Come Hit Me!

Although Karen already had his eye on Torisa's Sword of Diamans, the greatsword Sword-Bearer Kuzan had previously given him was also extremely precious. Yet here it was, snapped in two after being used as a prop. Karen had no time to mourn it, however. At the rate things were going, he was likely about to join the greatsword in the afterlife. "Order Cage!" Small cubes materialized before Karen's chest, rapidly expanding to brace and enclose his surroundings. In such a confined space, this was the most effective countermeasure he could deploy. Yet no matter how many Order Cages Karen stacked, the spatial compression pressed onward. This was a contest of endurance between Karen and the sand pool. No matter how deep an individual's reserves might be, unless one possessed absolute, overwhelming power, one would still pale in comparison to a grand array of this scale. The Order Cages shattered one after another. Though they succeeded in buying a sliver of time, the space remaining now resembled an upright coffin. Thousand Phantoms spread its wings, forcibly holding the encroaching pressure at bay for Karen, but this clearly could not last much longer either. Had the formation set up by his own people affected the sand pool? Among everyone who had come, the only one capable of laying down a formation besides Karen was Alfred. So, Alfred, what the hell are you doing? Outside, Torisa was even more frantic than Karen. He was terrified that this "esteemed lord's clone" would be destroyed. He knew all too well how exalted such clones were; if he thoroughly enraged that lord and provoked the true body to descend in person, Torisa wouldn't even qualify to be a slave. Torisa glanced toward the operating formation and flipped his palm, summoning the Sword of Diamans into his grip. He intended to destroy the array, but the howling gale and churning sand completely blinded his senses. Aside from sensing that this catastrophe had been triggered by the formation running in reverse, he could not even pinpoint where the array was located! For three hundred years, he had believed himself to be the sole master of this place. For the first time, he felt like a stranger here. *** "A very exquisite formation. The formation itself, I mean." The voice of the white-robed, tusked elder reached Alfred's ears once again. "Yes. I once acquired a very precious set of formation notes from the hand of a true master." Mr. Hoffen's mastery of formations went without saying; the golden retriever back home had the most say on that matter. Moreover, while a true grandmaster was invariably proud, the notes he had compiled for Karen were written with the genuine mindset of teaching a complete beginner. Sometimes that meticulousness solved a great deal of trouble. For instance, this time Alfred had simply lifted a formation designed for a similar situation directly from the notes, and the results had been quite good. "What I mean is, if this formation continues driving the sand pool, you can start looking for an urn to scoop your young master into." "What do you mean?" Alfred froze. "Shut it down, unless you want your young master turned into minced meat." Alfred immediately dismantled the formation's core, paralyzing the furiously churning array. Deprived of its drive, the surrounding yellow sands quieted down significantly, like a madly galloping ox slowing to a walk, panting for breath. *It was Neo who told me to speed it up...* As if guessing what Alfred was thinking, the elder's voice came again: "Originally, there was nothing wrong with doing that. Obstructing the sand pool breaks the curse, while accelerating it causes everything to lose control, like a runaway carriage at full gallop. "But this place has a temper. "When it loses control, it deliberately defies your will and disobeys your orders, rushing headlong in the opposite direction. "Normally, doing this would indeed free your young master from his confinement. "The problem is, your young master was already on the verge of being released, only for you to pin him right back down. "In other words, if you had done nothing just now and quietly stayed here to accept the inheritance, your young master would have walked out on his own by now." "Why didn't you say so earlier?" "Count how many times I shouted at you to stop. I told you your young master was in no danger, yet you refused to believe me. You made me wonder if you held some secret grudge against him—unwilling to drop the facade to his face, but fully intent on doing him in with your actions." Alfred: "..." "Looks like that's not the case. You truly are loyal to your young master; I overthought it." "Thank you." Alfred knew the elder could easily have kept watching the spectacle unfold. "You're welcome. Perhaps you could reconsider the matter of delivering the message?" "Impossible." "Mm, as prompt an answer as ever. Well then, begin accepting the inheritance now." "I need to go fetch my young master. Everything must wait until I confirm he is safe." "I'm not waiting any longer. I'll give you two choices. Either you stand right here and accept the inheritance, or I go change clothes and swap the white robe for black." "Are you threatening me?" "Yes, I'm using your young master to threaten you. Don't you find it amusing?" "I accept. What do I do?" "Just stand still and don't resist. It won't take long." Below, a mass of sand surged forth and formed a colossal hand that snatched Alfred, dragging him directly beneath the sands. "You've all actually misjudged this place. It isn't dangerous. Even if children came running around building sandcastles here, they wouldn't be in any harm. "My original self, Compasini, was actually very kind at heart. Oh, and of course, thoroughly flamboyant." "You had better hurry." "No rush. Someone on your side clearly sees the situation for what it is. You can relax and enjoy this inheritance. Come, let me first tell you about the birth of my original self, Compasini." The scene around Alfred shifted. He found himself standing at the edge of a precipice. Beneath the cliff churned black thunderclouds, while the other side revealed a volcano glowing with rivers of magma. "This is where my original self was born. He came into the world in Despair Flame Valley. This was once the seat of the Church of the Desert, but in the previous era, the great Desert God suddenly fell here, altering the valley's environment forever. "The Church of the Wilderness, built upon the foundation of the Church of the Desert, established its new seat in the Sand Sea Abyss." "Where is your original self?" "Oh, right at your feet." Alfred looked down and saw a small elephant curled up beside him. It possessed numerous human traits, but its skin was neither tender nor pale; it was as rough as that of a wild boar. "No offense intended, but I'm curious... Lord Compasini, he..." "A mixed-blood. Or you could call him a half-breed." "Is it appropriate for you to speak of him like that?" "Most mental imprints that have been separated for a long time develop a bit of an attitude toward their original self." "I understand, but could you pick up the pace? Has the inheritance not started yet?" "This is the prologue, which is equally important. As the successor, learning a bit about the life and history of the being bestowing this inheritance isn't an unreasonable request, is it? "Besides, my neighbor next door is gone. You don't have to swear an oath, nor do you have to deliver any letters." "Fine, fine." Alfred had no choice but to comply. "My original self grew to adulthood here..." The scene changed again. In Alfred's line of sight appeared a young man clad in animal pelts, crouching over the corpse of a black panther several times his size and tearing into the flesh. Ignoring the tusks, he looked little different from an ordinary human male. Alfred couldn't help remarking, "This is the first time I've seen someone look better grown up than in infancy." "My original self said the exact same thing. He always thought he grew more handsome with age and thoroughly despised his childhood appearance. So you see, what a correct choice I made in picking you. Look how alike you two are—both so thoroughly flamboyant." In truth, Alfred understood that, strictly speaking, this wasn't about growing more handsome; Compasini had simply mastered illusion and transformation. The human form was merely one of the appearances he presented to the outside world. As for his true form... one only had to look at the immense skeleton in the sand pool to understand. As the scenes shifted, the trajectory of Compasini's growth and life became clear, revealing details that could not be found in any outside records. Compasini had originally joined the Church of the Wilderness, becoming a special priest within its ranks. Later, he defected to the Church of Order, helping them refine their illusion system. Though not purely human, he was an undeniable genius when it came to illusions. A statue of him still stood in the plaza outside the Tyrannus Hall of the Church of Order. His contributions to the church could never be erased, and the Church of Order acknowledged them to this day. However, because he had subsequently defected, many of his records had been suppressed. Three hundred years later, many Order priests who recognized the name Compasini assumed he was merely a ferocious beast from the church's history skilled in illusions. Historical accounts deliberately obscured critical details, leading people to subconsciously believe he belonged to a distant, ancient era. The reason for his defection was also explained here. Originally, Compasini had felt that the Church of Order was where he belonged forever, and he had genuinely yearned for the profound truths of Order. Yet during one of his research projects, he uncovered a closely guarded secret: the Church of Order was actively establishing a faith sequence for the Church of the Wilderness, setting the table and arranging the cutlery in advance of an annexation. Bound by his love for the Church of the Wilderness and his emotional attachment to his birthplace, Despair Flame Valley, Compasini ultimately chose to defect from the Church of Order and return to the desert. What followed was a relentless hunt by squads from the Whip of Order, with Torisa's squad being among the vanguard. The Church of the Wilderness caught wind of the situation and dispatched people to receive him. It could be said that three hundred years ago, the two great churches had engaged in a covert, unpublicized contest of strength over Compasini. Alfred thought the story could easily be turned into a movie titled *Saving Illusion Beast Compasini*. In the end, Torisa's squad intercepted and slew Compasini—aided, of course, by the fact that he was already heavily wounded after running a gauntlet of attacks following his flight from the Church of Order. "Finished watching?" the white-robed, tusked elder asked. "Yes." "Any questions?" "None. Except for the defection part—I suspect it was premeditated all along, and the scenes you showed me deliberately omitted a portion. "Compasini had always believed in the Church of the Wilderness. He surely didn't join the Church of Order just to help develop their illusion system; there must have been an ulterior motive." "This was for your own good. You belong to the Order camp, after all; I wanted to minimize any resistance in your heart." "I'm fine, actually. I don't hold any resistance to it." "Additionally, as the narrator, I naturally have to protect my original self's image a little. You understand." "Yes, understandable. So, can we begin officially now?" "Of course. We can begin now." The white-robed elder reached out a hand. Alfred heard the sound of flowing water from above. Looking up, he saw a stream of crystal-clear spring water cascading down. "The inheritance is immense, and I cannot divide it for you. Absorb as much as you can handle. It won't directly boost your raw strength, but much like your formation notes, it will bestow upon you a complete collection of texts on illusions." "Then you really should have chosen my young master. He could certainly take it all." "If he could take it all, he wouldn't need this. Better to give it to you; having both gains and regrets makes for real memories." "After the inheritance is over, come home with me. You can reside in my body or my soul—or in a physical vessel, if you have one." "Bringing something like me back to your home... don't you think that's dangerous?" "Among the dangerous things in my house, you don't even rank yet." "Oh, is that so?" "What do you say?" "Tell me, does a mental imprint like me possess a 'soul'?" "My young master once said that having one's own consciousness and thought is equivalent to having a 'soul.'" "That's good. I'm afraid my neighbor over there is too lonely; I'm going to go keep him company." "All right. Understood." The spring water finally washed over Alfred. As he began absorbing it, his face showed no hint of pain; instead, it reflected an expression of pure, blissful enjoyment. *** "*Sigh...*" Up on the platform, Neo stared at the spot where Alfred had vanished again. With hands on his hips, he let out a deeply helpless sigh. He had desperately wanted Compasini's inheritance—not for fighting, but so he could conjure illusions whenever he pleased to see those old faces from the past. Even knowing they were fake, he would have savored the atmosphere until he grew tired of it. That was why, upon first stepping into the sand pool, he had almost wanted to rub sand into his eyes or shove a fistful into his mouth, shouting how delicious it was. Yet of all people, the entity hadn't chosen him. In contrast to the section chief's melancholy, the other three on the platform were caught entirely off guard by the rapid sequence of events. This time, however, none of the three rushed down. Instead, they all looked toward the section chief. *Snap!* Neo clicked his fingers. He felt profoundly disappointed and empty, an ache that needed filling—and the Church of Thunder's special-issue cigarettes were clearly inadequate for the task. It was time to seek out some fun. Sinking deeper into this depression was bound to cause problems. Neo pointed toward the spot below where Alfred had vanished and ordered: "You three stay put right here and keep your eyes on this area. As long as nothing abnormal happens here, none of you are permitted to jump down. Furthermore, no matter what happens down there between your captain and me, you are not allowed to come rescue us. Remember, staying here is the greatest help you can provide. Do you understand!" The section chief's orders today had all been somewhat difficult to comprehend, but everyone nodded nonetheless, primarily because they trusted the bond between him and their captain. Neo cracked his neck, lunged forward, and leapt off the platform, dissolving into a swarm of clustered little bats that swooped into the sand pool. Before long, he arrived where Karen and Torisa were. Torisa knelt reverently before Karen; Karen maintained an aloof, indifferent expression, carrying the chill that belonged to a superior. Though there had been some turbulence, the sand walls had dissipated, freeing Karen from his confinement. The next step was simply to pick up where they had left off. The bats descended, reconstituting Neo's figure. Torisa and Karen both turned their gazes upon him. "Hey, Karen, look how amazing I am! I fooled this guy with zero effort. Do you know what he thought I was to you? He actually thought I was your slave! Hahaha, it almost killed me laughing! "Let me guess—looking at you now, you definitely picked up where I left off and kept stringing him along! What rank of being did you pretend to be? "Let me guess: did you tell him you're just a clone right now? Did you tell him that if anything happens to your clone, your true body will come settle the score in person? Hahahahaha! "And he definitely bought it, because he's just that stupid! I honestly can't believe someone this moronic was in the same system as us three hundred years ago. What an absolute embarrassment! Sigh, all of a sudden, my current post doesn't feel appealing at all. "Let me break it down for you, pal: this guy is my subordinate! He's just an Operations Battalion captain under me! You've been played like a toddler by the two of us, you dumbass! "Ugh, it's unbearable. After lying here for three hundred years, you wake up still an easily duped idiot!" Torisa: "..." Karen: "..." Laughing uproariously, Neo walked up beside Karen and draped an arm over his shoulder. Then he raised his other hand, pointed a finger at Torisa, and declared in the most mocking tone imaginable: "Hey, what are you still kneeling for? Come fight if you've got the balls!"