Law artifacts, much like Law skills, were graded into a hierarchical stratification from lowest to highest: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Yet, they were even more precious than skills! While skills could, under certain conditions, be imparted to others, Law artifacts possessed an inherent uniqueness.
Thus, even a Silver-grade artifact, merely one tier above Bronze, was a significant possession. In truth, even among the esteemed Abyssal Knights, Gold-grade artifacts were not standard issue; most wielded Silver-grade armaments as their primary arms. For a newly Awakened Novice Fiend Hunter like Li Ang, owning a mere Bronze artifact would typically be a point of prideworthy to show off.
Furthermore, the "Ancient Silver Cross Necklace" belonged to the Light element, capable of inflicting additional damage upon dark creatures, substantially enhancing its value. It was undoubtedly a refined piece among Silver-grade artifacts. Were it brought to the world of Canglan, it would surely stir the covetousness of many Abyssal Knights.
Li Ang carefully brushed the dust from the necklace and fastened it solemnly around his neck, tucking the cross pendant securely inside his inner garments, concealing it from casual view. The only regret was his current scarcity of skills, making it difficult to properly test the form and potency of the necklace's luminous flame.
Having confirmed the collection room held no other Law artifacts, Li Ang departed and awaited Paul in the cardinal's spacious and opulent study. The television news was saturated with updates on the "pandemic," detailing the outbreak's origins: a month prior, a Boeing 777 from Berlin had landed silently at JFK, nearly all aboard mysteriously dead, carrying in its cargo hold a great wooden coffin containing the sealed Blood Patriarch. The calamity had begun there. The Patriarch had long since escaped the airport, hiding deep within the sewer system. As a progenitor, he rarely engaged directly, preferring to command his Strigoi hordes to attack humans, expanding his kin and territory relentlessly. Humans fell, their numbers dwindling, while the Strigoi multiplied. Without locating and destroying the Patriarch, ending this scourge was impossible. Yet, breaching the Strigoi's defenses to reach him seemed a near-impossible task. Firstly, the Patriarch's true form was a red bloodworm, resistant even to sunlight; destroying his host body was ultimately futile, as the worm could escape and find a new vessel. Secondly, he remained elusive unless he chose to reveal himself. In this entire world, only the "Light of the Fallen" could reliably draw him out, for legend stated it held the method for his permanent destruction. Using it as bait would be irresistible to the Patriarch; its destruction would eliminate the last major threat to his reign. In the original narrative, Quinlan had used this very ploy to lure the Patriarch from his lair and slay his host form, though the core bloodworm ultimately escaped. Li Ang intended to replicate the beginning and the process, but alter the final outcome. The thought was tantalizing: what level would he reach, what Law materials or skills would he gain, from slaying a boss-level entity like the Patriarch?!
The study door burst open. Paul rushed in, breathless. "Holy Emissary! Your servant Paul has not failed in his mission! The Light of the Fallen!" He bowed deeply, presenting a massive, tome-like book—the Light of the Fallen! Its history was said to stretch back to the Patriarch's very origins. The cover was silver, preventing vampires from touching it directly. The morning sun glinted off the silver-leafed pages adorned with intricate illustrations; the text was dense, elegant, handwritten script. The secret to the Patriarch's destruction was hidden within these pages and images, but Li Ang's current understanding was insufficient to decipher it. The series' resolution—the Patriarch being destroyed by a nuclear bomb, rendering the book irrelevant—had deeply dissatisfied Li Ang, leading him to consult the original novels. The true secret within the Light of the Fallen was the locations of the seven progenitors' birthplaces; destroying those sites would destroy the progenitors themselves.
Channeling his Law Power into the silver book, Li Ang received feedback that left him momentarily stunned.
[Light of the Fallen: Knowledge-type Law Artifact]
[Origin: Abyssal World of The Strain]
[Quality: Gold]
[Attributes: None]
[Skills: None]
[Description: This tome, penned by fiend hunters, records the method to destroy the seven progenitors of the Bloodline, holding a vital secret. Across vast ages, it has witnessed the millennia of enmity between humanity and the Bloodline, bearing the hopes of generations of hunters.]
[Evaluation: Its tier is high, its contained Law Essence profound, but from its creation, it was never intended as a weapon.]
A Gold-grade artifact! Yet, it was essentially a decorative vessel; the power within was undriveable, offering no combat utility. "Could a prestigious Gold artifact truly be useless beyond being read?" Li Ang was profoundly unwilling to accept this, as it was his first Gold-grade item. After pondering, he consulted the system: sacrificing the Light of the Fallen would yield 4000 points of Law Essence—enough for four random skill draws! This unexpected gain brought a smile to his face, hidden behind the silver mask. He then sacrificed the Bronze-grade [Corrosive Poison] skill crystal from the bakery for 150 Law Essence, using it to expand his storage space to about 3000 cubic centimeters—sufficient to store the tome for now, as it still had its uses.
"Paul, a new task," Li Ang commanded. "Issue an auction announcement for the Light of the Fallen." This was the fastest way to attract the hunter Abraham and Quinlan. "And," he added gravely, "hire an electrical team to install UV lights and backup power throughout the church, especially this study, by day's end!" Broadcasting the tome's location risked attracting the Bloodline. While the Patriarch himself was unlikely to appear, even a few Strigoi spawn would be troublesome. The UV lights would make the study a veritable fortress against all but the Patriarch himself.
Driven by "Li's First Law" (monetary incentive), the work crew completed the installation with remarkable efficiency that very afternoon. The next evening, Abraham arrived at the cathedral—a day sooner than Li Ang had anticipated, indicating his constant vigilance regarding the Light of the Fallen...