The Real... Curse!

Karen acknowledged Madame Felscher's mastery of illusory realms, but how should he put it? Her act of casually "shelving" him in the side hall was rather disrespectful to his past experiences. At the very least, Bishop Dolph, who had just been placed in his coffin and had not even been buried yet, would certainly have been displeased. It was only a pity that Bishop Dolph was as thoroughly dead as one could be; otherwise, he surely would have driven his knee up and kicked the coffin lid violently with his boot to vent his fury. Because everyone walked a different path, each had their own specialty. Karen's specialty had in truth always been his soul—for whenever his soul was mentioned, one could never bypass that dog at home. Perhaps because it had been mentioned far too many times, the dog had never managed to grow fur on its head and remained bald to this day. Right now, though... it hurt so much. How could Philomena have forgotten to warn him that her grandmother liked poking people in the eyes? Had he known, he would have brought a bottle of eye drops; his eyes were still uncomfortably dry and gritty. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cigarette case, drew one out, held it between his lips, and paused just as he was about to flick his lighter. There was no point in bringing eye drops. He could carry them into the car and out of the car, but he couldn't bring them here. By the same token, there was no meaning in smoking this pack of Thunder cigarettes, which he treated as "cough syrup for the soul." It was all fake. He could probably taste it if he smoked—after all, he had smoked before—but that would be nothing more than pure self-deception. Standing up, he rested a hand on his neck and rubbed it gently. Even though everything around him, including his current self, was an illusion within a specific illusory realm, the tactile sensations were still remarkably delicate. Delicate just like the furnishings inside this ruined villa—though cloying, it was exceedingly realistic. One had to keep in mind that this was merely a layer of dream, and a layer left behind after its master had departed at that, yet it could still remain so "exquisite." A faint radiance began to spread outward with Karen at its center. Seeing the trail on the floor that looked as though it had been dragged by a bloody mop, Karen followed it into the bedroom. On the mattress in the bedroom, Madame Felscher was holding Philomena in her arms. Grandmother and granddaughter had already drifted into "sweet" dreams. Beneath the bed curled another figure. Karen crouched down and leaned sideways, carefully observing the one under the bed. The man's chest rose and fell incessantly; he was grievously injured, yet his expression was serene. Karen knew Philomena had a dog-like father, but at least right now, from his sleeping face, not the slightest peculiarity could be seen. Straightening up, Karen walked over to Philomena's side and sat down by the edge of the bed. Philomena was naked. Her skin was very fair, with a healthy fullness that was genuinely hard to notice when she was dressed. Well, at a time like this, there was no such thing as what could or couldn't be looked at. When she was bathing in the office, Karen had been right to demand she mind her privacy, but now, it was akin to an ongoing mission. Long ago, Peige and Fanny had taught Karen this principle through their practical actions. Besides... this wasn't reality. It was a dream. Karen pressed the back of his hand to his lips and yawned. Soul injuries inevitably brought this sort of exhaustion, but as long as he wasn't directly brawling in reality, it wasn't a major issue. This was precisely why he had Philomena get out of the car and enter first. Once grandmother and granddaughter entered the "dream," he would follow, and Madame Felscher would only be able to entertain him through illusions. As for her actual combat capability in reality, to say nothing of how Karen's soul injury severely hindered his use of spells right now, even at his peak when uninjured after just advancing to Adjudicator, Karen wouldn't have much confidence going up against this old woman. After all, setting aside the Felscher family's past glory of hereditary Head Bishops, just looking at the fact that she was someone from the same circle as his grandmother made it hard to imagine the true extent of her strength. In any case, he still hadn't figured out just how strong his grandmother truly was. His sole impression came from the time he hadn't intended to enter Richard's house, only to turn around and see his grandmother—who was supposed to be upstairs knitting sweaters at home—carrying a vegetable basket and "coincidentally" returning, pretending it was a chance encounter and warmly dragging him inside as a guest. Karen watched for a moment and found that both Philomena and Madame Felscher looked quite natural. He was in no hurry to enter. He knew Philomena had her own preparations. From a tactical standpoint, regardless of whether Philomena could succeed on her own, letting her wear down the enemy first while he stepped in at the final moment yielded the highest return. After all, in Madame Felscher's eyes, he—an unexpected variable—had already been dealt with. Standing up once more, Karen went to the bedroom window and pushed it open. Originally, Karen had intended to let in a bit of rainwater and cool wind; the dryness in his eyes made him yearn for some moisture. Yet the torrential rain outside vanished the instant the window opened, replaced by a sun-drenched green meadow. In the distance, a woman galloped on a white horse. Due to the distance, her features were indistinct, though Karen felt that even up close, one still wouldn't see clearly, as the distant area possessed a mist-like blur. The scene couldn't help but remind Karen of when he and Eunice had ridden horses for a stroll at Allen Manor. Or perhaps it wasn't the scene itself, but the atmosphere. Habits from his past life made Karen very interested in details within other people's dreams, for while people liked to "lie" and "disguise" when awake, in dreams they often lowered their guard. After a brief hesitation, Karen vaulted out the window and landed on the meadow. In the distance, the horse-riding figure was no longer faint and indistinct, becoming much clearer than before. However, the meadow beneath Karen's feet grew soft, gradually turning into a swamp, and his feet sank into it. Karen didn't resist. Instead, he closed his eyes and let himself fall backward. *Plop!* The green bog seemed to turn into a pond in an instant, submerging him entirely. *Phew...* There was no feeling of drowning, nor the stifling dread of being buried alive. Karen felt as if he had merely rolled over, and beneath him was once again verdant grass, the air filled with the distinctive fragrance of spring. Before Karen could stand up, a pair of horse hooves appeared in his field of vision. "Stranger, there is a very familiar feeling about you." A young woman's voice drifted down from above. "I'm a doctor," Karen answered as he got to his feet. "If I feel familiar to you, that proves you need me right now." "Hehe. Are you saying I'm sick?" "What else?" "Do you know, I never imagined a doctor would come here to treat patients." "I only appear where I am needed." "Very well, Doctor. Please tell me, what is your name?" "My name is Karen." "Mm-hmm, never heard of that name." "Inmeles." "You... say that again!" ... *Tap, tap...* Karen climbed back in through the window, landing on the floor with bits of grass clinging to his clothes. He habitually patted down his clothes, hearing the sound of grinding teeth from beneath the bed behind him. Turning around, he saw that the expressions of the grandmother and granddaughter on the bed remained unchanged. Karen walked over to the bed again and raised his hand. A chain of Order flew out from his palm, coiled once around Philomena's body, and finally settled gently around her smooth, fair neck. "Hm?" Karen was mildly surprised. He believed Philomena should have sensed his aura's arrival; logically, she should have voluntarily lowered all instinctive resistance to let him enter. Since she had no reaction at all, it could only mean one thing: in her dream, she had lost control. Karen closed his eyes. The chain of Order pulled back from Philomena's neck, circled once in midair, and plunged violently downward, piercing straight through Philomena's chest. Just like entering this ruined villa—the lock was broken, and though not locked from inside, it couldn't be opened normally, so one could only kick it in. *Bang!* ... On the bed in the small wooden cabin, Philomena opened her eyes. At the same time, her grandmother's voice came from beside her ear: "A very exquisite little wooden cabin. No wonder you never had any demands for your bedroom and never liked any toys. It turns out that in your dream, your bedroom has everything it ought to have. "It just looks a bit too childish and cliché, like illustrations in a children's storybook. "Oh my, I really didn't expect my granddaughter to be so old, yet still like a little child." A withered hand rested on Philomena's face, gently stroking it. Then, before she could get up, her grandmother got out of bed ahead of her. Philomena immediately sat up. "Hm?" Madame Felscher spotted the breakfast on the wooden table. She reached out, picked up a slice of bread, and took a bite. "Tastes quite good." Immediately after, Madame Felscher looked down. She saw a face peer out from between her legs—a face identical to her own. It was rubbing against her trouser leg, sticking its tongue out, begging for food like a dog trying to curry favor. In fact, it was a dog. "Hehe... Hahahahaha..." Madame Felscher burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down. She held the bitten slice of bread down before the "herself" under the table. The "herself" beneath the table immediately opened its mouth, snapped up the bread, and began chewing and gulping it down ravenously. "So this is what Grandmother has always looked like in your dream." Philomena remained silent. "Still, this doesn't surprise me. You are my biological granddaughter after all; I allow you to have a little temper of your own. We are girls, so we should have a tiny bit of privilege to lose our tempers, shouldn't we?" Madame Felscher turned her head to look at Philomena sitting by the bed. "But as I said before, childish. Still childish." A black speck appeared on Philomena's forehead. Her neck craned upward, and her fists clenched tight. Immediately after, a halo of gray radiance spilled from between her brows. When she lowered her head again, her entire expression seemed far more vivid and alert than before. She stood up and walked toward her grandmother. "Not bad, being able to break through my restriction. Or rather, you deliberately wanted me to enter your dream. But why bother? "After all, no matter what, I would have chosen to come in. "You don't understand your grandmother. Even though you have lived with me for so many years, you still don't understand me. "Do you know where your childishness lies? "In an adult's world, there shouldn't be only pure love and hate. At the very least, it shouldn't be displayed so bluntly and simply." Philomena shook her head, raised her hand, pointed at her grandmother, and said very calmly: "But this is a dream." In an instant, green vines extended from inside the wooden cabin, swiftly coiling around Madame Felscher and binding her. This was Philomena's own dream; within her dream, she should possess greater initiative. Philomena continued raising her arm. Madame Felscher was slowly hoisted into the air, her feet leaving the floor. "Grandmother, if reality and dreams are the same, both realistic and delicate in style, then what meaning is there for dreams to exist?" Philomena clenched her fist. The vines binding Madame Felscher began burrowing rapidly into her body, the terrifying force causing suppressed friction to creak where the vines crossed. Yet the anticipated scene of being crushed into pulp did not occur. Once all the compression reached a certain point, it seemed to fall into a state of dynamic stillness, and not the slightest look of panic appeared on Madame Felscher's face. "Childishness is the most ridiculous disposition in this world. Did you truly believe that in a dream, you had the right to lie down and enjoy comfort?" *Hum!* The vines shattered. At that moment, the entire wooden cabin began to tremble violently. All the furnishings inside shifted, and even the table overturned onto the floor, the plates sliding off in a succession of shattering crashes. Inside the cabin, only Madame Felscher and Philomena remained steadily standing, as if their existence was completely unaffected by the surrounding environment. Dense patterns appeared around both of them, expanding outward like spiderwebs. They belonged to the same family and shared the same bloodline, and Philomena had been raised by Madame Felscher herself, even if her child-rearing methods were open to criticism. Therefore, it was only natural that the two of them were now conducting a dream duel in an almost identical manner. With the passage of time, grandmother and granddaughter filled their environment with patterns. Their powers intertwined, one within the other, inseparable and indistinguishable. Then, Philomena moved. Opening her left hand, a Spear of Order condensed in her palm. With a flash of her figure, she appeared before Madame Felscher, thrusting the spear tip straight toward her grandmother's face. Madame Felscher's figure flickered like the sound of ripping leather, vanishing from the spot. Philomena gave chase at once, arriving outside the wooden cabin. Madame Felscher landed in the vegetable patch. As Philomena prepared to charge at her again, the elder woman raised a hand, gesturing for her granddaughter to look at the sky. Philomena looked up toward the heavens. Earlier inside the wooden cabin, her struggle with her grandmother for control had been evenly matched; Only that had ensured the two could fight on equal terms on the same foundation. Otherwise, whoever held dominance over the dream realm would be its absolute sovereign, making a fight impossible. Now, however, the sky was completely covered by a colossal spiderweb. While she and her grandmother had been fighting inside the wooden cabin, her grandmother had toyed with her as if using a single finger, effortlessly taking complete control and blanketing the entire dreamscape. Philomena let out a long breath. She had known the gap between her and her grandmother was vast, but she truly had not expected it to be this vast. "I told you long ago that the ability bestowed by your family bloodline allows you to treat dreams as reality. You could have grown faster, grown more efficiently than anyone else. Whatever you learned or comprehended, you could grasp quickly, because dreams could provide you with better conditions. "I was originally quite proud of you, my granddaughter, because in my eyes you were exceptional enough. "Even when you told me you met someone named Karen—first saying he was like you, then saying he was stronger than you—Grandmother thought that was completely normal. "In this world, there are always true geniuses who need rely on nothing, yet can leave behind their own brilliant radiance across the starry sky. The person Grandmother has always talked about was just like that. "Yet now, you show me that you have always treated this dream as a place of rest and retreat. "Hehehe... "Philomena Felscher, you have wasted... no, you have defiled your talent and bloodline." Philomena retorted, "What meaning is there? In the end, everything is just making clothes for you." "Do you mean you've given up?" Philomena said nothing, but her hands fell limp to her sides. "If you have truly given up, then Grandmother's disappointment today is truly too great. "Very well. "It is all over." Madame Felscher raised her hand. A massive gray vortex formed in the sky above, condensing a beam of light within—representing the termination of this dream, which could also be called a replacement. "That should be enough, right?" A man's voice came through. Madame Felscher turned to look behind her. In the vegetable patch behind her appeared a man and a woman: one was her son, the other her daughter-in-law. "Hehehe, you even fashioned your parents in your dream? Alas, truly a little girl who will never grow up. "Additionally, I'm sorry to inform you that while the father is shaped well, your mother never possessed such elegance. You've embellished her somewhat." "Mother." The man stared at Madame Felscher. Madame Felscher frowned slightly, then seemed to realize something and laughed: "Heh, my dog of a son has actually been living in his daughter's dream all along." "Mother, stop. Everything should come to an end." "Dog-like creature, you are not worthy to stand and speak to me. I have no such son." Madame Felscher pointed her finger downward. The beam of light condensed from the firmament shone directly upon Philomena. Philomena did not dodge, for here, there was no dodging it. Yet when the light shone down, Philomena remained standing steadily within the beam, completely unchanged. Instead, it was the man who reached out, pushed his wife aside, and began to melt like a wax figure placed under extreme heat. "Mother, it can end now." The man walked toward Madame Felscher as he melted. Madame Felscher's gaze narrowed slightly. "So this wasn't my good granddaughter's dream. This was a dream woven for you by your father." "Yes, Mother, this is my dream. Whatever you made me do in reality, I shall make you do in my dream." "You truly are a good father." "Mother, stop." The man collapsed to the ground, yet crawled forward like a dog, finally locking his arms tightly around Madame Felscher's legs. "Mother... stop." "I cannot stop! No one has the right to command me to stop! I have prepared for this day for so many years!" The man's body was gradually dissolving into a puddle of sludge, and the dreamscape began to dim. Madame Felscher shifted her gaze to Philomena: "My good granddaughter, where on earth is your dream?" "You are tired," Philomena said. "Perhaps it can end today. I want to hold a funeral for him." "Look, childish again! In your eyes, he should have died long ago! In your perception, there shouldn't even be the role of a father! You don't need him! "Yes, I am tired. But precisely because I am tired, I am even less willing to wait! "Today, "I will fulfill my wish! Today, I shall end the Felscher curse! "Today is a rainy day. "I want tomorrow to be clear!" Madame Felscher raised her arms: "The sky shall not darken! Unless I say it is over, no one is allowed to leave!" The dream that was supposed to perish along with the man's demise was forcibly halted in its collapse by Madame Felscher's control. Right at that moment, the man's face resurfaced from the puddle of sludge on the ground, and he shouted at the top of his lungs: "Nightmare Imprisonment!" The flow of surrounding space froze. This dreamscape was now being sustained by Madame Felscher herself, which meant Madame Felscher was essentially imprisoning herself. "My good son, beautifully done." The moment Madame Felscher's words fell, Philomena raised her hand. On the wooden planks of the cabin behind her, a terrifying crimson suddenly surged forth, transforming into a streak of flowing light that charged straight at Madame Felscher. "What... is this?" Though Madame Felscher could not move, she still raised her hand, attempting to condense a barrier before herself strong enough to resist the impact, for she instinctively sensed the dreadfulness of this power. Though faint, it was a power belonging to an entirely different tier! On the Ritual Island, the item spirit of the Dark Moon Bone had left a portion of its power inside Philomena's dream, because it had sensed Philomena's secret and shared her feelings. At this moment, Philomena finally unleashed the gift it had given her. The crimson beam instantly pierced through all of Madame Felscher's defenses, driving through her body with virtually no resistance. Madame Felscher's body hunched forward, her mouth dropping open. "Ah... ah..." Trembling sounds spilled endlessly from her throat, and crimson fissures appeared across her body, faint flickers of fire showing within them. The sludge on the ground spread out completely at this moment, resembling a tunnel from which blackness curled outward. Madame Felscher instinctively looked down at her feet. Philomena appeared right before Madame Felscher. With one hand, she struck her grandmother's chest, and together, she and her grandmother tumbled backward into the darkness below. ... *Hum!* Madame Felscher gradually adjusted to the darkness before her eyes, though it made little difference, for here, there was nothing other than darkness. "Is this your true dream?" "Yes, Grandmother." Philomena's voice echoed, seemingly from above and below, drifting hollow and ethereal. "Then what is the meaning of this dream?" "There is no meaning. From an early age, you told me to dream, but I was troubled for a long time because I had no dreams to have. Father licked my hand while bringing me into his dream. "Yet that wasn't mine, even though I liked it very much there. "In truth, my dream has always been empty. I didn't know what to fill it with, nor did I know what was suitable to hold. Not only was there no suitable person, I couldn't even find a single suitable color. "Yet I like it very much here. Here, I don't have to be watched by anyone. I can stay here to my heart's content without worrying about being disturbed. "Every time I leave here, I struggle for a long time. I ask myself: it's so wonderful here, why must I leave? "But I remember you said, Grandmother: treat reality as a dream, and treat dreams as reality. Yes, that's right. "If I don't go out to experience the horrors of nightmares, how could I comprehend the beauty of lying here? "Every time, I step out holding the mindset that returning will feel even more thrilling and comfortable. "You are the first visitor, Grandmother." "I am honored." *Crack!* A sharp whip crack sounded, and a clear lash mark appeared on Madame Felscher's face. Yet she did not grow angry; instead, she spoke with a touch of excitement: "Hehe, my granddaughter, are you finally going to strike at your grandmother?" "This is you at your weakest, Grandmother." "Yes, you have made me very weak. My dog of a son did not hesitate to use himself as kindling to draw the fire onto me." *Crack!* Another lash mark appeared on Madame Felscher's body. The fabric at her shoulder tore away, revealing her withered flesh. Madame Felscher grew even more excited. She looked down at her body, raised both arms, and stroked them: "Ah, do you know? Every time I look at your body, Grandmother feels so envious. "Youth is something everyone has once possessed, and having possessed it, would gladly pay any price to regain." *Crack!* *Crack!* *Crack!* Lash marks appeared one after another across Madame Felscher's bare body, yet she remained standing there like a reef in the ocean, unmoved. "Hehehe..." Finally, Madame Felscher laughed again. She spoke: "Granddaughter, I gave you a chance, but you couldn't do it. Your teeth are still not sharp enough. Grandmother is old, but you still cannot chew through me." Madame Felscher reached forward with her hand: "Come out, my granddaughter." A layer of gray flame surged from Madame Felscher's body. What followed was a change in color: the original pitch-black began to be suppressed, gradually covered by gray patterns. Though she had suffered weakening, suffered fatal attacks, and fallen into traps—though Madame Felscher had endured it all—her foundation was simply too profound. Within the darkness, Philomena's figure was forcibly dragged out. She stood there naked, her expression exceedingly grave. This was a despairing disparity, like an ant launching a challenge against an elephant. Even if the elephant stepped into a "pit" dug in advance by the ant, what meaning did that have? "What a wonderful body. What a beautiful you. What an alluring youth." The flames on Madame Felscher continued to rise, and with them, her coverage of this dream grew wider and wider. Taking total control just like she had over the previous dream was merely a matter of time. After a brief silence, Philomena began to struggle. She began to roar, She began to bellow, She began to turn hysterical. "Good, very good! How could my granddaughter admit defeat so easily? I thought you didn't know how to get angry, but it turns out you do, hehehe. "All right. "When you cried as a child, I never held you, nor did I want to comfort you. "Now, "I want to comfort you one last time. One final time. "Consider it... "Making up for our final regret as grandmother and granddaughter, all right?" Madame Felscher spread her arms. Opposite her, no matter how Philomena struggled, her body steadily drifted toward her grandmother. Across that withered, aged chest, a seam slowly split open. Two sets of ribs opened like the mandibles of an insect, welcoming the arrival of new life. "It is time to end this, my dear." *Bang!* It sounded as if something had been kicked open. Immediately after, *Clatter, clatter...* A dense flurry of chains moved rapidly, wrapping directly around Philomena's body, while another chain stretched across the space between Philomena and Madame Felscher. Behind it, Karen's silhouette appeared. "Cough, cough... Cough, cough..." Karen covered his mouth with his palm and began to cough. Originally, he had wanted to say something, but now, the injury to his soul still forced him to cough. Had he known, before entering the door—no, before sitting in that chair in the living room—he should have smoked several more cigarettes, or pulled out the tobacco leaves and stuffed them into his mouth. In any case, anything would have been better than coughing even inside a dream. Madame Felscher tilted her head, looking at Karen with great confusion and equal curiosity: "How... did you get in?" Karen stopped coughing and spoke: "I just came in." "Heh." The mandibles on Madame Felscher's chest gradually closed up, and the two sets of ribs settled back over her chest. "That's wonderful then. An extra appetizer for me." "Mm." Karen lightly raised his hand. The chains of Order wrapping Philomena behind him snapped taut; with a *bang*, Philomena's confinement was shattered directly. "Captain..." Philomena stepped to Karen's side, and even took a step forward to stand in front of him. "Cough, cough..." Karen coughed again. Once he recovered, he habitually wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and said: "No manners. Stand in the back." Philomena froze for a moment, but still chose to step back and stand beside Karen. "Deaf?" Philomena stepped back once more, standing behind Karen. This entire scene played out before Madame Felscher's eyes. She remarked: "It seems my granddaughter truly obeys you." "I am her superior, after all." "Sometimes, it is not easy for a woman to find a man she is willing to obey from the bottom of her heart." "You're straying off topic, Old Madam." Karen sighed. "Let me help you." "Help me? What kind of words are those?" "You understand." Karen smiled. "Help liberate you." "Good, very good. I hope you have the confidence to back up those words." "I won't disappoint you." "Then... let us see." Madame Felscher reached out toward Karen. All at once, Karen sensed what felt like an invisible giant hand closing in around him. Chains of Order sprang into motion like spears, crashing into the surroundings and exerting collective force to help Karen hold the perimeter. Soon, however, an even more immense pressure bore down, doubling the initial force... and then doubling it again. The chains of Order began snapping one after another, and the terrifying, invisible crushing weight pressed toward Karen once more. After all, this was not Karen's own consciousness space; this was Philomena's dream. Madame Felscher had not entered his home territory, so under these circumstances, there were very few effective countermeasures Karen could employ. Yet Karen did not panic; instead, he looked at the back of his hand. Though he didn't want to use that thing, there was no helping it; right now, the weapon best suited for this place was that scythe. Fortunately, this time he wouldn't have to slash at himself. ... In reality, as Karen sat in the living room chair, the mark of the Scythe of War on the back of his hand began to flicker. ... The phantom of the Scythe of War manifested once more. The instant it appeared, Karen felt a piercing agony radiate from the depths of his soul. Moreover, the Scythe of War instinctively sought to swing toward him—likely because it hadn't managed to hack him to death last time, and appearing again, it wished to finish what it had started. Karen immediately exerted control over it, forcibly altering its trajectory and directing it to crash down toward Madame Felscher. *Hum!* *Pfft...* A gruesome wound was cleaved across Madame Felscher's body. Flesh and blood flew from her shoulder, exposing stark white bone. "Ah..." Madame Felscher tilted her head to look at the wound on her shoulder. Instead of dismay, a smile surfaced on her face, and she shouted proactively: "Come on, keep going!" "Gladly." Karen manipulated the Scythe of War again, launching a second strike. *Hum!* Another horrific wound was carved into Madame Felscher. "Come on, hit me again!" "Cough, cough..." Karen coughed violently while continuing to direct the weapon. Compared to Philomena's offensive, the damage Karen inflicted by channeling the power of the Scythe of War was astronomically greater. "Not enough! Strike again! Let me see just how many more times you can swing it!" After consecutive strikes, Madame Felscher's body had become severely mangled. Right now, she looked more like white bones draped with scraps of meat; even her face had less than half of its skin remaining. On Karen's side, his soul had already begun to spasm. "You won't do. I haven't been chopped to death yet, and you're already out of strength." Karen replied, "My apologies. Had I not been injured before, I could have swung a few more times. Right now... my injuries are pulling too hard, which has indeed affected my performance." "Don't make excuses. Since you came in, I have no intention of letting you go." The two sets of ribs on Madame Felscher's chest opened once more, baring those ferocious mandibles. At the same time, Karen was pulled toward her by suction. "No!" Philomena screamed, trying to stop her grandmother from devouring her captain. But it was too late; the captain's figure blurred like the wind straight past her vision, appearing right before her grandmother. "Young man, you have always reminded me of someone—someone I have pined over for decades." Karen responded, "Believe me, he certainly never pined over you. I swear it." "Heh, it seems your mouth is quite tough." "My chest is even tougher." Karen tapped his own chest, then pointed at Madame Felscher's currently gaping rib cage. Bone spikes erupted from Madame Felscher, aimed squarely at Karen's chest, and plunged straight in. "Ahhh!" Karen cried out. It truly hurt; it was genuine agony. ... In reality, from Karen's chest as he sat in the first-floor living room chair, a shrill grinding noise resonated. A crimson luster began to pulse. His ribs, after all, were where he had originally absorbed the Dark Moon Bone; but now, fresh blood began to gush profusely. The surrounding golems watched all of this in dead silence. ... Crimson flames burst from Karen's chest, spreading over Madame Felscher's body, and her bones began to dissolve. In the previous dream, Philomena had merely borrowed a wisp of power left behind by the Dark Moon Bone's item spirit to pierce Madame Felscher's defenses. But on the Ritual Island, the one who had truly inherited the Dark Moon's legacy was Karen. *Crack... Crack... Crack...* A dense series of fracture sounds rang out as fissures spread across Madame Felscher's bones. Karen was also enduring immense pressure. He could even perceive the twisting of his soul; his already injured soul felt as if it were being torn apart alive. Philomena rushed forward, but an invisible membrane blocked her, preventing her entry—though she knew that even if she got in, she possessed no power to stop this. At this moment, the words Alfred had spoken to her before departure suddenly flashed in her mind: "You should offer your loyalty to the young master." Death was so very close. Karen seemed to see himself sliding toward an eternal, fallen darkness. Yet even at this moment, he still rejected the hands reaching out for him from the black fog; Just as when they had appeared last time to help him suppress his hunger, they were waiting for his summons right now. When one's consciousness was delirious and weak, one always sought a spiritual pillar—which was to say, faith. Yet Karen pushed their hands away. No. *Crack!* A fissure split open across Madame Felscher's skull. She looked at the young man before her and mocked, "You talked big." Karen smiled as well. Madame Felscher released her grip. At the same time, the bone spikes embedded in Karen's body retracted, and Karen's consciousness began to plunge downward. "Captain!" "I didn't kill him. What's your hurry? If I killed him, who would drive you to work when a brand-new you steps out of this house? Hehehe." Philomena's eyes turned pitch-black. Two black leather whips materialized on her arms, lashing violently down upon her grandmother. *Crack! Crack! Crack!* Madame Felscher shook her head: "You are still too weak. No, it's not your fault; it's that I am too strong." With that, she lunged forward with both hands, instantly appearing right in front of Philomena. Her bone spikes flared wide, locking Philomena directly inside her "body." *Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!* The sound of bone spikes piercing flesh rang out. Madame Felscher had now established a channel of fusion with Philomena; no matter how Philomena struggled, she could not alter this process. Originally, it should have been so. Yet at the most unexpected moment, the process abruptly halted. Everything in the surroundings seemed to sink into silence. "Do you know why Grandmother is so strong?" Madame Felscher looked down at the granddaughter held in her "embrace." Philomena did not answer. "You met Dalis, didn't you? He looked in high spirits, as if he had successfully absorbed the curse. Heh, but I know he failed. He wanted to deceive me, but how could I be so easily fooled? "Do you know why I could tell? "Dalis was my test subject. "Yet what I wanted to test was not the digestion of the curse... "Because long before him, long, long ago... I had already successfully digested the curse. "It was just that this curse was too powerful. It was like a hard eggshell, so difficult to crack open. Fortunately, a fracture has finally been forced open, and the egg white can finally trickle out." Madame Felscher spread her arms, holding Philomena tenderly across the bone spikes: "Grandmother has already endured the curse for you. "Now, "What Grandmother is giving you... "Is a blessing."