NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43: Unknown Watcher
Alright, just like last time concentrate.
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. I could feel it the feather-mark on my abdomen. It was no longer visible to the naked eye, but it flickered faintly, and the world felt different now that my mana core was stable. It was a strain, absorbing different mana types, like inhaling various aromas of food simultaneously. I needed to find a mental cover, a way to focus.
My focus sharpened as though every thought came at the cost of breath. I'd start with something light and hot to cast...
Fire.
All I had to do was imagine a flame. That should be easy. I concentrated, wanting to see the difference between casting in Derrick's domain and the world of the living. Yes, I could feel it now. The heat wavered in my palm.
With my eyes still closed, I imagined a hot, fiery energy. I wanted my intent to be as clear as possible.
Fwoom.
I opened my eyes. Huh, that's it? What was in front of me was barely more than a spark. It shivered, guttering weakly before it managed to cling to life. Its glow was dim, more like the soft flare of a candle than the roaring flames I had commanded before. They really weren't joking.
I sighed. Maybe I'm just not good at casting fire. Let me try the other elements.
I began trying each one.
Wind.
The fire sputtered out as a breeze formed from my other hand. Not even a strong gust of air followed only a light breeze. Even a forced breath from my mouth had more force than what I was able to cast. The air swirled timidly, not enough to push anything.
Now I see how difficult this is. How the hell was Astraya able to cast it to that level? This is so embarrassing.
Water.
Moisture gathered slowly, reluctantly. A thin bead formed above my palm, then slid down between my fingers, almost ashamed to be called forth.
Earth.
The ground did not quake this time. Instead, a few small rocks rolled across the cave floor. Well, this was at least more entertaining to cast.
I'm so pathetic. If I was reading about an MC like me in one of those web novels, I'd be so disappointed.
My voice carried a note of disbelief. "Well, no time to expect anything from the last one now. The four elements I saw before were nothing more than borrowed strength, no doubt about it." I decided to get this over with before heading home.
Next...
The feather energy grew faintly. I could feel it, almost as if it were a core on its own. I braced myself. This was about to be the best of the bunch.
The surge that followed wasn't like the rest.
Green.
False alarm. It was worse. I pouted.
Instead of chains, threads no thicker than cobwebs crept from my left palm faint silver strings bathed in an emerald glow. They stretched outward, trembling as if uncertain of their own existence.
"What the heck is this…? No wonder Azazel wasn't impressed. These chains are too fragile. Too weak to restrain anything."
I sighed, shaking my head. "Well… that was anticlimactic."
"But wait… they said this technique works best when combined with Khetemu of Revelation," I thought. "I might as well test that too."
I raised my hand and spoke aloud: "Khetemu of Revelation."
At once, knowledge of how the Adjudicator's Chains truly functioned poured into my mind like water through into a jar.
Interesting… I get it now.
"It seems they work by my naming what I intend to bind they can bind mana itself."
I chewed my lip. Mana, huh. Could they bind a rock? Or something alive, like a fish?
"Well," I said, fingers tapping my chin, "I'll only know if I try both."
First, I'd try the rocks. Even for my four-year-old body, it was quite large. It looked more or less like a boulder to me.
What were those words again? I closed my eyes. The knowledge… it didn't feel foreign anymore. No, it jogged my head like a forgotten memory, as if it had always been there, buried deep.
Maybe... but I have the urge... the stronger I become, the more I would be able to recollect. No, I was sure of it now. Yeah, that's it.
I shaped the intent. Judgment needed words, an action, a kind of verdict.
"Let's see," I said to myself. The target was the rock beside the pond. "How does one pass judgment on a rock?"
If I remembered correctly, the activation spell was:
"By the Founding Father, I hereby begin my judgment. For no one is free from what I have bound… Chains of Judgment, manifest!"
My left palm burned. Threads no thicker than cobwebs spilled out, spectral chains woven of emerald steel. They shimmered faintly as they unraveled into the air, trembling like strings plucked by unseen hands.
The chains writhed upward, circling the rock before me. Their links rattled with a quiet hunger… but did not yet strike.
I fixed my gaze upon the rock. Even if it was nothing more than a rock, I would not falter.
"It's judgment time."
The circle of chains stilled. Then came a hollow resonance—gong—the toll of a distant bell.
"Khetemu of Revelation," I intoned, the chains quivering as my eyes flared brighter. "Since you cannot defend yourself, I shall speak on your behalf only in truth. Let the chains themselves decide."
The threads tightened, their glow sharpening. They slithered over the rock's surface, testing, tasting, as though unraveling a hidden truth.
I leveled a finger at the accused. "You are charged with moving by human or mana interference. Answer before the law!"
Of course, a rock could not answer yet somehow, the chains could. Were they judging the stone in its entirety, or only the accusation I had pronounced? I did not know. But I supposed I would soon find out.
Their glow pulsed brighter. Clink. Gong.
The web trembled. Clink. Gong.
The tolling grew louder, each chime a verdict drawn nearer. I closed my eyes, steadying myself.
Clink. Gong.
Then the silence was over.
GUILTY.
My voice thundered with the verdict:
"Chains of Judgment. BITE DOWN!"
The cobweb-thin chains shrieked, snapping tight and forming a small, spear-like point of light at the tip. They sank into the rock, binding it in radiant threads as the last echo of the bell faded into silence.
Judgment was passed. I was judging the rock based on its actions today, not its entire history. This was no small pebble; it was a massive stone that reached my chest, and I had difficulty moving it myself.
Had someone else entered this cave while I was unconscious? It wasn't a rock one could just kick away.
"Anyways, the chains do work," I said to myself, a small note of relief in my voice. Cant believe they destroyed this rock.
"IMPRESSIVE," a voice replied.
"Oh, thank you," I said, a little surprised.
"I wonder who must have moved the rock."
"THAT WOULD BE ME…"