บท 37: I Outsmarted Your Outsmarting!
Chapter 37 - I Outsmarted Your Outsmarting!
Arthur's piercing gaze locked onto Carn, radiating an aura of absolute authority. His ability to see through lies and deceit activated, casting a mystical curse of judgment upon its target. This curse manifested as golden energy ropes that wrapped around Carn, glowing as if waiting for the opportunity to strike.
This curse had a unique effect: anyone who lied under its influence would face the punishment of divine will, compelling them to involuntarily confess their deeds.
The golden ropes didn't hurt Carn immediately, but their temperature began to rise, making it clear that he could not dodge the question.
Arthur's voice resonated with commanding force as he leaned in.
"I'll ask you again, Carn Yunho. Did you kill Barney James?"
Carn's eyes flicked to the golden ropes, quickly assessing the spell, and recognizing its effects and threat. He exhaled deeply and moistened his lips, preparing his countermeasure.
Inwardly calm, Carn employed a subtle method to subvert the spell. Instead of using his vocal cords to speak, he manipulated the air around him, compressing and vibrating it to simulate the sound of his voice.
His lips moved naturally, perfectly synchronized with the generated sound, ensuring the illusion was flawless.
With a steady gaze, relaxed posture, and a condescending tone, Carn replied.
"No."
"…"
Nothing happened, but everybody could hear Carn's answer.
This was the weakness of Arthur's spell. It would punish the target if the target uttered a word of falsehood. But it wouldn't affect him if someone else or something answered the question.
Arthur frowned deeply as the ropes and Carn didn't react as he had envisioned. He pressed on.
"Can you transform?"
"No."
"Can you teleport?"
"No."
"Where were you during the lunch break at school today?"
"I had a bad stomach this morning. I went to a washroom and took a big dump," Carn smirked, mocking Arthur.
"Did you go to a washroom, transform into a gargoyle statue, teleport to the classroom, kill Barney James, and teleport back to the washroom to create an alibi?"
"That's the most absurd story I have ever heard. No."
"…"
For the first time, Arthur's expression turned dark. He asked Carn one last time.
"Are you telling me the truth?"
"Yes."
"…"
For a full minute, Arthur locked eyes with Carn. His mind was clouded by frustration and confusion.
His deduction had been nearly flawless. Carn had both the motive and the ability to kill Barney, given his abnormal mana concentration level. Yet, the testimony under the judgment curse contradicted his conclusions.
"Fine."
Though unwilling to accept the result, Arthur dispelled the curse, releasing Carn from its golden bindings. Standing up, he glanced at Rosa.
"Kiddy lady, are you sure he doesn't seem evil to you?"
As always, Rosa remained unresponsive.
Arthur scoffed, slipping another cigarette between his lips. Without lighting it, he gestured toward Carn.
"Kiddy boy, why don't you try saying something to that lady? Maybe you can get her to react."
Sensing Arthur's growing exasperation, Carn smirked. Deciding to poke fun at him, he addressed Rosa in an exaggerated imitation of Arthur's tone.
"Kiddy lady, I'm a sinner, and I wish to make a confession. Will you hear me out?"
At the mention of a confession, Rosa turned her head sharply toward Carn, catching the entire room off guard. The sudden movement startled Arthur and the investigators, who immediately grew tense, wary of her area-wide petrification ability.
Carn chuckled and addressed the group.
"You've all been approaching this the wrong way. She's a nun, so you need to be respectful with your words and actions. See? I just said I wanted to confess a sin, and she reacted. She's probably pissed that you have been keeping her in an enclosure. Let her take some fresh air and pray, Jesus Christ. No pun intended."
Arthur froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. Slapping his forehead, he shook his head in disbelief.
"Of course! She's a devoted nun. How did I miss that? You've got me, kiddy boy." Arthur exhaled deeply, a sly smile returning to his face as he laid another trap. "But now I'm curious. What's your confession, hmm? Oh, don't worry. The testimony is over. Guys, stop recording. The kiddy boy is innocent."
The investigators exchanged uneasy glances, clearly confused by Arthur's command. ECD protocol strictly required continuous recording within any entity enclosure, with every incident immediately reported to Class-A personnel. Yet here was their chief, flouting the rules as if it were a casual suggestion.
Carn inwardly chuckled before turning to Rosa with a mock-serious expression. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, he faced her and began his "confession."
"I played Fortn*te yesterday."
The room went dead silent for a moment.
The younger investigators smirked, quickly catching on to the meme.
"Very sinful. He needs Jesus."
"Absolutely evil. Go see a doctor."
"Disgusting taste. Rehab immediately."
"No class. Go touch grass, boy."
Meanwhile, the older staff frowned in confusion, unable to understand the inside joke.
Rosa tilted her head slightly, clearly puzzled by the comment, then resumed her stoic, statue-like posture, dismissing it as another nonsensical remark.
Arthur shook his head with a weary sigh, standing up and addressing the group.
"Alright, dismissed. Back to the drawing board. Quarantine the perimeter and keep an eye out for a potential doppelganger in disguise."
The investigators relaxed, shuffling toward the elevator in groups. However, since it couldn't accommodate everyone at once, Arthur, Carn, Tasha, and a few others remained behind to wait for the next trip.
As the seconds ticked by, Arthur's frustration over his earlier failed deductions still gnawed at him. He couldn't resist taking another jab at Carn.
"Kiddy boy, don't think you're off the hook just yet. You'll need to retake the mana concentration test."
Carn groaned, "Are you still suspecting me? Come on, give it a rest already."
Arthur's expression remained sharp. "No 16-year-old has that much mana. And, for the record, most hunters with your level of mana concentration can teleport."
The statement was half-true and half-false. Arthur knew that teleportation spells were notoriously complex and risky. Despite extensive research, many hunters had failed miserably. A botched teleport often resulted in horrifying injuries, with parts of the body or entire organs failing to teleport along with the main body.
The current minimum threshold for a successful teleportation spell hovered around a 25% mana concentration rate, but the mortality rate for attempts still sat at a staggering 70%. On the other hand, disguise spells were much simpler and widely accessible, making them far easier to pull off.
Knowing Arthur was still probing for cracks in his story, Carn collected his thoughts and probed back.
"How many hunters have mastered the teleportation spell so far?" Carn asked, feigning curiosity.
Arthur smirked, exaggerating the figure for effect. "About 500. Heh."
Rosa, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, provided Carn with the correct answer through telepathy.
"That's wrong. Only two or three are still intact, and they don't even teleport as often as we do. That's what they get for relying on incomplete Aether."
Carn silently appreciated Rosa's input and pretended to be impressed. "If there are that many, how come you're not suspecting THEM of committing... whatever crime this is?"
Arthur shot him a sharp look, clearly hoping for a slip-up. He replied with a mock complaint. "Yeah, I thought of that too. But, you know, nobody else was near THAT OFFICE, except you kiddy."
Carn froze for a split second.
'Office? What office?'
Arthur had never mentioned where the crime took place. It seemed that he was testing Carn again.
While Carn masked his reaction, Arthur continued with his casual yet calculated tone, watching for any cracks in Carn's facade.
"We also found some interesting items at Barney's house. Seems like he had a thing for young boys like you. Makes me wonder if one of his potential victims got tired of him and decided to kill him first." Arthur grinned darkly, leaning in. "You fit the bill perfectly. Sorry, kiddy boy, if you're innocent. No pun intended. Heh."
Again, Arthur lied. All victims were young women who had been reported missing. Some of the victims turned out to be volunteers of the church.
Carn rolled his eyes, getting tired of Arthur's antics. He stopped talking, letting the man play his game alone.
*DING*
Fortunately, the elevator returned. Arthur swiped his ID card and let everybody get in, going back to the surface.
But as the elevator's doors closed, Rosa warned Carn through telepathy.
"Master, don't lose your temper and attack the saint. We're not in our dungeon."
Carn sighed and replied, "I know. I ain't stupid."
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