A silver gear phantom appeared above the sealed artifact, slowly beginning to rotate.

The gunblade in Ciel’s hand seemed about to explode. Instantly, silver cracks covered the gun body. Silver brilliance emanated from within the cracks. Frantic spiritual alarms began sounding in Oppold’s mind.

No... how is this possible?!

Oppold looked at the gunblade in the young girl’s hand, his originally relaxed mood instantly vanished without a trace.

That sealed artifact was at most made of first or second-tier low-grade materials. He felt no threat from it at all.

But after the red-haired young girl did something unknown, the nature of the gunblade sealed artifact seemed completely changed. A terrifying aura began radiating from the originally low-tier sealed artifact.

Will die.

Looking at the silver light flickering as if breathing, this thought flashed directly through Oppold’s mind.

If he were still in his peak state, he might be able to withstand this sealed artifact’s attack. But now he just experienced a battle, and was also drugged, very weak, unable to actively defend.

The moment he sensed the threat to his life, Oppold decided not to provoke further—he himself had nothing to do with this matter, and even suffered immense pressure from various sides because of it. No need for him to make trouble over this matter.

Oppold could see their purpose was just to investigate the banquet attack five days ago. As long as he proved he didn’t participate, that he was also a victim, it would be fine.

“Wait, I...”

But regretting now was already a bit late.

“Boom—”

Ciel aimed at Oppold’s left hand, directly pulled the trigger. The projectile firing sounded a huge roar. The silver projectile, carrying immense energy, blasted directly towards Oppold’s left arm.

Crack—

Just a crisp sound, the projectile directly penetrated his steel left arm, embedding into the connection between Oppold’s left arm and shoulder, but didn’t pass through.

Intense pain lasted only an instant.

Just when Oppold thought he had withstood this attack, tearing pain came from his right arm.

“Urgh... Urgh ah!!!”

Terrifying dark green branches with silver runes sprouted from the projectile like vines, absorbing Oppold’s flesh and bones, surging out from the bleeding gap, continuously tearing the wound wider.

His steel left arm now seemed inflated with some high-pressure gas, the entire arm starting to twist and deform, emitting harsh sounds of metal fatigue friction. Oppold’s miserable screams also echoed throughout the dungeon.

“Bang!!!”

After Oppold’s left arm swelled to its limit, it abruptly exploded. Flesh, bones, metal fragments scattered like shrapnel. Only a large mass of writhing eerie branches remained, its very top blooming with a huge, blood-colored Roland flower.

The twisting branches almost completely submerged Oppold inside, coiling around him, seeming to devour all his flesh and blood.

And Tara’s white shadow, as if premeditated, blocked before Ciel, shielding her from the splashing bone fragments, metal shards, and minced meat.

Just as Oppold was about to be completely devoured, Ciel put away the stopwatch, gently snapped her fingers. The writhing branches stopped.

She looked at Oppold entangled by the roots, slowly saying, “Now, can we talk properly?”

The terrifying scene made the remaining transcendents present almost collectively fall silent. What made them feel terrified wasn’t the gunblade’s killing power, but the young girl...

She could actually... strengthen an ordinary sealed artifact like this?

Directly changing the sealed artifact’s characteristics? How is this possible?

Sealed artifacts and transcendent items have huge differences.

The latter can be created by transcendents, but the former are all old things preserved for unknown epochs, possessing powerful efficacy while having side effects upon use.

Let alone changing their properties or enhancing them, even destruction is difficult. Even if forcibly destroyed, somewhere in the world, a sealed artifact with almost the same function and side effects would be born by chance.

That’s why the others were so shocked when the sealed artifact changed.

However, compared to those captured, Tara’s expression was much calmer.

After all, it’s the Mother Goddess; doing anything is normal.

Merely changing a sealed artifact’s characteristics, this is just one of the deity’s great powers and authorities, no need to make a fuss.

At this moment, Oppold had long lost his previous arrogance and conceit. The hair on his forehead scattered messily. His pupils trembled looking towards Ciel, tremblingly saying, “I... the assassination incident has nothing to do with me. I am also under investigation by the Queen...”

“Most people here are my acquaintances. Avena is even my cousin. Even I myself was injured. How could I possibly do such a thing...”

“Taking ten thousand steps back, even if I were to launch an attack, I wouldn’t possibly choose my own banquet. Isn’t that the most foolish behavior?”

Oppold knew, such plain information definitely wouldn’t save his life.

His brain spun wildly, thinking of any valuable information.

Soon, inspiration flashed through Oppold’s mind. He quickly looked towards the remaining two hanging people, saying, “Them! They definitely know! They also attended the banquet!”

“The short-haired one, called Lucy Silva, is a senior commissioner of the Deton Group. The pink-haired one, I checked afterwards! Is from the North Ansu Brotherhood! Called Goodwin! I saw them talking at the banquet back then!”

“Mmph mmph!!”

Hearing Oppold’s words, Lucy, who had been hanging pretending to be dead, suddenly struggled violently.

Unsure if due to excessive luck, the hemp rope tying her suddenly broke, letting her fall to the ground, coincidentally spitting out the rag from her mouth.

Seeing the red-haired young girl slowly turning the gun muzzle, Lucy quickly said, “I really don’t know anything! That pink-haired one has records at Deton Manor. I know she often takes missions from Deton Manor. I investigated her profile for a long time so I recognized her, then chatted with her for a few sentences! That’s all!”

“Right! The predecessor of the Orlando Republican Army is the North Ansu Brotherhood! It must be her! It has nothing to do with me!”

Lucy spoke rapidly, full of desire to survive, simultaneously regretting inwardly.

How could she be so unlucky? The “Strong Luck Coin” rolled two reverses, directly got caught by cultists.

Unlucky!!!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com