Chapter 912: The Controller of the Royal Artifact
Chapter 912: The Controller of the Royal Artifact
"The power of the Thorns... You're talking about the Thorn Necklace, right?"
Lindsey knew that Alice wouldn't harm him, so he naturally retreated with her.
Alice spoke simultaneously, "That's right. Each of the three Royal Artifacts possesses its own unique symbol and power."
"The White Steel Sword, which I once wielded, symbolizes royalty and is the strongest weapon that never breaks. The Codex of Human Wisdom in your hands symbolizes the law and also holds the omnipotent power to grant wishes. And this final Thorn Necklace symbolizes the authority of the City of Law and an inviolable force."
"To gain the recognition of this Royal Artifact, an Awakened One can unleash unimaginable power!"
Lindsey asked bluntly, "Be more specific with your words. Don't use abstract descriptions."
Alice replied directly, "The Thorn Necklace can evolve into thorns that pierce through everything, just like what you're seeing now—it can bring immense pain to people or completely halt their actions."
"..."
Lindsey continued to retreat.
He glanced at the city, where the thorns were boundless and still spreading within.
Naturally, Lindsey also recalled the last message Yana Fien had sent him.
The Thorn Necklace had been in the City of Law for so many years.
Heart's Edge, out of respect for the royal bloodline, might not have dared to touch it, but what about others?
Lindsey guessed the truth and asked Alice, "Alice, in the past, those who used the Thorn Necklace were probably Awakened Ones, right?"
Alice answered without hesitation, "It's a Royal Artifact. Normally, it would only be possessed by the ruler of the City of Law..."
Alice immediately realized, "Wait! Lindsey, what do you mean?"
"Don't tell me that a Royal Artifact is being held by an ordinary person! By a commoner without Essence!"
Lindsey's right eyelid twitched uncontrollably, "If things are as I suspect—then the word 'wield' might need to be rephrased."
The two continued to retreat.
When they reached the hill outside the city, overlooking the city from a higher altitude, the scene ahead became clearer.
The massive thorns, at their initial burst, were the fastest.
The summit and the castle were enveloped in an instant, and the countless humans living in the inner ring district were also completely covered within seconds. Only in the middle and outer ring districts did people notice the situation and start fleeing.
Looking at the people and objects covered in thorns, Lindsey noticed a discrepancy between the state of the city and what Alice had described.
Regardless of life or death, regardless of their state.
All things pierced by the thorns froze in an instant.
Those who rose to escape stopped mid-motion; the vagrants in the Shadow Alley trying to flee had their steps frozen in place; and most people, awakened from their sleep, stared wide-eyed, stiff as boards on their beds.
It was as if time had frozen over the city and its inhabitants.
The scale of the thorns was so immense that even Lindsey's information-gathering skill, from a distance, revealed its attributes.
Lindsey turned to Alice, "Alice, I have a question for you."
"The user of the Thorn Necklace, through their powerful will, achieved their goal but failed to contain this terrifying power afterward..."
"What would happen if someone activates the power of a Royal Artifact but is unable to control it afterward?"
Alice gently shook her head. "The situation you described has never occurred, so I can't simply guess an answer for you."
"But what if an ordinary person were to use a Royal Artifact..."
"Based on my experience, the Royal Artifact in the City of Law would definitely not harm an ordinary person, but the price of forcing its use might be death."
Lindsey asked, "Can terminating the process early save her?"
Lindsey's question seemed to remind Alice of something. She looked ahead, her expression becoming incredibly complex.
"Terminating the process early..."
"Lindsey, the problem might be more serious than you think."
"If you want to terminate the process, you must first remove the Thorn Necklace from her through its wearer."
Lindsey instantly understood Alice's meaning. "But to find the wearer of the Thorn Necklace, we'd have to enter the City of Law and get through all these layers of thorns!"
"..."
Both fell silent, completing an interesting cycle.
The power of the Thorn Necklace spread throughout the city, rendering everyone and everything immobile.
To lift the thorns' coverage, one must forcibly remove the Thorn Necklace from the wearer's neck.
The wearer of the Thorn Necklace was now in the city center.
Lindsey smiled bitterly and asked Alice, "What about forcing our way through?"
Alice returned a similar smile. "That's a Royal Artifact!"
"Lindsey, just think about your Codex of Human Wisdom and my White Steel Sword, and you'll understand the difficulty of forcing our way through."
"..."
Their gazes met, and more unrest came from the direction of the city.
The innermost ring of the City of Law was completely under the control of the Thorn Necklace's power, and nothing could escape.
However, in the middle and outer rings, faster Awakened individuals might still have a chance to escape.
Ordinary people living in the outer ring of the city might also manage to escape if they reacted quickly enough.
The Law Guardians guarding the city gate had never seen such a scene.
But they also knew the situation was exceptional, so they opened the gates to let the refugees out.
"..."
Lindsey and Alice watched the scene in silence.
They had gained rich management experience in the Mooncry Mountain Range world.
The City of Law was too vast, and although the number of people who escaped was proportionally small, it had already reached tens of thousands.
They had escaped, but what next?
The people were alive, but their subsequent housing, food, and survival would become enormous challenges.
In contrast, being controlled by the thorns in the city might be a less exhausting option.
As a Hedonist, Alice immediately stood up and walked forward when she thought of their plight.
"Lindsey, I want to help these people."
"Can I borrow your Survival Construction module? Preferably one with a longer duration?"
Without hesitation, Lindsey directly created a skill seed and tossed it to her.
He also stepped forward, saying, "Alice, don't be too discouraged."
"The power of the Thorn Necklace is certainly challenging to resolve, but you know—my power is considerable, so there might be a way?"
(End of Chapter)
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