Boss!

"Stupid dog, just how many things have you done for the God of Order?" "Woof, woof." Alfred translated, "Raniedal says his relationship with the God of Order was purely transactional. He helped the God of Order do certain things, and the God of Order rewarded him in return..." Purr asked, "Then would you ever refuse the God of Order's requests?" "Woof." "Usually not." Purr blinked. "Then aren't you just like a dog kept by the God of Order?" "..." Kevin went mute. Kevin was not the only one rendered speechless. Everyone present fell silent. Even Purr went quiet right after uttering those words, her cat eyes instinctively darting toward Karen. In short, the entire bedroom suddenly grew dead still. It was Karen who finally broke the silence. "In that era, who didn't look like a dog before the God of Order?" Kevin nodded vigorously at once, then trotted over and rested his chin on Karen's knee. Karen reached out and patted the dog's bald head. Purr immediately changed the subject. "No wonder you were sealed away. Those who serve as dirty-work gloves usually don't meet good ends. Tossed aside once you're spent, without a doubt." Kevin whimpered twice, offering no rebuttal. "So, where exactly is the God-Burial Cemetery located?" Karen asked. "Karen, are you really planning to go there?" Purr asked in surprise. "That place is extremely perilous. Even the God of Light went there three times, and the God of Order ultimately chose to seal and exile it." Karen shook his head. "A treasure map itself holds tremendous value." "Oh, you're quite right. Just like your captain bluffing people—if you actually have the exact coordinates in hand, your bluff will be much more convincing." "Woof, woof." "Raniedal says he helped the God of Order make the arrangements. In the end, the cemetery was exiled into the void countercurrent by the God of Order, but he holds the coordinates." "Void countercurrent coordinates?" "Woof, woof." "Raniedal says he deliberately kept a backup measure back then, leaving behind certain methods within the cemetery that allow him to sense and pinpoint its current coordinates." Purr chimed in at once. "Hah! Keeping a trick up your sleeve while playing dog—who else would get killed if not you?" "..." Kevin was silent again. Karen spoke up. "Can those coordinates be sensed right now?" "Woof." "Another layer of his seal must be unraveled before he can establish the connection." "Hahaha!" Purr burst out laughing. "So that's what he was leading up to! That's what this stupid dog was setting the stage for!" "Woof." "The coordinates only respond to his aura. No one else can do it on his behalf." "All right, I believe you," Karen said. "However, I have no confidence in undoing the second seal right now. It's not just a matter of strength, but also my understanding of formation arrays. Let's wait for later. When the time is ripe, I'll undo the second seal for you. In any case, the exact location of that cemetery isn't important for now." Kevin looked at Karen with an honest, simple grin, as if conveying that he thoroughly trusted Karen's reasoning. "Woof." "He says that if the young master goes to that cemetery, you can awaken—" Alfred stopped midway through translating and glared at Kevin. "You've overstepped." Kevin lowered his head at once and ceased barking. Karen asked, "Kevin, do you know what actually happened in the God-Burial Cemetery back then?" "Woof! Woof! Woof!" "He says he doesn't know. He only set up the perimeter arrangements and never ventured inside. But even at the perimeter, he could hear roars echoing from deep within the cemetery." "Woof! Woof!" "He has never seen the true form of the God of Order, either. The God of Order always transacted with him through divine will alone." Purr laughed. "At least you can see Karen now." Karen could not help recalling what he had witnessed in Kevin's memory window: when Raniedal slew the Sea God, only the Throne of Order had appeared above to help suppress the deity; the God of Order himself was nowhere in sight. So Kevin was not lying. This also confirmed another matter: during Karen's purification, he had drawn forth traces of the auras of Light and Order, frightening the dog into foaming at the mouth. Clearly, even in his prime, Raniedal was utterly insignificant before the God of Light and the God of Order. Even gods were divided by rank! Still, for an ordinary boy who had emerged from an isolated island to rise to the height of a "god," Raniedal was unquestionably an exceptional prodigy. Karen decided to end the discussion. Mythological tales were far too distant for them; even with an indirect eyewitness right before them, those matters were beyond what he could currently touch. "Alfred, how are things progressing with the coffins?" "Old Saman's coffin has already been delivered to Allen Manor. The people there have begun renovating the auditorium and replicating the coffin. Mr. Anderson assured me that everything will be handled with absolute secrecy. Once the second coffin is completed, I will personally head to Allen Manor to oversee the remaining matters." "No rush on that. Count Rekar is in self-imposed cryostasis; it's better if I'm present to awaken him. If you go alone, it might be inconvenient." More likely, Count Rekar would not trust Alfred at all, since every additional moment the Count spent awake would drain a portion of his spiritual energy. "The young master is truly thoughtful. Then we shall go to Allen Manor together after you return from Dark Moon Island. I believe all eleven coffins and the array inside the auditorium will be fully prepared by then." Purr could not resist chiming in. "So you're comforting the lawful wife only after visiting your mistress?" "Alfred, prepare my luggage and a gift. If the opportunity arises, I will slip away from the Church of Order's people and, in front of the Dark Moon Island faction alone, personally lay flowers and pay my respects to Bernard—as a descendant of Purr Allen, of course." "Meow!" *** Early the next morning, Karen finished breakfast and prepared to head to his study to read. The book collection he had inherited from the previous homeowner was rich—not in sheer volume, but in how many intriguing works it contained. As he walked through the courtyard, he saw Daishan sitting with Dora and Doreen, painting the flower beds. Karen had not intended to linger. Given his special standing in the household, pausing for even a moment would prompt the two little girls and their tutor to step forward and greet him. However, Dincom came running from the front hall, forcing Karen to halt. "Boss, Pike... Pike is..." "What happened to Pike?" "It looks like he's about to undergo God's Revelation." The two God's Servants originally belonging to Pavaro Funeral Parlor possessed thoroughly mediocre talent. If they were anything special, they wouldn't have been assigned to an Inquisition office like this in the first place—this wasn't out of disrespect to Mr. Pavaro, but simply the truth. For ambitious young men, working under an Inquisitor of the lowest rank offered practically no room for advancement. Moreover, due to personal family troubles, Mr. Pavaro likely hadn't had much energy to train or guide his assistants, leaving them stuck as God's Servants to this day. Yet all of that had shifted after Karen became the funeral parlor's boss. Karen followed Dincom into the front hall. Pike was holding a bottle of soda, pacing slowly in circles on the spot. "Pik—" Karen waved Dincom to silence and stepped forward himself. Seeing Karen, Pike offered a foolish smile. He was clearly holding soda, yet looked as though he were thoroughly drunk. "Boss... 'morning..." "Come sit in my study." "You tell me to go to your study and I just go? Don't I have pride?" Pike chuckled as he spoke. Karen frowned slightly. Did other people enter such a drunken state before God's Revelation? He certainly hadn't. Back then, he had simply sat on the steps, and the Revelation began. But Karen also knew his personal experience was unique and lacked general applicability. Karen's expression darkened. "Go to my study. Now." "Fine, I'll go... Why so fierce? You're scaring me..." Even in his "drunken" haze, his usual awe of Karen remained sharp and clear. Clutching the soda bottle, Pike shuffled toward Karen's study on trembling feet. Dincom hurried forward to support him. Alfred walked over as well. A single close look at Pike told him what was happening. He immediately went over to Teacher Daishan and signaled that she should take the two girls back inside for their lessons. Daishan asked no questions, promptly packing up Dora and Doreen's art supplies before leading them into the house. "Young Master, will it be in the study?" Alfred asked. "Mm." "Shall I make preparations first?" "No need. Proceed as normal. It's merely God's Revelation." By the time Karen entered the study, Pike had already collapsed into a chair, pouring soda down his throat. After a huge gulp, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, let out a deep sigh, and bellowed: "My life is so bitter!" Karen sat down behind the desk. Alfred brought over a glass of ice water and placed it before him. Dincom turned to leave, but Karen glanced at him. Alfred stepped forward and stopped Dincom, signaling him to remain in the study and observe. Just then, the inner door pushed open. Purr rode into the room atop Kevin. While a God's Revelation was normally nothing spectacular, one taking place right in front of Karen clearly piqued their curiosity. Karen lifted the glass and took a sip. Slumped in the chair, Pike carried on with his drunken raving, but gradually, he grew still, as if drifting off to sleep. It was beginning. Karen leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced before him, quietly watching Pike. After roughly three minutes, Pike's body stiffened, and his aura snapped taut. At the same moment, Karen looked up at the ceiling. He sensed someone observing him from above—it was Pike. During God's Revelation, there was a brief period of "observation," equivalent to the deity assisting the individual in perceiving and recognizing the world anew. Since Karen sat right in front of Pike and was Pike's boss, the subject of Pike's observation was naturally Karen. Yet this sensation came and went in a flash. Generally speaking, the longer this "observation period" lasted, the greater one's future prospects, reflecting the caliber of their talent. Back then, Karen's extraordinarily long observation phase had left Mr. Bede thoroughly astounded. Yet Pike's lasted mere seconds. *It's already over?* Karen instinctively reached out, wanting to pull him along. Though he didn't know how to assist—nor had he ever heard of external aid during God's Revelation—Pike was his worker and future subordinate. For his own people, he naturally wanted to secure as much benefit as possible. A black chain materialized beneath Karen's feet, instantly winding up the desk, rising into the air, and surging diagonally forward. Mid-flight, it split into two strands. One reached upward, coiling through empty space—though to everyone in the room except Karen, it seemed to be binding nothing at all—while the other wrapped directly around Pike's body in the chair. The observation period, which had been on the verge of ending, was frozen in place. It was as though a falling door had been forcibly caught and held aloft by Karen. Even Karen had not anticipated this outcome. The chain he could summon seemed to possess an innate ability to act upon the intangible counterpart of physical reality. It could not be used for direct physical attacks, yet the effects it produced were far more wondrous. At this moment, two Pikes occupied the study. One sat in the chair, while the other floated in midair. A wave of numbness washed through Karen's body. Maintaining this state was evidently a considerable strain, but thankfully, he could still endure it. Dincom stared in stunned disbelief. He had never imagined a God's Revelation could look like this. Standing beside him, Alfred murmured, "Working under the young master is the greatest opportunity of your life. I hope you know to cherish it." "Yes, I understand," Dincom nodded immediately. "You are sharper than Pike, yet he received God's Revelation before you. Sometimes, that extra bit of cleverness can work against you." "Thank you for the guidance, Mr. Alfred. May I ask what I should do?" "Devotion." "My faith in the God of Order—" "The one who can change your destiny, who is changing your destiny, who has already changed your destiny, is not the distant God of Order." "This..." Dincom looked toward Karen behind the desk. "Do not misunderstand. I am not telling you to change your faith, but to perceive him more clearly and be steadfast toward him." "Yes, I understand." "I hope you truly do." Purr and Kevin were also conversing about the spectacle, though their exchange was rather concise: "Meow." "Woof." "Meow." "Woof." The aching soreness grew heavier. Feeling he had held on long enough, Karen decided it was time to let go. He signaled the chain to release. In an instant, the "Pike" above—perceptible only to Karen—was pulled back into the physical body, yet the other chain remained wrapped around Pike. Karen felt an echo of consciousness extending before him. He needed only to take a deliberate step forward to see. Without hesitation, Karen stepped in. To outside eyes, Karen remained seated in his chair. But in his own vision, he appeared above a farm. In the fields below, a boy lay in a patch of wheat, a simple, honest smile on his face. This was Pike in his childhood. Around his neck hung a necklace set with a black lightning bolt pendant—cheap plastic at a glance, bearing zero connection to any sacred relic. Karen noticed that Pike was staring directly at him. Or rather, looking past him, at what lay behind. Karen turned and saw that although the sun behind him still radiated light, its upper half had been drenched in pitch black. It was an utterly illogical, surreal image, yet entirely explainable: many believers worshiped their deity as the sun above their heads. A message flowed into Karen's mind. A voice both alien and familiar. Alien, because no matter how many times one heard it, one could never truly remember or grow accustomed to it. Familiar, because Karen's past experiences allowed him to recall the sensation. *Order is decreed by Me, and you must obey it.* That had been the revelation Karen received the first time. Though he had rejected it, the wording of a revelation often revealed a person's future potential, serving as a preliminary assessment. Pike had not received a revelation of such high standing. His revelation had been intercepted by Karen first: *Comply with the rules of Order.* This was likely the God of Order's designation for Pike. Karen's phrase spoke of decreeing, while Pike's spoke of complying. Between a maker of rules and a follower of them lay an insurmountable chasm. God's Revelation was not determined by the personal preferences of the God of Order; he acted like an emotionless entity, mechanically answering every request from his believers. Karen looked down at Pike lying below and asked, "Do you know who I am?" Pike answered, "Supreme God of Order, my faith!" "Do you know who I am?" "All-seeing God of Order, Master of Order!" Karen realized the idea he and Alfred had once envisioned was likely going to fail. Though he could intervene substantially during the process, he could not truly integrate into this final link. If this perceptual shift failed, then everything he had done amounted to nothing more than elevating Pike's future potential. Still, Karen understood the key to success. To increase the odds, it was best to influence and instruct a person before their purification, guiding them all the way from God's Servant to God's Revelation. That would drastically raise the chances. In essence, this was a competition. The rules of Order were always there, drawing countless believers forward along that path. The God of Order had cast his shroud early during the Revelation process. Karen's own Revelation had broken free of that shroud, and what he was attempting now was to guide the person before him toward his own path at that very crossroads. It was not Karen poaching the God of Order's followers; Karen was competing with the God of Order. Pike was the first person Karen had attempted to guide, and by all appearances, it was heading toward failure. However, Karen decided on one last try. He spoke: "Do you know who I am? "Starting next month, your salary will be multiplied by five!" "Great God of Ord—Great Boss!"