What was going on here?
Karen couldn't help but keep his smile in place as he turned his head to look at "Purr" standing behind him.
Holding her wand, Purr exuded an air of majesty, and two suffocating flames flickered within her eyes.
Faced with this aura, the body of the woman on the ladybug's back began to tremble slightly.
"Do you... want to contest me?"
The woman immediately lowered her head in panic and said, "No, I wouldn't dare."
With that, the woman's figure sank back into the ladybug. The ladybug lowered its posture, appearing much more submissive and docile than before.
Soul against soul, the perception was incomparably authentic.
Yet sometimes, this very authenticity was the most deceptive.
Of course, this was also tied to the unique environment of the world inside the Gate. Everyone here was a soul body and had long grown accustomed to equating a formidable soul aura with individual power, which allowed a slacker like Purr—whose soul realm was extremely high while her physical reality was terribly weak—to exploit a loophole.
Karen pointed ahead. "Go over that slope, drop your guard, and step into the array inside. You will see your contract partner. Go on."
"Yes."
The ladybug flew off in that direction.
After waiting a moment until he sensed the fluctuation of the array's aura down the slope, Karen turned around to face Purr.
Purr instantly dropped her previous aloof majesty, excitedly waved her wand, and laughed.
"Haha, wasn't my aura amazing just now, meow?!"
"What's going on? Is it because the special environment of the world inside the Gate made you more active?"
Previously, when he channeled the power of Ancestor Allen, Purr's phantom would also appear, but always with her eyes closed, merely providing a boost when he wielded fire-attributed power. This was the first time Karen had seen her so lively.
"I'm not sure. That's probably part of it. In here, any existence involving soul power should have its original restrictions lifted.
"Still, I think the main reason is that ever since you left, I've been diligently eating tonics every day and practicing the family's faith power. The results are remarkable!"
"The tonics are that effective?"
"Mm, Aisli's parents are really enthusiastic. They even specially sent me a portion of tonic specifically used to feed rare monster beasts. You have to take good care of Aisli, alright? I think I need to stay on it for several more courses of treatment."
"You don't need to tell me that."
"Come on, stupid dog, say hello to our little Karen. Karen, did you hear that? The stupid dog is calling you."
"I can't hear him."
"Oh, right, you can't hear him. Then I'll pass it along for him. Woof, woof, meow!"
"Is everything okay at home?"
"Everything's great, nothing's happened. Oh, a while back, the radio goblin suddenly broke into tears clutching your notebook."
"Weeping while clutching the notebook?"
"Yeah. Maybe he gleaned some profound truth from the notes again. Sometimes I wonder—did you really think of all those things he figured out when you wrote them down?"
"He isn't entirely studying me."
"The stupid dog likes hanging out with the radio goblin now too. As for everything else, Dora and Doreen go to school every day and are getting more and more cheerful. Mrs. Lake went to sweep graves at the cemetery the day before yesterday, and Xili's butt got a little bigger."
"This method is pretty good. When I'm away from home in the future, it can save on phone bills."
"Do you have any idea what price I have to pay? After talking to you this time, I'll probably have to sleep for two days and two nights."
"Oh, I see."
"Are you thinking that sleeping for two days is no big deal since I don't do anything at home anyway?"
"No."
"You totally are!"
"Then let's talk about something useful. Tell Kevin that I'm currently in the Dark Grotto."
"Oh, okay. The stupid dog asks where the Dark Grotto is. Besides, I think that name is so stupid."
"Then ask Kevin if he knows the gray moon."
"The stupid dog says he knows it. It was forged by the God of Samsara using the eye of a moon goddess, renowned as the pearl embedded inside the Gate of Samsara."
A moon goddess?
This was the first time Karen had heard of such a term.
"Tell Kevin that taking the gray moon as an anchor, my current position should be to its southwest."
"The stupid dog says the location you gave is too broad. Oh, I forgot, I can locate it myself!"
Purr raised her wand and began tracing circles, laying out a small spell.
Karen asked in surprise, "A symbiosis contract can reach this level?"
"Of course. It's just that before, we... oh no, I was too weak, so I couldn't help you much.
"Did you forget that woman named Anita and her symbiosis contract partner, Remer? The white fluffy thing.
"It could fight for her and attach itself as armor.
"Humph, that's just the lowest form. Once I fully recover, I can take care of everything for you. Forbidden curses? Humph, I can cast a few of those too."
"What are you using right now?"
"A positioning spell. I created it myself. Back when I liked going on adventures, of course I had to invent a few handy spells for convenience."
In fact, most of the time, Karen found it hard to connect this cat at home with the word "genius."
Yet in reality, she was a genius through and through. Details proved it in every way—not only how casually she spoke of creating her own spells, but also Bernard's sheer dread of Purr.
A beam of light spun rapidly before Purr, coalescing into an orb.
"Oh, the location is fixed. I won't go into details with you; it's too complicated and you don't have time to ponder it here. I'll just tell the stupid dog directly."
Moments later, Purr spoke up. "Mm, the stupid dog says he knows where you are now, and he's asking why you ran off to this place. This should be the most remote and desolate area in the entire world inside the Gate."
"We were teleported in. The teleportation point was in this area."
"Was it some petty trick by the Church of Samsara?"
"That's my guess."
"What a bunch of cheapskates. Anyway, Karen, I have good news and bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?"
"The good news."
"Oh, the good news is the stupid dog says there's an underground palace in your region. Facing the gray moon, head in the three o'clock direction... keep going, and you'll see a valley of nothing but scorched earth. The scorching aura blanketing it probably hasn't completely dissipated even now."
"I think I know that place. It's called Scorching Valley now. It's a settlement, and it's also where I'm heading next."
"Oh? Really? What a coincidence. Stupid dog, why are you foaming at the mouth?! Hurry up and say something, what should we do?!"
"And the bad news?"
"The bad news is... that was a palace Raniedal once used to rest."
Raniedal?
The sudden change of name made Karen pause for a second. Wasn't Raniedal just Kevin?
"That's... bad news?"
"Mm, the stupid dog says it's bad news, and I think so too. The stupid dog said that back then, to make dumping garbage here convenient, he left many puppets behind in that palace to help out, all crafted by the Voss family. For that, he even captured an ancestor of the Voss family and flogged him with a leather whip for three full years before the man finally caved and agreed.
"Besides, he also left behind one of his own mental imprints. If that imprint hasn't been erased, it should still exist right now."
Karen began to understand.
"So, Karen, change your travel plans. Don't head that way. If that palace was breached and looted long ago with everything exposed, then over all these years, it would've been fine by now. But if that palace is still sealed to this day, and the puppets meant for hauling trash and the mental imprint commanding them are still there...
"In theory, once you get close, it will sense you, subconsciously assume the true self has returned, and awaken!
"Oh, heavens, that's terrifying, meow!"
Karen took a deep breath. "Yeah, that is terrifying."
To an ordinary person's understanding, this should be a tremendous opportunity—a great chance to obtain Raniedal's ancient relics. Even if it was merely a lounge where a god had rested, the items inside would be extraordinarily precious. But reality was not so simple.
Just like the mental imprint left by the elder of Light in his study, it retained most of the original self's memories and personality prior to leaving the imprint.
A complete mental imprint was, to a certain extent, an avatar.
Imagine: when that ancient mental imprint of Raniedal woke up and saw a body bearing his own aura possessed by a stranger, how would he react?
Did Karen expect to tell him: "Right now your true self and I are on great terms—I don't even feed him dog food, I feed him human meals"?
Would Raniedal weep with gratitude and hand over everything useful around him to express his thanks, or would he fly into a frenzy of rage and instantly obliterate him?
That was why Kevin hadn't told Karen about having a lounge there upon learning Karen would enter the Gate of Samsara.
Because that place couldn't be visited—absolutely couldn't.
Had Purr not used a method capable of specific positioning under special conditions, Kevin wouldn't have known that in a world inside the Gate of Samsara so vast, Karen and the others would end up in such a remote area.
What alarmed Kevin even more was that Karen's originally planned next stop was the area where that lounge was located—the present Scorching Valley.
"Hahaha, Karen, do you know? The stupid dog was so scared just now his dog eyes turned green!"
No one understood oneself better than oneself; Kevin knew intimately what an arrogant, untamable temperament he had before undergoing suppression and sealing.
If Karen were killed by his past mental imprint, Kevin wouldn't even have a place to cry. Without Karen, he would truly have to remain a dog for the rest of his life!
"I understand. I'll modify my plan and avoid that place."
"Oh, right, little Karen, there are those crystal coins inside the Gate of Samsara."
"You even know about that? I'll get some here to bring back."
"No, no, no, I mean when you come out of the Gate of Samsara, you can buy some in Samsara Valley. It's cheap there, and isn't the exchange rate for Order coupons higher on the Samsara Valley black market right now? You can absorb the pure soul power inside them. Kevin and I can use them. He's also been eating lots of tonics lately, though not as effectively as me. He's just gotten a lot fatter. He gasps for breath after carrying me for just a little while."
"Purr, do you think there's a possibility that you're the one who..."
"Shut up!"
"Being a little chubby is fine. It'll keep you warm once winter comes. Besides, for a cat, being chubby is pretty cute."
"The problem is that this cat body is actually my true body! That means if I gain weight now, once I turn back into a human, I'll..."
"That's great too. The plumper the ancestor, the more prosperous the family."
"Humph!"
"Things are going quite smoothly for me right now. Even though it's a bit remote and there are fewer options, all the types we need can be found. Now all that's left for me is facing Furnites's struggle for my body, whenever that might start."
"Karen, do you know, the moment I relayed your words to the stupid dog, he got excited right away! Hahahaha!"
"Take care at home and wait for me to return."
"How much longer will you be?"
"I don't know. The gray moon will last for nearly two months this time—exceptionally long."
"Oh, I see. Huh, stupid dog, why did your eyes turn green with fear again?"
"What's wrong with Kevin?"
"Stupid dog, bark quickly! I'm already feeling sleepy, I'm almost at my limit."
Karen waited patiently. The Gate of Samsara remained open for an unusually long duration this time; Kevin seemed to have more information on this.
"Karen."
"Yeah?"
"The stupid dog says this likely means someone inside the Gate is trying to push the doors."
"Push the doors? Who?"
Who could even budge the Gate of Samsara?
"The stupid dog says back then he helped the God of Samsara dump garbage, but there were some things the God of Samsara dumped personally, never letting him help, much less let him know."
"Inside the Gate of Samsara... is there a god?"
No... that question wasn't appropriate, because Raniedal's mental imprint was already known to exist. An evil god was still a god.
"The stupid dog says in this kind of environment, if you don't know whether something exists, then it most likely truly does."
"Mm."
"Karen, you have to be careful. The stupid dog says you should finish signing your contracts early and wait at the teleportation point. If something really goes wrong then, you can be teleported out sooner."
"Alright, I understand."
"Then that's all. I'm so sleepy, going to nighty-night. Goodnight, dear little Karen."
"Goodnight."
...
Plop...
Purr flopped directly onto the bed, instantly falling fast asleep.
Kevin walked over, picked up the edge of the small quilt with his jaws, and gently pulled it over Purr.
Then he went to Alfred's room, pushed the door open, and saw Alfred sitting inside, still tirelessly studying the notes.
"Woof!"
"Newspapers? In that box."
Kevin walked over to the box and pushed it over with his paw, spilling out the newspapers from recent days.
Seeing this, Alfred stood up, walked over, squatted down, and asked, "Are you looking for something?"
"Woof, woof!"
"There hasn't been much reported regarding the Church of Samsara recently. The Church of Order seems to want to cool down relations between both sides, so there isn't much about Samsara in Order Weekly."
"Woof, woof!"
"News on the Church of the Mural God? Yes, I saw it in the previous issue. Let me find it for you... Here it is: 'Recently, the Church of Order carried out a targeted crackdown against evil cult proselytizing, dismantling multiple cult hideouts... among which were 11 hideouts belonging to the Church of the Mural God.'"
Kevin lowered his head to read the report carefully, then looked up, his canine face grim.
"What is it?"
"Woof, woof, woof!"
"You mean the Church of the Mural God has been very active lately? Well, it's indeed much more frequent than before. They used to keep a very low profile, but recently they've been quite high-profile, which is why they drew a targeted crackdown from the Church of Order."
The Church of the Mural God ranked behind the Light remnants on the crackdown priority list, provided they didn't act up.
After all, for the Church of Order, cracking down on the Church of the Mural God was a matter of unquestionable political correctness, since Mural God Rielsa had been personally suppressed by the God of Order.
"Did something happen?"
Next, through a series of "woofs," Kevin recounted the conversation Purr had just had with Karen.
Because each syllable of "woof" could convey a wealth of meaning, and Alfred could understand dog language, he quickly grasped the entire sequence of events.
"That really is too dangerous. Forget your mental imprint—even with the current you, if you were given more power, we wouldn't feel safe leaving you be."
Kevin: "..."
"Sorry. We can speak frankly with each other, right?"
Kevin rolled his eyes at Alfred.
"Then what is your purpose in asking about the Church of the Mural God? Mural God Rielsa was sealed by the God of Order. It couldn't possibly be the Mural God pushing the doors inside the Gate of Samsara right now, could it?"
"Woof, woof, woof!"
"You're saying she was summoned not long ago, so theoretically, the one most likely to awaken first is her?"
Back in Ruilan, Piaget's wife, Linda, had attempted to summon Mural God Rielsa, though she ultimately failed.
"But how could she be inside the Gate of Samsara?"
"Woof."
"You say it has something to do with you? What connection?"
"Woof."
"What?! You're saying that back then, you secretly transferred the Mural God sealed by the God of Order... over to the God of Samsara?!"
...
"I love Samsara Valley, because here, life is rife with tragedies, allowing our artistic sensibilities to easily strike a chord."
"Mr. Bede, please concentrate. That male organ you're painting is a bit too exaggerated and distorted."
"Oh, and you have the nerve to criticize me, Piaget? Could you make the woman's chest a little fuller? How will we attract customers hanging it outside like that?"
"Some people like them small."
"Well, the studio owner won't like it. He'll use it as an excuse to dock our wages."
"How much longer do we have to stay here?" Piaget asked.
"Soon, very soon. Just bear with it a bit longer. Who told us to have so few point coupons? In this Samsara Valley, even eating requires point coupons. Serves them right that Samsara coupons are depreciating worse and worse."
"Mr. Bede, that's what you told me a month ago."
"The Gate of Samsara is open now, isn't it?"
"That's a regular event once every ten years."
"Oh no, not this time."
Mr. Bede stood up, walked over to a painting covered with a white sheet, and said with deep emotion:
"Drawing service portraits for brothel patrons in a Samsara Valley studio to make a living has been worth it, and waiting here has been worth it, because we are about to witness the birth of a miracle. Right now, believers of the Church of the Mural God everywhere have entered a state of frantic excitement."
As he spoke, Mr. Bede unveiled the white cloth.
The painting depicted a majestic giant gate, and an imposing giantess was pushing the giant doors open with both hands, stepping out from within.
Mr. Bede placed his hands over his chest and took a deep breath. Though he already lacked the point coupons to buy red wine, he fell into a state of intoxication:
"Who would have thought? Who could have possibly imagined... that in an era where the gods do not appear, the first to awaken and return would be our great Mural God!"
Chapter 361