Chapter 313 A Battle of Wills

When Ecthelion II died, Denethor was silent for a long time before he took the position of prime minister.

People quickly adapted to the style of the new prime minister.

Unlike the previous prime minister and even the prime minister before him, Denethor always looked taciturn.

He seemed to be as good at listening to advice as his father. He would patiently listen to his subordinates every time, but he would still insist on his own opinions and act arbitrarily afterwards.

Suggestions were listened to, but whether they were actually taken or not was another consideration.

At the same time, perhaps Aragorn and Gandalf's activities in Gondor had some influence on him, making him feel that his rule was threatened, and he began to pay special attention to the distribution of power.

Some key powers were firmly in his own hands, and no longer granted to others.

Gondor, White City.

In a tightly guarded tower, Denethor lifted an opaque black cloth to reveal the Arnor crystal underneath.

Due to the special nature of the Crystal of True Knowledge, no one is allowed to enter here while Ecthelion is still alive, not even Denethor.

Looking at the crystal in front of him, which is as clear as the starry sky and flickering with a little light, Denethor fell into deep thought.

A strange premonition came over him.

This era may end in his lifetime, and at the last moment, Gondor will also have a final battle with Mordor.

Even though the situation on the front line seems to be good now, the vague premonition in his heart and the speculation based on the current situation make Denethor unable to relax his brows.

"I will not let Gondor fall."

"Never."

Denethor stretched out his hand and slowly approached the Arnor crystal, which can be said to be the most closely connected to Sauron.

He knew the consequences of doing so, and he also understood all the risks of using the crystal.

But…

Thinking back to the land of Minas Morgul filled with smoke and poison, the cruel scenes he had seen since childhood, and the tragedies and regrets, Denethor still touched the Arnor crystal without stopping.

Boom!

As if a heavy hammer hit the soul, darkness spread out from the crystal and instantly enveloped the entire top floor of the tower.

A figure surrounded by evil flames was projected from the crystal, looking like a huge glowing eye.

The Eye, or Sauron, cast his eyes on this place the first moment the crystal was activated, and everything was pulled into darkness.

His hair flew in disorder, and his outer robe fluttered without wind, revealing the armor hidden inside and the iron sword at his waist.

Denethor stared at the huge flaming eye expressionlessly, his forehead became a little wet under the influence of the illusion, and he couldn't stop sweating.

Countless evil whispers surrounded his ears, affecting his mind and forcing him to give up control of the crystal.

From the moment he touched the crystal of truth, the battle of wills had begun.

The wind blew, the darkness became thicker, and there was no light on the top of the tower.

Denethor was also covered by the darkness and wrapped in it.

"Do you think you can scare me by pretending to be so arrogant?"

Just when Sauron was proud, Denethor, sweating profusely, laughed in the darkness.

The evil flames became hotter and hotter, making people dry their mouths.

But the young prime minister's anger and hatred for Mordor were even worse, even overwhelming the flames.

In a trance, some illusions appeared in Denethor's eyes.

Gondor - the whole Gondor was in flames, the city was destroyed, the people were slaughtered, the Orcs occupied this land and enslaved everything on it.

Seeing that the direct confrontation did not have an advantage, Sauron adopted a side interference strategy, trying to use this illusion to create despair for Denethor and make him discouraged and give up.

But, the steel was not melted by the flames after all.

Surrounded by the evil whispers and darkness, Denethor strode forward, bursting out an even greater force from the bottom of his heart, directly overwhelming Sauron.

The darkness disappeared, and all illusions suddenly faded.

Denethor panted, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"I won."

Looking at the crystal again at this moment, what appeared in it was no longer the magic eye or the shattered fantasy of Gondor, but the situation inside Mordor and the various arrangements at the forefront of the battlefield.

And all this, Sauron, who was far away in Barad-dur, was powerless to stop, he could only watch his side's information exposed.

But it doesn't matter...

Humans, perhaps at a certain moment, their will can be so strong that even the gods are amazed, but this kind of strength is often not eternal. As time goes by and the body ages, their will will always decay and decline.

The will of one side will gradually deplete over time, while the other side can grow steadily as the strength recovers.

There is no failure, but the victory is delayed-this is Sauron's usual style and attitude.

What we have to do now is to endure for the time being.

On the other side.

After gaining a slight advantage, Denethor opened his eyes wide and experienced the wonder of the crystal.

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His consciousness wandered in it, using the power of the crystal to explore intelligence everywhere.

However, such a nearly full-view observation is not without cost. Sauron was only temporarily suppressed, but he did not disappear.

He continued to interfere and engage in a war of attrition with Denethor.

It can be said that every second of using the crystal is a huge test of will. If you relax even a little bit, you may be taken advantage of, causing irreversible consequences.

But fortunately, the person holding the spar at this moment is still strong.

After staring at the crystal for a long time, taking in the surroundings of Mordor and even Barad-dur, Denethor looked away.

I have to say that the magic prop like the True Knowledge Crystal is really wonderful. Whatever you want to know, it will show you something like mind reading, ranging from the movements of Mordor in the near to the specific details in the distance. personal circumstances.

As his thoughts changed, his sight became farther and farther away. The mirror image in the spar continued to change with Denethor's will, spanning Ithilien, Gondor, Rohan, Isengard, and Dunlund...

All the way to Gutu, the prosperous water capital, and even to the roadside fort north of the water capital.

The figure of a ranger appeared in the spar.

Aragon.

At this moment, he was located deep in the Etten Wasteland, surrounded by nomads who were lurking in the trees like him. They seemed to be ambushing something.

In the picture, Aragorn suddenly raised his head and looked left and right, looking quite alert. Several rangers around him were made nervous by him.

But he saw nothing.

Denethor silently switched the perspective, and a gray figure appeared in the crystal.

Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey.

He was wandering around the Shire.

This guy seems to be very interested in the Shire recently. He visits there very frequently, almost every year.

Looking at the wizard riding a horse leisurely in the picture, a trace of disdain flashed in Denethor's eyes.

It was these two guys, a wizard, and a guy with royal blood who suddenly appeared.

"If you think that as long as you show your bloodline and wave your hands casually, you can make everyone surrender willingly, then you are totally wrong."

After checking the movements of the two people, perhaps driven by curiosity, after a slight hesitation, another figure appeared in Denethor's mind.

Then the crystal screen changed, until it reached a castle.

"Um?"

The person in the picture suddenly raised his head, and his eyes seemed to span space and directly met Denethor, making his heart tremble.

Hula——

Levi waved his hand as if to drive something away, and the picture in the crystal became blurry.