No, I'm Hungry

Hungry, so hungry. This hunger went completely beyond any physiological limit, an agonizing, ultimate emptiness. And one knew full well that simply eating food was powerless to remedy or fill it. It felt more like an addiction—an addiction one knew from the very moment of becoming hooked was nearly impossible to break. You were parched, and the only thing before you was saltwater. Yet after emerging clearly and lingering for a long time, the sensation gradually receded. No, it went dormant, virtually broadcasting that it was brewing an even more violent eruption for next time. Suddenly, words Diss had once spoken echoed in Karen's mind: "The God of Order is hungry." ... "Captain's awake! Captain's awake!" Ashley's shouts pulled Karen back to consciousness. Opening his eyes, he saw that his priestly robes had long been removed, leaving only a simple undershirt. Ashley and Blanche held towels in their hands; they had just been wiping down his body. In the earthenware basin next to the towels, the water was filled with blood—blood that must have seeped from his own body, from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, down to every single pore across his skin. Earlier, while in his conscious state, Karen had felt that what was being affected was not just his mind, but his physical body as well. Now it appeared that had indeed been the case. Karen felt no awkwardness about being tended to like this, nor was there any embarrassment on their faces. As Peg and Fanny had long said, when you were out on an actual mission, who had the spare thoughts to care about such things? "Captain, you've been unconscious for a full day and night." Unconscious for a whole day? Karen opened his mouth to speak, his voice raspy. "What happened..." "The Sorrowful Pool suddenly shook a day ago, unleashing a barrage of mental shockwaves. Several of them slammed down in our direction, but in the end, you pulled them all toward yourself, Captain. "Over by the Sorrowful Pool, quite a few people lost their minds and slaughtered one another. It only quieted down just now." Mental shockwaves? Just then, Muri and the others stepped into the tent. "Karen, you're awake. Are you all right?" Karen shook his head. "It's no big deal." Immediately after, Karen took a deep breath and asked, "Ashley, your contracted souls..." "We've already found targets and completed the contracts," Ashley replied. "Just yesterday, while you were unconscious, Captain." Then everything was completely settled. "We relocate right now. At top speed, toward Tagima Village!" They could not linger near the Sorrowful Pool any longer, nor could they remain inside the world behind the gate, because the true Mural God Rielsa was on the verge of waking. Linda had merely borrowed a sliver of the slumbering god's power to conjure such a terrifying presence. It was hard to imagine what the world inside the gate would become once the deity fully awoke. "Yes, Captain." Muri nodded as well. "Understood. We move immediately." ... Karen's body was still very weak, but this weakness did not stem from injuries. It was more like someone who never exercised suddenly going through explosive training and suffering complete exhaustion. It required no medical treatment and no rest; it would simply recover over time. During the first day's march, Ventura carried Karen on his back the entire way, refusing even to take turns with Bart. The youth was remarkably strong, not feeling tired in the slightest while carrying his captain. By the time the first day's march ended, Karen could already sense the spiritual power within him bubbling up like a spring pouring into a parched pond. On the second day, Ventura continued to carry Karen. When they stopped to rest, Karen felt that less than half of his spiritual power had returned, but the physical weakness remained; he still couldn't summon strength. When eating the gruel, Ashley had to feed him. By the end of the third day's march, when they rested, Karen was able to hold a bowl and eat by himself. Nearly eighty percent of his spiritual power had recovered, and physically, he had returned to the level of the previous "Karen." In truth, that was enough. His physical attributes had never been his forte. It was just that, backed by a massive reserve of spiritual power, he could cast augmentations on his body with reckless abandon. To the point where, despite his physical body not being an advantage, his true combat edge was close-quarters fighting. Karen took a sip of water. It had been scooped from the Sorrowful Pool; even after three days in the waterskin, it remained crisp and refreshing. Of course, it wasn't that the water possessed special properties or tasted extraordinary; rather, most of the water in this world tasted strange even after purification, which made normal water seem exceptionally sweet by comparison. "Captain, how is your body recovering?" Bart asked with concern. "I'm fine. Tomorrow I'll be able to walk on my own." "No, let me carry you," Ventura insisted. Bart nodded in agreement. Because of their captain filter, they still believed Karen's physical condition was extremely poor. Karen took out the map and checked their current position. Because they had taken a straight line back toward Tagima Village, they were now very close to Blazing Valley. However, even though Karen knew his current body had nothing to do with Raniedal anymore, just to be safe, he still ordered them to detour around Blazing Valley and avoid approaching it as much as possible. At his core, Karen was cautious. In fact, had he not lacked time to react in the dream before the Throne of Order appeared right in front of him, Karen doubted whether he would have had the courage to charge upward in a desperate gamble. "Our pace is still a bit slow. After resting for five hours now, there won't be any specific long rest stops arranged after this." This kind of schedule traded the team's condition for speed. "Captain, I'm curious. What exactly is going to happen?" Bart asked curiously. "You'll know when the time comes." Karen did not give a concrete answer. If the Mural God truly awakened, they would certainly know. After all, sometimes being too blunt brought unnecessary trouble. Hiss... Karen suddenly felt an itching sensation in his heart—like a premonition, warning him in advance to brace for the torment of hunger. Damn it, does it strike this frequently? Just then, a miserable scream came from across the way. Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Muri on one knee, clutching his thigh, shouting: "He's here! He's about to arrive!" Karen immediately barked, "On alert!" "Yes, Captain!" Karen's squad snapped into a defensive posture, while Muri's squad looked bewildered and did not join in setting up the perimeter. Gaitanbert was coming to find their captain—wasn't that expected? Why go on alert? Muri used a short blade to carve a cross-shaped slash across his thigh, muttering under his breath to suppress the token's reaction with spellcraft. Then, his forehead drenched in sweat, he stood up and walked toward Karen. Karen was just about to tell him not to worry. But Muri spoke first: "My condition is fine, but you're too weak. We should relocate right now." Paxio and the others walked over as well. Hearing this, Paxio asked, "Captain, have you lost your mind? Both you and Captain Karen are bound to tokens. Lord Gaitanbert and Lady Furnites can definitely sense your positions. They might already be nearby right now! How could we relocate? There's no way to shake them off or hide." Muri turned back to look at Paxio. "Karen's condition is terrible right now. He cannot accept Furnites's descent at this moment. He originally had a chance to survive under the premise of accepting the descent, but in this state, he can't. "I know we can't shake them off, of course, but we can at least buy a little more time—even if it's just two days, or one day!" "Where is he right now?" Karen asked Muri. Karen had no way of sensing Furnites himself, because the snake scale he had carefully harbored had completely dissolved when his physical body was reshaped. Muri replied, "Right nearby. I'm certain of it. I even feel like his gaze is watching us from somewhere close by right now." Karen shook his head. "Then there's no way to relocate. For you to have such a clear reaction means Gaitanbert and Furnites are already preparing to make their move." "We still have to buy you more time," Muri insisted. Bart walked over, clutching his sword. "Captain, let's set up defenses right here." Yilaman asked in confusion, "Defend against whom? Against Lady Furnites and Lord Gaitanbert? Welcoming them is one of the missions our two squads entered the Gate of Samsara for in the first place." Bart instantly glared at Yilaman. "All I know is that my captain is in terrible shape, and I need to buy him more time! I just want those two lords to delay their descent a bit!" Digat spoke up. "Then do you know what standing those two lords will hold once they return to the Church? And if we take action against them today to defend and obstruct them, how will our behavior be classified?" Ventura turned around and snapped, "You're all so annoying!" Sijini said, "This is our mission, our duty. We cannot dodge it, nor can we avoid it. All I know is that once we welcome back the two lords, our journey into the Gate of Samsara will be considered fulfilled." Ashley gave a cold sneer. "That's easy for you to say, since you're not the one chosen to host those two lords, right?" Sijini countered, "Devoting everything to the Church is an oath we took long ago. I believe in my captain's and Captain Karen's loyalty to the Church. Furthermore, I refuse to raise a hand against Lord Gaitanbert and Lady Furnites." Demel said, "I also refuse to show disrespect to those two lords." Digat, Paxio, and Yilaman all nodded in agreement. Ashley, Bart, and Ventura were not surprised by this attitude. According to normal protocol, this was how it was supposed to be. In fact, had Karen not been injured, they probably would have waited alongside Paxio and the others for Karen and Muri to face the two lords' descent together. But now that their captain was injured, the situation was entirely different. Bart fingered his sword while glancing toward Mars and Blanche nearby. In any team, having no factions at all would be the stranger thing. Even Karen's squad was split between the York City faction and the outsider faction. Bart, Ashley, and Ventura considered themselves the founding members; they had helped out at the funeral parlor and shared meals together. Mars and Blanche naturally had a more distant relationship with them. Mars immediately spoke up: "I'll set up a defensive array right away to buy the captain more rest!" Blanche said, "Captain, please allow me to replenish and buff you now!" She had requested this before, but Karen had refused each time, knowing full well he was not injured. Bart nodded, visibly pleased with their attitudes. He turned to Muri. "Captain Muri, since you say those two lords are already nearby, instead of relocating, let's defend right here. Help us summon the Black Prison Castle so my captain can rest inside." With that, Bart turned to Paxio and the others. "For the sake of being companions for so many days, you don't have to participate. But handing over the war apparatus scrolls in your hands for us to use isn't asking too much, is it?" Paxio said, "You people are insane." Even so, he pulled out his scroll and tossed it to Bart. Yilaman took out a scroll as well and tossed it over. The third scroll was on Muri. Bart swept his gaze over them one last time, stowed the scrolls, and prepared to rally the rest of his squad to help Muri summon the Black Prison Castle. Karen spoke up. "Bart." "Captain?" Bart crouched down in front of Karen again. "Don't use the Black Prison Castle now. Save it." Karen felt more and more that the Black Prison Castle's defensive nature might well become crucial for everyone's survival when the Mural God awakened. No one knew what kind of upheaval would occur when a true deity awoke. "But Captain, you..." "I'm fine. I'm okay." Karen's gaze swept over the faces of the squad members around him. "I'm fine. A little injury like this is nothing. If I truly felt I couldn't handle it, trust me, I wouldn't act tough, let alone hide it for the sake of pride. I'd bluntly hide behind you and beg you not to abandon your pitiful captain." With that, Karen reached out a hand toward Muri. Muri walked over and helped Karen up from the ground. "Everyone, continue resting. I don't think it will take long. If it takes too long—more than three hours—Bart..." "Here, Captain." "If more than three hours pass and Muri and I haven't returned, you are not allowed to search for us. Bart, take the others immediately and return to Tagima Village at top speed. Remember what I said." "Captain..." "Did you understand me?" "Yes, Captain!" Paxio said, "Captain, we'll wait three hours for you as well." Muri didn't even look at them. Karen said to Muri, "All right, let's walk further away." Muri nodded and supported Karen as they walked forward. Ahead lay a dense forest; the trees were lush, but the leaves and bark were black. Karen had tasted them before—not good, and poisonous. Once they had walked some distance and could no longer see the campsite behind them, Muri spoke: "Your squad members really care about you. You're a truly good captain." "Because I'm a qualified captain. Oh, sorry, didn't mean to rub it in." "It's fine. I'm not suited to be a leader. I don't have the patience, much less the ability." Muri didn't mention that the squad members were different—after all, in Karen's squad, except for Ventura, none of them came from ordinary family backgrounds either. "Can you really hold out?" Muri asked. "No problem. To tell you the truth, I can barely drum up any interest in what's about to happen." "I don't even know how to respond to that." "Heh." "Telling them not to come over—was it because you were afraid they couldn't resist stepping in to help?" Muri asked again. "No. Without people watching, things are much more convenient. Muri, I'll save you this time, but some things will be exposed." "You don't trust me?" "Would you make me trust you?" "It's hardly appropriate for me to kneel and swear an oath to you right now, considering you can't stand on your own." "I can lean against a tree for a bit." "Then... all right." Muri didn't move, and Karen didn't speak. Muri asked puzzledly, "Aren't you supposed to follow up with 'just kidding'?" "You're too conscientious, haha." Karen patted Muri's shoulder. "Use the Mental Bridge scroll in a moment to temporarily link our minds. Hold on first, and once I deal with my side, I'll come over." "I know. I will." "Mm." "Roar!" A low roar sounded from one side of the woods. Right after, rustling friction emerged from the other side. "They're here," Karen said. Muri immediately threw down the scroll. The mental bridge activated, connecting him and Karen. Tap... tap... A lion appeared before the two of them. It had a massive build and fierce eyes, its long tongue involuntarily licking its lips. Muri said, "Gaitanbert." Karen turned around, facing the three-headed giant python that had appeared behind them. The python's middle head leaned forward and opened its jaws, revealing the face of a woman with closed eyes. "Furnites." In the distance, shrouded entirely in a grey mist of light, Sumir watched the scene below. A black qianmei coiled instinctively around her, seemingly sensing excitement as well. Sumir pulled out a green fruit, took a bite, and said, "That vigorous young man holding the blade and shield should be Karen, right?" Then, spitting out the skin, Sumir continued: "The one sitting next to him looking so frail—did the Church of Order send him just to make up the numbers?" Gaitanbert began to close in slowly. Just then, Muri's thigh glowed with light. He let out a muffled groan and instantly dropped to his knees, his soul suppressed as the shield and blade slipped from his grasp and hit the ground. The bound token was taking effect, suppressing his soul and opening his defenses to welcome Lord Gaitanbert's possession. Even though Muri had imagined this exact scene countless times from the moment he received the mission while having a meal at his grandfather's until now, when it actually happened, a distinct, overwhelming emotion filled his heart in an instant. He was a warrior, a steadfast believer in Order. He was willing to die for the Church. Yet the Church demanded that he kneel and surrender all resistance. Muri clawed at the mud on the ground, his body trembling as he ground his teeth. "Karen, I feel... humiliated!" At that moment, Muri sensed that Karen, who had also been forced to sit down leaning against him after Muri knelt, was trembling as well. Muri asked: "Karen, do you feel the same humiliation as I do?" Karen's body was indeed trembling faintly, as if caught in a struggle between restraint and indulgence. In his eyes, a profound, swirling darkness churned. He spoke: "No, I'm hungry..."