Free Web NovelChapter 147: Chapter 147: Mist Crown City
Mist Crown City appeared from fog like a half-remembered kingdom.
Tall white towers rose beyond silver walls. Bridges hung between buildings. Banners drifted without wind. The streets were clean, but strangely empty. Statues of crowned figures stood at every intersection, their faces worn smooth.
The mission panel appeared.
[Floor 28: Mist Crown City]
[Main Mission]
Uncover the false ruler and open the eastern gate before the third night.
[Sub-Missions]
1. Gain access to the royal district.
2. Identify 3 false decrees.
3. Protect civilians from mist punishment.
4. Avoid accepting crown authority.
5. Discover the true crown’s fate.
[Warning]
Those who accept a crown may inherit its enemies.]
Qin Mo immediately pointed at sub-mission four.
"No crown."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"No crown."
They entered the city.
Unlike Ashen Market City, trade was not the main danger here. Authority was.
Mist soldiers patrolled the roads, announcing decrees from scrolls.
"By order of the Crown, all travelers must surrender weapons at dusk."
"By order of the Crown, all citizens must report suspicious memories."
"By order of the Crown, no one may speak of the eastern gate."
The decrees carried law pressure.
Qin Yuheng activated Law-Thread Severing Eye.
Some decrees had clean city-law threads.
Others were false—mist threads wrapped around empty authority. free𝑤ebnovel.com
They identified the first false decree when soldiers tried to confiscate weapons from travelers.
Qin Yuheng challenged the decree using the Lawful Trade Seal principles and Pure Vow Intention Crystal. The scroll burned away, revealing a mist parasite attached to the soldier’s armor.
[False Decree identified: 1 / 3]
The soldier collapsed, freed from control.
Civilians nearby stared in shock.
One old woman whispered, "The crown lies?"
Qin Yuheng answered carefully.
"Someone speaks in its name."
That distinction mattered.
The second false decree involved memory reporting. Mist officials were forcing citizens to surrender memories of the eastern gate. Qin Lian discovered a hidden chamber where memories were stored in glass jars.
Qin Mo broke the storage formation without shattering the memories.
[False Decree identified: 2 / 3]
The third false decree forbade mourning the old king.
That led them to the royal district.
At the palace gate stood a throne made of fog.
On it sat the Mist Crown Regent, wearing a crown with no face beneath it.
[Mist Crown Regent]
[Level: 35]
[Status: False ruler]
[Authority: Unstable]
The Regent smiled.
"You are a commander. Take the crown. Rule properly. End confusion."
A crown appeared before Qin Yuheng.
Panel:
[Mist Crown Authority offered.]
[Accepting authority grants control over city guards and direct path to final boss.]
[Warning: Crown enemies inherited.]
Qin Mo whispered, "No crown."
Qin Yuheng did not touch it.
"I do not need to rule what I came to free."
The crown cracked slightly.
The Regent’s smile vanished.
The fight began.
Mist soldiers attacked, but Qin Yuheng avoided killing them. They were controlled civilians or remnants. Qin Lian cut control threads. Qin Mo disrupted decree formations. Qin Yuchen held the palace gate. Qin Yuheng advanced toward the Regent.
The Regent used authority attacks: kneel, surrender, obey.
Gate Thunder Command Field resisted because Qin Yuheng’s class command was based on willing acceptance, not domination.
The contrast weakened the Regent.
At the palace center, they found the true crown.
It was broken and sealed beneath the throne, still protecting the city from full mist collapse.
The true king had shattered his own crown to prevent the Regent from inheriting legitimate authority.
The hidden objective appeared.
[True Crown fate discovered.]
[Option]
1. Restore crown and accept temporary rule.
2. Destroy false regent and leave crown broken.
3. Purify crown fragment and release city authority.]
Qin Mo looked at Qin Yuheng.
"Option one has crown."
"No."
Option two was simpler but might leave the city unstable.
Option three was harder.
They chose three.
Purifying the crown fragment awakened the Regent’s true form: a mist parasite wearing stolen authority.
[Crown Mist Parasite]
[Level: 35]
[Floor Boss]
The final battle took place in the throne hall.
The parasite tried repeatedly to crown Qin Yuheng by force, sending mist crowns toward his head. The Karma-Burden Severing Chain broke one. The Vow-Cleansing Law Crystal dissolved another. Qin Mo anchored the true crown fragment. Qin Lian cut mist tendrils. Qin Yuchen guarded civilians trapped in the hall.
Qin Yuheng struck the parasite’s authority core with thunder and law resistance.
The false crown shattered.
[Crown Mist Parasite defeated.]
[Mist Crown City authority released.]
[Eastern gate opened.]
[Final Evaluation greatly increased.]
As the city faded, the old woman from earlier bowed.
"The crown is gone," she said. "But the city can breathe."
Qin Yuheng looked at the broken throne.
He had refused rule.
And that had been the correct command.
