Devouring the Divine Bone!

The promise was made. The figure of the Dark Moon Goddess began to dissipate. The bone within her, which had been on the verge of exploding, settled into silence. When Karen manipulated the chain coated in purple rust to wrap around it, a woman's hysterical shrieks echoed from within. Having developed an intelligence of her own, she was naturally filled with intense resentment and hatred. Yet Karen had no regard for any of this right now. Stripped of all defensive power by the goddess, the bone finally began to crumble and be absorbed by the chain. Karen's face took on an expression of pure intoxication. Pu'er, having recovered from her earlier state of extreme panic and helplessness, looked at Karen and found him completely unfamiliar. He was practically an entirely different person from the Karen she knew day to day. Even so, Pu'er let out no cry of alarm. She didn't say a single word, merely watching in silence, because she understood. Compared to her chatterbox nature as a cat, she spoke very little when she took human form. Perhaps life as a cat was relatively carefree, while being a person… was too exhausting. Before long, Karen finished devouring the bone inside his consciousness space. Then, as if still unsatisfied, he turned his gaze onto Pu'er and licked his lips. *He wants to eat me.* Pu'er clearly sensed the intent emanating from Karen. "Quite an appetite you have there, don't you?" Pu'er asked. The next moment, Karen closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze had returned to its clear, unclouded state. "It really feels like going through detox." Karen pressed a hand to his chest with some helplessness. Sated after gorging himself, his awareness had regained clarity. "The symptoms were even worse than last time. I only remember scattered images; my memory isn't even complete. It felt as if another person had taken control of my body just now." Pu'er wanted desperately to tell him that wasn't true—that the Karen from moments ago was also him, because she could feel it. Just as when a person got drunk, they were still that person; they couldn't be defined as someone else. To put it more directly: a truly kind and honest person might make a fool of themselves when drunk, but they wouldn't go on a violent rampage, undergo a complete personality shift, and harm others. Alcohol merely numbed the brain, lowering the inhibitions that originally existed. Yet after a moment of hesitation, Pu'er merely agreed: "I think that state is very dangerous, Karen." "Yeah. That's why I'll avoid it as much as possible. This time, there was just no way around it." "Yes. You saved everyone. This island was like a bandit that barged through our door to rob us, but now we're finally safe, and we even seized the bandit's hideout and confiscated their treasure." The reason Pu'er didn't share her true feelings with Karen was… she had thought of something. Karen was best at reading psychology; he understood his own situation better than anyone else ever could. Whether that previous version of him was truly "another person," he certainly knew best. "The bone in here has been picked clean. Now I have to gnaw on the one in reality," Karen said. "Mm." Pu'er gave an acknowledging hum, and her figure vanished from Karen's consciousness space. Above, at the rim of the well, the cat opened her eyes. She turned toward Kevin and spoke in a slightly weary voice: "Stupid dog, I can finally understand a bit of that fear you felt." At her words, Kevin leaned in close and gently brushed Pu'er's back with his tail. "Still, he's Karen, isn't he?" "Woof." Kevin nodded. … In reality, Karen opened his eyes. The female puppet before him had lost all vitality, plunging straight down into the depths of the well. With his left hand, Karen gripped the bone, keeping it pressed into the depression in his chest. Just then, he noticed the illusory silhouette of an Adjudicator Robe manifest above his body. Karen immediately aborted the opportunity for advancement, looking distinctly annoyed. Trying to break through right now—wasn't that just causing trouble? How could he spare any attention for such a trivial matter at a time like this? Wisps of red patterns extended from the bone into Karen's body, spreading rapidly outward. Soon, he felt spasms rack the muscles throughout his entire body—proof that the essence of the divine bone was entering his flesh and blood to temper it. The muscles in his body began a process of tearing apart and re-knitting. The sensation was countless times more intense than a nighttime leg cramp, and it engulfed his entire body. *Hiss…* Karen drew in a sharp breath, enduring the agony as he continued pressing the bone down. He knew this was a rare opportunity, a chance to alter his "frail" physical constitution. "He really can endure," Pu'er said, watching the scene below with aching heart. "Ah, our little Karen is suffering." Kevin withdrew the tail he had been using to comfort her. Just a moment ago she had claimed to be afraid, and now she was pitying him again. "So, stupid dog, why didn't you bring more things down with you back then? Wouldn't it have been better to help Karen fix up his body earlier?" Kevin: "…" As the restructuring of flesh and blood drew to an end, a new, even more intense agony joined in: his skeleton was being re-densified, giving him the sensation of a wooden board being violently compressed. "Aaargh!" Karen couldn't help letting out a cry. In that moment, it felt as though countless small hammers were relentlessly pounding against his bones. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I can't bear to watch, meow." Pu'er covered her eyes. "Woof, woof." "I know he'll be completely transformed once he pulls through, but this is truly too agonizing. I could never stomach this kind of pain." Kevin, however, thought nothing of it. On the path from an island youth to that exalted position, the hardships he had endured were far greater. Compared to him, Karen's life in Kevin's eyes had been remarkably smooth: good family background, immense talent, great luck… Yet Kevin felt no jealousy over this, because in an outright contest, Karen had defeated him fair and square. He had lost, plain and simple. "Stupid dog, will anything go wrong?" Pu'er asked with concern. Kevin shook his head and barked with absolute confidence, "Woof, woof, woof." "Oh, so that's how it is. You left behind the blueprints and plans, and now Karen just needs to fill in his body according to what you prepared. There weren't any design flaws when you drew it up, were there?" "Woof!" "Right, I almost forgot. You originally designed it for yourself. Of course you'd be extremely meticulous and careful. A renovation company might cut corners when renovating for someone else, but there's no reason to pull that trick when renovating your own home." Kevin: "…" Pops and cracks constantly echoed from Karen's body. Gritting his teeth with eyes wide open, Karen chose to endure it head-on while keeping himself conscious. He believed that once he survived this, he would certainly have much more common ground with Neo when he returned. *Aaargh!* A new round of compression and impact began. Karen let out a loud shout as a dense cloud of blood mist erupted from his body, though the mist was rapidly pulled back inside shortly after escaping. A blood-red barrier of light enveloped Karen's body. Karen paused in surprise. Above, Pu'er was equally stunned. "Was all of that… just a warm-up?" … "She's gone." "Who?" "That bone. She's gone. Her intelligence was erased. She and I lost. I sensed that lady's aura briefly appear just now, though it vanished again. Heh, so it turns out she never trusted us from the start." "That lady… the goddess?" "Who else?" "Did she descend?" Philomena asked in surprise. "No. There is a third entity on this island, but she has remained silent all along." "I don't quite understand." "You don't need to understand. All you need to know is that you won, and we lost." "Yet you still exist right now." "Once that bone is completely extinguished, I will dissipate as well. I am merely a mental imprint upon it; it gave birth to her, but it is also my anchor." "A bit… dizzying." The red-robed woman looked at Philomena and asked, "Do you know what it feels like to always be treated as a tool?" "I know." "Ah, of course. You would know. You are the ideal substitute vessel, along with your dreams, your special… bloodline. You were raised almost entirely as a replacement. Otherwise, out of so many people, I wouldn't have picked you right away." "Mm." "Do you dare open up your deepest dream layer to me?" "Why?" "If you want to go back and deal with your grandmother, I can leave something behind for you to improve your odds. What do you think?" "Really?" "Of course, there is also the possibility that I intend to seize the chance to invade your deepest dream, take complete control of your body, and see if I can find an opportunity to turn the tables—or drag someone down to the grave with me before I perish." "If you're willing to help me, thank you." "And then?" "Okay." "You're not afraid? Let me tell you, I haven't even decided which of the two options I'll take. Even I don't know what I'll do." "I'm not afraid." "Then why did you refuse at first?" "Because you said we won." "Now that you've won, you don't care about your own safety anymore?" "No. Since we won, he won't have any reason to say I disobeyed his orders, and he won't isolate me anymore." "What a bizarre reason. Are you sure you don't like him?" "When I learned he would die together with me, I felt quite at ease. Perhaps human emotions are too complex for low-level intelligences like you to understand." "Hehehe." The red-robed woman chuckled. "I'm not angry, because right now I truly believe that even though she and I developed thoughts, our nature never really changed." "Are you coming into my deepest dream? I can open it to you." The red-robed woman shook her head. "Having second thoughts?" Philomena asked. "I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself. People make different choices in different environments—if I can still be considered a person, that is." "What a pity." Hearing those words, a meaningful smile suddenly appeared on the red-robed woman's face. "What I fear even more is that if I truly agreed, you wouldn't be able to open your deepest dream at all." "What do you mean?" "You know very well in your heart." The red-robed woman reached out and touched Philomena's cheek. "I can sense that you were originally meant to be a bright, kindhearted girl. That's the feeling I get from your dreams. Look, even your grandmother, whom you treat like a dog in your dream, is wearing clean clothes." "I don't consider 'bright and kindhearted' a compliment." "Perhaps. I know you need to be strong. Actually, do you know? There are things deep within an imprint that never change. The reason I was left behind was to fulfill that lady's bestowal order. "Now, I will leave the gift for you here." The red-robed woman spread her palm. In the sky, on the ground, in the distance, and nearby, the red that had previously saturated the surroundings began to contract and condense. Ultimately, beneath the woman's palm, a dark red sphere coalesced. "What kind of weapon are you skilled with?" the red-robed woman asked. "A dagger." "Alright." The dark red sphere condensed into a dagger. With a flick of her hand, the red-robed woman sent it stabbing into a pillar of the small wooden cabin, where it sank completely and vanished. "Do you remember the spot?" "I remember." Philomena nodded. "I failed, but I hope you succeed." "Thank you." "How hypocritical." The red-robed woman waved her hand dismissively. "What is your name?" "Philomena Felscher. And you?" "I…" The woman was about to speak, but caught herself. "I almost wanted to speak that lady's name, but suddenly realized I'm not worthy." "A name is just a simple way to address someone." "Then what does that make someone who doesn't even have a simple name?" "A pitiful person." "Darling, you really know how to comfort people. Are you sure I won't summon that dagger back and stab you to death with it?" "Heh." Philomena smiled. "Heh." The red-robed woman smiled as well. After a long pause, the red-robed woman sighed. "I lost, but at last I'm about to be free. You have to keep fighting. You must win. You must defeat this damned fate." "I will." "Mm. I believe you can… Oh no. We're done for. Hehehehe, hahahahaha…" The red-robed woman suddenly clutched her stomach, bending over in booming laughter. "What happened?" "Something hilarious is about to happen! Haha, I can't take it! Hahaha!" "What on earth happened?" "Can you believe it? That captain of yours, that fellow—he can actually fuse with a divine bone! Even though that bone shattered and weathered long ago, with hardly any divinity left in it, it's still a bone left behind by a god!" "I… don't find that impossible to believe." "Mm." "Is that all?" "No. The point is, this island might still be annihilated after all!" … A third of the bone had dissolved, with a large section still protruding outside, but Karen was horrified to discover that he could no longer digest any more of it. He was full; he couldn't take another bite. Unlike his soul's bottomless capacity, his body's "appetite" was comparatively ordinary. Yet the remaining two-thirds of the bone could not be pulled from his body. The moment it was withdrawn, it would explode. If the explosion previously would have devastated the island and an area several nautical miles around it, it was now much "safer"—only this island and its immediate surroundings would be annihilated. Wonderful… truly wonderful. He truly hadn't expected that this would be the final outcome! "No way…" Pu'er's eyes went wide. "How could this happen? Stupid dog, how did you design this body? How can it not even digest a broken bone?" "Woof, woof, woof." "I don't want to hear any excuses about specific quantitative changes only leading to specific qualitative changes! What are we supposed to do now? What do we do? Karen can't digest it, and he can't take it out either. Isn't this like holding a terrifying forbidden curse that could go off at any second?" "Woof, woof." "Three methods?" "Woof, woof." "Let the bone explode and die together with Karen? Leave Karen alone to keep stalemating this bone while we evacuate first? Don't tell me the third method is for us to get far away and watch from a distance while Karen and the island blow up together!" "Woof." Kevin pointed a paw toward Memphis behind them. When Pu'er looked at Memphis again, she was startled. Once things had stabilized earlier, she hadn't paid much attention to the people working on the concluding ritual. Only now did she realize that blood was leaking from Memphis's eyes, ears, and nostrils. With his body practically twitching, he was desperately operating the Key to the Rubik's Cube. The artifact was no longer concealed inside his sleeve, but exposed out in the open. The spinning cube appeared thick and viscous, resembling a tumbling lump of plasma, coated entirely in the blood Memphis had shed. Mars had noticed this long ago. Having seen Richard use it, he already had an inkling of what was going on, but now was clearly not the time to ask questions. *Cough…* Down in the well, Karen let out a cough. His body could barely absorb any more of the bone. He could only shout up to the surface: "Pu'er, get to the sea, quickly! Move!" All the fur on Pu'er stood on end, but she didn't hesitate, immediately shouting to Alfred nearby: "Radio Fairy! Karen ordered us to return to the sea immediately! Go notify the others, now!" Alfred, who had been intently studying and deducing the concluding ritual, lifted his head. Instinctively, he wanted to say something, but he still chose to obey his young master's command directly. "Memphis, Mars, evacuate! I'll notify the others to leave together. Fast!" "No, wait!" Memphis let out a loud roar. A mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. Yet the Rubik's Cube suddenly locked into place and unfolded into a blood-red diagram, detailing the complete sequence of the concluding ritual. "Hahaha, I deduced it! Hahahaha, I worked it out!" Memphis collapsed onto his backside, panting heavily as if he might slip into shock and faint at any moment, muttering incessantly under his breath. "Woof, woof!" Kevin immediately barked excitedly at Alfred. Alfred turned to Mars at once. "Quick, you and I will set up the concluding ritual as fast as possible!" Pu'er shouted down the well toward Karen in excitement: "Karen, hold on a little longer! Memphis deduced the concluding ritual! We'll be able to put a lid on this well very soon!" Hearing those words down in the well, Karen let out a long breath of relief: *Uncle…* Above, sitting on the ground, two trails of tears streamed from Memphis's eyes, turning muddy as they mixed with the dried blood on his face. Yet Mr. Aisen looked up, an expression of profound relief appearing on his features: "This time I made it… This time, your little brother made it in time… Sister."