One More Day

That night at Hughes Crematorium, Karen had sat in the chair and gestured for his grandfather to tie him up, wanting to create the illusion that he was also a victim and avoid trouble with the police. Diss, however, had picked up a knife and plunged it straight into Karen's chest. Though the strike missed any vital organs, it still kept Karen hospitalized for days. At first, Karen thought his grandfather had done it to make the scene appear more authentic, warding off all subsequent scrutiny and trouble. Later, when that hook-nosed man—clearly someone from a special government department—came to his hospital room to question him, Karen assumed his grandfather had intended to evade the eyes of such people, since they were the authorities after all. Yet after that night of slaughter, Karen suddenly realized something: his grandfather did not care in the slightest about the police or any special government department. He had no need to put on an act at all. So, why had he stabbed him that night? Karen had never asked about it, feeling there was no need. Could he really hold a grudge over it, any more than a child could hold a grudge against an elder who, playing with him, accidentally dropped him and scraped his skin? Besides, Karen had guessed that Diss might have originally planned for him to remain obediently in the Inmerlais household as an ordinary person, which naturally meant tying up all loose ends cleanly. Only now, at this very moment, did the true purpose of that stab wound reveal itself! Sometimes, it was truly hard to comprehend, or even imagine, that an old man had made such meticulous, far-reaching preparations for you solely because of that single call... "Grandpa." ... Oak Cemetery. The black boundary. Diss withdrew his hand from the dark hollow in his chest, clutching a cluster of black mist. "I swear in my name, Raniedal, that if you spare me now, I will bestow upon you and your family gifts ten times, a hundred times greater!" Diss gave no response at all. His figure drifted slowly downward, coming to a halt before Hoffen and the golden retriever. "You are facing the greatest crisis of your life. Casting me aside is your wisest choice right now. I, Raniedal, have always honored my promises!" Mr. Hoffen looked at the mass of grey mist with curiosity. The sagging folds of old skin on his excited face seemed to pull tight, like a master chef seeing the world's most precious and rare ingredient for the first time in his life. "I can forge a friendship with the Inmerlais family. If you can survive this trial, I will grant you the guideposts along the path to godhood!" Diss looked at Hoffen, and Hoffen gave a firm nod. Diss placed the grey mass before him. Beneath his eyes, the golden light radiated a genuine divine majesty, gradually tracing a golden thread along the outer edges of the grey mass. Diss asked, "What is... your name?" "Raniedal! My name once echoed across the previous era!" "No, that is not your name." "Not my name?" "Your name is... Kevin." The moment the words left his mouth, Diss slapped the grey mass directly into the body of the golden retriever before him. Mr. Hoffen immediately activated the formation. Seven-colored light flared across the golden retriever's body, reaching a peak before vanishing in an instant. The golden retriever, which had previously been foaming at the mouth and nearly fainting from fright, slowly opened its eyes. Its pupils darted around, and seemingly realizing the scene around it remained terrifying, it promptly shut its eyes again, forcing out two coughs from its throat in an effort to froth up a bit more foam. Alfred watched with wide eyes. Even though he had witnessed it with his own eyes, even though he had personally taken part in it, he still felt a profound sense of unreality. An evil god—sealed just like that? And... sealed into the body of a dog. Right then, numerous pillars of light arrived at the scene. The first to descend were three Temple Elders from the Church of Order, while the other four pillars remained on the perimeter. The boundary opened, and Diss rose into the air once more. The gold in his eyes remained, but he held it tightly in check. One foot had already stepped across, yet the other still lingered on this side—and yet at this moment, he already possessed undeniable divinity. The attention of all seven entities present was fixed on Diss, for Diss's reaction would determine their next move. Diss faced the pillar of light belonging to the Church of Samsara and demanded, "Does the Church of Samsara wish to question whether my Church of Order still possesses the authority to represent Order?" The entity within the Church of Samsara's light visibly froze. At that precise moment, Sidi moved to block the entity within the Church of Night's pillar of light. "Does the Church of Night wish to question whether my Church of Order still possesses the authority to represent Order?" Niven moved to block the entity within the Church of Principles' pillar of light. "Does the Church of Principles wish to question whether my Church of Order still possesses the authority to represent Order?" Geller moved to block the entity within the Church of the Abyss's pillar of light. "Does the Church of the Abyss wish to question whether my Church of Order still possesses the authority to represent Order?" At this moment, the four entities within the four pillars of light were unquestionably stunned. They had received word that an entity of Temple Elder rank within the Church of Order had chosen self-exile and was about to break away from the church. Yet looking at the scene before them, where was the slightest sign of a rupture? And yet, through the inquiries made by their respective churches, the news had been confirmed to be true! So... had an internal agreement already been reached within the Church of Order? "The Church of Samsara respects the Church of Order's authority to uphold Order." "The Church of Night acknowledges the Church of Order's capability to maintain Order." "The Church of Principles expresses gratitude for the Church of Order's dedication to Order." "The Church of the Abyss approves of the Church of Order continuing to govern the rules of Order." When the supposed rupture no longer existed, they lost any pretext to intervene. In this era, no church dared to tear away all pretense and wage war against the Church of Order alone. Even joining forces was impossible, because they could never truly unite—establishing their own god as the sole god was the foundational goal and pursuit of every faith. Most importantly, the Church of Order had always preserved the established order. Though it had forcibly claimed many privileges and compelled the other major churches to step back, its doctrine was entirely different from the former Church of Light's. Consequently, the other churches lacked any fundamental incentive to band together specifically against the Church of Order. One after another, the four pillars of light streaked into the distance. They had come, and then, they had gone. "Diss, return with us to the Church of Order and accept the seat of an Elder to achieve your supreme standing. The radiance of Order will shine upon your family," Geller said to Diss. Diss did not answer. He descended once more, his feet settling onto the muddy ground of the cemetery. Inside the cemetery were Alfred, Old Hoffen, and a dog. Because Diss had isolated the area with a boundary earlier, the outside world could not perceive what had just transpired within. Moreover, the evil god had been inherently invisible, and now that it was sealed inside a dog's body, another layer of obstruction was added, rendering it all the more undetectable. "Diss, you should know very well what comes of defying the Temple of Order." Sidi appeared before Diss, blocking his path. Diss paid no heed to this aloof Temple Elder. The gold in his eyes faded entirely, and his aura plummeted at extreme speed until it settled at the level of a basic Inquisitor of the Church of Order. In other words, Sidi could now crush the Diss before her with a single finger, yet her face remained stiff. Diss walked around her. She simply stood there, motionless. Although her fiery temper had been notorious even before she became a Temple Elder, and had not softened in the least afterward, she was someone who prioritized the bigger picture. The Church of Order needed Diss. Unless Diss explicitly demonstrated a clear intent to defect, then no matter how fiercely she shouted, she still could not bring herself to... no, could not bear to obliterate this newly ascended Elder. It would be a loss for the Temple of Order, and an even greater loss for Order itself. What infuriated her was that Diss had clearly seen through her mindset, which was why he acted so... utterly without restraint. Above all, though Diss was an old man, in her eyes he was still a junior. Her true age was vastly greater; even Rasma seemed like a child to them. He showed no respect for the Church of Order, nor did he respect his elders! Fury flared in Sidi's eyes. She turned to face Diss's back. "The Temple will not indulge you forever. The rules of Order will not tolerate a single speck of dust." Without looking back, Diss merely raised a hand and gave a wave. "Two more days." Seeming to realize midnight had already passed, Diss corrected himself, "One more day." Geller spoke up: "That is the date you gave, and it is our final deadline. We can wait until Sunday." Diss replied, "In the afternoon." For in the morning, he had to lead the service for the congregation at the church. The three pillars of light shot into the sky and vanished. "Sidi, did you see that? He wasn't breaking through to a new realm; he was already familiar with that domain long ago. He only intentionally stepped one foot across. He is the most brilliant genius the church has seen in nearly a thousand years." "You don't need to bring that up every single time. We have eyes to see for ourselves, and none of us think you showed great foresight back then by choosing not to punish him when he uttered that blasphemy right to your face. "The greater a genius he is, the greater the trouble the Temple will face if he chooses to become a nuisance." "I'm actually starting to look forward to the negotiations that day. Perhaps his choice will differ from the divination. If he truly intended to defect, he should have coordinated with those four earlier. "Perhaps tonight, he simply wanted to drive away the figures lurking in the shadows and crush their hopes of taking advantage of the situation. "It could be that he truly wants a negotiation." ... Karen had a dream. At first he felt cold, bone-chillingly cold, as if his soul were freezing over. But soon, two warm currents drew near, not only driving away the chill, but bringing warmth and gentle comfort. He had fallen asleep—he must have. He was dreaming, and from the very moment he entered it, he knew clearly that it was a dream. In this dream, he lay upon a grassy field beneath bright sunshine and blue skies dotted with white clouds. Everything was wonderfully serene. Lying on either side of him were a man and a woman. The man was very handsome. Karen thought he looked somewhat like Diss, and somewhat like himself. Then Karen smiled; having guessed who the man was, thinking he "looked somewhat like himself" seemed rather ridiculous. Noticing Karen's smile, the man turned his head to look at him, smiling as well. His eyes were remarkably clear, carrying an impression of honest, grounded warmth. The men of the Inmerlais family were all good-looking. Karen turned his head toward the woman lying on the other side. She was already propping her cheek with one hand, watching him. She was very beautiful, with a generous, open grace. Her blonde hair, in particular, looked very much like his own. This was a dream. It had to be a dream. Karen let out a sigh and said, "I really wanted to try, but I just can't bring myself to say 'Dad' and 'Mom.' "I'm also very sorry. I've taken over your son's body, his name, his identity... and his family." Facing elders like Mason, Mary, and Winnie, Karen carried no psychological burden; ordinary interaction was all it took. Yet facing these two, Karen could not suppress the guilt rising in his heart. Because this body of his belonged to their son. "You don't have to call me father," the man said. "Nor do I consider you my son." The woman spoke: "I tried, but I failed. You are not my son." Karen rested his hands behind his head, adjusting into as comfortable a posture as he could manage, and said, "Mm." In truth, all three of them lay in very relaxed, comfortable postures. The man said, "In my eyes, you're much like Mason and Winnie—like another younger brother to me." The woman said, "Though I cannot see you as my son, seeing my 'son' able to go on living brings genuine comfort to my heart." Karen began analyzing the deeper meaning of their words, trying to read their thoughts. Though this dream might merely be a projection of his own inner world, analyzing people was a professional habit, and at this moment, the only thing he could do. After all, he couldn't very well scramble up, take "Father's" hand and then "Mother's," and mimic a real son by shouting: "Dad, Mom, can we go fly kites together like when I was little?" The man carried the Inmerlais name, so he treated Karen as family. Though the woman would have taken her husband's surname, her attachment to the Inmerlais family could not compare to her husband's. Her mindset was more like that of a parent who had donated her child's organs, perhaps feeling the comfort that even though her child had passed away, a part of him was still "shining" in this world. Except in her case, she had donated her son from head to toe, and then the recipient had reappeared before her, completely intact, having inherited every single part of him. All three fell silent, simply lying there. Feeling the breeze, basking in the sun, listening to the sound of a distant stream flowing by. Until the wind gradually died down, the sun slowly dimmed, and the running water slowed its pace. Karen asked, "Is there anything I can do for the two of you?" It was a sincere question, without the slightest pretense or courtesy. By all reason and emotion, Karen owed them. The man answered, "Just live well." The woman added, "Try... to live happily." As the words fell, the dream began to fracture. Karen opened his eyes to find himself having slept in the chair in Diss's study. The candle before him had long since gone out. His hand instinctively went to his chest. There was a scar there, the old wound long healed, and when he touched it, he found no dark hollow. Karen stood up. His joints ached, and his throat was dry and parched. He first picked up the thermos by the desk, only to find it empty, then opened Diss's teacup, finding only dregs. Karen had no choice but to push open the study door and walk out. Purr was crouched on the windowsill. When Karen emerged, it didn't stir, its gaze fixed entirely on the courtyard gate. Diss had returned, leading that foolish golden retriever. "Phew... Diss is back safe and sound." Purr let out a long breath of relief, but the weight in its heart... had only dropped halfway before leaping right back into the cat's throat. It scrambled to its feet, lowered its head, and fixed its feline eyes on the golden retriever Diss was leading back. Karen saw Purr's body go completely rigid, every hair on its back seemingly standing on end. "That stupid dog... what happened to it?!" "What's wrong with you?" Karen habitually reached out to stroke Purr's head. In its agitated state, Purr lashed out with a paw. "Hiss..." Three bloody scratches appeared across the back of Karen's hand. "Oh, heavens, good grief!" Purr shrieked, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, my dear Karen! Karen, forgive me, I didn't mean to! I was distracted just now!" Purr immediately rushed forward, extending its tongue to lick the scratches on the back of Karen's hand while intentionally swaying its tail, gently brushing it back and forth against Karen's arm. "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt, a little lick will make it all better! My poor little Karen, kitty loves you!" Karen wasn't angry over the few small scratches on the back of his hand. Instead, Purr's sudden fawning left him bewildered. "What has gotten into you today?" "What could be wrong, my dear little Karen?" "You're acting strange today." "What's strange about it? Haven't I always been like this? Don't worry, you'll get used to it from now on. I am a gentle cat with a century of aristocratic breeding. You'll see far more of my gentleness in the future, trust me." Karen pulled his hand back and said, "I'm going downstairs to pour a glass of water." "No need, no need! I'll go scratch Lunt awake and have him come out to pour it for you!" Just then, Diss walked upstairs. Karen saw his grandfather holding the leash to the golden retriever. "Grandpa, you went out to walk the dog so early in the morning?" "Mm," Diss acknowledged. He walked over to Karen and offered him the leash. "Take it." Karen reached out and took the leash. The golden retriever immediately pressed close, gently nuzzling its head against Karen's trouser leg. Beside them, Purr wore a grave expression on its feline face. Diss pointed at the golden retriever and said, "Take this golden retriever with you to Wien as well, though it won't be of much use."