NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 88: Lustful Intentions
Seeing the argument unfold between Adam and Cael, Leila kept her mouth shut.
She gripped the edge of her sleeve tightly.
She wasn't dumb...
If she spoke now and said the wrong thing, she might end up bound in chains right next to Cael.
After all, Adam had just made a floor boss kneel.
Who knew what he'd do next?!
Adam's eyes flicked to her briefly, catching the fear in her silence, but he said nothing.
His attention returned to the hulking creature beside him.
Xel'Shaar...
Adam had already pieced some things together.
The reason he could command this beast wasn't some hidden skill or trick...
It was because of the Death Mark that the Deathspeaker had placed upon him.
To Xel'Shaar, cursed and broken by the very beings who shaped this floor, that mark wasn't just a symbol...
It was a command seal, one that made Adam his superior in the eyes of Death's will.
Adam spoke quietly, voice almost respectful.
"I apologize for ordering you around like that."
Xel'Shaar lowered his head without hesitation, shadows rippling beneath his form.
"It is not your fault..."
The floor boss said calmly.
"It is instilled upon my form to obey the bearer of Death's authority. Such is the law of my punishment."
Adam gave a small nod, thoughtful.
"Earlier, you said you needed me to unmake you."
A pause.
"How exactly do I do that?"
The creature's many eyes glowed faintly as he turned toward Adam.
"You must bind me to your existence."
Adam blinked.
"…What?"
"I apologize for the demanding tone."
Xel'Shaar replied solemnly.
"But I require you to carry me to the Tower of Yxthar."
Adam's face remained unreadable.
Then he spoke, voice sharp and measured.
"There are three problems with that."
He raised a finger.
"One. Neither of us knows whether I'll even survive long enough to reach Yxthar."
Another.
"Two. I have absolutely no idea how to bind you to me."
And the third.
"And three. I have no way of knowing whether you intend to betray me the moment I let my guard down."
Xel'Shaar took it all in without offense.
"Regarding the first problem…"
His grotesque voice grew quieter.
"I am willing to take the risk. I have heard legends whispered among the marked... that those who can resist Death's authority are destined to defy it, to fulfill a purpose before their end."
Adam didn't interrupt.
"As for the second problem..."
Xel'Shaar continued.
"You need only to provide a vessel… and a sustainable mana core to house my essence. Then, with the Floor's Authority still tethered to me, I shall imprison myself within it. A self-imposed confinement."
Adam narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced towards Cael.
Cael shivered at Adam's glance as he listened to the conversation...
"Will the Tower even allow you to leave this floor? You're its boss."
"I am bound here."
Xel'Shaar admitted.
"The Deathspeakers tethered me to this place. I cannot leave unless commanded by them."
Then he looked directly at Adam.
"But you... you bear Death's authority. That mark on your soul speaks with their voice. Through it, their command becomes yours. I can obey."
He paused.
"As for the Tower of Yxthar itself… it does not care for what occurs within its floors, so long as external influence is kept at bay. It will not interfere."
Adam folded his arms.
"Then what about the third problem?"
Xel'Shaar gave what could almost be called a smile... if a floor boss made of shadow and bone could smile.
"You wield the authority of Death. I am incapable of disobeying your commands."
"Furthermore..."
He added.
"Once I enter the vessel, my strength will be sealed and heavily diminished. At your current state, you could destroy me with ease. If I betray you, I would do so knowing I hand you the blade to end me."
Adam stared at him for a moment, expression unreadable.
Then he asked quietly—
"Let's say I agree. Let's say I follow through with your request. What do I gain from this?"
Xel'Shaar's voice carried no arrogance... only cold, quiet certainty.
"I possess knowledge. Knowledge born not of surrender, but of relentless pursuit."
"Unlike the cowardly Viewers who stagnate in their floors, I have never given up on reaching Yxthar."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Another is that even if I leave this floor, I will retain partial access to its Authority... Prisoner. In battle, I will be of use to you."
A moment of silence.
Then...
"All I ask in return… is a chance to see Yxthar with my own eyes and make him finally erase my existence as a floor boss."
[Daoist_Iveyflame has donated an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +6 Soul Cores
[Daoist_Iveyflame asks that If Xel'Shaar follows Adam, what would happen to this floor's boss.]
[5th Style Sword Master] : Dear respected fellow Daoist, most likely Yxthar will create a fake body like it usually does.
[Memester_Damon has donated an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +4 Soul Cores
[Memester_Damon] : Y'know, I expected the streamer's cliche pet to be some sort of dragon or perhaps a dark black wolf...
[Disciple of Ice] : What are you talking about...
[Subsonicmods has donated an F-tier gift]
[You have received] +2 Soul Cores
[Subsonicmods] : Isn't this better? An Ancient Beast of Horrors as a pet!
Adam would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted.
Having Xel'Shaar, the floor boss of the third floor... as a subordinate?
That was too good to ignore.
Not to mention, the creature's knowledge of the Tower of Yxthar far surpassed anything the Viewers could provide...
Still, Adam frowned slightly, his thoughts shifting toward the real reason he was hesitating.
'Going back in time to change the future means risking to change the course of events that I know should happen…'
He thought to himself.
'But if that change is inevitable, then I'll just have to force my way through. With power.'
Just as he was about to open the system shop to search for possible vessel materials—
[LORDTEE] : Hehe. For the vessel requirement, perhaps I can try to help?
[LORDTEE has donated a D-tier gift]
[You have received] Sexy Female Mechanical Iron Body Puppet : A female puppet that can be commanded by the user to fight. Possesses the strength of a bear and the flexibility of a talented gymnast.
Adam stared at the item for a moment, unmoving.
[Chaos_Reader] : Oh, good idea. I'll provide the core!
[Chaos_Reader has donated a D-tier gift]
[You have received] Lust-filled Aura Core : The core of a monster that seduces its prey before killing and devouring them. Users of this core may develop lust-driven personality traits.
[Prankster of Kingdoms is giggling at the gifts.]
[Experienced Old Knight] : I would like to ask why you two possess such items in the first place…?
[LORDTEE says it's confidential.]
Adam was silent for a long second.
His hand hovered above the screen, and for the briefest moment, he wondered whether the viewers watching him were truly insane… or just deeply, deeply bored.
Still, he sighed and spawned the items.
The puppet's curvaceous metallic form materialized in front of him, faint steam rising from the joints.
Right beside it floated the pulsating, pink-red core... exuding a subtle, almost instinctive aura of seduction that made even Adam involuntarily furrow his brows.
He turned to Xel'Shaar without saying a word.
The creature had already begun to shift toward the items, his grotesque, shifting body preparing for integration...
But the moment his many eyes fell upon the form of the puppet and sensed the nature of the core, he froze.
Then… he slowly turned to Adam.
No words. Just a long, disappointed stare.
Adam met the look with one of his own... equally deadpan.
"…Try it."
There was no need for unnecessary explanations about the personalities of his viewers...
Xel'Shaar, bound by the Authority of Death, obeyed without argument.
His monstrous body began to phase into ethereal mist, wrapping around the puppet and absorbing the core's energy.
A sickly glow began to build in the room.
[Floor 3 Boss Authority has activated.]
[Authority: Prisoner]
The puppet's eyes lit up, the core binding within the shell, and for a moment...
It looked like the transformation was working.
Until—
Boom!
The vessel exploded.
Metal shards clanged against the stone floor as the aura core cracked into pieces and dissolved into smoke.
Whatever energy Xel'Shaar had tried to compress into that form had been too overwhelming.
It wasn't just a rejection... it was obliteration!
[LORDTEE holds disappointment…]
[Chaos_Reader bares LORDTEE's pain…]
[Frog Eater] : …Idiots.
Adam stood still, bits of puppet arm still falling from the ceiling behind him.
He sighed.
Guess he needed to buy a really expensive vessel and core after all...
Xel'Shaar reformed nearby in a hunched, flickering mist-like state—silent, as if embarrassed.
Then, the system chimed again.
[Belisarius2018 has donated a B-tier gift]
[You have received] Crimson-Black Warden Shell :A high-grade vessel crafted by the Warden-Smiths of Hollowreach. Reinforced with mythril bones and abyss-fiber muscle threads. Designed to contain powerful entities and beings with unstable cores. Equipped with reactive armor plating, and a pseudo-heart for mana conduction.
[Belisarius2018] : My wallet is running dry... but well, I did promise that I'd send the streamer a proper gift if he rushed the third floor… ^^