novelraw Chapter 156: Words over Swords
Chapter 156: Words over Swords
"I apologize for what I am about to do."
The moment those words left his lips, the sky gradually darkened.
The bright heavens above the Seventh Floor were swallowed by layers of thick storm clouds.
Sunlight vanished, replaced by an oppressive darkness that stretched across the horizon.
Lightning came in and out deep within the clouds, illuminating them for brief moments before darkness reclaimed everything.
Then, system notifications appeared before every Stream Hunter.
[The Final Wave will begin in 24 Hours.]
[Prepare yourselves.]
A brief silence followed before another message appeared.
[The objective of the floor has been adjusted due to the Floor Boss’s [True Body] status.]
[Objective One: Defend the last ten floating islands from an endless wave of monsters.]
[Failure Condition: The destruction of all ten islands.]
A third notification appeared shortly after.
[Alternative Objective: Take away the Floor Boss’s will to fight.]
As the messages faded, countless hunters exchanged confused looks.
High above the floating islands, the Floor Boss’s enormous figure slowly turned translucent.
Its form remained visible, but it seemed more like a ghostly projection than a physical being.
Yet despite its disappearance, the atmosphere only grew heavier.
The darkening sky remained as the violent storm continued to gather.
It felt as though something far more dangerous was being prepared behind the scenes...
Adam frowned.
An adjustment to the objective?
His eyes scanned through the messages again.
At first glance, nothing seemed particularly strange. If they simply killed the Floor Boss, the floor should theoretically be cleared as usual.
However...
The existence of an alternative objective made him hesitate.
"Take away the Floor Boss’s will to fight."
That wording felt deliberate... almost as if the system itself was encouraging another solution.
Adam remained silent.
In both his current life and his previous one, he had always tried to live according to his own principles.
His mind drifted back to the words of his former commander : "Any fool can wet his sword in haste. A commander earns his rank by knowing when to keep it dry."
That was a lesson that Adam had continuously followed for years.
Many people believed strength alone solved every problem.
Adam disagreed.
Strength existed to create opportunities, not destroy them.
If words could still bridge the gap between two sides, then why should blood be used to fill it?
Because of that belief, he had never been quick to draw his blade.
At least, not unless he truly had no other choice or unless he was carried away by his own emotions.
Unfortunately, this was where the problem began.
Adam had no idea what to do next.
"..."
For several seconds, he simply stood there.
Then he exhaled slowly.
Calm down... calm down...
Panicking would not solve anything.
There was still time.
Twenty-four hours, to be exact.
He could analyze the situation and come up with a plan.
Since the system had presented a peaceful alternative, perhaps that should be explored first.
But how?
The Floor Boss had shown nothing but hostility since the beginning.
Would negotiation even be possible?
Adam crossed his arms and began organizing his thoughts.
One plan after another formed in his mind, only to be discarded moments later.
Gather information?
Find the Floor Boss’s true location?
Investigate its past?
Search for a weakness unrelated to combat?
Each idea had merits, but none felt complete.
Several minutes passed before he suddenly sensed a familiar presence approaching.
"My lord..."
Adam blinked and turned around.
Standing behind him was Xel’Shaar.
The massive metallic being lowered his head respectfully.
At the same time, Guin came running toward Adam.
Unlike Xel’Shaar’s composed demeanor, she looked delighted.
Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his leg.
Adam looked down at her.
Guin looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
For a brief moment, he felt the urge to ruffle her hair.
The gesture was simple and should be something that can be naturally done...
Unfortunately, his pride immediately objected.
They were in public and there were countless hunters watching...
As a powerful Stream Hunter, he had a reputation to maintain.
He must absolutely not ruffle her hair!
So Adam settled for staring at her in silence.
Guin continued hugging his leg anyway.
Adam was just about to ask Xel’Shaar what he wanted when something beside him suddenly caught his attention.
A figure hung in the air, wrapped in chains.
The man kicked his legs frantically, struggling against his restraints.
Adam stared.
Then stared a little longer.
"..."
It was Cael.
...
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!"
Cael’s voice echoed through the ruined streets as he stumbled backward.
His back slammed against the crumbling wall of a dilapidated building, leaving him with nowhere else to run.
Or rather, nowhere else to teleport.
Dozens of blood-red spears floated around him, their sharpened tips aimed directly at his body.
They hung silently in the air, waiting for a single command from their master.
One command was all it would take...
Suddenly the maxim of "words before swords" disappeared from Adam’s mind as he let emotions cloud him.
Adam stood several meters away, his expression cold and unreadable.
"Why shouldn’t I?"
More blood spears appeared behind him.
The number continued to grow.
"You’re a coward who abandoned his teammates and left them to fight alone."
Cael opened his mouth, but Adam continued before he could respond.
"Hm."
Adam glanced at him with clear disdain.
"Abilities are reflections of their owners."
His gaze shifted toward the space around Cael, where traces of teleportation energy still lingered.
"No wonder your ability revolves around escaping."
More blood spears materialized.
"Just like its owner, it’s a power that knows nothing except how to run away."
The surrounding pressure immediately intensified.
Several system notifications appeared before Adam.
[SageRosemary has donated 1 Soul Core.]
[SageRosemary says they dislike cowardice and hold contempt toward Cael.]
[Aberrant of the Flesh is excited for the bloodshed toward one’s own kin.]
[Prankster of Kingdoms advises you to engage in a conversation first.]
[Certain viewers agree with Prankster of Kingdoms.]
Cael struggled against the chains restraining him.
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue.
"You should know there was nothing I could’ve done."
His voice rose defensively.
"I can’t fight S-Rankers! Especially not when that woman, Celestia, is involved!"
The moment he remembered Celestia’s terrifying presence, he shuddered.
His ability would be naturally suppressed the moment that woman came into view.
No matter how arrogant he usually acted, he knew there were limits to what he could accomplish.
"And besides..."
Cael continued quickly, sensing Adam’s patience running thin.
"Wouldn’t you rather keep me alive?"
Adam remained silent.
Cael forced a grin.
"Aren’t I important to your plans?"
The instant those arrogant words left his mouth, Adam’s eyes narrowed.
The countless blood spears surrounding them suddenly trembled.
Then they began merging together.
One by one.
Dozens became dozens no longer.
A massive crimson spear formed above Adam’s head, radiating enough killing intent to make Cael’s skin crawl.
His face immediately paled.
"WAIT!"
Cael nearly screamed.
"Wait, wait, wait! You damn psycho!"
The giant spear stopped only for a moment.
Cael swallowed.
"I’m here to revive Kristoff!"