Beg Me!

If this had been his first time, Karen probably wouldn't have understood what was happening, but he had experience now after all. She wanted to completely Dark Moon-ize his body and soul. Her appetite was massive—so immense that she couldn't be bothered just taking his Eyes of the Dark Moon. Instead, she wanted to completely renovate his body before moving in. To be precise, it wasn't her who wanted to move in, but this bone; yet, to a certain extent, this bone was her. Karen wasn't Neo, after all. That fellow Neo's heart relocated every two weeks, and his broken ribs dropped faster than a butcher shop could sell them. Karen had rarely suffered such purely deep trauma. It felt as if his body were a balloon that had been violently punctured; he had already lost the perception that "the body is oneself," gradually feeling that the body was merely "a suitcase" or "a coat." It seemed Neo was right: get injured often enough, and you really stop treating your body like a big deal. You begin to see your palms and calves as nothing more than "accessories," like hair and fingernails, that could be trimmed and grown back. Having such thoughts arise in his mind actually meant Karen was no longer as anxious and tense as before. He had been more afraid of her swinging the bone to smash his head to pieces, or directly shredding his soul. But since she planned to clean out his body before moving in... ...then that really was returning to his most familiar home turf. The bone was already riddled with cracks. It had originally been taken from a heavily wounded divine body, had weathered repeated activations of the altar, and had endured the erosion of time; one could say this bone was like something tossed into a pressure cooker to stew bone broth seven or eight times—hardly anything left to squeeze out of it. Since you want to fill me up, fine, let's see if you can fill me to the brim! Besides, the last "adventurer" who tried to enter my body is watching right from the mouth of the well above! ... By the mouth of the well, Kevin widened his dog eyes. Because Pu'er wasn't as perceptive as Kevin, she hadn't yet realized what was happening down below. Immediately after, Kevin began slapping the rim of the well with his dog paws, laughing wildly as he smacked it, an utterly exaggerated laugh. "Stupid dog, what are you laughing at?" Kevin couldn't even bother to answer, continuing to laugh. "Stupid dog?" Kevin laughed and laughed until he started wheezing; a big golden retriever was actually laughing so hard he lost his breath. "Stupid dog, what is it?" Kevin shook his head, flinging away the bitter tears at the corners of his eyes. "Woof, woof, woof." Pu'er froze for a moment, blinked, and pointed a paw downward. Seeing Kevin nod, Pu'er turned her head back and plopped down on the edge of the well. After a series of shifting expressions on her feline face, she finally couldn't hold it in: "Pfft-meow!" ... "Woof-ooh, woof-ooh!" Grandma barked fawningly at the woman like a dog. "Heh heh. Do you know what a mental imprint fears changing into the most?" Sitting on the threshold, Philomena looked up at the sky, which had turned sunset crimson, offering no answer to the crimson-robed woman before her. She felt that if she switched places with the Captain, he would probably chat with this crimson-robed woman, but she couldn't. She only knew that this woman was invading, tainting, and controlling her dream—the pure sanctuary she had treasured most since childhood. Answering her own question, the woman said, "It is thinking. When I began to think, it proved that I had betrayed that existence." Philomena still paid her no heed. But the woman seemed eager to talk and converse, continuing: "I began to think: Why should I confine myself here forever for that existence's vengeance? I don't hate the moon, because I feel I am me, and the moon is the moon. Why should I be imprisoned here forever for her revenge? "Sitting in that well, the seagulls in the sky and the fish in the sea were freer than I, objects of my envy. "The more I thought, the angrier and more resentful I became. "I began to loosen my control over her. She actually began thinking earlier than I did, but I had always suppressed her. When I stopped suppressing her, she began actively wearing away the shackles here. "That existence certainly never imagined that one day, even the bone she left behind would rise in rebellion against her. Heh heh. "Our luck was also good. When we could take this island as a whole and begin our voyage, we quickly sensed that in several places across the nearby waters, the rich aura of the sinking Moon God faith was rising. "That was our nourishment, our food, but the problem was that we couldn't eat it... "Yet, this must be fate. Fate imprisoned us, making us prisoners from the day we were born, but fate has also unlocked our chains, because it has delivered the final key right to us." Hearing this, a hint of confusion appeared on Philomena's face. The woman continued, "When we found you, when you came ashore of your own accord, both she and I were laughing. The two of us were laughing so happily." "Because we brought two people from the Moon God Church with us?" Philomena asked. "Not only that. That man is the real key—he possesses the purest Dark Moon bloodline." The Captain? The Dark Moon bloodline? Philomena felt she was beginning to touch Karen's secret, though knowing it now seemed somewhat pointless. "Actually, we did something in vain: before you came ashore, I had her destroy the concluding ritual altar in advance. But now it seems meaningless, because you... no, he didn't even know there was a concluding ritual. "What does that mean? "Hahahahahahaha!" The woman suddenly threw back her head and laughed heartily, frightening Grandma, who was gnawing on a bone in front of her, into shivering. "It means that existence's legacy has suffered a severe rupture. That existence's believers and inheritors don't even know this place exists anymore. "Heh heh heh. So why should the two of us continue holding on and enduring here for that laughable revenge of hers? "All of this should come to an end. "She can obtain a new host, and I can have you as mine. This squad of yours is truly too perfect for words—everything we needed, you possessed." At this moment, the woman placed a hand to her ear as if listening to something, then smiled. "She's very happy, because she discovered his body is far better than expected, exceptionally suited for her integration." The Captain's... body. Is the Captain going to suffer the same fate as me? Are both of us going to become hosts for someone else? "What kind of emotion is this?" The woman looked at Philomena and asked, "I sense that upon hearing this news, your anger and hatred diminished considerably?" Philomena answered, "Because if his end is the same as mine, my heart suddenly feels much more balanced. At least it doesn't feel unfair." "Is that so?" The woman nodded and asked, "Is this a form of affection?" "No," Philomena shook her head. "Affection is the simplest, basest emotion. This is recognition." The woman pondered for a moment and said helplessly, "Perhaps because your life level is too low, I cannot understand?" ... "Perhaps I can show you something of a higher level." Within his consciousness space, Karen said with a smile as he saw Ancestor Allen, the Sea God's Heart, and the Gate of Samsara dyed red. The infiltration and pillaging from the Dark Moon had been underway for some time, and its momentum remained fierce. In his consciousness world, Karen saw the figure of the Dark Moon Goddess shift from dim to brilliant, from distinct to towering. Like a woman standing there, she was gradually claiming sovereignty over this place. She had originally resided here, but now, she no longer belonged to Karen—at least not at this moment. She had begun to defect. The phantom of the bone hovered at the Dark Moon Goddess's ribs, continuing to pour energy into her. Yet the scale of the infusion was already much weaker than at the start. The problem was, she hadn't even touched Karen's true core. The phantom of Diss appeared behind Karen. Ever since Karen heard the conversation between Ankara and the God of Order in that dream, Diss's figure had become extremely faint; even now, though it had recovered somewhat, it remained wispy and fragile. Karen waved his hand, and Diss's phantom began to retreat. He was unwilling to put the family faith system bestowed upon him by his grandfather at risk right now; his grandfather needed rest. *Buzz!* *Buzz!* *Buzz!* The Dark Moon Goddess began raising her arms, about to seize total control of Karen's soul and consciousness. Karen crossed his hands over his chest and began to pray: "I come from darkness, seeking light step by step—that is the light of salvation, the light of hope, the omnipresent light." A beam of light shone into Karen's consciousness space. Appearing with it was the towering divine form of the God of Light. This was the power of light Karen had received from Pu'er, as well as a profound bond left behind since his "purification." Since Neo could be clad in light while insisting he was a believer of Order, Karen could just as well be clad in Order while chanting a slogan of Light. When the figure of the God of Light appeared, the dark red was instantly compressed by a massive portion. Before the God of Light, the Dark Moon Goddess suddenly looked diminutive. But that was not enough. "Supreme Order represents the laws of the world; all chaos shall ultimately return to order!" The figure of the God of Order manifested beside the God of Light. When the two faith embodiments of Light and Order appeared, the Dark Moon Goddess was immediately suppressed. Before these two mighty chief gods who had each dominated an epoch, the Dark Moon Goddess was inherently at an absolute disadvantage. After all, even Artemis, the Moon God whom the Dark Moon had failed to take revenge upon, dared not show the slightest insolence toward either of them in the eras they reigned. Of course, relative strength here could not be measured solely by the power of the chief gods behind each faith. The fundamental reason was that earlier, entities like the Sea God's Armor, the Gate of Samsara, and Ancestor Allen had acted as flood channels, neutralizing the vast majority of the Dark Moon's surging waves. By the time the true dam was erected, the waves no longer had the strength to crash against it. Karen took a deep breath. He could already sense the hunger welling up from the depths of his soul. That sensation had reemerged at the most opportune moment, but this time, Karen did not choose to suppress it. The figure of the Dark Moon Goddess began to retreat and shrink, signaling her attempt to flee. Within his consciousness space, Karen raised a hand, and a Chain of Order stained with purple rust shot out, wrapping directly around the Dark Moon Goddess's wrist. In reality, Karen reached out and grabbed the woman's wrist, preventing her from pulling the bone out of his caved-in chest. "Originally, there was a touch of gratitude in my heart. Even though I didn't want the two of them to die, I truly did receive benefits after their deaths. But now I realize my gratitude was entirely pointless, because all of this seems to have been orchestrated by you. "Since that's how it is, I have no reason to be polite." The woman tried to struggle, but once the bone left her body, the formidable power that could have slaughtered everyone present was already gone—unless that bone could return. Yet Karen's hand blocked its path back. *Crack... crack... crack...* From the portion of the bone embedded in Karen's caved-in chest came cracking sounds, accompanied by the stirrings of tearing. This meant that not only in soul and consciousness, but even physically, Karen was dissolving and absorbing this bone. ... Above the mouth of the well, Kevin tilted his dog head, his expression a mix of joy and dejection. Pu'er turned to look at him and asked, "Stupid dog, why can Karen's body break down this bone too? What's going on?" "Woof, woof." "Oh, right! Karen's body was altered by you in the first place. A body capable of accommodating the descent of an evil god can naturally be filled with a god's bone—especially one that only retains a trace of divinity. There's no need to fear backlash or rejection from stored divine power, which actually makes it even easier to absorb. "When you were summoned down back then, you were merely a soul. You modified Karen's body but never filled it, leaving his body constantly 'frail.' "If he can absorb this bone, won't Karen's physical constitution immediately shoot up? "Oh, heavens! At first, I only suspected Karen was lucky and this island was somehow handing him free benefits. "Now, I realize there's no need to doubt it at all—that's exactly what this is!" "Woof..." Kevin's gaze was mournful. The greatest torment in the world was probably watching the person who stole one's beloved body living better and better. Pu'er reached out a paw and patted Kevin's head. "Look on the bright side, stupid dog. Only when Karen keeps growing stronger can your seal continue to be broken, right?" ... "No, this is impossible! How could this be?!" Philomena watched as the woman, who had been completely calm until now, suddenly began to shriek. The woman's gaze snapped onto Philomena. The crimson infiltration accelerated; where it had once been a meticulous, detailed seepage, it now resembled wild slashes of paint. Philomena knew she was speeding up, desperate to quickly take over her body. "An accident occurred," the woman said, standing up and kicking away Grandma at her feet. In the next instant, she appeared right in front of Philomena, grabbing Philomena by the throat and lifting her up. "But the accident is controllable. With your body, I can smooth out all the complications." Crimson began to fall, splashing down pool after pool. Held by the neck in the woman's grip, Philomena saw the clothes on her own body gradually turn red, until they had turned completely red. ... In reality, Philomena suddenly stood up. She opened her eyes, the luster of the Dark Moon swirling within her pupils. "Restrain her!" Muri, Ventura, and Bart immediately surrounded Philomena. Truth be told, however, none of the three felt very confident. In terms of sheer ability, Philomena was already the strongest in the squad after the Captain; in a one-on-one duel, none of the three present were her match, not to mention the aura currently radiating from her was extraordinarily powerful. Yet Philomena, who had just opened her eyes, immediately closed them again, sat back down, and remained motionless. ... "What is this?" The crimson-robed woman discovered she had returned from reality back into the dream. But clearly, controlling this dream should have allowed her to control Philomena's body in reality! Still lifted by the throat in the crimson-robed woman's grasp, Philomena looked at her calmly and pointed toward the bed inside the cabin. "Why do you think I woke up on the cabin bed?" The crimson-robed woman froze, then realized, "A dream within a dream? There's a second layer of dreaming?" The corner of Philomena's mouth curved into a faint smile. "This was originally a trap I prepared for Grandma." ... Within his consciousness space, Karen stared at the Dark Moon Goddess bound by his chains. Thick greed shone in his eyes, for the hunger had already reached a boiling point. Just as Neo repulsed the idea of drinking human blood yet thoroughly enjoyed the process, Karen repulsed the notion of devouring souls yet knew intimately that it brought immense pleasure. Now, there was no reason to restrain himself. This was not to satisfy his own pleasure, but to devour her in order to save his life and everyone else's. When indulgence donned the mantle of justification, stripped of its last layer of moral burden, all that remained was pure, unrestrained delight. However, just as Karen prepared to deconstruct the Dark Moon Goddess before him, a woman's voice rang out from within the bone: "If I cannot have freedom, then I shall plunge toward release." The bone both inside his consciousness space and in reality began to glow. "Meow!!!" Pu'er shrieked. "This thing is going to self-destruct!" Kevin also barked in terror, "Woof, woof, woof!!!" At that moment, the entire island began to shudder, a terrifying upheaval brewing beneath. Out on the sea, the waiting sea beast began to tremble. It knew full well that if it didn't leave immediately, a wretched fate awaited it. But the restriction Pu'er had placed upon it prevented it from disobeying orders; it could only let out helpless, agonized wails. ... "You can go look for my next layer of dreams now. As long as you occupy that place, you can still control my body. It will only delay you a little bit," Philomena said. The crimson-robed woman shook her head, loosened her hand around Philomena's neck, sighed, and said, "No need. He is more mysterious and eerie than we imagined. She has already decided on release." Philomena had to think for a moment before distinguishing who "he" and "she" referred to. "Release?" "Yes. Let me and her, along with this island, be annihilated together." ... Inside his consciousness space, Karen stood quietly, watching the glow of the bone within the Dark Moon Goddess grow brighter and brighter. In just a little while, a terrifying explosion would erupt. His soul, his physical self, and this physical island would all cease to exist. Yet Karen felt neither panic nor fear. Such emotions no longer existed in his mind. Just like an addict—so long as they could take one more hit or inject one more dose, the lives of family members or even the destruction of the world were matters that could be cast to the wind. This was why Karen had always restrained himself from bowing to "it," for he knew clearly that once he completely indulged in this state, he would even begin devouring those around him. Why else did the real Ankara hate the God of Order so fiercely? Yet right at that moment, the glow of the bone suddenly froze, as if someone had hit pause on everything. "What is happening?" A woman's bewildered voice came from within the bone. Then, as if realizing something, she cried, "Damn it, you're still here!" The figure of the Dark Moon Goddess, which had remained numb like a statue in a temple, suddenly underwent a peculiar change. An ancient, majestic voice issued from the goddess's mouth: "Swear to me. Avenge me. I shall grant you my bestowal." This was a decree from the Dark Moon Goddess. Perhaps a trace of her will had remained sealed away on this island, undiscovered and dormant until quietly awakening at this moment; or perhaps, through some unseen resonance, what transpired here had struck a chord, causing this phantom of the goddess—which should have possessed no emotion—to enact a programmed, rule-bound response. In short, a situation that had been on the brink of total collapse had once again found a turning point. As long as Karen swore the oath to inherit the Dark Moon Goddess's dying wish and take vengeance against the Moon God Church, he would receive the bestowal of the Dark Moon Goddess. In fact, this island, this altar, and this bone had originally been a gift prepared by the Dark Moon Goddess for an exceptional successor of her legacy. Karen licked his lips, the greed in his eyes so thick it almost seemed to drip. The hunger flooding his heart was already enough to drive him to cast all caution aside. By all reasoning, he should have agreed to any condition at this point, so long as it let him gorge himself immediately to appease the hunger threatening to drive him mad. Yet Karen stopped right there. He was in no rush to agree. Looking at the phantom of the Dark Moon Goddess before him, the ravenous hunger in his gaze transformed into the coldest, most indifferent profundity. Facing the goddess radiating an aura of sacred nobility, he spoke in an utterly calm voice: "Beg me."