A chill rose from Ron’s spine.
Hundreds of vibrant lives, "protectively" sealed within this underground crypt.
The boundary between protection and imprisonment was unsettlingly blurred.
"Eternal slumber? Just like those Great Wizards in the Court of Truth?"
His voice was unusually dry, recalling those specimen libraries in the Court of Truth.
"No, this is quite different from the specimen library, where there are old zombies long meant to die but yet live. Here, it’s vibrant humans being preserved."
Uther moved towards the nearest Crystal Coffin, inside which lay a youth seemingly in his teens.
The youth’s visage was as exquisite as a work of art, yet the absolute stillness invoked an indescribable fear:
"This ’bloodline preservation’ is rather popular among the Witch Kings."
The old professor’s phantom became even more ethereal under the Crystal reflection:
"The genetic traits of the Witch King’s bloodline are excessively potent, each member born with intense innate intuition. But this also makes them susceptible to various curses and high-level erosions."
Ron recalled Lady Allen teaching him during his apprenticeship: Intuition itself was a curse...
"Around the early Fourth Era, the entire Crown Clan experienced a catastrophic collective mutation event, allegedly caused by the clash between the King of Absurdity and some ancient god from an Exotic Realm."
Uther’s tone grew heavier:
"All members started showing signs of mutation, symptoms included but were not limited to: uncontrollable violent impulses, distortion of reality perception, the rampant outbreak of Bloodline Power..."
"How does it compare with Eve now?"
Ron remembered the sickly condition of the Black-haired Princess.
"Eve was artificially cultivated, and her current condition is somewhat Cassandra’s own doing... but the other clan members aren’t much better off."
Uther shook his head with a bitter smile:
"Some clan members back then were even worse. They would unconsciously unleash destructive power, even attacking their own kin."
"To protect the bloodline heritage, the King of Absurdity had no choice but to seal most of the kin, leaving only a few outstanding individuals outside to maintain clan operations."
The professor pointed to the sleeping figures:
"These people are still alive, merely in an intensely deep slumber. Their time is nearly halted, awaiting a day when a cure for the bloodline curse can be found."
Ron felt an inexplicable sense of oppression.
This wasn’t mere Death, but a more cruel state of existence—alive, yet never waking.
"Does the Tower Master know about this place?"
He took a breath and returned to calm.
"Of course she knows."
Uther’s expression grew complex:
"In fact, before each major decision, she would come here, conducting some ceremonial ’reporting’ to these sleeping clan members. Although they cannot respond, Cassandra insists she’s making decisions on behalf of the entire clan."
As Uther spoke, Ron imagined the eerie scene of the Black-haired Witch muttering to the Crystal Coffins.
Well, it seemed Cassandra had long been mentally deranged.
"And Eve? Does she know about this?"
"Certainly not letting her know."
Uther shook his head, his tone carrying a protective sense:
"Cassandra believes these images would negatively impact Eve’s Spirit. After all, seeing all one’s family in such a state is great psychological trauma for anyone."
Ron nodded, yet his mind drifted to other thoughts.
He silently began counting the number of coffins before him.
Hundreds of top-tier talented Crown Clan members... If they all awakened, what kind of terrifying power would it be?
"Don’t dwell too much."
Uther seemed to perceive his thoughts:
"These preservations have lasted thousands of years; the difficulty in unsealing is far greater than one might imagine."
"Come on, our destination lies deeper within."
They traversed through this forest of Crystal Coffins, with Ron endeavoring not to focus on the faces of the sleeping.
At the deepest part of the hall, there was a relatively smaller yet more exquisite circular space.
On the ground was a massive six-pointed Array, with each line embedded with some special metal, emitting a faint glow.
At each of the six vertices of the Array, there were fist-sized special Crystals, their glow invoking deep unease.
"Absurd Crystals."
Uther explained, his voice carrying reverence:
"These are direct manifestations of the King of Absurdity’s power, each containing pure paradoxical laws."
Ron carefully observed those Crystals.
The Crystals presented scenes defying all logic:
Water simultaneously flowing upwards and downwards, coexisting in the same space;
Light both bright and dark, forming an indescribable visual paradox;
Flames both freezing and burning, the perfect unity of stillness and motion...
Each image was a direct challenge to the logic of reality, striking a strong impact on the observer’s reason.
"This is the ’activated Magic Pool,’"
Uther moved to the center of the Array, his phantom beginning to emit stronger silver light:
"It can fundamentally alter your Radiation Field, granting life-like Traits, and is a key step to achieving Moon Level."
"I recall you mentioning that Moon Level requires three conditions."