Jailbreak

Karen opened the wooden box on the desk, flipped the black notebook to its newest page, picked up his fountain pen, and wrote: "Though I have done my utmost to conceal my identity, more and more people continue to learn of it. I do not consider this a failure on my part to hide, for I never chose absolute concealment... Concealment is merely my means, not my end. Most importantly, among those who know my identity, there are some who would see through me no matter how well I hid—such as my grandmother from the Guman family. The bloodline abilities of the Alter family are simply too formidable. Even if I wore a mask when meeting her, she would likely still recognize me. Aside from those few, what the others perceive is nothing more than my alternative identities. Faced with this situation, it seems I ought to feel alarmed, terrified, and uneasy. Yet the truth is, I do not. If one wishes to seek out pleasing scenery along the road, one will naturally leave one's own footprints behind..." Having written that sentence, Karen hesitated, feeling that using it to conclude today's entry lacked a certain refinement. He knew that what he wrote here would soon be flipped through by the household's cat, dog, and radio, so he had begun to pay attention to their reading experience. Crossing out the last line, he wrote beneath it: "You stand on the bridge looking at the scenery; the one looking at the scenery watches you from upstairs." Karen nodded, capped the pen, and returned the notebook to its place. Stretching his arms, Karen walked back toward the bedroom just as Xili knocked on the door. "Young Master." "What is it?" "That crate you brought back—should I bring it in and set it up for you?" Crate? What crate? Ah, that crate. He had actually brought back that old man's doll. "Take it to the storeroom." "Yes, Young Master." "By the way, has Alfred returned yet?" "Not yet, Young Master." "All right, I understand. Go on with your work." "Yes, Young Master." Karen turned his head toward Purr, who was sprawled in front of a notebook doodling with her cat paws. "What did Alfred go out to do?" "I don't know. Didn't he tell you?" "No." "Maybe he's started seeing someone recently." "Seeing someone?" "A new miniature-tube radio seems to have just hit the market." *** "What on earth happened to them?" Alfred looked at the man in the room and demanded. Clutching his chest with lingering terror, the man panted heavily as he said, "Sir, they... they've all been captured." "Captured? Captured by whom?" "I don't know! That group suddenly appeared and took us down in an instant. We fought back as best we could, but it was useless. They were simply too powerful—we were no match for them at all!" "Then how did you escape?" Alfred immediately sensed something was amiss. "I... I just broke free and ran, and then I sent you a message right away, Sir." "Damn it, you absolute fool!" Alfred immediately spun around toward the door, but stopped dead in his tracks, dashed toward the side window, and leaped straight through. Yet before Alfred could touch the ground, two figures materialized behind him. A red glow was just about to flare in Alfred's eyes as he prepared to counterattack, but his opponents seemed to have anticipated it, instantly erecting a Wall of Protection before them while pressing forward. Members of the Church of Order? Alfred immediately raised his hands, surrendered, turned toward them, and said: "I'm on your side." "On our side?" one of the men asked in disbelief. "My credentials are in my coat pocket. I serve the Pavaro Inquisition office. That aberrant demon was an informant I developed for my Inquisitor. I'm not an aberrant demon." "Cuffs first." "Very well." Alfred held his wrists together and allowed himself to be handcuffed. At that moment, he noticed several more dark silhouettes emerging around them. Had he resisted earlier, taking down the two before him wouldn't have been difficult, but his chances of getting out alive would have been next to none. Once the manacles were locked, their sealing power instantly suppressed Alfred's strength, leaving him thoroughly weakened. Only then did the man reach into Alfred's pocket, pull out an identification booklet, glanced through it, and said, "We'll take you back. Once the situation has been investigated thoroughly, you'll receive the explanation you're due." "Understood. I will cooperate. Praise the God of Order." *** *Ring ring ring!* The telephone sounded. Dinkum came over and knocked on Karen's bedroom door. "Boss, there's a call for Mr. Pavaro." Because Mr. Pavaro was never around the house, the two shop assistants naturally regarded Karen as the big boss, addressing the previous owner simply as "Mister." "All right, I'll take it in the study." "Yes, Boss." Karen entered the study. Before picking up the receiver, he touched the ring, transforming into Mr. Pavaro's appearance. "Hello, this is Pavaro." "Inquisitor Pavaro, there is a matter we need to verify with you." "Who are you?" Karen asked. "Praise the God of Order." The other end offered only that brief reply, withholding their specific department. "Is Alfred your subordinate?" "Yes, he works under me." "Very well. Can you vouch for his loyalty?" "I can." "Then please trouble yourself to come down in person to Roshisco Gym on Silode Street to collect him." "All right, I'll be right there." After hanging up, Karen immediately dialed the Captain's office. The line rang for a long time without an answer; evidently, the Captain was not in his office. Karen had no choice but to call Fanny. "Hello?" "Fanny, it's me, Karen." "Yes, what is it?" "A colleague of mine from the Inquisition office was apprehended by some department of the church for unknown reasons. They're asking Mr. Pavaro to go collect him." "What's the address?" "Roshisco Gym on Silode Street." "Understood. What's his name?" "Alfred." "Is Mr. Pavaro home?" "He is." "Then tell Mr. Pavaro we'll meet outside the gym. I'll fold another paper crow for the Captain to see if I can reach him right now." "All right, thanks for the trouble." "Don't mention it." Karen walked into the bedroom and began changing clothes. Purr, who had already fallen asleep on the bed, rubbed her eyes and asked, "Did something happen?" "Alfred was arrested." "Oh, the Radio Fairy got caught. Hm? What? The Radio Fairy got caught?!" "Arrested by people from the Church of Order. I'm heading out to pull him out now." "Then hurry! Ah, that poor Radio Fairy must have gone out late at night to steal a new radio model." Karen drove to the entrance of the gym. The storefront was not large, but the location was quite discreet. Karen spotted a parked car ahead, inside of which sat a woman with long hair. The woman stepped out; it was Fanny. Karen opened his car door and stepped out as well. "Mr. Pavaro?" "Yes, it's me. You must be Miss Fanny? Thank you for your help." "Um, didn't Karen come?" "He did not." "Then let's go inside. I know this place—it's a cover location used by external affairs. As for which department is currently using it, I'm not sure. But one thing is certain: the ones who arrested your subordinate are definitely our church's people, not impostors." "All right, thank you." Karen and Fanny walked inside together. "Hey, what are you playing at? You dare arrest people from the Whip of Order on a whim? What's the meaning of this!" The moment Fanny entered, she began roaring at the staff. "Is being from the Whip of Order something remarkable?" a man seated behind a desk holding a fountain pen remarked dismissively. "It's nothing remarkable, but if you want to forcefully break the rules and play internal power struggles, fine! Tomorrow, I'll spread the word to all the other squads. You, your colleagues, and your superiors had better be squeaky clean without skimming a single copper of graft on the side, or see if we don't tear you to shreds!" The Whip of Order was a massive branch. Squads like Neo's were combat units tasked with various missions, but there were also clerical and administrative offices; internal oversight was inherently one of the Whip of Order's core responsibilities. The man looked resentful, but he merely lowered his head and refrained from arguing back. "Where is he!" Fanny demanded, slamming her hand on the desk. "Name?" another staff member stepped forward to ask. "You need to tell me who it is first." Karen stepped up and said, "Alfred." "Oh, then you're Inquisitor Pavaro?" "I am." "All right, come over here to sign the log, and I'll have him brought out." "Hurry it up! I'm already in a foul mood!" Fanny continued slapping the desk. The man with the pen couldn't resist muttering, "We're already processing it. What's the rush?" "Hah, you didn't just arrest the wrong person, did you? Exactly what mission are you carrying out? Do you have an official dispatch?" Fanny caught the loophole at once. She knew very well that certain missions had no official dispatches, and such operations were often things the operatives were neither willing nor permitted to disclose. The man was struck speechless once more and could only wave his hand, signaling his subordinates to fetch the prisoner quickly. Before long, Alfred was led out, and a man beside him unlocked his handcuffs. "You may leave now," the pen-wielding man urged at once. "Hmph!" Fanny let out a cold scoff and strode out. "Thank you, Miss Fanny." Fanny waved a hand. "I only did it for Karen's sake, and the guy didn't even show up." With that, Fanny got into her car and drove away. Karen and Alfred got into their car as well. "Young Master..." Karen cut him off, asking, "Are you hurt?" "No, Young Master. I didn't resist when they arrested me." "Why did they take you?" "I don't know either. It seems connected to an operation. Most of the aberrant demons in that club were arrested." "Aberrant demons?" "Yes, an aberrant demon club. All of them possessed mental-type abilities, including two or three beguiling aberrant demons. I came into contact with them on the black market. The reason I joined that club was to broaden our information channels and facilitate the procurement of supplies for you, Young Master. Even on the black market, buying certain goods isn't so simple; many things aren't put on open display and require internal word of mouth." "All right, I understand." "Young Master, I had no other motives..." "I know, I know. Alfred, there's no need to explain. If I can't even trust you, who else could I trust? You are the person I trust most in Wien." "Yes, Young Master." "Were there many people arrested?" "A great many. That's why I think it's a targeted operation—their capture targets share very similar traits." *Screeech—* Karen slammed on the brakes. Both men jolted forward inside the vehicle. Ahead, there was no red light. Because Karen had just thought of a possibility... one that was actually connected to himself. Back then, when a red orb of light had sought his approval, his reply had been: *If you ask me to my face, I cannot give my consent.* It was a request for clearance regarding the Raniedal project. That secret department was rounding up beguiling aberrant demons to participate in testing. So, the culprit who got Alfred arrested... was me? "Young Master, what's wrong?" "Nothing, just a bit sleepy." "Then let me drive, Young Master. I am terribly sorry—disrupting your rest on my account is my grave offense." "It's fine, it's fine. Don't blame yourself." Karen did not swap seats with Alfred. Instead, reverting to his original appearance, he restarted the car. Automobiles of this era shared a common flaw: they stalled easily. Just then, a small truck approached from the front. "Young Master, that's a vehicle from that department. I was transported there in a truck just like that." "Looks like they've brought in more captives." Suddenly, a white shadow drifted out from in front of Karen's car. Executing a sharp turn, it slammed directly into the small truck. *Bang!* The truck was flipped completely over. The white figure came to a halt by the hood—a short-haired woman in a white gown. Aiming her palm downward, a burst of white flame surged forth, instantly incinerating the two men in the cab to ash before they could even scream. *Buzz!* A hole burst through the rear of the truck, and a black vine thrust outward toward the woman. But as it drew close to her body, the vine snapped into pieces. Beneath the woman's feet, a black grid-like shadow emerged—the embryonic form of an Order Cage. Yet before the Order Cage could even unfold halfway beneath her, it encountered tremendous resistance and violently exploded. From the rear compartment of the truck, a young girl crawled out. With a flash, the woman appeared before her. The girl opened her mouth, and a fluffy white creature flew out, landing upon the woman's shoulder. Evidently, the woman had come to rescue her—no, to rescue it. "Official business of the Church of Order! How dare you—" The woman leaped into midair and pointed downward. Above the truck, an ancient stone stele materialized, and immediately crashed down. *Boom!* Much like a scrap yard compacting a condemned vehicle, that patch of ground and the truck were crushed flat in an instant. As for the people inside... their fate required no explanation. She was eliminating all witnesses. With such direct physical obliteration, even if the Church of Order wished to seek clues through "Awakening," it would be utterly impossible. The woman shifted her gaze toward Karen's car parked not far away, and raised her finger. *Damn it, she's going to silence us too!* Karen's body rapidly dissolved into black mist as he flew out of the secondhand Ponce, while Alfred immediately shoved the car door open and rolled onto the road. Yet the fluffy white creature on the woman's shoulder suddenly fluttered before her face. The woman frowned slightly and lowered her finger. Meanwhile, having just landed on the street, Karen crushed a bead against the ground. Light flared, a sword hilt emerged, and Karen drew the Sword of Arius in a single motion, his body instantly clad in the Sea God's Armor. *** Pavaro Funeral Parlor's backyard, master bedroom. The old refrigerator suddenly shook. Kevin came in from the partition, extended a paw, and pulled open the refrigerator door. The sword inside was gone. "Woof! Woof! Woof!" Purr leaped off the bed, took in the scene, and cried out: "Heavens, did Karen go to break someone out of prison?!" *** The woman flew toward Alfred. Seeing this, Karen accelerated without hesitation and charged straight at her. *Hum!* A phantom silhouette appeared behind the woman, from which reached an enormous hand thick with the foul stench of calamity, curses, and pestilence. Unafraid, Karen maintained his speed and crashed directly through the colossal hand. The woman clearly hadn't expected Karen to confront her so head-on, for the power of corruption within that palm was not something ordinary purification arts could cleanse. Bursting through the giant hand, Karen reached the woman and brought his sword down in a ferocious slash. The woman extended her left hand. Her fingernails were not particularly long—at least not to an exaggerated degree, falling well within the normal bounds of feminine grooming. Yet those very nails caught Karen's Sword of Arius dead in its tracks. The distance between them was now minuscule. The woman stared at Karen, her eyes flashing with confusion especially upon seeing his gaze remain crystal clear. She was plainly stunned that Karen was not only uncorrupted, but entirely unaffected. A low growl rumbled in Karen's throat as the power of the Dark Moon Blade erupted. In an instant, the sharp greatsword transformed into the ultimate conduit for dark moon energy. The woman pulled her hand back immediately, but her fingernails were entirely sliced off. Karen pressed his advantage, sweeping his blade horizontally. Rage flickered across the woman's face, but right then, a mental shockwave assaulted her. Alfred, his eyes glowing red, coordinated his offensive with his young master. She chose to retreat, putting a dozen meters of distance between them in an instant. Alfred stepped in front of Karen and said, "Young Master, you should have retreated just now." "I wanted to, but didn't you see? She's so fast, we wouldn't have outrun her." Seeing Alfred step forward, the fluffy white creature on the woman's shoulder began fluttering excitedly, chattering a string of noises at her. The woman looked at it, glanced at Alfred, and finally glared at Karen, saying: "I can spare your lives, but you must promise not to report what you just saw to the Church of Order." Karen wore a solemn and devout expression. Clasping the Sword of Arius before him with both hands, his aura surging entirely to its absolute peak, he met the woman's gaze with resolute eyes: "Agreed!"