Piro's final sentence left everyone present completely stunned.
Have a God's Servant seal a deity!
Indeed, within that statement, the true sense of "perspective" had been thrown wide open.
What gave the words weight was who relayed them—Piro, their instructor for the day. Though he hadn't announced his formal position, no one doubted his standing, and that "intimate yet unfamiliar" friend of his was undoubtedly someone of immense stature as well.
The same words spoken by people of different standing carried vastly different impressions.
Here, however, Karen's astonishment differed from those around him. He had a vague feeling: could the friend Instructor Piro spoke of be Mr. Hoffen?
Oh, no—Grandpa Hoffen.
In the array notes he had gifted Karen, Mr. Hoffen divided the study of arrays into five stages: Elementary Basics, Intermediate Application, Advanced Integration, Peak Perspective;
The final stage was blank, which Karen assumed was Mr. Hoffen's way of expressing that the path of arrays had no end.
Karen had only just completed Elementary Basics and was currently studying Intermediate Application.
Yet that didn't mean he had left the later volumes to gather dust unread. It wasn't as if he had to master one level before running back to the old man for the next; the notes were right in his hands, so how could he possibly resist the temptation of spoilers?
The introductory epigraph to the Peak volume was precisely this sentence: *The essence of arrays—perspective.*
When it came to theoretical insights, one couldn't rule out others arriving at the same views, but in practice, Mr. Hoffen had already succeeded.
On that point, the dog in his own home had the most authority to speak.
A God's Servant of the Church of Principles had truly sealed an evil god.
Furthermore, the materials and assistance involved had been remarkably limited.
The raw material had been an ordinary golden retriever.
The assisting personnel had been a mental-type aberrant demon who could fight an ordinary Inquisitor to a draw, along with a single Inquisitor.
It was truly a wondrous sensation.
That old man who, during their first meeting, had tumbled while jostling with him and nearly been sent straight to the afterlife had once lived through such a glorious past.
After being "Awakened," in the time he had left, the notes he penned for Karen—enough to nearly fill a large suitcase—were genuinely priceless treasures.
Still, from this one could also see the advantage of someone else's choice. Someone who had earnestly studied and researched Mr. Hoffen's notes from the very beginning, even earlier than Karen had, and with total obsession: Alfred.
Truly a man possessing the Succubus Eye—his vision was second to none.
Piro raised his arm and said, "Of course, the 'perspective' I speak of isn't necessarily absolute truth. The lineage of array systems stretches back into ancient times, yet it frequently repeats a cycle of loss, rediscovery, study, and then further loss, rediscovery, and study alongside the upheavals of religions and the turning of eras.
"For you all, however, I hope you will remember this answer, because I believe it to be correct, and my friend believed it to be correct as well.
"Absolute eternity does not exist in this world to begin with, so we need only align with what is correct for this period."
Saying this,
A cluster of sparks appeared at Piro's fingertips.
In an instant,
The massive ice pillar beneath their feet flushed red. The sea below churned violently, as if a submarine volcano were on the verge of erupting.
During this, Karen caught sight of what seemed to be an entirely black building deep beneath the distant seafloor.
Noticing Karen's gaze, Piro smiled. "That's a place you'll be using for upcoming lessons, not our topic for today. Come, let me take you on another tour."
The ice pillar collapsed and sparks flew, yet they brought no scorching heat to the group. Upon nearing them, they seemed to transform into a sky full of fluttering red butterflies, creating a dreamlike ambiance.
Right at that moment, Mars, Digat, and Paxio suddenly began to fall back, simultaneously calling out to their teammates:
"Fall back, quick!"
Karen was also about to step back, but a sudden sense of discord struck him.
The discord stemmed from a familiar sensation in his mind:
In *Mr. Hoffen's Array Notes*, after opening with "perspective" as the epigraph for that volume, the text immediately listed counterexamples, primarily to rein in blind optimism and overconfidence.
*Mr. Hoffen: Perspective is standing upon the balcony of a castle you built with your own hard labor, looking out at the surrounding landscape—not lying on muddy ground in a torrential storm, shouting that you have seen it all.*
And so, Karen didn't move.
He sensed that this Instructor Piro, having ignited his students' passion, intended to douse them with a bucket of ice water to cool them down.
Because Karen didn't move, Ventura, who had been standing right behind him, didn't move either; as always, whatever Karen did, Ventura simply followed.
Seeing Ventura stay put, Aisli and Bart, who had already begun retreating, also halted their steps.
Within the squad, Mars and Blanche kept retreating, while Muri's squad retreated in its entirety.
They knew this instructor enjoyed playing tricks, and they trusted their squad array master's judgment.
Immediately, a fissure cracked open beneath Karen's feet, spreading outward until it reached beneath Ventura, Bart, and Aisli.
Mars shouted, "Captain, fall back! The displacement coordinates are over a cliff!"
Karen still didn't budge.
At last, the seawater, waves, ice pillar, flames, butterflies, and everything else dissipated. The group found themselves on the hillside corresponding to the other side of the hotel.
Karen and those beside him stood firmly on solid ground. Behind Bart and Aisli, however, lay the cliff.
"Ahhh!"
The entire retreating crowd plunged downward. Some dissolved into black mist, some wedged themselves into the cliff face, and some drew scrolls or sacred relics from their sides.
"Hey, hey!"
At that moment, the familiar sound wave struck once more, forcing those in black mist back into physical form, causing the rocks beneath those clinging to the cliff to crumble, and severing the connection of those who had drawn scrolls and sacred relics.
*Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!...*
One after another, eight people in all hit the water.
Falling into the water from such a height would hurt terribly if one's posture wasn't adjusted properly.
Karen glanced back, thinking to himself: *This instructor is teaching straight out of Mr. Hoffen's Array Notes!*
Of course, it was also possible that Mr. Hoffen had arrived at these familiar conclusions only after exchanging ideas with him, which was why the sequence appeared in his writing.
Piro walked over to Karen. He wasn't very tall, so he had to tilt his head slightly to look up at Karen.
"Did you see through it?"
Karen shook his head. "I guessed."
"Guessed?" Piro asked. "How did you guess?"
"I guessed that after telling us of the boundless nature of perspective, you would ground us in the reality beneath our feet."
"You're very clever." Piro produced a small pouch and handed it to Karen.
Karen caught it, then watched as Piro produced a pipe.
The pipe looked very familiar to Karen—it was practically identical to the one Old Saman had used.
Pipes were largely similar in shape and style, but for the intricate patterns and engravings to match was impossible, especially considering Old Saman hadn't bought his in a store; it was a spatial sacred relic crafted with his own hands.
"Well? Handsome, isn't it?"
Piro raised the pipe, holding it before Karen.
Karen gave a silent start. He had clearly concealed his emotions well, yet the instructor before him had still picked up on them.
Before a figure of this caliber, one truly couldn't afford the slightest lapse in vigilance.
"Very exquisite."
As Karen replied, he opened the small pouch, pinched a bit of shredded tobacco, and packed it into the pipe bowl.
This had been the instructor's intention all along: having his student lend a hand.
Piro chuckled. "Of course. A friend gave it to me."
"Still that intimate yet unfamiliar friend?" Karen deliberately ventured an incorrect guess.
"No, another one. I used to have plenty of friends, though fewer in recent years—we don't visit much anymore. Ah, do you have a lighter?"
Karen took a lighter from his pocket. Although he had quit smoking, he kept the habit of carrying a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
*Snap!*
Lit.
Piro took a puff, pointed toward Karen, and said, "Have one yourself. Smoking is permitted in my class."
"I don't smoke."
"You don't smoke, yet you carry them?"
"I used to work in a funeral parlor. It became a habit."
"Oh, good." Piro blew a smoke ring. "Better bring matches next time. Do you know why?"
"Because a cigarette lit with a lighter lacks ceremony—it misses that touch of soul."
In his past life, he hadn't liked using windproof lighters either.
Piro's eyes lit up, and he chuckled. "Heh-heh."
Piro then walked over to the edge of the cliff, looked down, and raised the lit pipe. "A teacher ought to reward students who answer correctly. How about this: whoever can guess what attribute this sacred relic pipe possesses, I'll give you a reward."
Bart spoke up, "It's a healing-type sacred relic."
He assumed the "tobacco" was a special medicinal remedy converted through the pipe to heal the body.
Aisli spoke up, "It's a mental-type sacred relic."
She felt the smoke rings held hallucinogenic effects.
Ventura said, "It's... it's a defense-type sacred relic."
Generally, defensive sacred relics were objects kept close at hand that aroused no suspicion.
No one guessed a spatial sacred relic, as an ordinary person could hardly imagine a small pipe having anything to do with spatial relics.
Most people summoning weapons or other items at close range relied on single-use consumable scrolls to run induction arrays, rarely bothering with physical implements because there was simply no need.
Piro looked at Karen, clearly waiting for his answer.
Karen answered with full confidence, "It's an amplification-type sacred relic. It enhances and buffs spell effects."
"Correct!"
"..." Karen.
Piro pulled a coin from his pocket and tossed it to Karen.
"A little trinket. It grants a period of purification—a single-use consumable, so use it reasonably."
"Thank you, Instructor."
Aisli, Bart, and Ventura all looked at Karen with admiration. As expected of their captain, his discernment was flawless.
Karen could only force a bitter smile inward. He had deliberately chosen an incorrect answer; the instructor had simply wanted to reward him and only had one coin on hand.
"Aahh..."
Piro stretched, cleared his throat, and said to Karen, "Did you say earlier that you guessed my teaching method?"
"This student wouldn't dare presume so."
"My classroom is all about freedom. Speak your mind, it's fine. Then let me ask you: what did I mean earlier by addition and subtraction?"
Karen assumed a contemplative expression, mentally concocting a well-reasoned wrong answer.
Piro exhaled another smoke ring. "Answer wrong, and I'll throw you down there. Where there are rewards, there ought to be punishments, right?"
Karen hesitated a moment before speaking after all. "Addition is the initial, primitive accumulation—indispensable, because only with sufficient accumulation can a qualitative leap occur. Subtraction is not shaving away what addition built; it isn't retreating while climbing a mountain or walking a road. Rather, it is forging ahead light on your feet in a completely new way, representing an elevation in one's level of comprehension."
Beside them, Ventura and the others couldn't entirely follow the specifics of what their captain was saying, but it sounded exceedingly profound.
Piro pursed his lips.
Karen kept his face calm.
When it came down to it, he still didn't want to get tossed into the sea for a soak.
"What's your name?"
"Karen. Karen Silva."
"Which region?"
"York City Region."
"Who is your mentor?"
"I don't have a specific mentor, but I often read and study on my own."
"Is your primary focus arrays?"
"No."
"What is your primary focus?"
Well... there were rather a lot.
"I belong to the Whip of Order."
"The Whip of Order? That makes things a bit troublesome," Piro muttered to himself, clearly aware of the higher-ups' forthcoming reform arrangements for this group and the more than one hundred youths from the various regions who took part in the final selection.
"How much do you know about arrays?"
"I've only just passed the basics."
Piro turned around, looked at Karen, and smiled. "Don't slack off on your array studies over the next two years. Two years from now, bring this coin... tsk, never mind, use the coin if you need it. Two years from now, come directly to the Dinge Region to find me, and I'll test your mastery of arrays then."
"Yes, Instructor."
By then, those who had fallen into the sea had climbed back up one after another.
Piro launched into a cold-water lecture aimed at these "drowned rats."
Once that speech wrapped up, Piro clapped his hands once more, and everyone appeared inside a pitch-black cavern. A foul, fishy stench wafted continuously from all around.
"Hey, hey!"
Within the cave, lamps instantly flared to life. Monster beasts lay sprawled before them, each distinct in form, yet all with eyes closed as if asleep, bound by thread after thread of silk-like strands.
"Basic array applications require differentiation based on distinct targets and circumstances. But bringing you here tonight isn't to tell you what array to use against what kind of monster beast. It's to let you stand from the perspective of the monster beast and see what kind of array has bound it.
"The Gate of Samsara has existed since the previous era. Across those long ages, perhaps not even the Church of Samsara itself knows how many arrays they have deployed inside and outside the Gate.
"Now, you have three hours to inspect them on your own. Once you return to the hotel, an illustrated guide for each monster beast will be delivered to your rooms so you can compare for yourselves.
"Begin!"
"Yes, Instructor."
"Yes, Instructor."
Over the hours that followed, divided by squad, everyone began inspecting and analyzing the monster beasts one by one.
However, due to his prior record of tumbling into the sea, Mars seemed somewhat lacking in confidence. He repeatedly sought Karen's opinion, deferring entirely to Karen's judgment. Left with no choice, Karen could only offer words of reassurance, encouraging him to boldly voice his own thoughts.
To the other squad members, this was their captain demonstrating broad-mindedness and approachability, as well as offering encouragement and trust to his subordinates.
With their minds entirely immersed, three hours flew by.
Piro, who had been leaning against a corner smoking his pipe the entire time, tapped his pipe, stood up, and called out, "Time is just about up. Fall in."
Everyone returned and lined up before him.
"You are all outstanding youths; calling you the future hope of our Church of Order wouldn't be an exaggeration in the slightest. So I truly wished to teach you a bit more, but unfortunately... I'm lazy."
Piro let out a long sigh and continued:
"There's still a little time left. Let me take you to see some scenery."
With a wave of Piro's arm, the group reappeared on the hillside, the hotel resting below on the opposite slope.
"I was once very curious: long, long ago, what was the purpose of people pursuing arrays?
"At first, I thought it was utilitarian.
"Now, I still think it was utilitarian.
"On the surface, nothing seems to have changed, yet an indelible transformation has taken place.
"For instance,
"I created a few arrays of my own—not for practical use, but to make my little grandson smile, tricking him into eating an extra half-piece of bread and two fewer tooth-rotting candies."
Piro shook his robes and closed his eyes. Beneath his feet, a rainbow appeared, stretching upward into the sky.
He waved, gesturing for everyone to follow.
The group stepped onto the rainbow one after another. When Karen set foot on it, he sensed that beneath his feet lay a blend of several arrays. Though all were elementary arrays, they formed an exquisite balance.
Next, dark clouds gathered around them. Yet these dark clouds brought neither lightning nor oppression; instead, they morphed into the shapes of little animals, running, frolicking, and even approaching the rainbow bridge of their own accord to interact with the travelers.
A musical melody drifted into their ears, the sound becoming the most natural, purest presence as it lingered around them.
Piro halted and spread his arms wide.
Before him stretched the canopy of the heavens.
Streaks of shooting stars glided across the firmament, mysterious and magnificent against the night sky.
"Please remember the beauty of this scene.
"Hey, hey!"
Everyone was enveloped by a vortex of air. Their bodies jostled as they were swept along, and by the time the vortex vanished, they found themselves back inside the conference hall.
"Phew..."
Karen let out a long breath.
Muri, sitting in the same row as Karen, leaned over and remarked, "A very interesting lesson."
"Yes."
"It would've been even better without falling into the water."
"No, it wouldn't."
"Hm?"
"Because I didn't fall into the water."
"Hahaha, you really are something..."
"Where on earth did you all go?!"
Just then, a middle-aged man in Order robes trimmed with red rushed in frantically, followed by a cohort of hotel security personnel.
Muri stood up and replied, "We just attended our class."
"Class?" The middle-aged man stared as though he had seen a ghost. "Who taught your class?"
"Our instructor."
The middle-aged man pointed at his own face and roared:
"I am supposed to be the instructor for your class tonight!"
Chapter 337