Immorales—Plunder!

Although the "memory" had not yet unfolded further and the two sides had not come to blows, Karen had already foreseen the outcome—and with absolute certainty. The current "himself"—the master recorded in the silver mask's memories—was destined to lose. Because years later, Diss grew old, returned to 13 Mink Street, ran a funeral parlor while serving as a priest, and raised his grandson. Therefore, in this clash, Diss had undoubtedly won. Knowing the answer in advance did not dampen Karen's anticipation as a spectator, because almost everything involving Diss ended with only one result. Even when cornered at the very end by three Temple Elders and a cohort of high priests, standing alone against them, Diss had compromised slightly for the sake of his family and himself, yet he still had not lost. He simply lay there, fast asleep, yet he could still make the "exalted entities" in the Temple of Order profoundly uneasy. Karen recalled Mr. Dalis mentioning that his great-great-grandfather had once had ties with a Temple Elder named Rohan, hadn't he? Judging by age, they shouldn't have crossed paths, but if this Norton ancestor had schemed and prolonged his life by every conceivable means to condense a godhead fragment, it made this meeting with Diss entirely possible. Diss strode forward toward "him." "Who on earth are you?" "I already told you, I have no desire to introduce myself to you." Sometimes, intuition did not lie. Karen could clearly sense "his" terror. This ancestor of the Norton family felt the overwhelming, suppressive aura radiating from the man before him, who was absurdly young by comparison. Successfully condensing a godhead fragment represented a total sublimation of one's life state, reflected not only in raw power, but across all dimensions. Yet here "he" was, not even daring to strike at Diss, choosing instead to turn and flee. Karen surmised that the silver mask's imprinted memories could not fully reproduce the true reality of the moment; "his" current dread undoubtedly stemmed from a far deeper cause. Still, sending an elder who had just condensed a godhead fragment running simply by walking toward him was truly staggering. Diss looked calm, deep black light swirling in his eyes, making him seem like a fiend-god descending upon the mortal realm. Compared to Diss's quiet confidence, "he" felt increasingly rattled. At last, "He" turned, his form vanishing as he shot toward the gate of the Temple of Order about to open above the sea. There was no better way to protect himself than passing through the Temple's gate. As long as he set foot inside, he would become a Temple Elder, sheltered by the entire Temple—and indeed the entire Church of Order. Diss raised his hand and murmured softly, "Order—Eternal Sealing." A barrier formed over the sea, encasing the Temple gate. The next moment, cut off from all perception of the outside world and losing the guide's presence, the gate's transition from ethereal to corporeal abruptly halted. It began to fade, vanishing rapidly. "He" was fast, but by the time he reached the portal, the gate was already gone. "He" whipped his head back in shock and looked at Diss. "Who in the world are you?" Diss did not answer. Clasping his right hand behind his back, he spread open his left palm. A wooden hilt appeared in his grasp, and a heartbeat later, black flames erupted from its tip. *Hum!* Diss materialized right before "him," thrusting the sword forward as he uttered in a low voice: "Forbidden—Abyss of Despair!" The thrust itself was already terrifyingly fierce; even before it struck, Karen could already feel the agony of his flesh and soul about to be sliced apart. Yet accompanying the blade was an instant-cast forbidden curse. It was impossible to tell whether the strike served as cover for the forbidden curse, or if the curse was merely an embellishment to the sword. Regardless, the ocean beneath them was instantly swallowed by a black abyss, and countless dark hands reached up from the depths, straining to drag down everything above. And "he" seemed finally to snap to his senses, crossing his hands before his chest to weave a spell. Just as Karen prepared to observe a battle of this caliber, the same tearing sensation from before tore through his consciousness once again. Damn it! Karen truly wanted to curse. Once again, right at the part he looked forward to most, when all the buildup was complete and the climax was about to begin, the feed had cut out on him. If you're not going to let me see it, don't show me any of it, or at least don't stop right here. Leaving a person hanging at the peak of anticipation was a torment far worse than any mere "tearing sensation." Yet Karen also understood this wasn't intentional on the mask's part; under certain intense conditions, it simply couldn't record mental memories. The stuttering playback returned. Karen endured the agony for a while before fragmented images began to flash by. The battle was immense in scale. In those fleeting glimpses, Karen saw: Thunder summoned from the heavens crashing down in the shape of a colossal dragon; A massive, single-horned fiend clawing its way out of the ocean abyss, opening its maw to swallow all light before it; Terrifying magma erupting, bathing the surroundings in fiery crimson; Innumerable Order Cages shattering, thick Chains of Order churning the dark clouds above with furious roars and savage howling... Though suffering through this felt like being tormented while forced to watch trailer highlights, Karen could sense that his grandfather at this time was far from as powerful as the grandfather he had known. Back then, Grandfather fought with grand pomp and thunderous fanfare. Later, as an Inquisitor, Grandfather could casually obliterate a priest of the Berry Church with an earnest forbidden curse, or duel Alfred to a draw; he could hang a Temple Elder on a cross to feel the breeze, or project an avatar to stab a clan patriarch named Raphael to death. Perhaps at this stage Grandfather was still somewhat "young and impetuous," whereas the Diss Karen had met after arriving in this world was entirely settled and refined. He hadn't even bothered to trade blows with the three Temple Elders hunting him down, opting instead to simply blow up the Temple. It was a shift in temperament—at least, that was how it felt to Karen. In truth, Karen could have detached himself from the silver mask's memory playback, but he chose not to. He wanted to endure, to hold on and see if any coherent scenes followed. At long last, after an unknown span of disorientation amidst the tearing sensations, the imagery and perception stabilized. Karen found himself lying upon the surface of the sea. The island that was supposed to be here was nowhere to be seen. "Why... why couldn't I beat you... I had clearly... clearly succeeded... Is this the God of Order's... punishment... for me...?" "He" was clearly bewildered. He had thought that after condensing a godhead fragment, he had ascended to a new zenith, only to be cast straight into the abyss the moment he succeeded. *Cough, cough...* Diss coughed repeatedly. His robes were torn in many places, his coughs brought up blood, and his expression showed hints of exhaustion, yet those eyes remained completely calm. Clearly, defeating a Temple Elder had exacted a heavy toll from Diss as well. Diss bent down, crouching before "Karen," and said, "I have been pondering that matter as well, though I have no interest in discussing it with you. Perhaps one day I'll understand why someone like you could condense a 'godhead fragment.' "As for why you couldn't defeat me, there is nothing strange about that. A godhead fragment... had I wished, I could have condensed one long before you did. "I merely disdained having only a fragment—it is not consummate enough. I wondered whether I could try condensing a complete godhead in a single breath." "A complete... godhead..." "It is very difficult," Diss said. "Yet I want to try." "May... you succeed." "I have no need for your blessings. You have lost, but I have paid a steep price as well. Originally, I thought I could successfully extract that godhead fragment from your body; now, it seems I can no longer manage it. "So, you may detonate that godhead fragment now—treat it as one final display of fireworks." A godhead fragment floated out from "Karen." It looked withered, like a dandelion puff requiring gentle care, yet it was exceptionally pure, radiating an authentic... divine aura. Diss asked, "What is the meaning of this?" By voluntarily releasing the godhead fragment from his body, the man had effectively performed the most intricate separation process for Diss. That meant as long as Diss wished, he could easily claim the fragment, seal it, and sever its link to the host. Well, a complete severance was impossible since they were one entity, but killing the host outright would suffice. "My family... does not know what I have done. My descendants don't even know I am still alive; they think I am dead, long dead." "And?" "It... is yours. Spare my family." "A very tempting bargain, but I am not particularly inclined to take it. If Theisen finds out, that fellow will nag me endlessly again." "I beg of you..." "Begging me is useless. When you slaughtered my friend's entire family, you should have prepared for your own kin to be butchered. "The most universal truth in this world is tit for tat. "However, I can promise that I will not personally wipe out your family." "Thank you..." "No, it's because I feel that would let you off too lightly. I will guide Felscher to pay a visit to your home." "Felscher... the cursed family..." "It seems you are not completely out of touch with the outside world." "It was your doing... the Felscher family of the York City Region..." "Certain furies can only be purged through curses. Yet it will leave a final glimmer of hope for your family. And because of that thread of hope dangling before them, the agony will often multiply. "I dislike being indebted to others, but I tolerate even less when others owe me." Diss reached out and seized the godhead fragment. "Do you intend to self-destruct the godhead fragment?" He waited a moment; there was no response. Diss smiled faintly. With a wave of his hand, a silver mask appeared in his grasp, humming with the resonance of a summons. "An exquisite mask." Diss brought the weakened godhead fragment together with the silver mask. "Alright. You may die now." Diss stood up, raised his sword, and thrust it down toward "Karen." *Grandfather!* *Pfft!* ... *Spurt!* Karen spat out a mouthful of blood and slumped forward. "Damn! That intense? Even an artifact left behind by your own grandfather gives such a nasty backlash?" Neo instantly supported Karen and began casting a healing spell, but soon stopped, realizing Karen's injury wasn't physical. The silver mask slipped from his grasp, but before hitting the floor, it transformed into a beam of light and flew back into Karen's ring. "Hey, are you alright?" "I'm fine..." Karen straightened up, then broke into a fit of coughing. Neo quickly stepped in, feeding Karen water with one hand while rubbing his back with the other. After a long while, Karen finally recovered. His head still throbbed, but there was no serious harm done. "Get some rest first. No rush to explain—it's fine. Even though I'm dying to know, even though I don't want to wait a single second, even though my curiosity is clawing me to death right now, I still think your health comes first." Karen rolled his eyes at Neo. The Neo before him bore little resemblance to the man he had first met. Everyone was changing, in truth. "After I put on the mask..." Karen began recounting everything he had experienced after donning the mask. With Neo, there was truly nothing he needed to conceal. After listening to Karen's account, Neo's eyes widened, and he whispered, "I knew it! Based on the materials I looked up before and my observations of Philomena, yes, the dream-and-reality lineage passed down in the Felscher family is indeed prone to causing lostness, but it never created such colossal issues in the past. "So the curse on the Felscher family was laid down by your grandfather?" Evidently, the Section Chief had a knack for seizing on key points. Compared to the real crux, Bishop Dolph's suicide note could be set aside for the moment. "Most likely... yes." "Your grandfather's temper was that foul? The Felschers were practically a hereditary dynasty of Head Bishops in Yorktown back then, and your grandfather's curse destroyed them just like that?" "I think my grandfather was very benevolent." "Oh, sorry, slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. "So, you suspect Dalis went through the exact same thing as Philomena? "To some extent, the curse on the Norton family is also one of the curses your grandfather placed on the Felscher family? "No, more accurately, a contagion and transmission." "Something like that." There was no reason for the mental imprint preserved in the silver mask to deceive him. The mask had always been in Grandfather's possession, passed down to Karen only after Grandfather fell into slumber. Diss had no reason to plant false memories just to tarnish his own reputation. "So what on earth did the Felscher family do back then to draw that kind of retribution from your grandfather?" "I don't know. Before coming to Wien, I didn't even know the Felscher family existed." "Before coming to Wien, there were plenty of things you didn't know." Neo exhaled heavily. "If Philomena finds out that the person responsible for her family's plight is your grandfather, what will she think?" "I have no idea." "If I were in her shoes, I'd stand by your side even more firmly. You're his grandson; any hope of breaking the curse likely lies with you." "I don't want to think about that right now." "You'll have to face it eventually. Damn it, I'm finding myself admiring your grandfather more and more. If a man can live his life like your grandfather did, he truly hasn't lived in vain." "He lived in great pain. Especially after what happened to my parents, he suffered all the way until now." "You don't need to remind me of that." Neo tapped his chest. "I can empathize." Karen paused, then immediately said, "Sorry." "It's fine. Don't stand on ceremony between us—poke at my wounds all you like." "That wasn't what I meant." "Still, have you noticed an interesting coincidence? You might not have realized it yet, but looking at it from an outside perspective, it jumped out at me immediately." "What coincidence?" "Your grandfather's curse." "Hm?" "At the height of their prosperity, everyone in the Felscher family suddenly died on the same day—many of them while holding office. In the end, only Madame Felscher, Philomena's grandmother, was left." "And her father." "What difference is there between her father being alive or dead?" "True." "And now, aren't Madame Felscher and her granddaughter Philomena about to face the sharpest clash between them? Because both want to step on the other to reach the shore. "Even though Philomena sees her grandmother viewing her as a hope for 'rebirth,' I doubt Philomena is unaware that if she wins, she will inherit everything from her grandmother. "Oh no, not just her grandmother's, but also everything from her dead family. "And then there's the Norton family. Their status is far below the Felschers, but Dalis serves the exact same role. Bishop Dolph himself actually realized that his second son bears a curse—one that not only restricts the reproduction of the family's third generation, but also siphons away the cultivation aptitude of everyone else in the household, making them regress. "The Norton family once produced a powerhouse capable of successfully condensing a godhead fragment. Even though he used plenty of sordid, despicable means, it at least proved their bloodline heritage wasn't weak. But look at Vicolai now... "Just as your grandfather said: leaving behind a final thread of hope. "This curse ensures that one person in the family sucks the blood of all the others dry to nurture the fattest prize. "The entire process is bound to destroy human decency, pitting kin against kin in bloody, suffocating cruelty. "So, "did it hit you? "Do you realize anything? "Doesn't it bear a striking resemblance to somewhere else?" Karen's voice suddenly began to tremble. He asked, "Resemble where?" Neo stared into Karen's eyes and articulated each word deliberately: "The defining trait of the Immorales family faith system... Plunder!"