Meteors Fall from the Sky!

Because Neo was currently lying in the temporary palace, Karen was now the highest-ranking officer in charge of the Church of Order's observation delegation. From an outsider's perspective, such a young leader bringing a dog on a leash and carrying a cat onto the battlefield was outright frivolous and disrespectful. Yadu, captain of the escort ship, felt the same way. However, he wasn't as stiff as the supreme commander, taking the initiative to say to Karen: "I have partitioned off half of my command bridge for you and your subordinates to observe. On the premise of protecting the flagship, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe." "Thank you, Captain." Karen and the others arrived at their assigned area. "Partitioning off" half of the command bridge didn't mean drawing a chalk line down the middle of the room. The command bridge was on the fourth deck, while Karen's group was placed on the third deck directly below. Yet whatever was in the command bridge was present here as well: before them lay a sand table projection and message-receiving devices. In other words, Karen enjoyed the exact same intelligence access as the escort ship's bridge above—though, of course, he held no authority to issue commands. Furthermore, Karen noticed that exquisite drinks and an abundance of food had been prepared in advance. Clearly, Captain Yadu hoped that Karen and his people would sit here comfortably, eating, drinking, watching, and listening, treated like an untouchable encumbrance kept pampered out of the way. Karen didn't feel insulted. Putting himself in the captain's shoes, he would have done the exact same thing. Pu'er leaped onto the sand table, pacing around to examine it. She didn't know how to wage war, but just like her love for fish, it was all instinct driven by pedigree. Kevin clung to the edge of the sand table, his bald dog head looking left and right, occasionally pawing into the projection to swat at things as if exploring a novel toy. Ansi, Karen's security captain, showed a hint of distaste in her eyes. She turned and walked over to stand guard by the doorway—out of sight, out of mind. Mota walked in carrying drinks. Seeing the cat and dog playing around the sand table, he sighed inwardly as well, though he showed no sign of it on his face, warmly handing the drinks to Karen. In truth, if the people of the Moon God Church knew the true identities of this cat and dog, they wouldn't feel disrespected in the slightest; instead, they would treat them with utmost sincerity as distinguished guests or even advisors. Karen wouldn't have had to take the blame for such a frivolous image, though he didn't care much either way. "Captain Karen, if you feel cooped up here, you can step out here to enjoy the scenery." Mota opened a side door leading to an observation deck equipped with far-viewing mirrors. "Alright, thank you." Karen quietly sipped his drink. About half an hour later, the hull began to move. The expedition was officially underway. At the same time, the sand table began displaying more information about their own fleet. First, counting the warship markers across the sea, there were around a hundred and eighty vessels of varying classes. The flagship was the largest, flanked by thirty escort ships like the one Karen was aboard—eight directly shielding the flagship, with the remainder deployed on both flanks. The rest of the warships were somewhat smaller, though in the eyes of ordinary people, they were still colossal behemoths. From the observation deck, Karen had also spotted several supply ships trailing behind the flagship, strings of dried mango strips hanging out to dry on them. Beyond the surface warships, dense clusters of dots moved beneath the waves, presumably sea beasts controlled by the Moon God Church. Up in the clouds, there were also flying monster beasts and aerial platforms. In short, all three arms—sea, land, and air—were fully accounted for. Mota smiled and said, "Captain Karen, I'll be just outside. If you need anything, feel free to call for me." "Alright, thank you." Once Mota stepped outside, Karen gave Memphis a glance. Memphis raised his hand and cast an isolation barrier around the room. Karen asked, "I'm curious about something. What is the scale of our Church of Order's navy?" Bart spoke up: "Captain, in our church's last war against Samsara, the navy wasn't deployed at all. Throughout history, our church's navy has never had a real presence or left behind any classic battles. I believe our church has a navy, and not a small one either, but our greatest trump card has always been the knight orders." Memphis hesitated a moment before chiming in: "Before the First Day War, it had been far too long since a large-scale war broke out between orthodox churches... Our church's naval forces have continually been constructed and stockpiled, so please rest assured on that point." "Do you know something?" Bart asked Memphis curiously. Memphis nodded. "The crafting and development of any war instrument requires coordinated collaboration across multiple departments. The department I used to work in took part in research for project planning every year. Even if it was just a single component or details of an array, it was obvious they were meant for warship configurations." Ashley chuckled. "So the Church of Samsara was just too weak to even force our church to use its full strength?" Muri nodded. "Because the timing of the war was chosen perfectly. Everyone had gone a long time without fighting, and our church used the Church of Pamires' Messenger Space as a springboard to teleport knight orders directly outside the Church of Samsara's sacred grounds. The battle ended quickly. Besides, as far as I know, our church captured most of two of Samsara's main battle fleets." Karen asked, "Where did you hear that?" Muri answered, "I heard it from my uncle. He's the personal guard captain for one of the responsible figures." The Benda family had served as guard captains for generations of High Priests, but their duties were not limited solely to the High Priest's protection. Karen said, "I've read all the proposals and the final treaty from the conference between Order and Samsara on Dark Moon Island. I don't recall any clauses regarding those two main battle fleets." Ashley said, "Captain, then they just weren't discussed openly. They must have been pocketed as war spoils." Karen shook his head. "By that logic, wouldn't the opposite be equally possible?" Muri explained, "The situation back then was likely that the two main fleets happened to be berthed in the holy ground's harbors. Our knight orders breached the holy ground so swiftly that they cut off any chance for Samsara's fleets to retreat. However, the commanders of both fleets chose to commit suicide alongside their trusted subordinates rather than surrender to our knight orders. When my uncle spoke of this, he referred to them as worthy, admirable adversaries." Alfred looked at Karen and asked, "Young Master, are you worried that the Church of Samsara still has other forces in reserve?" "It's too early to worry about that." Karen took a sip of water. "The current target of attack is the Wenluosi Archipelago. Once this place is taken, they can advance directly toward the Sea of the Dead. Although Mota and the public propaganda claim they will push into the Sea of the Dead, land at Samsara Valley, and wipe out the Church of Samsara in one fell swoop, I don't believe the Moon God Church truly intends to take the war that far. Well, I admit, I don't know how to wage war..." Everyone laughed; the cat and dog laughed along with them. None of them really understood military command either; even the three from the knight orders hadn't reached the rank of commander yet. Karen stopped smiling and said, "However, we can look at it from our church's perspective: what course of action maximizes our interests?" With that, Karen set down his water glass: "As the most powerful church, what I'd most want is for the other orthodox churches with profound heritage to wear each other down—with a bit of balance maintained so no one side swallows the other and grows too powerful. The ideal outcome would be both sides bashing each other's brains out while clutching our legs and calling us daddy." Hearing Karen's words, everyone fell somewhat silent. Blanche said, "Our church indeed signed treaties with both of them. Now that the Moon God Church holds the upper hand, will our church help Samsara?" Bart asked, puzzled, "How would we help?" Mars agreed, "In this phase of the war, our church likely won't get involved. I believe other orthodox churches won't rush to take sides either. But right now, Samsara's strength is indeed very weak." Karen stretched lazily. "War is the continuation of politics, but you can't rely entirely on that doctrine, because war carries great uncertainty. Who knows? Let's just watch how things unfold." The fleet was cruising at high speed in a "wild goose formation." During this time, Karen stepped out onto the observation deck to look around. Because the warship's protective shield was active, there was no howling wind in their faces, but judging by the churning wake behind the vessel and taking distant seagulls as temporary reference points, describing their speed as lightning-fast was no exaggeration at all. The warships, which seemed clumsy and ponderous, appeared imbued with life upon the ocean, like spirited sprites dancing across the waters. Up ahead, four medium-sized vessels appeared, each hoisting several gigantic sails—no, not sails, but specially crafted array sails. Karen recalled that among the standard gear for the Black Prison Castle, Mars had a similar war instrument, but compared to the ones on those ships, it truly looked like a child's toy. Equipping a single Black Prison Castle had racked Karen's brain to pinch pennies and scrounge up funds everywhere; now seeing the resources marshaled by an orthodox church... this wasn't just a fleet—in Karen's eyes, it was a colossal raft stacked entirely out of point coupons. An individual's modest wealth wasn't worth mentioning in the face of what a true church could muster. In the eyes of the churches, the point coupons they issued were probably just high-quality paper. Karen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He couldn't allow himself to sink into decadent despair over the futility of personal striving. After all, the Church of Order wasn't his personal property. Once matters here concluded and he returned to reality, coupons still had to be earned. "Captain, battlefield teleportation is about to begin. To be safe, we'd better head back inside the cabin," Mars advised. "My lack of experience shows. I truly thought we would just sail straight into battle; who knew we'd go through battlefield teleportation?" Karen didn't hide his ignorance in certain areas, obediently following Mars back into the cabin. The four array ships lined up in a row, all radiating yellow light. Then, anchored by these four vessels, a yellow barrier formed across the sea, resembling a towering yellow waterfall rising out of the ocean. The flagship issued a command: [Attach]. Before Karen could figure out what "attach" meant, he felt a violent jolt beneath them, as if something gigantic had rammed into the hull's keel, immediately elevating the ship's height significantly. Were sea beasts attaching themselves to the warship? Looking through the porthole toward the sky above, Karen noticed that the monster beasts in the air had also tethered themselves to the flying instruments. The flagship issued another command: [Traverse]. *Knock, knock, knock.* After a rap on the door, Mota opened it himself and said to Karen and the others inside, "I'm here with attendants to clear away the drinks and tableware. Please find a seat, fasten your safety belts, and open the porthole shutters. We will encounter void countercurrents next, and the ship will rock violently, but please don't worry—this is completely normal." Everyone complied with his instructions and took their seats. Soon, the escort ship followed the flagship through the yellow waterfall. Outside the porthole, everything was instantly filled with gray as they plunged into an expanse of void. Violent turbulence immediately ensued—a shaking so intense and jarring that an unprepared person would be tossed ceiling to floor across the cabin. And it lasted for quite a while. Karen kept track: a full ten minutes. It was only because these warships possessed built-in defensive arrays and external shields; ordinary large ships would have broken apart long ago. As for why those monster beasts had chosen to "attach," it was also to borrow the protection of the war instruments. Even with their formidable physical constitutions, it would be difficult for them to survive crossing through such a crude, rudimentary teleportation on their own. Even if they made it through, they would be severely wounded, completely unable to engage in combat. As for humans... Karen felt that unless one had a physique like Muri, Bart, or Ventura to endure such a crossing, most priests who dared enter directly would emerge as nothing more than piles of minced meat. The traversal ended, and the flagship ordered: [Rapid Rest and Reorganization]. "Phew..." Ashley smoothed her hair as she remarked, "I used to think that rough array in the smuggling town was horribly bumpy, but now I suddenly feel it was positively gentle." Memphis said, "Establishing coordinates for a teleportation array isn't difficult; the hard part is maintaining stability and shielding against external spatial storms. On the battlefield, simple coordinate teleportation is used, relying on the sheer durability of warships and flying instruments to lower the teleportation cost. And the danger isn't just the turbulence; it also causes total disorientation. Even someone with immense physical strength could easily become lost here. Only the positioning arrays within the vessels can continuously calibrate the right direction to bring us out." Memphis paused, then continued, "It happened once in history: a main battle fleet of the Sea God Church became completely lost during battlefield teleportation. As a result, across two widely separated seas, massive amounts of wreckage and mutilated corpses washed up. It was suspected that a catastrophic failure occurred in the fleet's internal positioning arrays. That event is hailed as the deadliest maritime disaster in recorded history." "A fleet from the Sea God Church could have an accident like that?" Ashley asked curiously. "Shouldn't they know the sea better than anyone?" Mars replied, "The ocean is the ocean, space is space, and arrays are arrays. I'd say the people of the Sea God Church might be better at swimming, but that doesn't make them array masters." "Alright, alright, I get your point," Ashley held up her hands in surrender. "Still, I find it fascinating. My father's research institute studies certain sea beasts, and many of their lineages trace back to the era of the Sea God Church. My father told me more than once that he couldn't comprehend how a church with such immense heritage could end up in the state it's in today." Both Karen and Pu'er subconsciously glanced over at the big golden retriever lying there examining the sand table. The golden retriever acted completely oblivious to their stares, continuing to peer intently at the projection. Then Karen and Pu'er exchanged a look. As the mastermind behind the Sea God Church's collapse, pinning every single ounce of blame on Kevin might be unfair, but if you blamed him only half the time, plenty would slip through the cracks. Seeing the dumb dog play innocent right now, it had definitely been his doing. One wondered if the Sea God ever regretted provoking such a mad dog over a lover—a hound that tore at the Sea God and his church with relentless savagery until death, and who somehow ended up becoming a god himself. Karen opened the door and walked out onto the observation deck. The sea here was noticeably darker than before, and the sky had changed from bright morning to dusk. Evidently, the fleet had arrived in a different sea region altogether. In that case, the Moon God Church's goal in taking Samsara's Wenluosi holy ground was likely to establish teleportation coordinates there, so that when launching their assault, they could strike directly at the Sea of the Dead. Muri walked out and took a deep breath. Karen said, "Doesn't it feel like the missions we take as a Whip of Order squad are a bit like child's play compared to what we're seeing now?" "What do you think, Captain?" "I'm asking you." "I don't think so. Every place has its own scenery; only by seeing different sights can one learn to cherish what's in front of them." "That line rolls off the tongue rather easily." "It's a movie line. The male lead said it in *The Malanide*." "A romance movie?" "Yes, set aboard a cruise liner." "And the ending?" "The ship carrying the male and female leads sank." "Muri." "Yes, Captain?" "I told you to watch more movies, not to memorize lines. If you truly understood my point, you wouldn't say something so ominous at a time like this." "Sorry, Captain. I'm a bit slow on the uptake. Actually, right after I said it, I realized." Karen patted Muri on the shoulder. "I like spectacles like this, but I don't like how it feels. Here, I feel weak, as though my fate isn't in my own hands. If I had to choose, I still prefer going on missions in Yorktown. When facing an opponent, holding the sword in my own hand at least lets me fight for myself. Not like here, where God knows whether a meteor might suddenly crash down and—" "Captain, I don't think you should say such ominous things right now." "Heh, how could it be that coincidental? We've only just entered this sea region, it hasn't even begun—" The sky suddenly blazed with light. The two looked up and saw a streak of falling stars plunging from the heavens—no, a barrage of colossal, blazing meteors, expanding rapidly before their eyes! Karen: "..."