This wasn't Karen's funeral; this was Neo's funeral.
Back in the cavern, Karen and Neo had launched a successful ambush on the red-necked boy, creating an opportunity for everyone to escape, and anyone who could run had seized the chance to flee.
Only Karen and Neo had been dragged by the red-necked boy's hair before Mr. Luther.
Then Karen stayed, and Neo left.
Before exiting the tunnel, Neo took off his mask—or rather, the face that belonged to him.
Then he ripped off the skin across his entire body, deliberately smearing himself with pollution to produce festering sores everywhere.
The purpose of doing this wasn't to earn brownie points with the higher-ups; it was to disguise his identity.
Because he hadn't walked out as himself, but as "Karen."
His goal was to protect Karen's official position within Order.
Karen fell silent.
Neo had been certain Karen would make it back. He had anticipated the practical problems Karen would face upon returning and had willingly sacrificed his own identity to preserve Karen's.
Most importantly, this decision hadn't come after careful deliberation; it had likely been decided the moment Mr. Luther chose Karen and Neo turned to leave.
Neo asked, "Hey, did you cry?"
Karen shook his head. "No."
Neo raised his head again, facing Karen with his raw, bloody visage as if checking whether there was any trace of moisture at the corners of Karen's eyes.
"How could you not cry?"
"Why should I cry?"
"If you cried..."
"What would happen?"
Neo raised his bandaged hand, flicked it lightly, and said:
"I would've mocked you. What's there to cry about? It's hardly a big deal."
"And now?"
Neo pointed forward. "Damn it, cry! Cry your eyes out for me!"
"Heh heh heh."
"Come on, back to the dorms. Time to hear your story. Most importantly, I can finally take off these bandages. You have no idea how miserable it is wrapped in them every day. My body heals so damn fast that new skin grows right into the cloth every day. Every night, I had to tear off all my skin all over again."
"That's a terrible waste of bandages."
"Bastard."
"Aren't you going to attend the memorial service?"
"Nope."
"What a pity."
"A pity about what? Haven't you been to enough funerals already?"
"Quite a few, but not many people in this world get to attend their own funeral. What a rare experience, wouldn't you say?"
"Doesn't matter. I had people make the condolence donation box transparent."
"That's terribly shameless of you. Aren't you afraid of what people will say behind your back?"
"Hey, I gave that order in your name."
"Hah."
Karen pushed Neo toward the dormitory building.
"So, what do you plan to do from now on?"
"What do you mean, what do I plan to do?"
"Don't play dumb."
"Hey, hey, hey! It's one thing not to cry, but watch your tone. Sitting before you right now is the guardian of your official identity! Friend, you wouldn't want to start over from scratch with a new identity, would you? Besides, even if you did start over, are you sure you'd catch so many lucky breaks and opportunities to climb this high so fast again?"
"I'm asking about you."
"What can I do? Isn't my memorial service going on right now?"
"And after?"
"Become a traveling bard."
"Stop talking nonsense."
"Sometimes, having no identity actually makes things easier. You can... fool around however you want."
"Let me set up an identity for you. Wear a mask, and you'll get promoted quickly."
"Forget it. I'm done with this track. Though I wouldn't mind managing the Light remnants organization."
"I'm afraid if you went, it wouldn't be to manage them, but to expand them."
"My heart forever belongs to Order."
"You've said that many times, but have you noticed? Each time you say it, you sound less and less convinced."
"That's slander!"
"You know it in your heart."
"Honestly, good riddance to that identity anyway. You don't know what I did before going down into that cavern."
"Played the stock market again?"
"Yeah."
"How much leverage did you use?"
"The kind I couldn't pay back in a lifetime."
"Pay it off slowly, and you could probably manage."
"I don't just mean a lifetime of my official stipend. Even adding in all the kickbacks and perks I could scrape together in a lifetime, I couldn't pay it back. Unless I ransacked the treasury of a small church, I might barely cover the principal—not counting interest."
"That exaggerated?"
"Hey, I thought I wouldn't be coming back up."
"You didn't plan on coming back up. You went in planning to die down there."
"Luckily, when I was making money earlier, I repaid Leon all the coupons I borrowed from him, principal and interest. Otherwise, if I'd lost his family's entire burial savings, that would've been too embarrassing. After all, that really was his family's burial savings."
"What else?"
"And... I transferred my car to Lemar in advance. He knows what I mean. That VIP car—have your manservant go drive it back."
"So you had no intention of keeping that identity in the first place?"
"Anyone normal who owes a debt they couldn't repay in a lifetime would want a new identity, right? The condolence donations are being collected in your name, so don't worry—debt collectors wouldn't dare snatch coupons from your hands."
"They wouldn't dare snatch them from yours either."
"Debts must be paid in coupons, isn't that natural law?"
"Then what do you call what you're doing now?"
"My identity is gone, so naturally they can't get their coupons. Besides, you think those private black-market banks lent me coupons with leverage out of charity? Business involves profits and losses. Especially this kind of business. Who told them not to do proper risk control?"
"In any case, I won't allow you out of my sight."
"Heh, don't worry, I wouldn't dare leave your sight. I'm just a Light remnant now. Without our Department Head's protection... well, I'm not afraid to die, but I don't want to die a pathetic death."
"Let's just keep things the way they were."
"Fine."
Karen didn't utter words of compensation or thanks, nor did Neo need them.
In the cavern, Karen had willingly triggered his hunger addiction to save him, and Neo had been willing to sacrifice his identity to protect Karen's.
Between the two of them, formalities and posturing had long become unnecessary.
When the time came, you simply put your life on the line and stood together.
"I say, don't you get tired pushing me this slowly?"
"I'm not tired."
"Well, I am. Sitting in this wheelchair you're pushing isn't as fast as me rolling the wheels myself."
"It's not like we're in a rush to get anywhere."
"Hey, did something happen to you?"
"We'll talk once we're inside."
"Then hurry it up, will you? Can't you cast a Levitation Spell?"
"I have no spiritual power left."
"Injured?"
"It's just gone."
Hearing this, Neo immediately grabbed Karen's arm. Even through the bandages, he could still probe.
"Good heavens, completely empty. Did you get a new puppet from Lemar?"
"No, but the body really is new."
"Everything from before is gone?"
"Yeah."
"Pfft..." Neo burst out laughing. "Damn, I never thought the general store would actually go bankrupt one day."
"Yeah, all gone."
"Not that it matters to you. You'll just gather it all back." Neo's eyes suddenly widened as he recalled how Karen had progressed in the past, and he growled, "Fuck! I'm so damn jealous!"
"Hmm?"
"Karen, why didn't you just die in there?"
"Sorry to disappoint you."
Neo sighed. "Damn it, how terrifying is it going to be when you retrace your steps? It's unfair, so damn unfair! Being a genius is discrimination against ordinary folks to begin with, and now the genius gets to retake the exact same exam with the exact same questions."
"Retracing old ground isn't something to envy."
"Right, nothing to envy at all! Hey, could you be a little more sincere? I bet in your head you're already scheming how to purify yourself into a servant again."
"I'll need some preparations. I plan to return to Allen Manor to purify myself into a servant. After all, that's where I did it last time."
"Then holy water on the market is going to be in short supply again? But I can give you a tip to save the trouble."
"I'm listening."
"With your current status, borrow a divine artifact from the containment space under the pretext of healing. You're a true rising political star now; pulling that off won't be hard. Find an artifact capable of producing holy water or holy light and use it to aid your purification. In any case, you've got that artifact girl who can help you trick the artifact spirit."
"The risk is too high. I'll ask Luoya."
Karen suddenly thought of the Harp of the Goddess Mills. Although Goddess Mills was the Goddess of Prostitutes, she was actually exceptionally pure herself. The harp had even provided divine protection during the volunteer mission, so providing holy water would be child's play.
When the time came, the dog at home could share in the joy too.
Pushing the wheelchair to the door, before Karen could reach for the doorknob, the door opened from the inside.
A familiar, fawning dog face appeared. After opening the door, it trotted over to Karen's legs and rubbed against him.
Karen reached down and patted its bald head.
Neo, sitting in the wheelchair, remarked, "Why do I feel like our Lord Raniedal's attitude toward you has gotten even better?"
Kevin glared at Neo.
"Woof!" (It's always been this way!)
Karen wheeled Neo inside, closed the door, and locked it.
Here, no one would dare pick the lock unless they wanted to assault the Whip of Order headquarters.
Neo prepared to tear away the bandages on his body. Karen said, "Sit down. I'll help you."
"No need. We don't have to be so sentimental."
With that, Neo began ripping them off with harsh, tearing sounds, blood splattering in all directions.
Kevin scrambled away at once, terrified his golden fur would get soiled.
Karen stood where he was, letting the bloody water splatter across his clothes.
Because Neo's regenerative ability was so astonishing, being gentle wouldn't work; tearing them slowly would only prolong the agony.
From the inner room, little Kanna walked out upon hearing the noise, holding Purr in her arms.
Karen didn't bother playing any guessing games and took off his mask.
Kanna beamed.
Purr was still sound asleep in her arms, probably drunk on liquor, with a small white flower perched on her head.
Seeing this, Kevin immediately went, "Woof, woof, woof!"
Kanna looked down, took off the white flower, and said, "I saw lots of white flowers outside, so I picked some to bring back."
Just then, Purr finally stirred awake. She looked at Karen with a puzzled expression, blinked, furrowed her brow, and grumbled, "Dreaming again, meow."
Karen stepped over and took Purr from Kanna's arms.
A familiar posture, a familiar position, a familiar chest. Purr began stretching her paws, rubbing her cat face against Karen's chest, her tail flicking lightly to wrap swiftly around his finger.
Then, she abruptly jerked her head up and stared at Karen.
"You're back, meow!"
"Yes, I'm back."
Pouting, Purr hopped down from Karen. "Little Kanna, come over here and help me take a bath. I reek of alcohol, and this isn't proper etiquette for receiving a guest."
Kanna frowned. "His coming back is supposed to be a happy thing, so why are you torturing me?"
Despite her complaints, Kanna still followed Purr into the washroom. Once the door was closed, she turned around and saw Purr perched on the edge of the bathtub, tears dropping one after another like pearls from a broken string.
"You're crying."
"No, it's steam."
"But I haven't turned on the water yet."
"Don't turn on the water yet. Shut up first."
Kanna crouched down, watching Purr. "Why are your emotions swinging so wildly?"
"Because my little Karen really came back, meow!" Purr wiped away her tears with a paw and smiled.
"I never thought he would die," Kanna said, shaking her head as she picked up the showerhead. "Also, I don't think now is the time for a bath."
"A woman, when facing someone she cherishes, will always subconsciously want to stay dignified and presentable."
"Is that true during mating too?"
"Where did you learn such things?"
"A few married priest couples live on the second floor."
"Don't peep at that next time."
"I didn't peep. They were too loud."
"All right, wash me first. I'm in a hurry to go out and keep my little Karen company, meow."
Kanna lifted the showerhead, soaked herself first, soaked Purr, and then began working up a lather.
"You made way too many bubbles! It'll take forever to rinse, meow!"
"I know. I did it on purpose."
...
Neo originally wanted to rinse off the blood and grime in the washroom, but the cat had claimed it first.
Not being picky, he simply walked into the kitchen, found a large bowl, filled it from the tap, and poured it directly over himself to rinse off.
A skinless man twisting about in the kitchen, scrubbing himself with dish soap—the scene was frankly horrifying.
Karen stood at the kitchen doorway, watching him.
Neo said, "What are you staring at? Want me to slice off a piece of meat and make sashimi for you later?"
Karen shook his head.
Having finished washing, Neo braced his hands, closed his eyes, and let out a long yawn like someone waking up in the morning.
A fresh layer of skin had already regenerated.
Karen tossed over a set of clothes he had just retrieved. Neo caught them, speaking as he dressed: "Do you know what's been the most painful part of this whole period for me?"
"Imitating me?"
"Simply imitating you isn't actually that hard. What's hard is imitating your propriety. Seriously, it couldn't have been easy growing up like that. How do you pull it off?"
"Habit, I suppose."
"Then do you know what I've been looking forward to the most?"
"Me coming back alive?"
"One step after that."
Neo walked out of the kitchen and pulled a large roll of bandages from behind the living room sofa. "Come on, it's your turn to get wrapped up."
"Is that necessary?"
"Do you know how many people come to see you every day? Do you know how many big shots from other districts came specifically to express condolences to you? Even though I'm 'dead,' fewer people visited me than came to see you."
"After all, you're dead, while I'm still alive."
"True. People nowadays are terribly pragmatic. By the way, did you inform your subordinates?"
"Yes, Kevin made the call for me."
Neo turned his head and happened to see the golden retriever hanging up the receiver.
Karen went back to the bedroom, stripped off his clothes, and began wrapping bandages around himself. Neo knocked on the doorframe. "Need a hand?"
"No need."
A moment later, Karen emerged, wrapped in bandages.
Neo looked him up and down and sighed. "So that's how ugly I looked all this time."
Karen reminded him, "You need to mind your appearance."
Neo rubbed the ring crafted from Mr. Lemar's series, transforming into another middle-aged man. As he sat on the sofa, Neo asked, "Can a new body alter its appearance?"
"Hmm?"
"I mean, when you're weaving a new body, can you change the look? Like doing minor adjustments here and there?"
"I have no need for that."
"Heh." Neo flipped Karen the bird. "Still, looks like I need to find a new skin and properly design a new image. Got any suggestions?"
"Just don't pick a female mask."
Footsteps came from outside. Kevin, who had been lounging on a mat, immediately trotted over and deftly flicked the lock open with a paw.
The first to enter was Vic. He glanced at the unfamiliar man on the sofa and shrugged.
Next came Ventura, Muri, Leon, and Philomena. Some poured water, while others found seats and chatted among themselves.
Clearly, they all knew who had been impersonating the bandaged "Karen." Neo hadn't concealed the truth from them, as they were Karen's core believers.
Their faith was unanimous: Karen would definitely return. Thanks to Alfred's daily ideological education sessions, no one carried much sorrow.
Alfred was the last to enter, holding a pack of cigarettes.
Upon entering, Alfred sank onto one knee directly before the bandaged figure on the sofa.
The gesture caught everyone off guard.
Alfred took a deep breath, raised his head, and said, "Young Master, I knew you would return safely. Any hardship is destined to serve merely as a stepping stone on your path to greatness."
Vic immediately darted his eyes toward the unfamiliar middle-aged Neo, then back to the bandaged figure.
In that instant, as if springs had been attached beneath his rear, he bounded up and dropped to one knee, right fist pressed against his chest:
"Welcome back, Lord!"
Vic was the most rattled, because in the cavern, he had been the one to issue the order for total withdrawal.
Although he knew he had made the right call—the most suitable choice under those conditions—sometimes doing the right thing didn't necessarily yield a good outcome.
The others finally caught on. Delighted astonishment flushed their faces, and they all knelt on one knee toward Karen:
"Welcome back, Lord!"
"Welcome back, Lord!"
Neo, seated on the sofa, made a show of standing up. Straightening his clothes, he teased, "How about I fit in with the crowd and drop to one knee for you too?"
Karen replied, "Then shall I join in?"
Hearing this, Alfred immediately led the way in rising, and the others promptly followed suit.
Karen had instructed them many times before: there was no need for all this kneeling in his team.
Yet when emotions ran high and circumstances were extraordinary, failing to kneel felt inadequate to express their reverence. When the atmosphere reached that pitch, it had to find an outlet.
"Everyone, take a seat."
"Yes."
"Yes."
Some went to pour water, some fetched ice, some sliced fruit, some prepared refreshments, and some opened cigarettes.
Only Philomena simply sat down.
Little Kanna stepped out of the washroom with Purr perched on her head. Purr hopped onto Karen's shoulder, her tail swaying constantly and lightly tapping against his neck.
"Should I hold you instead?"
Purr shook her head. "Not good, meow. We're about to talk serious business. Look at the stupid dog."
Kevin, sitting on the rug, had already donned his gold-rimmed glasses, putting on the air of a canine scholar.
With everything in place, Karen picked up the glass of ice water with one hand, parted the bandages over his mouth with the other, took a sip, and began:
"Let me tell everyone what happened in the cavern."
Alfred began rummaging through his pockets. Vic, Leon, Muri, and Ventura followed suit, and Philomena copied them, searching her own pockets.
Alfred pulled out a notebook, ready to take notes, and the others produced their notebooks as well. Philomena came up empty-handed.
Kevin swished his tail, sliding a sheet of paper and a pen before her, offering a heartwarming doggy smile.
Next came Karen's recounting.
With this group, he had no need for reservations; he could be as honest as possible.
Furthermore, Karen kept the narrative as plain and matter-of-fact as possible, avoiding embellishments and rhetorical hyperbole.
Yet the reality was that some events, even stripped of rhetoric, were far more shocking and thrilling than any flourish could make them.
To everyone present, Karen's account was nothing short of a replay of divine miracles!
Alfred was breathless with excitement, and flushed red faces appeared all around.
Especially when Karen said, "I have finally grasped the method to make Awaken endure..."
When Karen opened his hand and a golden chain surfaced, everyone in the room shot to their feet—except the cat, the dog, and the dragon.
Little Kanna didn't understand. She had an innate, bone-deep aversion to divine miracles—or rather, to gods in general.
Kevin and Purr had their tails standing straight up in sheer excitement!
Kevin knew what this chain signified: it meant this young man before them had truly embarked on the very same path as that figure of old; he possessed the same mysterious power as that being!
Purr's feline eyes widened. In this instant, the eldest young miss's thoughts leaped across dimensions, and the very first notion to reach the shores of her consciousness was:
*Heavens above, meow! Did the God of Order really become a son-in-law of my Allen family?*
The others wore looks of shock and solemn awe.
Previously, they had all undergone the baptism in the performance hall of Allen Manor, becoming Karen's believers, with Alfred responsible for proselytizing dogma. But for the most part, it had remained a prospective hope for the future.
They were like the earliest disciples around a deity in mythological tales—the first core followers destined to appear on murals later—all Wien-style pie in the sky for the future.
Yet now, when Karen displayed this golden Chain of Order, everyone understood that the future was no longer far away. Right here and now, what they were living through were the very contours of a mural they could touch!
Their superior, the one they followed, was right now... the God of Order!
Indeed, though Karen had always emphasized denying the concept of "God" to Alfred, and Alfred preached that perspective, could such an ideal truly take hold completely?
After all, those gathered here were Order priests, most of them raised in families devout to Order for generations.
The concept of the God of Order had long been rooted deep in their souls. Alfred understood this well, so he occasionally turned a blind eye, redirecting their primordial faith and worship toward his own young master, adding at most a single concept: the New Order.
Thus, the hearts of all present boiled with fervor. God had awakened, and they were God's innermost followers. Their names were destined to be etched into the annals of the church.
Alfred crossed his hands and said in a deep voice, "Praise Order."
Everyone stood and echoed in unison, "Praise Order."
Karen deliberately sought to dilute this heavy religious atmosphere, joking, "So next time anyone faces danger, preserve as much of your corpse as possible. That way, you get to live a second time."
Unfortunately, the joke fell flat, only stirring an even more fanatical fervor.
Philomena spoke up, asking, "If I die right now, do I become one of the Twelve Knights of Order?"
Neo immediately clapped his hands. "Exactly! Spots are limited, so I advise you all to poison yourselves right away!"
Alfred settled his composure and sat down. He began drafting the scene in his mind while sketching with his fountain pen in the notebook: everyone gathered around the young master, in whose hands materialized a golden Chain of Order.
In this moment, the ideal truly illuminated reality.
Waiting for everyone's excitement to subside, Karen lifted Purr from his shoulder into his embrace and said softly:
"Our symbiosis contract has dissolved."
Purr nodded. "Yes, meow."
Then, her gaze shifted aside, her paws tapping against each other in front of her chest in a gesture of *well, what should we do about it? It's up to you.*
Karen smiled. "Let's sign a new symbiosis contract."
"All right, meow."
Little Kanna drifted over, tugging at Karen's shoulder. "Why not sign a symbiosis contract with me?"
Purr looked at little Kanna and said gently, "If you sign it, you must take three baths a day."
Kanna frowned immediately. "And if I don't sign?"
"Twice, meow," Purr added. "Under a master-servant contract, once a day."
Kanna nodded. "Then let's sign a master-servant contract."
Purr wasn't just tricking the little bone dragon. Kanna had to undergo periodic development checks at the research institute; if they found no master-servant contract inside her, her rations for subsequent growth stages wouldn't be provided.
The Church of Order would only "rear" her on account of her being Karen's "servant."
The blunt reality was that without the Church of Order's support, Karen couldn't afford to raise a dragon at all—unless he was willing to accept the outcome of stunted growth.
Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Karen swept his gaze across the room and spoke: "The primary objective for our next phase is..."
Everyone immediately gripped their pens, poised to record with solemn dedication.
If taking notes in the past had carried an air of bureaucratic formalism, now the words flowing from their pens were instantly imbued with profound sanctity.
This was no mere notebook entry—it was divine decree!
Everyone held their breath, awaiting God's first decree.
Then, God's decree descended, and upon everyone's notebooks appeared this solemnly sacred sentence:
["God said: First, let me become a servant."]
Chapter 718