Adam's gaze flickered between the dozens of Celestia's puppet corpses strewn across the chamber and the man with neatly combed dark-blue hair standing untouched amidst the carnage.
His fingers twitched near his weapon as he analyzed the impossibility before him.
Celestia's Authority of Omnipresence explained her puppets' presence anywhere in the Tower...
But this man? How had he projected himself so flawlessly onto this floor?
Before Adam could deepen his analysis, Elaric sighed dramatically, brushing nonexistent dust from his immaculate sleeves.
The blood spikes impaling his torso seemed as inconsequential as raindrops on glass.
He mused, tilting his head with predatory interest.
"Unlike our dear Celestia, I lack the Authority of Omnipresence. Teleporting between floors is... taxing."
He gestured to his bleeding wounds with a smile.
"Cael's ability only permits temporary relocation to floors where other stream hunters reside. A limited loophole, really."
Adam didn't wait for him to continue talking.
[Crimson Dominion] erupted in a whirlwind of razor-edged blood, shredding Elaric's body into crimson mist.
Only the man's head remained intact as it dropped to the floor.
Adam felt that if he let Elaric continue talking, something bad would happen...
Yet the disembodied head only chuckled, lips curling as disintegration began claiming it.
"The Omnipotence, hm?"
Elaric's voice turned liquid, melting with his fading form.
Adam exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting toward Celestia's fallen puppets.
But she was no longer connected to them.
The mana threads had been severed completely.
Lifeless now... Just husks of meat and bone.
'Is she that afraid of this floor's boss monster...?'
[Tony_Castagnino has d an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +15 Soul Cores
[Tony_Castagnino] : Chat, any idea why Celestia seems to be afraid of this floor's boss?
[Experienced Old Knight] : Hm. Perhaps it's because the floor's authority is a weakness of hers... it is the authority of Prisoner after all.
[Danyz has d an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +5 Soul Cores
[Danyz] : But she uses puppets as a way to travel, how would it even affect her?
[Woman of Specters] : Authorities are different from how normal abilities work, each one is too different to be able for us to fully comprehend it. Celestia probably knows something dangerous about it.
[JustJoeKing] : I don't blame her, prison sucks.
[Bird Hunter] : Who was that dark blue haired guy just now?
[Haremphobic has d an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +2 Soul Cores
[Haremphobic] : He had the looks of someone who could have a harem... I dislike him already.
Adam charged down the stone stairs, taking them two at a time.
His boots echoed through the narrow passage as he raced toward Leila and Cael.
Behind him, Xel'Shaar moved like a shadow.... silent as his hollow eyes fixed on Adam's back.
[Frog Eater] : Why the hell is the floor boss following the streamer...
[pb_jelly has d an F-tier gift]
[you have received] +4 Soul Cores
[pb_jelly] : Obliviously, he has recognized our Streamer's greatness!
[Heavendefier130 has d an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +3 Soul Cores
[Heavendefier130] : Is this the legendary main character pet cliche?
[wolfqueen22 has d an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +3 Soul Cores
[wolfqueen22] : Honestly, I expected a better looking one...
Adam ignored the flickering stream chat as he turned his gaze toward Cael and Leila, his expression as unreadable as ever.
His tone dropped to something colder.
"Leila. From now on, you're not to stray too far. You stay by my side at all times."
The way he said it left no room for negotiation, just a command with consequences.
Adam cut her off before the question fully formed.
"Celestia is targeting you because of your ability."
"And I don't know what she'll do if she gets her hands on you..."
The words were delivered without emotion, but they struck hard.
Leila's lips parted slightly, but nothing came out.
Adam's gaze then shifted, sharper now, turning toward Cael.
He silently stared as though expecting an explanation from him.
Cael returned the look evenly, but the weight in the air had changed.
"I had to come up with some way to protect us."
Cael finally said, his tone lighter than the situation warranted.
"I can't fight someone with the Authority of Omnipresence. I deal with space and travel... she could erase me before I even blink. Against her, I'm an ant."
Adam's expression didn't move.
His voice stayed level.
"You know that's not what I'm talking about."
"Who was the man you called?"
Cael's smile faltered for just a breath before returning, thinner this time.
"I don't owe you an explanation."
He said with a shrug.
"Besides, he saved both me and Leila. You should be thanking him."
Leila opened her mouth, trying to find something to say, but then her eyes drifted to the grotesque creature kneeling silently beside Adam.
Xel'Shaar... the Floor Boss... bowed like a loyal servant.
And Adam stood beside it, utterly calm.
Leila's breath caught.
'What the f*ck did this guy do to the floor boss…?'
The thought chilled her more than anything Celestia had done.
Adam's eyes remained on Cael.
The truth was that Cael was right... whoever that man was, he had helped.
Possibly even saved them both.
But the problem was deeper than that.
That man's presence involved one of Adam's future nodes... an important one.
Adam couldn't afford to leave any loose ends.
Not when it involved something this significant....
His voice was quiet now.
The towering beast stirred slightly at its name.
"Imprison him." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt
His eyes widened in sudden understanding.
He moved fast, hand glowing with the familiar shimmer of teleportation magic...
But it was already too late!
[Floor 3 Boss Authority has activated.]
[Authority: Prisoner]
The system messages echoed like divine decrees.
Chains of blood-soaked light exploded out of the ground beneath Cael, wrapping tightly around his arms and chest.
His teleportation spell fizzled the moment it activated, snuffed out by a higher will.
Cael gritted his teeth as he dropped to one knee, every movement restrained as if gravity itself had betrayed him.
The glow in his eyes dimmed.
"You're seriously doing this!?"
Adam didn't answer, clearly unimpressed by Cael's attempt to control his emotions...
He walked slowly toward Cael, step by step, his figure casting a long shadow that merged with the kneeling Xel'Shaar.
"You're involved with a man who tampered with one of my future nodes. That's not something I can overlook."
Cael clenched his jaw.
"I didn't even know about your nodes until recently. I made a judgment call to keep Leila and myself alive..."
"And now I'm making mine."
Adam's voice shot back.
But the tension in the air felt like the pause before a guillotine dropped.
Leila finally stepped forward.
"Adam, wait... maybe if we just—"
Adam turned his head slightly toward her.
"If I leave this unchecked, it'll snowball into something worse. I can't afford that. Not with what's coming in the future."
Cael's breathing grew steadier as he stared up at Adam, the resistance fading from his face.
"I never knew you were such a controlling asshole..."
Adam didn't respond right away.
He turned his back to them both.
"Because if I weren't, we'd all be dead already."
The chains tightened with a deep hum, anchoring Cael to the center of the catacomb.
And the silence that followed was more suffocating than the fight.