NOVEL WEB Chapter 33: Judgement
Adam's breath deepened as the corpse's head twisted toward him, its hollow eyes locking onto his.
The lifeless pupils, once glassy and empty, had narrowed and turned sharp and snake-like.
The dead man's chest, the gaping wound where his heart should have been, moved grotesquely.
The torn flesh writhed, and bones popped as twisted tendrils of muscle began pulling themselves back into place.
[5th Style Sword Master dislikes the creepy energy emanating from the corpse...]
[Experienced Old Knight feels a bit dizzy...]
[AFlamox has donated 15 coins]
[Mads_1401 has donated 15 coins]
[Mads_1401] : Necrophiliacs are the worst....
"Stay back..."
Adam warned, his voice low.
His fingers flexed, crimson energy coiling tightly around his arm. [Body Blood Magic].
The familiar surge of power rushed through him.
Blood tendrils emerged from his palm, writhing and twisting like living snakes, poised to strike.
But the corpse didn't attack.
Instead, it shifted unnaturally... as though strings beneath its flesh were tugging it upright.
Bones cracked, joints reset, and sinew twisted as it adjusted itself.
Then, it spoke.
"Don't... interfere..."
Its voice was low and broken, yet oddly calm... like dry leaves scraping against stone.
Adam's grip on his magic tightened.
His mind raced.
'It's really her… Celestia.'
In his past life, Adam had never seen Celestia directly.
She was a force that operated from the upper floors, far beyond the regions he had reached.
Yet her influence was always everywhere within the tower...
Manifesting in twisted corpses like this one.
His older brother and sister had warned him about her... and those warnings had proven right.
'Even back then... she kept sending these things to interfere with the lower floors. Looks like she still does it now....'
However, he never knew that Celestia was doing it this early on...
'I didn't know she was manipulating things on the first floor too...'
Before Adam could speak, Evelyn took a step forward, her gaze locked on the twisted corpse.
Her expression was calm, but her fingers lingered near the dagger on her waist... sharp and ready.
"Since you're not attacking us outright..."
Evelyn said coldly
"I'll assume you're not just here to scare us."
Seeing Evelyn speak up first, Adam didn't bother trying to interfere with the conversation...
'She's most likely trying to trick the corpse into lying...'
Adam thought. This was her main attack ability after all...
The corpse's lips twisted into a mockery of a smile.
"You government rats sure like to stick your noses into things that aren't any of your business..."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed.
"We can say the same to you. You're a Stream Hunter from the upper floors, aren't you? What's your business messing with the first floor?"
Her voice hardened.
"Just so you know... we have government officials from every floor of this Tower."
"You're bound to be found one day."
The corpse chuckled, a dry, brittle sound.
"You can surely try..."
The grin on its face widened, stretching the dead skin at the corners of its mouth.
"After all... I'm also in every floor of this Tower."
Evelyn's fingers twitched toward her blade, but she held her ground.
"You're awfully confident..."
She said, voice sharp.
"Revealing such crucial information... are you even trying to hide?"
"I'm not stupid."
The corpse's head tilted slightly, almost smug.
"It's just my way of warning you."
"Warning us?"
Evelyn said, her voice cold.
"You killed him just to deliver a message?"
The corpse's gaze lingered on them.
"Your control over what happens in the Tower is far weaker than you'd like to believe."
Evelyn was silent for a second before replying.
"The system we've set in the Tower isn't perfect. However it's enough to keep things from spiraling into pointless chaos from the likes of people like you."
The corpse let out a dry chuckle.
"And yet you're still blind... and weak. You lot can barely control what happens on your own floor, yet you think you can reach me?"
"Control isn't our top priority..."
Evelyn shot back.
"What matters most is to make sure that the state of panic amongst the people is kept to a minimal level."
A dry chuckle rattled from the corpse's throat.
The sound was distorted, like bones grinding together.
"You're probably the only one that thinks that, miss."
It continued.
"I'm telling you right now, don't interfere with what I'm doing..."
"Enough with the vague words."
Evelyn's tone sharpened.
"I think I know what you're trying to do."
The corpse's crooked smile twitched wider.
"Oh?"
"You're stalling..."
Evelyn said flatly.
"Trying to distract us with words because you can't immediately pour enough power into that corpse of yours."
Adam's eyes flicked between Evelyn and the decaying figure, fingers curling as he tensed his muscles.
"You're not here to engage in conversation."
Evelyn pressed on. "
You're here to take your anger out on us for disturbing your plans, aren't you?"
The corpse's lips curled higher.
"Why would I need to?"
It sneered.
"If I wanted to kill you, I already would have."
Evelyn's expression shifted into a knowing smile.
"That's a lie."
[Oathkeeper] had finally detected a lie.
The moment she spoke, her hand shot out.
Golden chains erupted from her palm, lashing through the air with blinding speed.
The chains twisted around the corpse's limbs, binding its arms, neck, and legs in a crushing grip.
This was her ability, [Judgement Chain].
When someone is caught lying in her presence, she could manifest spectral chains that restrict their movements!
The corpse shuddered violently, its bones cracking under the pressure.
Adam didn't waste a second.
He extended his arm and activated [Body Blood Magic].
Crimson blades shot from his palm, thin and sharp like glass shards.
They tore through the air and pierced the corpse's skull with pinpoint precision.
For a moment, everything seemed still.
Then..
The corpse's body flickered, turning hazy and translucent as if slipping between reality and something else.
The bloodied wound in its head warped, its edges twisting unnaturally.
Shadows curled over its form, and in the next instant, its entire body turned incorporeal.
The golden chains around it loosened for a mere second... just long enough for the figure to slip through.
With a sudden, sharp crack, the bindings shattered completely!