Counterattack!

Karen chuckled. "In the end, it'll still have to be erased and refined. Why go through all this trouble?" Though it wasn't being made into a fried egg, Kevin's method of processing would dispose of it even more thoroughly. What Alfred was doing held little practical purpose. Alfred said solemnly, "Preaching to the living always carries a touch of self-interest; preaching to the dead stems purely from faith." Hearing that, Karen wiped the smile from his face and gave Alfred an earnest nod. "It's a pity registering for this selection was so difficult. Even Richard only got in through his grandfather pulling strings. Otherwise, if you could have joined the selection, you'd have been able to make a run for a spot too." "This subordinate harbors no such ambitions. In my view, walking the exact same path alongside you, Young Master, would be a tremendous waste. I can develop through other avenues to assist you." "Thank you, Alfred." "There is no need for such courtesy, Young Master." "I say thank you to Eunice all the time too." "You're welcome, Young Master!" Karen searched around the kitchen and found plenty of leftover rice. Xili had prepared dinner, but he had been asleep and missed it. By now, the funeral parlor's culinary habits had completely aligned with Karen's preferences, shifting the household staples to rice or noodles. Leftover rice was always the best choice for egg fried rice. Karen whipped up a large pan of egg fried rice and dished out two plates—one for himself and one for Alfred. Alfred set down the egg. After washing his hands, he took two pieces of pickled ginger from the pickle jar, sliced and plated them, added some pickled mustard tuber, and finally brought out two salted duck eggs. Tapping the hollow end of a salted duck egg against the table, he peeled open a small circle at the top and set it down before Karen. Karen drew out a spell manual from the compartment beneath the dining table and, as was his habit, studied spells while eating. Alfred placed the egg on the table, continuing his silent communication over dinner. After their late-night meal, Alfred cleared away the dishes while Karen returned to the study to continue reading. Reading until daybreak approached, Karen leaned back in his chair and dozed off for a bit. When he woke, it was already eight o'clock, yet he felt completely refreshed. After freshening up, Karen went back to the study and dialed the Guman household. "Hello, Guman residence." Richard answered. "How are your injuries?" Karen asked. "Hmm, are you actually checking on me? I'm pretty much recovered." In truth, as long as Richard didn't go out on missions with Mr. Aisen, the odds of him getting beaten were far lower. After all, disciplined education grounded in reason was far more satisfying than pure venting. "I'm coming over to see you. Let's grab a coffee." Richard asked with anticipation, "A proper coffee?" "Yes, a proper one." Richard's tone slumped with disappointment. "Oh, all right." Karen hung up. The study door was pushed open, and Purr strode in riding on Kevin's back. "Hmm, Karen, you're up early." "You slept for a long time," Karen remarked. "Must have been exhausted." "No, not at all!" Purr snapped to attention instantly. "That was nothing!" "Heh. I'm heading out for a bit." "I heard. For coffee?" "Yeah, I arranged to meet Richard for coffee. By the way, fetch me a blank transcription scroll and prepare a few bottles of energy potion." "Hmm, what spell are you having Richard transcribe for you?" Karen opened his palm, his fingertips curling and flexing lightly. "The Guman family's Array Rubik's Cube. I've seen both Old Master Delon and Mr. Aisen use it, and it seemed very useful. My main focus will be devoted to mastering arrays anyway, so I can't let Mr. Hoffen's thoughtful gift go to waste." "Will Richard give it to you? That's his family's secret art—the very foundation of the Guman family's standing in the Church of Order." "He will. That spell is restricted by bloodline anyway. Even if it's given to an outsider, an outsider can't use it, right?" "Just like the Dark Moon Blade?" Purr asked in return. "You could say that." "Fine, Richard truly is a spendthrift young master." Purr paused, then added, "Though to squander things in such an advantageous direction is quite a stroke of luck." "Get them ready for me. I'm leaving right away." "Understood, understood. Let's go, stupid dog!" With the scroll and potions packed into a briefcase, Pike hailed a taxi for Karen. The household's hearse and second-hand Ponce probably wouldn't be delivered back until later in the day. By the time the taxi reached the street where he had bought ice cream cones the day before, it was already nine o'clock. Karen found a proper café, went inside to book a private booth, and then took out a piece of spell paper, folded it into a black crow, and let it fly out the window. Before long, Richard entered the café and stepped into the booth holding the black crow. "This life is unlivable, Karen." The moment he walked in, Richard began complaining. "Every single day at home, I'm stuck reading spell books and study notes, and my grandfather tests me personally every evening! Aaargh, I never worked this hard back in school!" "That's good. Make the most of having such resources." Richard pulled two notebooks from his pocket and pushed them toward Karen. "These are the study notes my family prepared for me. Take them and have a look." Karen reached out and accepted the notebooks, nodding. "Thank you." In prominent families, the most precious assets were never businesses or properties, but knowledge and experience. Copying out two full notebooks couldn't have been done on short notice; Richard must have prepared them for him well in advance. "Come on, what's between us? Cut the polite talk. If you need anything I can manage in the future, just tell me directly." "All right." Karen placed a blank scroll in front of Richard, along with two bottles of energy potion. "Help me transcribe your family's Array Rubik's Cube." Richard: "..." After a long pause, once he was sure Karen wasn't joking, Richard asked in confusion, "Seriously?" "Yes, seriously. If you want to decline politely, you can just say you haven't mastered it yet." "My grasp of it is only at an elementary level, but I've learned it, technically." "Then transcribe it." "Still, even if you take the 'Key to the Rubik's Cube,' you won't be able to learn it. It requires a bloodline trigger. If you just want to study it, that's fine, but please don't let it leak out. I'm worried someone with ill intentions might analyze it to find counter-strategies." "I'm only reviewing it myself. It won't leave my hands." "Okay then." Richard agreed, placed his palm flat against the scroll, and began the transcription. Karen took out the unfinished novel, *Rogate Manor*, from his briefcase to continue reading, knowing this would take quite some time. The book was very thick. The protagonist was a wealthy man, and the first half recounted his life on the estate, reading almost like an autobiography. Ordinarily, such an account could easily grow dry and boring, making readers lose interest, especially in a work of this length. The author clearly understood that, so the first half was packed with the protagonist's various romantic and scandalous escapades throughout his youth: peeping on an illicit affair between his father and maternal grandmother during childhood; an affair with his maternal aunt as he grew older; and after marriage, depictions of infidelity involving the household maids, other men's wives, and so on. The first half was saturated with this sort of material. Yet once the second half began, the narrative took a sharp turn. Every single person he had encountered in the first half assumed another identity entirely. His birth, his origins, his upbringing, and his future were all revealed to be parts of a grand conspiracy. Karen suspected the author belonged to the church circles. Many of the horror elements were clearly grounded in real phenomena, though the author's social standing within that circle was likely modest—perhaps even quite low. Judging by the author's perspective and imagined scenarios, it was probably written by a God's Servant from some religion during their off-hours. Regardless of its flaws, the complete tone reversal and plotting from the midway point onward made for an exhilarating read. Absorbed in the pages, one couldn't help but feel a deep sense of shock. Even every person and anecdote earlier on—which had seemed like tawdry bait to keep the audience reading—took on an entirely different meaning later. Without realizing it, the sun shifted across the sky. Afternoon had arrived. Karen finally finished the book. The ending: the protagonist went mad. *Thud!* Richard's head knocked against the tabletop before he groggily lifted it. He had already downed both bottles of energy potion, yet he still looked completely exhausted. "Transcription's done, Karen." "Thank you for your hard work." Karen carefully stowed the scroll away. "Shall I escort you home to sleep in your bed?" "Are we really being that blunt and direct?" "Even if I wanted to take you to a pastry shop right now, you wouldn't have the energy to eat any pastries." "True. If someone stripped down to serve me and I fell asleep right in front of them, that would be terribly disrespectful." Karen stood and helped Richard up. Leaving the café, he walked him to the road outside his house. From a distance, he could see a figure in a yellow floral dress seated by the second-floor window, presumably Richard's grandmother having tea. "My grandmother is home," Richard said. "Won't you come inside for a bit?" "No, next time." "All right." "Thanks again, Richard." "Why be so polite? It's nothing between brothers." Richard pushed open the courtyard gate, took out his key, and unlocked the front door. Karen turned, preparing to walk back toward the main road to catch a taxi and study the Key to the Rubik's Cube. But straight ahead, an elderly woman in a yellow floral dress approached carrying an empty vegetable basket. Karen: "This..." Madame Tangli exclaimed with delight, "Oh, isn't this Mr. Karen! I just stepped out to buy groceries and came back to find you here! Come in, come in, have a seat inside!" The old lady caught Karen by the arm, practically hauling him toward the house. "Madam, I still have..." "Ah, at my age, with all the children busy, there are hardly any people in my life I can really talk to. Thank goodness for you. We get along so well, and you know how to cook. It's wonderful. I don't have many days left to live anyway." Well, Karen was certain Madame Tangli knew who he was, and she seemed to know that he knew as well. Short of puncturing that thin layer of pretense, this was practically a grandmother's earnest plea. "All right, Madam." Karen had no choice but to agree. Once inside, Madame Tangli placed a hand on Karen. "I'll go to the kitchen to prepare dinner, following the method you showed me that day, and then you can taste it and give me feedback." "Very well, Madam." "Richard should be on the second floor. Go talk with him. That boy has a lazy streak; I hope he learns a thing or two from you." "Of course, Madam." Karen headed up to the second floor, pushed open the door to Richard's room, and found Richard sprawled across the bed. "Huh? Karen? Am I so tired that I'm hallucinating?" "No. I decided to come in and sit for a while to mooch a dinner. Go ahead and sleep." "Mmh, okay." Richard, carefree as always, pulled a blanket over his stomach and promptly fell asleep. Karen sat behind Richard's desk, took out the scroll, placed his hand upon it, and began "reading" the Key to the Rubik's Cube that Richard had transcribed for him. Roughly three hours passed before footsteps sounded outside. Karen clenched his fist, and the Rubik's cube hovering above his palm vanished. Immediately after, Karen casually picked up a book from the desk, pretending he was reading. The bedroom door opened to reveal Madame Kaixi. Madame Kaixi first saw her son snoring away on the bed, and then Karen sitting behind the desk studying attentively. Her son had terrible sleeping posture, mouth agape and limbs splayed out, whereas Karen was bathed in the twilight glow filtering through the window, looking refined from every angle. Kaixi pursed her lips. She felt a strong urge to summon her husband and give their son another beating right then and there. Besides, ever since her husband started beating their son intermittently, his condition had visibly improved. This son truly deserved a thrashing. "Karen?" "Madam." Karen stood and greeted Kaixi. "Richard's grandfather is back. He wants you both to come down to the basement." "All right, I'll wake Richard." Karen woke Richard. Having slept for several hours, he had recovered a fair amount of energy, but the moment he heard his grandfather was requesting his presence in the basement, his face crumpled into wrinkles of dread. Karen accompanied Richard downstairs. He gestured for Richard to head down to the basement while he turned toward the living room sofa. Just then, Madame Tangli emerged from the kitchen holding a ladle. She called to Karen, "Karen, you go down to the basement too. His grandfather is training him; join in as well." "Madam, that wouldn't be appropriate, would it?" Karen instinctively declined. It wasn't out of bashfulness or thin skin; Karen genuinely felt it was unnecessary. "What's inappropriate about it? It's only right!" Madame Tangli pointed her ladle toward the basement stairs and ordered, "Go on!" Kaixi stood nearby and chimed in, "Go ahead, Karen. No need to be polite." *I'm really not just being polite.* Seeing that Karen still wasn't moving, Madame Tangli began walking over. Left with no choice, Karen took the initiative and headed down toward the basement. The basement door was wide open. After all, the people upstairs were family and members of the church circle; there was no need for concealment. Reaching the doorway, Karen saw Old Master Delon sitting on the sofa holding a teacup. Richard was kneeling on the carpet, where a black circle had formed beneath him. A Rubik's cube was rotating on its own in front of Old Master Delon, and Richard, positioned at the center of the black circle, looked to be in immense agony. This was training, but it was also torment. Yet often, undergoing torment was the fastest way to learn. Karen knocked on the doorframe. Old Master Delon glanced over, raised a finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture, and then pointed beside Richard, signaling Karen to come forward. He naturally assumed Karen was here for the training as well. And indeed, that was the case, even if Karen had been pushed into it. Karen walked in, hesitating briefly before stepping into the black circle. Old Master Delon offered Karen a silent, reassuring smile, conveying that there was nothing to fear. Karen nodded, stepped into the circle, and knelt down beside Richard, mirroring his posture. Though Old Master Delon sat before him, he was still the maternal grandfather of this physical body. For the sake of his "mother," kneeling here was hardly a humiliation. Karen sensed an intangible spiritual force coalescing around him, assembling as if preparing to launch an assault. Right then, Richard suddenly reached out and gripped Karen's arm. Richard had already plunged deep into the illusion. With his eyes closed, he simply sensed a trustworthy and comforting presence beside him, instinctively seeking reliance. Karen didn't push him away. Instead, he closed his eyes as well. In the depths of his mind, Karen seemed to see a dark abyss below, where a pathetic and helpless Richard knelt. Surrounding Richard, twisted spectral phantoms howled and tore at him incessantly. The same scene materialized around Karen. But as they drew near, attempting to subject him to the same torment, a lustrous black membrane formed around Karen, shutting them out completely. This meant that an illusion and mental assault of this caliber couldn't even breach Karen's inner defenses. It was like a falling leaf landing on one's body—did one need to raise a shield to block it? Not only did he not need to actively fend it off, Karen actually had to suppress his instinct to counterattack. *Hmm, blocking it off entirely might look suspicious. Should I let a few in just for show?* While Karen was pondering this, Richard lifted his head, as if "seeing" Karen. He immediately scrambled up and ran toward Karen, tears streaming down his face as he sprinted, like a bullied younger brother fleeing to his older brother for protection. In an instant, Richard crashed straight through Karen's protective membrane and arrived at his side. The consequence of the membrane rupturing was that a horde of twisted specters swarmed straight toward Karen. Karen's brow furrowed by instinct. The self-defense counterattack began! A black chain erupted from beneath Karen's feet. In an instant, one chain multiplied into ten, then a hundred, ensnaring the spectral phantoms before ripping them to shreds in an eye blink! *Crack!* The teacup in Old Master Delon's hand shattered, splashing tea and tea leaves all over him. At the same time, hundreds of black chains burst forth from in front of Karen, spreading out from the carpet and instantly blanketing the basement's walls and ceiling. Every single chain aimed straight at Old Master Delon on the sofa, like a pack of ravenous beasts poised to tear into their prey! Karen opened his eyes to see Old Master Delon covered in tea dregs. He looked around, only then realizing what had happened. In a flash, all the black chains retracted back into his body and vanished without a trace. "You..." "Sorry..."