Strike!

Without realizing quite when it began, Karen had grown more and more skilled, accustomed, and at ease with playing other identities. There ought to be a dedicated department within the Church of Order handling espionage and infiltration. At one point, Karen had suspected that Bishop Bern might be one of its heads, given that both his father and his son had infiltrated the Church of Pamires. Still, Karen had no wish to draw the attention of such departments. Disguising himself was usually just an emergency stopgap; most of the time, he preferred taking off the mask to breathe fresh air as himself. For instance, Inquisitor Pavaro had been out on missions for so long that he hadn't returned home in ages. The Sea God's Armor was the best way to blend in, especially when every single member had a rotting face, practically erasing any distinct facial features. Sure enough, after Karen manifested the Sea God's Armor, the other robed figures immediately looked away and resumed cleaning up the bodies. Karen lifted a corpse and followed several others carrying bodies toward the basement. The basement was damp, though not from moisture—it reeked heavily of blood. The lights inside were lit. There were six eggs, the largest of which sat right in the center, tinged pitch-black. The people in front tossed the bodies into empty barrels nearby and promptly turned to dash back upstairs. Karen almost thought they had discovered his true identity and planned to lock him inside the basement. But after they all bolted up, the last person to exit let out a sigh. He walked back down and asked Karen, "Why aren't you running?" His voice was high and thin, like a throat that had yet to fully mature. *All right, not only do faces lack distinctiveness here, but voices seem to blend together too.* Karen didn't answer. The other cultist showed no suspicion. Instead, he took out a knife and a tube, and began bleeding the corpses. Noticing a few blood-stained brushes lying on the ground, Karen understood. *So their sudden dash out just now was like the last people to put down their bowls having to do the dishes?* Karen added, "I knew I couldn't outrun them." The robed figure nodded. "Fair enough." Karen mimicked his actions, picking up a knife and tube from the ground to bleed the corpses. The scene was certainly sickening and gory, but for Karen now, it remained within tolerable limits. He felt pity for Mr. Wood's men. They had likely sensed their boss had been captured and tried to mount a rescue, only to fail in the end. Mr. Wood did indeed have a band of desperate men under him, with some loose connections to church circles. But Allen Manor had dwindled to such a pathetic state before Karen's arrival, so Mr. Wood couldn't have had many powerful subordinates. After all, the Raphael family's local influence had once suppressed him to the point where he could barely breathe. This bunch from the Sea God Religion was exceptionally formidable; taking control of Corona Island was effortless for them. If they hadn't ambushed Gendy's squad, they could have easily entrenched themselves on Corona Island for a long time. So should they thank their captain for taking the contract? Otherwise, their own squad might have been the ones ambushed while escorting the cargo. Fate was sometimes strange like that. Karen watched the cultist pick up a brush and begin coating an eggshell with blood. He picked up another brush, dipped it in blood, and started painting as well. The moment the brush stroked across, a dark shadow surfaced inside the egg, resembling two hands pressed against the inner shell. Then a face appeared, mouth puckered as if sucking, though the mouth was as wide as a suction cup. The blood painted onto the surface quickly soaked inward. Karen kept applying it until the creature inside was sated before moving to the next. "You do the rest." The robed cultist slacked off. Leaving the single black egg behind, he set down his tools and went upstairs first. Karen walked up to the black egg, an urge rising within him to smash them all to pieces. Here, one could directly witness the darkness permeating religious circles. Fundamentalist followers of the Sea God Religion required human blood sacrifices to evolve into their desired form, while the Church of Samsara treated ordinary human bodies as disposable vessels to house consciousness. Gods sat upon the highest pedestals, and their believers looked down on the world with equal arrogance. Because of that, even though scum like Jurist Qihe cropped up within the Church of Order, from a macro perspective, one could not deny that the Church of Order had brought a vastly different order to the world in this era. *Skrrch, skrrch, skrrch...* A scraping sound came from inside the black eggshell, sounding eerily like laughter. Karen picked up the brush, suppressing his inner revulsion, and coated it in blood. These things would be destroyed, just not right now. His purpose here was to rescue Wood and his family. Once finished, Karen tossed the brush to the ground and walked out of the basement. Without lingering on the ground floor, Karen climbed to the second floor, and then continued up to the third. In the third-floor dining area sat a robed figure who felt distinctly different from the others. Karen sensed a dangerous aura radiating from him. The figure turned his head toward Karen. Karen quickly adjusted his gaze downward. "Pour me a glass of rum." Karen bowed his head in acknowledgment, turned, and entered the kitchen. Mr. Wood had treated him to a meal here before, and there was a liquor cabinet inside. After pouring a glass, Karen brought it over and presented it to him. The man took the glass without a word, simply holding it before him to inhale the aroma. Although his face was also wrapped in bandages, they were entirely soaked in blood—a stark, crimson red. His eyes glowed with a faint blue light, setting him clearly apart from ordinary robed cultists. Just then, the door to an adjacent room opened, and Wood walked out, bound in blue ropes. "I heard noise downstairs just now!" "Yes. Your men came trying to break you out." "Where are they?" "All dead." "You said as long as I cooperated, you wouldn't kill anyone on this island!" "That was on the condition that you and your people behaved. Clearly, they did not. They even tried to resist." "The ship arrives tomorrow." "Too late. You don't want us staying here, and in fact, we'd like nothing more than to leave this island early for our real destination." "It arrives tomorrow morning." "I recall that according to our original agreement, the ship was supposed to dock by midnight tonight." "The ship arriving tomorrow morning is fully stocked with supplies." "Oh? Excellent. That actually saves us time. You've done well, Mr. Wood." "I only hope you keep your promise." "Of course." "If you don't intend to keep your word, I ask that you at least spare my wife and daughter. You've kept them imprisoned on the ship from the very beginning. They know nothing of your identities, and they aren't truly part of the Allen family." "To be honest, I've always found it baffling that a family aware of our existence could fall so low. When your ancestors roamed the seas, they probably never imagined their descendants would see such a day." Mr. Wood smiled coldly. "I could say the exact same to you." "Hahahahaha!" The robed figure laughed. "I admire you, Mr. Wood. In this world, there aren't many people Ino can respect. A pity you belong to a family faith system. Go on, keep contacting that ship. Try to get it here sooner. I don't want to spend another moment in this godforsaken place." Ino drained his glass in one gulp, rose to his feet, and looked out the window, muttering to himself, "That cat has been watching me from the windowsill for quite a while. I like cats." Hearing that, Karen felt a jolt in his chest, but he forced himself not to make any unnecessary movement. "Take our Mr. Wood back to the communications room and watch him keep hurrying that ship along." Karen reached out and grabbed Wood's shoulder. Wood shot a venomous glare at Ino, shrugged off Karen's grip, and walked toward the room on his own. Karen followed him inside and closed the door. Then Karen stood pressed against the door. He heard another voice outside—evidently, another robed cultist had approached. "Ino, what are you looking at?" "Dart, look at that cat. Doesn't it look like my Milcy?" "You mean the cat you kept on the ship? Let me see... oh, that cat's coat is far prettier than your Milcy's ever was." "A shame my Milcy was lost to the deep sea during our earlier voyage. I suppose the great Sea God took a liking to her as well and took her to keep him company. Have you slept enough? Sit here for me a moment while I bring my new Milcy back." "Sure, go ahead." Immediately after, Karen heard the sound of a window opening, accompanied by a ripple of energy fluctuations. *Is Purr about to get caught?* *Didn't I tell her not to come near here?!* *Can Alfred protect Purr and the rest?* *Will they have time to fire the flare gun?* Another wave of energy rippled, and Ino's voice drifted in once more: "Oh, look, Dart. Isn't she adorable?" *Damn it, caught that fast?!!* "Yeah, whatever makes you happy, Ino. Fine, I'm going back to sleep. By the way, when does the ship arrive?" "Tomorrow morning. A fully provisioned vessel will dock. Then we'll herd some blood sheep aboard and set sail." "I hope it's sooner." "This is already the fastest it can be. I know what you're afraid of; I'm afraid too. We have only you to blame for attacking without scouting their identities beforehand. Still, we have enough time. By the time that colossal monster reacts, we'll already be deep in the open ocean." "I told you not to bring up old scores." "My fault, my fault. Go on back to sleep. I'm going to spend time with my new Milcy. Look at her fur—doesn't it look like white snow?" *A white cat?* The heart hanging in Karen's throat finally settled. Indeed, care had bred panic. Purr might act like an entitled young lady at home, but she was an experienced adventurer. How could she commit such an amateur mistake? Karen unwrapped the bandages from his face as he walked toward Mr. Wood, who was seated before the telephone. Beside him lay a formation stone. Hearing footsteps draw near, Mr. Wood turned his head. The moment he saw Karen's face, shock washed over him. But without Karen even needing to signal for silence, he knew to keep quiet. Karen made a pressing-down gesture with both hands. Mr. Wood held up two fingers. Karen repeated the pressing-down motion. Having just heard the robed leader mention that Wood's wife and daughter were being held hostage aboard a ship, while the captain and the others were searching the port for it, there was little doubt they would manage to rescue the mother and daughter. Mr. Wood understood Karen's meaning, placed a hand over his chest, and nodded. Karen rewrapped the bandages around his face and retreated to the doorway. The situation going forward was somewhat tricky. Technically, he could undo the ropes restricting Mr. Wood's power right now and lead him out through the window. With his strength, he could manage it—Mr. Wood was hardly a fragile maiden, after all. Yet if he made his move too early, before the captain found the ship and secured the hostages, things would turn sour. Since he was already here, he had to save the entire family. Thus, Karen decided to wait a little longer to give the captain and the others more time. Ideally, he would act only after the captain fired a flare. He waited for nearly two hours. The town, originally noisy, had grown considerably quieter by this hour. Footsteps approached the room. The door swung open—it was Ino. "Would you say she's beautiful?" Ino asked Mr. Wood, cradling a white cat. Mr. Wood ignored him. "Heh, her beauty is wasted on you." Ino then glanced at Karen standing in the corner. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" "Very beautiful." "Mm, indeed." Contented, Ino carried the cat back outside. Just as Karen was about to close the door, a sharp whistling sound suddenly tore through the air, followed by a loud *crack* like a soaring firework. Karen immediately looked through the window toward the sky above the harbor—a signal flare! Wasting no more time, Karen summoned the Flame of Order in his hand and seized the ropes binding Mr. Wood, melting them through instantly. "Go!" Mr. Wood didn't ask whether his wife and daughter were safe. Instead, he threw himself out the window without hesitation, flames igniting across his body as he hit the ground. Karen vaulted out the window right behind him, trailing close. The sudden signal flare had alerted the entire office building, and the commotion in the communications room was instantly picked up by Ino. The moment Karen landed, he looked back to see Ino dropping down from the third floor, still cradling the white cat. In the next instant, Sea God's Armor materialized over Karen's body, and he shouted at Wood ahead: "Don't run! Halt! Stop right there!" Empowered by flames, Mr. Wood sprinted forward recklessly while Karen gave chase from behind. Just then, a ripple of water flashed past Karen—Ino, instantly closing the distance between himself and Mr. Wood. The only reason they had bound Wood with a simple rope without further restraints was that his wife and daughter served as hostages, and because they never believed he could escape in the first place. With his right arm still clutching the cat, Ino extended his left hand. Gliding forward at blistering speed, he was about to grasp Wood's shoulder, every motion effortless and relaxed. Karen's eyes flashed crimson. With a flick of his wrists, the Dark Moon Blade unsheathed. Surging with speed, he sprinted behind Ino and slashed down squarely at his back! The calm composure on Ino's face vanished entirely. He could not fathom why a subordinate behind him would suddenly undergo such a transformation! Yet an intense sense of crisis triggered his instinctual defense. Sea God's Armor materialized across his body as well, far thicker and with vastly clearer engravings than ordinary sets. Even so, Karen's Dark Moon Blade forcibly pierced through the armor, sinking deeper inward. At that moment, the cat in Ino's arms suddenly split apart, dissolving into a mist of blood that merged into his armor, tinting it red. Karen's Dark Moon Blade finally shattered all resistance, piercing into Ino's back and running completely through him. Yet Ino's body suddenly liquefied and exploded! *Boom!* *A substitute puppet?!* Karen knew his ambush had not truly succeeded. He hadn't anticipated that the man's fondness for cats served this exact purpose. Not far away, a cloud of water vapor condensed into Ino's figure. Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, he glared at Karen in disbelief. Karen didn't meet his gaze. Since the sneak attack had failed, then... run! Empowered by the Dark Moon Blade, Karen turned into a streak of red light, darting in the direction Wood had fled. Seeing this, Ino dissolved into blue mist once more, giving chase. *Sea God's Armor can grant a speed boost this high too?* Karen was somewhat astonished that he hadn't managed to shake him off. Immediately, he changed direction to draw Ino away and allow Mr. Wood to escape first. Karen was certain that after what he had just pulled, Ino would never let him go. Sure enough, once Karen altered his path, Ino ignored Mr. Wood completely and pursued Karen instead. Just then, a second signal flare soared into the sky! Immediately followed by a third! One flare meant retreat. Two flares meant fight. Three flares meant fight to the death! Evidently, the captain had gauged the enemy's strength and issued the order. Karen halted abruptly, wheeled around, and faced Ino. Ino stopped as well, eyeing Karen from a distance, blood already seeping from his back. "Who are you?" Ino demanded. "Woof!" Across the sloped rooftop to the side, a large golden retriever was sprinting, a rope tied around its body with the other end fastened to the Sword of Arius. As the dog ran, the sword dragged across the roof tiles, carving out a shower of sparks. At the edge of the roof, the golden retriever leaped, dog and greatsword tracing a graceful arc through the air. Mid-jump, the retriever bit through the rope, and Karen reached out to catch the Sword of Arius. Landing on the ground, the golden retriever immediately bared its teeth at Ino, barking furiously, "Woof! Woof! Woof!" Grotesque scales emerged across Ino's skin, his aura surging violently. "Whimper..." Kevin felt somewhat intimidated by the display; after all, he was just a dog right now. Yet when he turned his head and saw Karen standing behind him with sword in hand, his confidence instantly surged back, and he barked at Ino with even greater arrogance! Just like in the old days.