Awaken, You Who Slumber!

For an array as simple as could be, activating it was naturally just as simple. Yet Alfred had still designed a specific motion for its activation, reminiscent of that night back in Rojia City when he had shouldered a vacuum-tube radio, swaying gently to the melody in rhythm with his young master. Observe, imitate, learn, understand. He didn't presume he could achieve a true meeting of minds with his young master, but at the very least, he would keep pace with him on the surface. Alfred stepped half a pace back and bowed, swinging his right arm behind him while resting his left hand before his brow. He gave an idle pinch to the nonexistent brim of the hat he hadn't worn today, then tilted his head slightly, revealing his reddened eyes. "As you command, my young master." *Snap!* Alfred snapped his fingers. The array activated. There were no dazzling colors, nor any dramatic tremors. A small hole blew open at the center of the array, like the steam valve of a pressure cooker popping off. From the small aperture, a wisp of black mist spouted forth before rapidly thickening. The opening was continually forced wider, like a breach carved into a levee. Gradually, the widening breach filled the entire circle of the array. The spewing black mist surged upward as if erupting from the mouth of a massive well. Once it reached the ceiling, it began condensing into a sphere—or rather, a gigantic, expanding black mushroom cloud. The most terrifying part was that this contamination could not be contained by the factory's roof. It penetrated physical barriers, expanding outward as far as it could. It even possessed an instinct of its own: much like water seeking lower ground, it naturally reached toward where crowds of people were gathered. From the moment the array was activated to the spread of the contamination, barely any time had passed—so brief that the Lord Jurist only had time to shout a single line: "Pavaro, how can you be here?" The report he had received from Ruke was that Ruke had personally killed Pavaro. Thus, his immediate reaction was not to assume Pavaro had been "Awakened," but rather to suspect whether Ruke had deceived him. Yet by the time his second reaction kicked in—activating his eyes with a detection spell to observe—the contamination source had already detonated. In that instant, Qihe froze. He shouted instinctively, "Pavaro, have you lost your mind?!" These words were the very same Mr. Pavaro had once yelled at Karen, but hearing them now from the mouth of the Lord Jurist, Karen found it utterly ironic. Karen believed Pavaro's concern had been genuine fear for the safety of nearby civilians. But how could this Lord Jurist care about that? What terrified him was that all his clandestine preparations here were about to be exposed. Just as Elder Doke had erected a Tower of Light earlier in the night, alerting nearly every church in York City to that blazing beacon in the dark, what was rising before them now was a "Tower of Contamination." It would inevitably draw countless eyes as well. With no time left to ponder anything else, the Lord Jurist began to chant. A black mark surfaced at the center of his brow. "Order—Purification Barrier!" "Order—Triple Seal!" Two advanced spells burst forth from Qihe. Over the factory, a black curtain of light appeared first, reacting violently the moment it touched the contamination above, quickly counteracting it. Immediately after, an ethereal seal clamped down from above like a pot lid. The Jurist's power was displayed to the fullest at this moment. He actually managed to forcibly suppress this seemingly irreversible surge, pushing the contamination that had gathered into a colossal mushroom cloud back down. "Whoa." Seeing this, Karen couldn't help but let out a gasp of amazement. *Even that can be done?* Purr chimed in, "He won't hold out for long—unless he's gone through the same kind of purification as you." "Yeah. Plus, he's injured." Karen recalled the good news Little John had shared with him. "*Cough...*" Karen felt a twinge of discomfort. Even though this contamination could affect ordinary people silently, Karen's status as a God's Shepherd made him far more sensitive to it. Right now, he felt the sickening uneasiness of standing in a room with a gas leak. "O great and supreme God of Order, O chains of order that judge all things... "... "Order—Guardian Wall!" Three black walls materialized beside Karen, walling off the surrounding contamination. This contamination posed a massive threat to ordinary humans, but to clergy members, it wasn't an insurmountable problem. Alfred was an aberrant demon to begin with, so he had no reason to fear it. Neither did Purr or Kevin need to worry; their soul levels were far too high for contamination of this degree to touch them. As for Mr. Pavaro, his current state of existence was effectively a form of demonization itself, while Little John had already been tainted by this contamination source long ago. Atop the platform, Qihe was struggling immensely to maintain his hold, yet he knew he could not let go. If he failed to suppress this anomaly, the moment the secret leaked, he would have no way to evade investigation from above. When that happened, he might be forced to abandon the Church of Order and wander as a fugitive. That was not an outcome he was willing to accept. "Alfred, apply some pressure!" "Yes, Young Master." Alfred stepped forward, fixing his red eyes on the Jurist atop the platform as his Succubus Eye flared to life. Yet as the gaze swept toward the Jurist, a medallion appeared before him, projecting a barrier that completely blocked the influence of the Succubus Eye. Alfred pushed harder, but he couldn't pierce the medallion's obstruction. In the next instant, Alfred leaped, intending to charge in for a close-quarters assault. However, a mirror materialized in front of the Jurist. A beam of silver light shot out from it, striking Alfred and sending his airborne figure flying backward. The mirror attempted to pursue, but after exceeding a certain range, it was forced to retreat. Alfred hit the ground, looking up with deep frustration. The enemy stood right there for you to hit, yet you still couldn't breach his defenses. That was the disparity in raw power. Pavaro stepped forward as well, walking toward the base of the high platform. Earlier, he had called Karen's plan madness, but now that the contamination had detonated, he had no choice but to throw his weight onto the scales of this confrontation. He was already someone on the brink of total oblivion. Compared to the ordinary people of this city, he simply could not stand by and watch Karen die before his eyes—or at least, he could not accept Karen dying while he did nothing. He spread his hands and began chanting. Two plumes of black flame rose from his palms, leaping upward straight toward the Jurist. The medallion before the Jurist continued to maintain its barrier, but under the scorching of this kindred black flame, it gradually began to warp. Alfred rose to his feet and activated his Succubus Eye once more, glaring upward. Under the dual pressure, the medallion's distortion accelerated. "*Woof! Woof!*" Purr said, "This Lord Jurist likely hails from the Whip of Order. Those with that background are usually very good at fighting." Every church consisted of many departments, and every department required diverse professions. Not every priest was skilled in combat. Figures like Mr. Hoffen, who was devoted to research, or Pavaro, whose main focus was administrative affairs, were often ill-suited for battle. The golden retriever seemed ready to charge as well, pawing at the ground. "Are you crazy?!" Purr scolded. "*Woof!*" "Don't go up there and cause a mess!" The dog's idea was to carry Purr in a flying leap onto the platform, allowing Purr to attack the Jurist with cat claws like a knight. Evidently, Purr rejected that notion outright. At this moment, the contamination remained suppressed, but it had inevitably spread across the lower level of the factory. Yet when the girls lying in the pigsty were enveloped by the contaminating aura, looks of joy surfaced on their faces, for they felt the approach of release. Little John had said that they had all been fed forbidden drugs and could only lie there waiting to die. The process was effectively prolonged torture. Meanwhile, the stalemate above and below the platform dragged on. The medallion seemed to have reached its breaking point, but the flames Pavaro unleashed were also dwindling. The residual spiritual energy in his body was running nearly dry. This was not a matter of resting to recover. Once consumed past a certain threshold, he would depart from this world permanently. Karen stepped forward and began his chant: "O great and supreme God of Order, O chains of order that judge all things; "Grant me your strength to punish actions that violate order, and wipe away the dust that taints order; "Order—Spear of Punishment!" A Spear of Punishment materialized above Karen's head. Due to the peculiarities of Karen's abilities, this was the only offensive spell he knew, and its usage came with restrictions. Thus, the best way to use it was when both sides reached an impasse, striking at the tipping point to shatter the equilibrium in one blow! Guided by Karen's intent, the spear adjusted its angle, locking onto the Jurist on the platform. "*Woof! Woof!*" Purr shouted immediately, "Behind Alfred!" Alerted, Karen snapped his gaze over and pointed! The Spear of Punishment shot out—not toward the Jurist on the platform, but behind Alfred. *Thwack! Thwack!* The sound of impalement rang out. The spear continued its flight, skewering two Whip of Order squad members clad in black robes. They had concealed themselves with concealment spells and crept up behind Alfred in silence, each clutching a dagger engraved with black runes. Alfred's entire focus had been locked in the struggle against the Jurist's defensive system above, leaving him completely unable to sense what was behind him. Fortunately, Kevin had caught it in time. After flying a short distance, the Spear of Punishment detonated, blowing the two skewered squad members into pieces. The ambush had failed. Yet behind the Jurist, the figure of Squad Captain Tyers appeared, followed by four remaining squad members. A Whip of Order squad consisted of one captain and twelve members. Factoring in the battle on Apple Street earlier that night and the two lost just now, Tyers's squad had suffered horrific casualties. Even so, his appearance thoroughly tilted the balance. Karen knew full well that even if he managed to forcibly condense another Spear of Punishment, the enemy would never give him a second chance to skewer two at once. The Jurist could continue suppressing the contamination, while Tyers and his remaining men could slaughter everyone else present! "*Woof!*" *Smack!* Purr batted Kevin's canine head with a paw. "You don't need to tell me. I know we're done for." "My Lord, rest assured. I have arrived." Tyers drew his leather whip, preparing to leap down from the platform to finish off the people below. But just as his feet left the platform, an immense force yanked him back. Qihe reached out and gripped his shoulder. "My Lord?" "Share some of this burden for me!" "My Lord..." Without waiting for Tyers's consent, Qihe directly transferred both the Purification Barrier and the Triple Seal spells he had been sustaining entirely onto Tyers. Both walked the path of Order, making Tyers capable of shouldering these two advanced spells. During the transfer, Qihe's gaze swept over Karen standing below—the young man who had just unleashed that Spear of Punishment. Passively inheriting the Jurist's spells, Tyers's face twisted in agony, and an ear-piercing scream tore from his throat. He felt as though he were being crushed flat, yet also drained dry. On his own, he was utterly incapable of bearing the load of two advanced spells. Yet Qihe's hand remained firmly clamped onto his shoulder, preventing any escape. "Hold on! Only like this can I free my hands to use Ebb Tide and draw this contamination back in!" "Order—Jurist's Shield!" The warped medallion fell to the floor. In its place, an ancient, colossal shield crashed down, planting itself before the base of the platform and completely sealing off the space between the top and bottom. He was worried about another Spear of Punishment. Blocked by the Jurist's Shield, Tyers's four remaining subordinates were unable to descend. Of course, even without the barrier, they likely wouldn't have gone down anyway; listening to their captain's agonizing shrieks, their hearts were flooded with terror and unease. In truth, Qihe badly wanted to strike again and wipe out the people below, but Tyers's instinctive resistance to bearing the spells was far greater than anticipated. Qihe had to cast Ebb Tide immediately to ease Tyers's strain. If only Ruke were here. With both Ruke and Tyers sharing the load, he could have handled this far more comfortably. Outside the factory, Adjudicator Ruke came to a halt. He saw the Triple Seal above the factory roof and the purifying power locked in a fierce struggle against the contamination beneath it. He had also seen Tyers lead his men inside ahead of him. Then, he noticed the Triple Seal and the purifying power shudder violently. The previously stable equilibrium vanished, replaced by strain and hesitation. As if guessing the truth, Ruke ultimately chose to remain where he was, not entering. ... The Jurist's chanting echoed through the surroundings. The chant was unusually lengthy, proving that even for someone of his caliber, activating the next spell was no easy feat. When the chant concluded, Qihe's eyes turned an ash gray. "Order—Ebb Tide!" A gray radiance swept out rapidly. Like an ebbing tide, the surging contamination instantly lost its momentum and began compressing downward. Tyers, who had been on the verge of collapse with the feeling that his soul and body were being torn apart, finally saw the agony on his face recede slightly, though the pain remained intense. Beneath the Jurist's Shield, Alfred had already closed his eyes, blood trickling from the corners. He had severely overdrawn his abilities. Mr. Pavaro knelt on the ground, the flames in his palms having died out long ago. Little John, seemingly revived by breathing in the dense contamination around him, slowly came around. He rubbed his head, then took a deep sniff. "So refreshing..." Kevin carried Purr over to Karen's side, and Purr urged, "This Lord Jurist is far tougher than we thought. Karen, maybe we should run while we still can." Pavaro turned his head, patches of corpse spots already surfacing across his skin. "Did your grandfather never tell you that Jurists are divided into ranks as well?" "Grandfather never talked to me about Jurists." After all, although Diss was an Inquisitor, he seemed to have little to do with Adjudicators, Jurists, or even Regional Archbishops. The only one he had any interaction with was the Lord High Priest. "Ah, no wonder. The one up there is a Jurist of the highest rank. My case was never supposed to be judged within the same jurisdiction, yet he had the clout to claim it. "Naturally, this is my first time witnessing the true power of a Jurist as well. And he's injured?" "Yes." "*Sigh.*" Pavaro let out a helpless sigh. "You should leave. You can still escape right now." "Do you think my method was right now?" Karen asked. Pavaro shook his head slightly. "Not entirely right, but not entirely wrong either." An "umbrella" was often used in reverse: not to keep out the rain falling from above, but to silence the voices rising from below. That was why in the world Karen remembered, ancient times had imperial inspectors, and modern times still had oversight committees. Mr. Pavaro's tragedy lay in the fact that, within these rules, he had never been able to pierce through the fabric of that umbrella, and had ended up crushed by its ribs instead. That was why Karen had chosen to escalate the matter, forcing it into the open. Karen looked up. The contamination was being compressed further downward. Once it was pushed back far enough, a new seal could be placed upon it. Purr urged, "Karen, let's just go quickly. We can only blame this Jurist for being too tough, and the volume of contamination here for not being large enough." "Still, I can't quite accept it... hm?" Purr's words sparked a realization in Karen. His gaze dropped to the trench filled with black liquid before him. Numerous corpses floated on its surface, and faint white bones were visible beneath. In his ears echoed what "Little John" had said to him earlier. She had said that after being fed forbidden drugs, these women would die in agonizing torment, and their resentment-filled corpses would then be thrown into the trench to serve as nourishment to cultivate her birth. "Hehehe..." Karen suddenly chuckled. "There are two contamination sources here! "What we detonated earlier was the contamination born of the grievances of the poor girls waiting to die in the pigsty. But inside this trench lies an artificially created cultivation pool. What's contained inside is the *real* contamination!" If the pigsty was an orchard, then this trench was the vat where overripe fruit fermented. The orchard held only the current generation of fruit hanging from the branches, whereas the trench held the accumulated essence of generation after generation. *Smack!* Purr slapped Kevin's head and demanded, "Why didn't you notice this?!" Kevin blinked. "*Woof, woof, woof!*" "You're saying there's a barrier here blocking your senses? And that the contamination in the trench has been filtered and can't be detonated? Even if you wanted to detonate it, you couldn't find the detonation point like before? "Then what good are you?! What kind of evil god are you supposed to be?!" "*Woof!*" "What? You're saying you're just a dog right now?!" Alfred painfully wiped away the blood from his eyes and strained to open his bloodshot lids. "Young Master, let me try setting up another array inside to see if we can get lucky..." "No need for all that trouble." Karen stood up. Looking at the floating corpses in the trench and the white bones gleaming faintly beneath, he closed his eyes. Constrained by his current realm, Karen could not cast most of his spells instantly; they all required prior chanting. But there was one exception—a spell he could use even before he became a God's Servant, before he had ever undergone purification. In the next instant, a coiling black chain materialized beneath Karen's feet. "They are merely asleep. Now, I shall awaken them."