Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 32: Interrogation (2)

"Benjamin," Caleb said with a straight face, watching as the artifact’s screen glowed red, indicating a lie.

’So, it doesn’t matter if your heart rate and breathing stay steady. The artifact will still catch it,’ Caleb observed. ’Then, there’s only one option. Their reaction to this will decide my next move.’

"Mr. Caleb, we’re not here to play games," Velanna said, her frown deepening. "This is a serious matter—one that could determine your life or death. Any confession given here can and will be used against you."

Caleb nodded in acknowledgment.

Velanna’s tone remained composed, but she wasn’t surprised. She had seen countless others try to test the artifact’s accuracy during interrogations.

"I will ask again. What is your name?" she repeated firmly.

"My name is Caleb Zane," he replied. This time, the artifact stayed silent.

Velanna glanced at the device before looking back at Caleb. Satisfied, she continued.

"Are you a noble?"

"No," Caleb said calmly.

"Where do you come from?"

"Earth."

The artefact recorded no reaction, but his answer drew raised eyebrows from everyone in the room.

His response was peculiar because there was no place known as Earth. While they understood the term itself, the idea of it being the name of a location was baffling.

"So, you’re not a citizen of the kingdom?" Velanna pressed, her frown deepening. The artefact had confirmed his honesty, leaving her unable to dispute the claim.

"I am now," Caleb replied with a weak smile. Once again, the artefact remained silent. However, his choice of words left the elf visibly perplexed.

"What do you mean by that?" Velanna asked, seeking clarity.

Caleb, however, opted for silence, offering no further explanation.

Velanna’s frown deepened. "Need I remind you—"

"I’ve spoken the truth, woman," Caleb cut her off, his tone firm and unyielding. "Ask questions relevant to the charges against me. Nothing more, nothing less."

His words and the steady calm of the artefact left no room for argument. Velanna paused, clearly irritated, but glanced briefly at the clerk before refocusing on Caleb. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"Of course," she acknowledged, regaining her composure. She shifted her focus back to the interrogation. "How do you know Baron Ezekiel Zeke?"

"I don’t know him," Caleb said with a casual shrug, then added, "But you should already know what he tried to do to me, shouldn’t you?"

Velanna remained silent, her gaze briefly flicking to the artefact. Since Caleb’s initial obvious lie, none of his responses had been flagged as untruthful. However, while truthful, his answers were anything but straightforward.

As for his question, Velanna knew the truth—denying it would be an insult to the integrity of their office.

"So, you decided to take matters into your own hands?" Velanna countered. "You could have reported this to the kingdom."

"And then what?" Caleb leaned forward, his frown deepening as his voice turned low and guttural. "Wait for the kingdom to act while the Baron makes another attempt on my life?"

He scoffed in open ridicule. "I think not."

"You should know that any action against the nobles of this kingdom is punishable by death in most cases," Velanna replied, unfazed by his tone. "Knowing this, you still went through with it. Why?"

"I’m a commoner—and an orphan, no less. Would the kingdom really waste its resources investigating claims made by someone like me?"

Caleb hissed, his frustration bleeding into his words. "At best, you’d toss me a few coins as compensation and give the Baron a slap on the wrist."

His glare intensified as he added, "Be glad he’s still alive."

Velanna held her composure, her expression unreadable. "Your words aren’t helping your case," she said evenly, her tone betraying neither anger nor pity. It was clear this wasn’t her first time in this room.

"And what exactly does the kingdom intend to do with me?" Caleb shot back, his voice laced with defiance.

"We’ll get to that," Velanna replied, her tone sharpening. "Next question: Did what you do to the Baron involve demonic magic?"

"Demonic?" Caleb raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement creeping into his expression. "Is that what you think I used?"

The elf said nothing, her green eyes fixed on him, waiting for his response.

"Haa..." Caleb exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "No, it’s not demonic magic. If you must know, it’s an innate ability of mine."

Velanna’s gaze flicked to the truth decipherer. ’No reaction. An innate ability? Never heard of something like that before.’

The reports on Caleb didn’t just cover what he’d done to the Baron but also detailed his actions against the Baron’s hired goons. She intended to get to that soon enough.

"What exactly did you do to him?" she asked, her voice cold and measured. "And is it reversible? Your answer will heavily influence your punishment."

Caleb met her gaze with a flat expression, then broke into a small, sardonic smile. "So, even after what he tried to do, all you care about is whether he can be fixed?"

Velanna didn’t flinch, her silence speaking volumes.

"I disrupted his neurological function, weakened his bone density and production, and amplified his pain receptors," Caleb explained, his voice steady and unflinching. "I left him in eternal agony."

He paused, shaking his head lightly, his smile fading.

Velanna and everyone in the room exhaled lightly, their imaginations filling in the horrific details of what Caleb described.

The thought of leaving a person in such a brutal, unrelenting state was enough to make even the most hardened individual shudder.

"While I could reverse what I did to him, I won’t," Caleb stated coldly, unshaken by the consequences. "That’s his eternal punishment."

Velanna leaned back in her chair, her usual confident demeanour faltering slightly. Fear seeped into her voice, a crack in her composed exterior.

"You’re bold," she observed, clearly unsettled by Caleb’s response.

"I also understand you did something to a group of adventurers," she continued, attempting to regain her focus.

Caleb’s lips curled into a smirk. "Yes. If you’d done your investigation properly, you wouldn’t even need to ask." His tone was laced with bitterness, and he could already sense the kingdom’s priorities—he didn’t like it one bit.

"Do you even intend to punish the Baron for his actions?" Caleb pressed, his voice thick with disdain. "Because from where I’m sitting, all you seem to care about is protecting your precious noble."

His gaze burned with frustration. "Is this how the commoners are treated in this kingdom? The nobles get a free pass while the commoners are silenced and oppressed?"

Velanna’s eyes narrowed, but she had no words to refute his statement. This was beyond her scope—she wasn’t tasked with answering those questions.

"You’re asking the wrong person," she responded stiffly, her professional composure reasserting itself. "And I’m the one asking questions here."

Caleb sneered. "Well, good for you," he muttered, already feeling the decision he needed to make growing clearer by the minute. "Go ahead then."

Velanna, still holding herself together, continued with the interrogation. Caleb answered her questions with precision, and after a while, Velanna was satisfied with his responses.

"You can take him away now," she ordered, signalling the knights. They stepped forward, preparing to escort Caleb back to his cell.

As Velanna retrieved the lingering trace of magic from Caleb’s aura, something caught her attention. She paused, her gaze lingering on Caleb as he was led out of the room.

’Why does the trace of mana feel different?’ she wondered, frowning slightly as she watched him disappear through the door.

But with no idea what exactly it meant, she brushed it aside.