Chapter 197: I don’t think I can move even if I wanted to

"I can’t let that happen because of me."

Alaric searched Julian’s eyes for a long, agonizing minute. He saw the tremble in the scholar’s hands, but he also saw a strange, desperate spark of certainty. He slowly nodded, relaxing his shoulders.

He believed Julian had a plan—a secret weapon or a trick to bypass the situation.

In reality, Julian was screaming internally.

What do I do? What do I do? I can’t take the truth serum. I...

It was chaos in his mind. He didn’t have a trick or a secret method to bypass this situation at all.

System! I need you! If you’re still there, if you haven’t completely abandoned me to this mess, help me!

As if answering his silent plea, a sharp, melodic ding echoed in his mind, and the purple light of the interface flooded his vision, brighter than it had been in days.

> [MAIN QUEST: THE GOLDEN CAGE]

> [Status: COMPLETED]

> [REWARD ACQUIRED: ELIXIR OF THE SILENT LIAR] Description: A divine-grade potion that deceives even the senses of the gods. Once consumed, any words spoken by the host will be registered as absolute truth by any magical, chemical, or spiritual detection. Your lies become the world’s reality.

> [REWARD ACQUIRED: THE CHRONICLES OF ASTREA (NOVEL PLOT)]

> [Status: LOCKED] Requirement: Survive the Imperial Trial to unlock the full narrative of this world.

Julian’s breath hitched.

An elixir that deceives the gods? This was crazy, but it was it.

He wouldn’t have to reveal his identity as Kim Jowoon. He wouldn’t have to explain the circumstances with the ’other’ Julian, whom he didn’t even know clearly in the first place.

He could weave a story that cleared his name and protected Alaric, and the Sanctum’s most powerful serums would simply nod in agreement.

But his eyes lingered on the second reward. The plot. It was right there, the key to understanding what was going on in this world and what exactly this ’Creator of the system’ wanted from him, yet it was annoyingly out of reach. He had to survive the lions first.

In any case, the Chronicles of Astrea was not a novel he believed he had read before. Then, the plot was completely unknown, not because he forgot, but because he never actually read it.

Now that made sense.

Alaric looked at the door, then back at Julian, his thumb tracing Julian’s cheek one last time.

The blue light of the dawn sky was beginning to bleed through the small, high grate of the cellar, casting long, skeletal shadows across the stone.

"It’s morning," Alaric whispered, his voice thick with a protective sort of exhaustion. "I’m going to step out for a moment. Kaelen is just outside the door; I’ll have him bring something for you to eat. You need your strength before the healers from the Sanctum arrive."

But even as he said this, he hesitated, his hand lingering on Julian’s shoulder.

The memory of that empty bed—of Julian vanishing into thin air in a mere two minutes—clamped around Alaric’s heart like a vice.

What if he walked out and came back in less than two minutes, and he was gone again?

What if...?

But Julian was awake now. He was here, his mismatched eyes reflecting the dim light, looking more like himself than he had a few hours ago.

So, it’ll be fine.

"I’ll be right outside," Alaric promised, more to himself than to Julian. "Do not move."

"I don’t think I can move even if I wanted to," Julian said, smiling awkwardly as he moved his hands that were bound to the chair.

"Right, sorry," he looked sorry that he could not release Julian’s bound hands and legs.

"It’s fine," Julian said. "I think this level of caution is just about right."

Alaric nodded and said, "If anyone other than me tries to enter, scream."

Julian nodded weakly. "I understand, Lucien. And don’t worry, I’m myself right now."

Alaric finally stood up from his knees, his shadow towering over the chair for a final second before he turned.

He stepped toward the heavy iron door, the metal hinges groaning with a piercing, rusted shriek that set Julian’s teeth on edge.

As the door swung open, Julian caught a glimpse of the hallway—lined with Golden Guards in their sun-crested golden plate, their polearms crossed.

They weren’t guarding the Duke, that was for sure. They were all stationed there to keep a monster in its cage. There was no way anything would slip out and in without their notice.

The door slammed shut with a heavy, final thud, and the iron bolt slid into place from the outside.

Julian didn’t waste time and quickly turned to the status window still glowing in his corner vision.

System! Accept reward!

The blue interface pulsed once, and a small, translucent vial—no larger than his pinky finger—materialized in the air. It didn’t drop into his lap; it hovered for a second, glowing with a faint, divine gold before Julian caught it with his teeth.

He couldn’t move his hands, so this was the best bet, but even with his teeth, he nearly dropped it.

The Elixir of the Silent Liar.

The liquid inside was like molten silver, swirling with a life of its own. This was his shield. This was the only thing standing between him and a pyre for ’demonic possession.’

He didn’t know when the physicians would come. He didn’t know if Aurelian would walk through that door in the next ten seconds to force the serum down his throat personally.

He crushed the waxed seal between his teeth, but he was so clumsy with it that it threatened to fall each time.

Hurry... please, hurry...

His eyes darted to the door, listening for the sound of Alaric’s boots or the clank of the guards’ armor. He had to take it now before Alaric came back.

He didn’t want to lie to Alaric, but he didn’t know how to explain this situation at all. The fact that a vial appeared out of nowhere was just insane.

With a sharp pop, the seal finally broke. The scent that wafted from the vial was intoxicating, but he didn’t reminisce on the scent for long and tilted his head back, pressing the glass rim to his parched lips, and swallowed the silver liquid in one desperate gulp.

It didn’t taste like medicine. It tasted like certainty. It was strange, but that was the first thing that came to mind when he tried to make sense of the taste.

Then, a cold, electric shiver raced from his tongue to the very tips of his toes, and for a moment, his entire vision went white.

He felt a strange, shimmering veil settle over his soul—a protective layer that made his thoughts feel separate from his voice.

> [ELIXIR CONSUMED: STATUS - DECEIVER OF GODS]

> [DURATION: 12 HOURS]

> [EFFECT: Any statement made by the host will be validated as the absolute truth by all external, magical, and chemical analysis]