He activated the [Information Panel] again, this ti directing it toward Leila.
▶ [User] Leila Heriv
➤ [Rank] Stone
➤ [Existence Attributes] Calculative, Secretive, Deceitful, Machiavellian
➤ [Status] Normal
➤ [Sponsor] Child of Truth
◆ [Abilities]
├── ???
├── ???
└── ???
Just as Adam's brow began to furrow at the unknown abilities, a sharp system alert blinked in front of his eyes.
[Warning! Information is being protected. Cannot pierce through!]
A shrill system beep followed, echoing slightly in his ears.
Adam stared at the screen, expression tightening.
'She has a sponsor...'
The thought lingered in his mind like an itch.
He hadn't expected that....
Not from her atleast...
His gaze flicked up with cautiousness....
Watching Leila as she crushed another glowing root between her fingers to apply it to Kristoff's wound.
Her expression was calm, even gentle, focused on her task.
Not the kind of deanor you'd expect from soone labeled deceitful...
And yet…
'Calculative, secretive, deceitful, and machiavellian....'
The words weren't just randomly made up bullshit...
They were after all chosen by the system with frightening accuracy.
'Well, I guess it is true that the manipulative ones are always the ones that don't look the part...'
Adam couldn't help but stare at her a second longer.
The sa Leila who used to flinch when spoken to.
The sa one who always stood a step behind him in battle, eyes wide and hesitant...
His lips tightened.
'First Cael… now Leila?'
The distrust was beginning to creep under his skin like rot.
He couldn't help but think...
What about Kristoff?
What if he turns out to be an Evil God worshipper too?
Maybe he's just pretending to be a stupid and delusional athead…
Adam's jaw clenched subtly.
Not being able to trust your own team… it's the worst kind of situation in the Tower.
His thoughts flickered back to past runs, past deaths... tis when one wrong judgnt led to an irreversible spiral.
Just then, Leila stopped.
She didn't say anything.
But her hand paused for half a second as she glanced in Adam's direction...
Eyes sharp, brief, like a blade sliding just beneath the skin.
Adam imdiately averted his gaze.
There was no way she could see the system panel.
But that look… it felt too tid to be coincidence.
Did she notice?
He closed the panel with a thought, wiping the screen from his sight.
'Well… technically, she hasn't done anything to betray . Not yet atleast...'
He reasoned.
He tried to ease the tightness in his chest with logic.
Being calculative and secretive isn't necessarily an evil trait... more like a survival trait.
Especially in the Tower.
His expression relaxed slightly, though his shoulders remained tense.
Still… deceitful? Machiavellian?
That's definitely sothing to be wary of...
He exhaled silently, then glanced ahead at the narrowing path through the swamp
Kristoff had started moving again, grumbling under his breath about the mud sucking at his boots.
Adam lingered at the back, thoughts churning.
I'll keep watching…
But a quiet truth had already lodged itself in his mind.
He wouldn't look at Leila the sa way again.
His thoughts still clouded by doubt, he shifted his gaze toward Cael.
Sothing in his chest itched...
Perhaps paranoia or instinct, he wasn't sure—
But his fingers moved before he could second-guess it.
He activated the [Information Panel].
▶ [User] Cael Vencio
➤ [Rank] Stone
➤ [Existence Attributes] Mischievous, Kind hearted, Cunning, Sympathetic
➤ [Status] Abnormal
➤ [Sponsor] None
◆ [Abilities]
├── Singular Teleportation Mark (C) : Puts a mark on a location allows user to teleport to said location
├── Reverse Teleportation Mark (C) : Puts a mark on an object, when activated, it allows to object to be teleported into the user's location. If mark is put on a person, permission will be required through agreent of mana.
└── Flaming Distance Control (E) : Lighten your body with flas that increase speed by 250%
Adam stared at the [Status] for a long second.
Abnormal.
He didn't like vagueness.
In the Tower, ambiguity was dangerous.
Even though Cael's attributes included "kind-hearted" and "sympathetic," Adam didn't feel comforted.
That wasn't enough.
Not with the abnormal status inputted in the information panel...
He closed the panel.
Cael, who had been quietly fiddling with a small fla flickering between his fingertips, gave a sideways glance.
His voice was low, edged with a familiar mischief but quieter than usual.
"What? Can't stop staring at my face?"
Adam didn't answer.
Cael let the fla vanish and gave a short sigh.
"You know, I'm not hiding anything else. If that's what you're thinking."
Still no response.
"…Right.."
Cael muttered.
"Not in the mood. Got it."
Seeing Adam remain silent, his gaze focused elsewhere,
Cael didn't press.
He turned his eyes back to the stone floor and leaned back against the dried broken wall.
He didn't say anything more.
And for a long stretch, the only sound was the distant crackle of mana seeping through the air.
In that silence, Adam's thoughts churned.
For the first ti, he felt a strange appreciation for Kristoff—
The only one on the team who didn't co with strange sponsors, deceitful traits, or unreadable statuses.
Big guy may be a brute, but at least what you see is what you get...
The thought was grimly comforting in its simplicity.
He even began to ponder over the decision of whether or not he should leave his current team and only go with Xel'Shaar...
Just as Adam was beginning to seriously consider it, pondering whether cutting ties might actually be the safer option—
Xel'Shaar approached him silently, his steps soundless against the damp earth.
He leaned in close and whispered, his voice like smoke trailing through the air.
"My lord… I've captured one of Celestia's puppets."
Adam's gaze sharpened, his attention imdiately shifting.
Xel'Shaar continued, his tone calm but edged with tension.
"I sensed a soul… one that was imprisoning itself within a body. With my Authority of Prisoner, I'm especially attuned to cases involving possession."
Adam's eyes narrowed.
That aligned with what they knew of Celestia's influence.
"Where is it?"
He asked, curt and direct.
Xel'Shaar lifted a finger and pointed toward a grove of twisted trees to their left, half-shrouded in creeping mist and thorny brush.
Adam nodded once.
He turned back toward the group, who were taking a short rest on a dry patch of moss-covered stone.
Leila was quietly adjusting the straps on her boots.
Cael was fiddling with a small fla again, while Kristoff stood at the edge of the area, ever-vigilant.
"You three."
Adam called, his voice calm but leaving no room for argunt.
"Proceed to the third section of the swamp without . I have sothing I need to confirm."
Leila looked up, confused for half a second, but didn't question it.
Cael raised an eyebrow but said nothing while Kristoff gave a short nod.
They understood.
They were under Adam's care... and Adam didn't issue casual orders.
Without delay, the three headed off in the direction of the designated path, shadows swallowing them step by step as they disappeared through the dense foliage.
Once they were gone, Xel'Shaar stepped forward again.
"Be careful, my lord…"
He warned, his pale features unusually solemn.
"This puppet of hers… did not resist... not even slightly."
Adam looked at him.
"So it might be a trap."
"Exactly."
Adam didn't speak.
Instead, he calmly activated [Authority of Disconnection], his pupils shimring with divine light as threads and links between beings and powers beca visible.
Thin, silvery strands of influence glimred faintly across the landscape like spider silk in moonlight.
He scanned for connections, those that could possibly be linked together with Celestia.
Then, he moved.
They stepped through the trees, silence pressing close like a heavy blanket.
Xel'Shaar led the way with practiced steps, the trees parting as if reluctant to touch him.
At the base of a withered willow, half-hidden beneath fallen leaves and soft vines, lay the puppet.
It was a girl.
About fourteen...
Her face was soft, dirt-smudged but peaceful.
Chest rising and falling slowly, lips parted as if she were dreaming.
She looked utterly… normal.
No gaping hole... no strange sigil...
And no distortion of flesh or madness in her eyes.
Her arms were loosely folded, like she had simply fallen asleep.
Adam stopped a few feet away, his gaze steady.
'It's a normal one…'
He thought.
By now, he had learned to tell the difference.
Celestia's puppets fell into two categories:
Those with hollow chests—
Bodies mutilated and twisted, lacking a soul.
And those who looked, sounded, and felt just like any ordinary human being.
This one was the latter.
Which ant she was the more dangerous kind.
Because these ones… were perfect liars.
Adam stood still, his expression unreadable.
Then, in a low and direct voice, he spoke.
"We know it's you. Speak up."
His words cut through the silence like a blade.
The girl stirred.
Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, as if waking from a gentle nap.
For a mont, her gaze wandered in confusion... then settled, calm and unnerving, directly on Adam.
Then she smiled.
Not a child's smile.
But the smile of soone ancient wearing a mask that didn't quite fit.
She sat up slowly, her movents delicate and composed, as if rising from tea rather than the forest floor.
"Interesting…"
The voice that ca from her mouth didn't belong to the girl.
It was smooth, mature, and laced with faint amusent.
"Did you seal Xel'Shaar's body in that puppet… and bring him to other floors?"
The voice of Celestia echoed clearly now.
Xel'Shaar narrowed his eyes, standing silently by Adam's side, his posture tense but unprovoked.
He didn't respond to the jab.
Adam's gaze didn't shift.
Just then, a system chi sounded softly in his ear.
[LORDTEE has donated a D-tier gift]
[You have received] Lie Detecting Intuition : Activate this skill to acquire an intuitive mind that allows you tell apart lies from truths. (Uses : 5/5)
[LORDTEE] : Investigation ti!
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