocks it with an Armor Charm, countering, "Stunned!"
"Непобедимое! (Invincible!)"
The attack is blocked, but Murphy rushes forward, punching the man in the stomach. The guard flies back a meter, hitting the carriage wall, his wand flying out and crushed under Murphy's foot.
Murphy doesn't linger, grabbing Chelyabinsk and placing him in the traceless extension box. As he's about to release Felix from the spell, a chanting voice rises behind him, "Великийдуб, духпредков (Great oak, spirits of the ancestors)…"
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