Wake Up, Old Friend!

Tafman truly had not anticipated that things would develop into such a situation. At this moment, both sides had already clashed and were fighting each other. Neo rose to his feet, preparing to take advantage of this opportunity to head into the depths of the Palace of Longing. Tafman also stood up, right fist clenched tight. More urgent than stepping out to stop the pointless clash between the two factions was dealing with the man before him first. He could not possibly allow him to actually obtain the covenant conch and awaken Dorons. As for why he had gone along with him this far, Tafman himself did not know. Perhaps he had only wanted to see his plan clearly, perhaps out of mere curiosity, or perhaps he had been tempted by the treasure of the Philias family. In any case, it certainly was not because he had, in that moment, genuinely been swayed by the Light. Impossible. Absolutely impossible! "Oh, right." Neo suddenly turned around, pulling out a milky-white sphere from within his clothes, densely covered with tiny holes. "Do you know what this is?" "What?" "A nest of curse worms." Tafman's gaze narrowed. He was almost certain the person before him was Philias's host, and the curse worms targeting the Dark Moon clan had originally been bred by Philias. Just then, a cluster of light flared in Neo's palm. The nest began to spin, and then Neo hurled it straight at Tafman. "Catch!" Tafman moved instinctively to catch it, but the nest burst apart midair, unleashing a swarm. "Light — Incineration!" A sea of fire instantly erupted before Tafman, sealing off the entire area where the nest had shattered. As the flames of Light converged, the swarming insects were effortlessly incinerated, without even the slightest struggle. These were not curse worms at all—they were ladybugs! When Tafman looked back toward Neo's position, Neo was nowhere to be seen. Although Neo's body had once been riddled with such worms, that had been ten years ago. How could he have any around him now? Still, that did not stop him from using this trick to give the "traitor" a scare. ... The Palace of Longing was a vital sanctuary on Dark Moon Island, not only because it symbolized Ancestor Bernard's "stirring" romance, but also because it was his final resting place. A tall statue of Miss Purr stood there. At her feet lay a channel about a meter wide, encircling the area before emptying into a pool ahead. Flowing within was no mountain spring water, but diverted magma. Thus, while the Palace of Longing was what most on Dark Moon Island called the place, it actually had many names, some related to fire. Because Miss Purr excelled most in fire-attribute power, Ancestor Bernard had specially created this design for her. Bernard's coffin was not buried underground; instead, it rested atop an elevated platform, surrounded by a protective barrier shielding it day and night from the elements. In the moving love stories of Dark Moon Island, this was because Ancestor Bernard had been unwilling to leave Miss Purr behind and enter the earth alone, so he stayed above ground to keep her company forever. Fortunately, guards were stationed here year-round, so there was no need to worry about grave robbers. Except today, of course. Neo walked up the steps to the coffin. His hands fluttered rapidly as threads of light extended from his ten fingers, sinking into the surroundings of the casket. The Captain looked as though he were playing a piano, but in reality, he was dismantling the protective barrier around the coffin. "Bernard, isn't it funny? The formations you were so skilled at were learned from me. Even if you added elements of the Dark Moon, the core of the formation never changed." While unraveling the formation, the Captain looked up at the colossal statue before him. Statues of Miss Purr were by no means rare on Dark Moon Island, given that she was the heroine of the legendary romance, but this one was the largest, the most intricate, and the most lifelike. One could clearly sense the character conveyed by the statue: proud, carefree, and brimming with confidence. "I once thought it was such a great pity that you and Bernard didn't end up together, Miss Purr. But the truth is, Miss Purr probably saw through Bernard's true colors long ago." The Captain's ten fingers froze in an instant, then jerked back sharply. *Buzz!* The protective barrier that had guarded the coffin for over a century was completely shattered. The coffin was crafted with such confidence that it did not even use coffin nails. In other words, although the lid fit tightly over the casket with virtually no gap, in essence, it merely rested on top with no fasteners. A simple push would slide it open. Yet halfway through reaching out, the Captain's hand stopped. A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips. "Bernard, I know what kind of man you were." Right at that moment, Tafman appeared behind the Captain, his delayed fist hurtling straight toward him. The Captain seemed to have anticipated Tafman's approach long ago. Facing the punch, he sidestepped to evade it, leaping over to the other side of the coffin while shoving hard against the lid with his left hand. Tafman sprang into the air, both fists wrapped in Dark Moon power, crashing down toward the Captain once more. The Captain retreated, dropping down the steps of the bier platform. At that exact instant, under the force of the earlier push, the lid slid open more than halfway. *Boom!* A plume of thick black smoke billowed from within the coffin. Immediately after, an evil spirit emerged from the smoke, opening its maw to bite down directly on Tafman, who was closest to the coffin. Tafman had never expected such a scene inside the opened casket. His body was instantly engulfed by the evil spirit, but in the next instant, blazing Light power erupted from him, prying open the spirit's jaws by force as he scrambled backward. After delivering that single bite, the evil spirit's form dissolved into nothingness. Dense clusters of black spots appeared all over Tafman's body, each one harboring terrifying evil spirit corruption. Drawing a deep breath, Tafman clenched his right fist. The black dots across his body began to shift rapidly, ultimately migrating to his right arm. In an instant, the dots vanished from the rest of his body, while his right arm turned pitch-black. Raising the Dark Moon Blade with his left hand, Tafman chopped straight down at his right arm. *Splurt!* His right arm severed and fell. "Light — Purification!" The power of purification struck the blackened arm, yet failed to cleanse it. Standing far away, untouched by the evil spirit, the Captain called out, "Purification won't work on that. Use a seal!" Tafman immediately gathered sealing magic in his left hand and struck the severed right arm, coating it in a layer of white frost. "You're even stronger than I imagined, and your mastery over the Light is higher than I expected." Tafman cast a cold glare at the Captain. "Don't celebrate dodging it just yet. I know your ancestor's malice better than you do—after all, I was once deceived quite miserably myself. This kind of evil spirit corruption isn't something you can stop just by hacking off an arm. It has already seeped into your soul. You can hold out for a week at most before your soul is possessed by the evil spirit." Earlier, although dismantling the protective barrier had taken some time, the Captain would have had enough time to open the coffin before Tafman arrived. Yet the Captain had hesitated and refrained from doing so. Because he knew Bernard too well. Given Bernard's disposition, how could he not have a final layer of protection on his own coffin? Whoever dared to open his coffin, he would make them die! The Captain walked toward the coffin, but Tafman, now with only one arm, blocked his path once more. "Philias, I know of the enmity between you and my ancestor, and I understand that my ancestor wronged you back then. But I am sorry. Even though I wield the power of the Light, in my heart, I belong to the Dark Moon clan. "I cultivate the Light solely to protect the Dark Moon, to protect my clan and my people. "I will not allow you to awaken Dorons." "Before, you would have been quite troublesome to deal with. I couldn't even guarantee I could defeat you. But now, you no longer have the strength to stop me." "I know." Tafman nodded. Then, he placed his left hand over his chest. A dark shadow surfaced once more, forming a demonic visage on his chest. It was the evil spirit corruption lurking within his soul, which Tafman had now actively dragged out, even if doing so accelerated the spirit's encroachment upon his soul. "I may truly be unable to stop you now, but I can at least ensure that you are infected with this corruption as well." "Awakening Dorons is for the sake of the Light." "I've already told you—I don't believe in the Light." "What about the treasure? Don't you want it?" "Would you give it to me?" Tafman retorted. "Would you share half of it with Dark Moon Island, Philias?" "Feel the chest pocket of your clothes. There's the half of the Samsara coupons I shared with you earlier." "Stop wasting your breath, Philias. It's impossible for me to trust you. There is not the slightest chance of cooperation between us." The Captain looked somewhat troubled. "Well, this is rather awkward. Looks like there really is no tricking you." "Heh." Tafman chuckled. Although he had just lost an arm and suffered spiritual corruption, he could not bring himself to hate the man before him. He could slaughter those Light remnants without mercy, but he found this man intriguing, sensing a subtle kinship between them. And indeed, that was the truth. One wielded Light while believing in the Dark Moon; the other wielded Light while believing in Order. Both radiated light on the outside, yet neither possessed a heart that was white. Meanwhile, the fighting outside was gradually dying down. Clearly, both sides, whose tempers had flared after the explosion, were beginning to realize that the brawl had broken out over nothing and started pulling their punches. Soon, the Dark Moon guards would arrive. "How vexing. Something that was supposed to be quite amusing ends up stopped by you in the end. It really ruins my mood." Tafman said, "The commotion here will likely draw the bishops from both major churches as well. If you run now, there's still time." The Captain laughed. "The general commanding the offshore fleet of Dark Moon Island is actually a remnant of the Light. Aren't you afraid I'll spread word of this?" "If my identity can no longer be hidden, I will willingly choose suicide. Can you?" "I can't. I'm here for fun, not to die." By now, silhouettes of Dark Moon guards had appeared on the perimeter, rushing toward the area. The Captain began backing away. "Look, Dark Moon Island has become so suffocating under the negotiations between the two orthodox churches, just like parched earth desperately needing a roar from Dorons to bring rain. Can't you really give me a chance?" "There's really no need for you to keep wasting time on this question, because it is utterly impossible." "Oh, well then, I'm off." The Captain retrieved a scroll and tossed it to the ground. In an instant, fierce gales swept up—a concealing magic scroll designed for escape and cutting off pursuit. Seeing the man's figure vanish into the howling winds, Tafman breathed a long sigh of relief. "General!" "General!" Two Dark Moon guard captains arrived at Tafman's side with their subordinates. All of them bore injuries, and many of their blades still had traces of blood. Their disheveled hair whipped wildly in the fierce wind. This whole matter was a misunderstanding, but Tafman knew that in the end, they would still need the Church of Order to mediate, or the Church of Samsara would certainly not let it rest. After all, Dark Moon Island was the host, and ensuring the safety of conference attendees was the island's duty. "General, your arm..." A guard captain spoke, reaching down to pick up the frost-covered arm on the ground. "Don't touch it!" "Yes, General." "I will go negotiate with the people from the Church of Samsara. All of this was... was the instigation of the Light remnants." A self-mocking look crossed Tafman's face. Just then, within the howling gale not far away, the figure that had vanished earlier reappeared. Tafman froze. He saw the man holding both hands in front of his mouth, as if cupping an invisible instrument to play, yet there was no conch in his hands. Tafman was also certain the man had never actually touched the items inside the coffin! Yet right at that moment, the long, resonant call of a conch sounded. Tafman's eyes widened instantly, and he roared an order: "Put the lid back on the coffin, quick!" The Captain continued playing. Blowing the conch did not necessarily require holding it in his hands. Sound, in essence, was vibration. That scroll had not been meant to help him escape, but to create an environment suited for playing—one conducive to the transmission of vibrations. He did not need to hold the covenant conch in his hand at all; he only needed... the coffin lid to be open so the sound would not be muffled. The Dark Moon guards shoved the lid back in place, and the sound emanating from within the coffin vanished instantly. Tafman shouted at the Captain, "The distance isn't enough! Have you forgotten the distance between the Palace of Longing and Guze Pool?" The Captain ceased playing, lowered his hands, and looked at Tafman. "Oh, that was a lie I told your ancestor." "..." Tafman. The Captain turned to face the direction of Guze Pool and said softly: "Time to wake up, old friend." ... Karen and Ophelia were still strolling together. As a master of Dark Moon Island, Ophelia had promised Karen she would give him a proper tour of the island. The first scenic spot Ophelia had chosen was the Palace of Longing. Karen had declined, however. Had Ophelia not come to see him today, he would likely have gone to rendezvous with the Captain in the afternoon to see if he could be of any help. Although the Captain had not assigned him any specific task, the implication was that he hoped Karen could lend a hand. Now that Ophelia had come, however, it was no longer appropriate for Karen to take her to the Palace of Longing. Strolling with a girl was quite pleasant; digging up her family's ancestral grave with her, on the other hand, was rather unkind. Karen had given the Captain a heads-up about this beforehand: he would not use Ophelia's status to help lure away the guards of the Palace of Longing, and the Captain had understood and accepted this. Of course, Karen could not tell Ophelia that this was his reason for declining. The excuse he had offered was: *I'm not ready to face him yet, because the closer I get to my hometown, the more timid I become emotionally.* In the end, Karen proposed visiting Guze Pool instead. That was where Dorons slept, and it was a stunningly scenic location in its own right. Karen's thought was that while he could not help the Captain at the Palace of Longing right now, if the Captain succeeded, he would be able to witness the "sunrise" firsthand at Guze Pool. Karen and Ophelia were currently sitting on a hillside overlooking Guze Pool. One side of the hill sloped gently, while the side facing the pool was a steep, sheer cliff. The two of them sat at the edge of the precipice, appearing as though they were genuinely admiring the scenery before them. The warm, golden glow of the evening dusk spilled down, bathing the pool in a breathtaking, gentle light. The pool resembled a vanity mirror suffused with tender emotions, like a colossal piece of blue amber fallen into the mortal world. Ophelia turned to Karen and asked, "Is it only on Dark Moon Island that we can sit this close and watch the scenery together?" "We are friends. Good friends." "I hope you won't follow that up with the cliché of saying you only see me as a younger sister." "I won't, since you seem to be older than me." "Heh." Ophelia laughed softly, pointing toward the pool below. "Karen, you give me the feeling of this pool. It seems as though you never form the slightest ripple, always so polished and composed." "Ah, I've told you before, I'm a bit precocious. Perhaps due to certain unique reasons, I lack the drive and carefree abandon that should belong to this age." "Yet if you had those, I might not have felt drawn to you. I actually really like your elegance and decorum." *All right, so you have a thing for older men after all.* Ophelia sighed, her expression turning slightly forlorn. "Perhaps arriving late simply means being late. There's no room left on the deck." Karen remained silent. Ophelia asked, "I thought you'd tell me that I could wait for the next ship." Karen shook his head and said, "Thank you for waiting at the pier for me to come ashore. It was wonderful." "Yet destined to remain only scenery?" "I will remember it. Truly." "Is that so... You will remember. That's why I feel that no matter what I do, I can never truly move your heart. Your heart is like this pool, enclosed on all sides by towering mountains. The wind belonging to me cannot blow inside, so it remains forever still toward me." *BOOOOOOOM!* A terrifying roar suddenly erupted from the earth, followed by a horrifyingly violent tremor. Immediately after... The mountain collapsed.