SWDnovel Chapter 86 Friggia's Scepter
Chapter 86 Friggia's Scepter
It was quite a distance from the meeting place to the house that Zag had rented, but it wasn't easy to rent a carriage there. The carriages sent by the association's headquarters were reserved for transporting the cultists who were half-frozen to death, so Liam and Zag had no choice but to walk back.
Fortunately, the Eastern Port is a very small city—at least for Zag, it's not too far to walk back, and it won't even take an hour.
On the way, after much hesitation, Zag finally asked, "Are there really many cults like this? Are they everywhere?"
"While the association does deal with some cults every year, sometimes even a dozen or so, it's not really like what Lyra said," Liam explained. "At least, incidents this egregious and cults of this size are rare. This is the first time I've encountered something like this in all my years in East Port. Most of the time, those so-called cults are just a bunch of con artists; very few people actually pray to some unknown deity, let alone 'create' a 'god' like this organization did. But..."
"You know, sometimes it's not that everything will be fine if you don't pray. Those swindlers always have to do something to gain people's trust, which can easily lead to the loss of control in the field of mysticism. I heard that the veiled creatures that descended on Margarita Island this time were a case of this."
"So that's why you took that...what...scepter?"
As Zag spoke, he pointed to the ornate staff that Liam was holding in his hand.
He'd been curious about this thing for a long time!
Liam raised the staff, held it in his hand, and showed it to Zag, saying, "Yes, it's Friggia's Scepter, one of the Ice Queen's artifacts, and one of the ten artifacts collected by the Golden Palace. With it, unless the Demon God himself descends, even a legendary archmage can only hold out for a few seconds."
"Just for a few seconds?" Zag asked, somewhat disappointed, and bluntly pointed out to Liam, "Besides, you spent several minutes just chanting the spell. Are you sure you'd have a chance to chant a spell in front of a legendary archmage?"
Liam shrugged. "You could also burn your soul to use it directly, but you wouldn't want to know the consequences. So chanting a spell and using the artifact's own power to enhance the magic is the best option."
The reliefs on the staff were excessively exquisite, depicting numerous figures, buildings, and animals that seemed to tell a story. Zag was not familiar with the history of mysticism, so he could not tell what story was being carved on it, but even the smallest figures, no bigger than a thumb, were clearly distinguishable down to the last strand of hair. The artistic value alone was enough to leave one in awe.
After admiring the staff for a while, Zag asked, "Divine artifact... this term sounds like a magical item used by gods? Are only the items of the Nine Holy Spirits considered divine artifacts?"
"Pretty much. In fact, almost all demon gods have their own divine artifacts, and most have more than one. Some demon gods like to bestow their divine artifacts upon their followers, while others do not."
"Normally, artifacts are very powerful and easy to use; even children can use them easily. However, the negative effects caused by the pollution they carry are terrifying. If you can't handle it well, it's best not to use it, otherwise it might be your last time alive."
Liam told a really lame joke, and Zag tried to force a smile, but couldn't manage a laugh, so he continued to focus on the staff: "So what are the downsides of this Friggia's Scepter?"
"Frigia is the goddess of ice and snow, and also represents order and absolute rationality. She hates change, so her anger will lead to absolute stillness... which is actually death. But what is more terrifying than death is that absolute stillness is a state in which even the soul cannot escape."
"If you simply die, your soul can go to Valhalla, or to the kingdom of the god you believe in, including the kingdom of the dead, but a soul corrupted by Friggia's scepter will be frozen directly until death, reaching eternal stillness."
"As for what 'eternal stillness' is, it's hard to explain. It doesn't mean you stay there motionless, but rather that you are completely erased from the world—because you are forever frozen in that moment of stillness, while the world keeps rolling forward."
"What they show is that they disappear instantly, and so far there has been no survivor who has been able to return after disappearing."
"The more you resist, the greater the malice brought by its contamination will become. Therefore, those who use Friggia's scepter are generally required to remain rational and calm, and try to find a balance to slow down the contamination brought by this artifact."
Upon hearing this explanation, Zag suddenly understood. He muttered to himself, "No wonder you're the one using this artifact..."
He's starting to wonder if all mages are like Liam and Frant, with no emotional fluctuations and expressionless faces.
Or perhaps this is a required course for some kind of sorcerer.
Liam, on the other hand, had a really good attitude, jokingly saying, "I'll take that as a compliment."
These words gave Zag goosebumps. He looked at Liam and said, "You've told two lame jokes today."
Liam immediately apologized: "I'm sorry, this is an effect of Friggia's scepter, I'm trying my best to control it."
"It will make you more lively? I thought this magical artifact would make you even more expressionless."
Liam replied, "It triggers your emotions, and I'm trying to fight it."
"Then why not put it away? Maybe then we wouldn't have to fight back? And there shouldn't be any danger now, right?"
"This artifact is special. Once you start using it, you can't stop until the next dawn. And the farther you are from it, the greater its malice towards you will be, and the more uncontrollable your emotions will become. So I have no choice but to keep it in my hands."
"It sounds like it has developed self-awareness."
As Zag spoke, he couldn't help but move a little further away from Liam, his face showing a clear sense of respect and distance.
"Perhaps. If it really has self-awareness, maybe I can please it and not have to work so hard to fight against its negative effects... To be honest, I think I have a talent for this. The ladies at the Golden Palace Buddhist Research Institute have a very high opinion of me."
Liam made another not-so-funny joke, and Zag became even more afraid of the staff.
Look what this thing has done to Liam, who is usually so serious. It's really powerful.
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【Frigia】: Friggia Ordix Kryonix, the Goddess of Ice and Snow, also known as the Frost King or the Lord of Order, governs ice, snow, order, and reason. She is the only Holy Spirit worshipped in the Northern Region and is also the native god of the Dawn Continent. She is not among the Nine Holy Spirits.
Furthermore, she is generally considered to be a tall woman, and it is said that the "extinct" race of giants were her retinue.
It is worth mentioning that this Holy Spirit is considered one of the few beings that does not harbor malice towards humanity, making it the safest place to perform prayer rituals.
The format of the ritual incantation is as follows:
【I call upon you, Queen of Order, Lord of Ice and Snow, Friggia Audix Crionics.】
This section contains the content of your prayer. There is no fixed format, but you must adhere to the principle of clearly stating your prayer.
[This is the concluding remark; simply express sincere gratitude in the context of your clergy.]