Limitless Undead System! I can Copy all Undead attributes.-Chapter 77: The Choice with Bridges 2 this mad man is after us!
The party of Half-Awakened stared at the group, their bodies tense from the weight of the decision before them. Some wore openly worried expressions, eyes darting between the bridges and Steven. Others, less subtle and far more bitter, looked as though they genuinely wished Julius had succeeded in pushing Steven off the edge of the platform earlier.
Unfortunately for them, those daydreams would remain exactly that—daydreams.
That moment had passed.
Now, all that remained was silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence settled over the platform as the group stood frozen, each person wrestling with the same question: Could Steven be trusted? No one spoke it aloud, but it hung in the air like a poisonous fog.
Steven smiled.
Not because of the danger. Not because of the tension.
But because of the realization that, in this exact moment, he held all the power.
Even if he was telling the truth... especially if he was telling the truth, he looked like a liar. His posture, the lazy tilt of his head, the faint curl of amusement on his lips; everything about him screamed deception.
"Why don’t you go on it first?" Brian insisted, his voice sharp and unyielding.
Steven visibly shuddered, taking a deliberate step back as if the mere suggestion offended him. "Nah," he replied, forcing out a nervous chuckle. "I’m scared of heights. And you can’t force me to do that." He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I only gave you directions based on the knowledge given to me by my sponsor. Even I’m not completely sure."
Brian clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached.
’It’s almost like the bastard already knows all the answers before the questions are asked.’
"You aren’t even sure?" Brian snapped. "Then how the hell are we supposed to trust your word and cross?"
Steven sighed, pressing his lips together as he rolled his head slightly from side to side, feigning deep thought. The act was exaggerated, almost theatrical, before he finally spoke.
"I guess," he said slowly, "the bravest of us would have to test that."
The bravest?
Julius’s eyes narrowed.
Now he was certain of it.
This bastard was paranoid, but worse than that, he was manipulative. He wasn’t just misleading them; he was sowing doubt, stirring fear, forcing them to turn on each other. He wanted chaos. He wanted desperation.
’I am smarter than that,’ Julius told himself firmly. ’No, tricks like that won’t work on me.’
"I was raised in a rich family," Julius said, stepping forward with his arms spread wide, his voice calm but sharp-edged. "I know manipulation when I see it. Something the poor wouldn’t understand. Not a rat like you."
A few gasps rippled through the group.
Steven merely snorted. "Suit yourself, smart wag."
Julius didn’t rise to the insult. He remained composed, his confidence unshaken. In his mind, this was already over. He had seen through Steven’s game, and now he would prove it.
"I know the right bridge," Julius declared. "Thanks to the delay you had when you checked them earlier. You thought you were clever enough to hide it, but you can’t fool me." He puffed his chest slightly. "Julius Armadra!"
His voice echoed faintly across the open space.
More daring than Steven had expected.
Still, no one spoke. No one tried to stop him.
They only watched.
Julius turned and began walking toward the first bridge, his strides confident, his chin held high. As he reached the edge, the sight of the bridge made his throat tighten. It was old, ancient even. The wooden planks were discolored with age, some warped, others cracked. The ropes on either side were frayed, strands hanging loose like exposed nerves.
For a brief moment, he hesitated.
Then he turned back.
"Once I cross the bridge, Silva!" Julius shouted. "Behead him on my behalf, and on behalf of my fallen comrade, Snart!"
His eyes burned as he shot Steven one final, venomous glare before stepping onto the bridge.
The wood creaked beneath his weight.
It swayed gently at first, as though testing him.
Still, it held.
Julius placed both hands on the rope rails, fingers tightening as the bridge rocked more violently with each step. The height beneath him was dizzying, an endless sea of white clouds, thick and rolling, obscuring whatever waited below.
Yet he did not falter.
Not once.
Fear gnawed at the back of his mind, but he crushed it beneath sheer willpower. The thought that this might be the wrong bridge tried to surface, but he buried that too.
No.
He had a goal.
And when a man has a goal, when he is determined enough, nothing can stop him.
His goal was simple.
Steven’s head rolling across the stone.
That alone was enough to keep his feet moving.
He reached the middle of the bridge.
That was when something strange happened.
CLACK!
The sound was sharp and unnatural.
Steven spun around instantly, his face draining of color as panic exploded across his features. Without a word, he bolted toward the far side of the platform.
The sudden movement stunned everyone.
Brian reacted first.
He lunged forward, grabbing Steven by the wrist with brute force and yanking him back, wrapping an arm tightly around his torso in a crushing hold.
"Where the hell are you going, you liar?!" Brian roared.
Gasps and shouts erupted all at once.
Hands flew to mouths. Eyes widened with manic excitement.
"He was lying! Take off his fucking head!"
"Hold him down!"
"Silva, kill him where he stands!"
The once-calm group descended into frenzy, fear finally snapping into rage.
Shawn reacted differently.
He sprinted forward, planting himself between the mob of Awakened and Steven’s group, his arms spread wide.
"You all should stop!" he yelled.
No one listened.
Some pushed forward regardless, bloodlust gleaming in their eyes. Silva, however, remained still, her expression unreadable, her blade still sheathed.
Shawn’s chest tightened.
At this point, he had no choice.
Reality warped.
Two armored knights materialized beside him, identical in form to Nott the Honourable, their presence heavy and oppressive.
"If you don’t stop!" Shawn screamed, his face burning red. "I’ll make them attack you!"
His hands trembled.
He had never killed real human beings before. The thought terrified him. He was far more afraid of killing than of dying for supporting Steven.
Still—
If anyone crossed his line, he would kill without hesitation.
Because for someone willing to face an Eldritch to save a friend...
What limit could there be to his loyalty?
From afar, Julius smiled.
Chaos bloomed behind him, exactly as he had anticipated.
He was nearly across the bridge now. And judging by Steven’s reaction, this was clearly the correct one.
"Checkmate, bastard," Julius chuckled.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Silva slowly draw her blade, steel whispering as it left the scabbard.
Snap!
The sound cracked through the air like thunder.
Everything froze.
All eyes snapped to Julius.
Shit.
The sensation was instant. Weightlessness. The sickening realization that something fundamental had failed.
’But... I think... the bridge just snapped!’
"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
The bridge tore loose from both ends.
Julius’s body plunged downward, arms flailing as he vanished into the endless clouds below. His screams echoed! Stretching far too long, carving themselves into the minds of everyone present.
Then silence.
A dreadful silence.
Many staggered back, legs shaking.
Brian released Steven, his grip loosening as his hands began to tremble violently. He dropped to his knees, gasping, breaths tearing from his chest in broken heaves.
Steven ran.
No one stopped him.
No one had the strength.
Reaching the wall, Steven unzipped his trousers and relieved himself against the stone.
Pure mockery.
Pure evil.
Silva’s stomach twisted.
’He’s playing with our lives. He has all the power—and I can’t see his fate.’ Her jaw tightened. ’Because of how he interacted with Julius, I couldn’t see his face either. Not until the deed was done.’
A notification flared before her vision.
[The Fateless Lord is interfering with your abilities]
[Precision has been reduced by 30%]
Silva stiffened, tearing her gaze away from Steven to the two remaining bridges—and then back to him.
"And I’m next."
***Author’s note***
This is my authors note! Please support the work, we haven’t seen promotion for almost three weeks. If it is gifts, please support, if it is Patreon! Please support.
We still need more support for the Author to eat next month. If support doesn’t come! The Author might go extinct.
Please I am pleading! Support this book.
