I've Turned Traitor!

Karen drew the greatsword from Daliwenluo's body and supported the corpse with his hands, laying it down gently on its back. Just then, a breeze blew past, carrying a sprinkle of plant ash that settled evenly over Daliwenluo's body, looking like a thin sheen of grease. These were the last remnants of the decayed, dissolved wooden club, as though they had drifted over purposefully to serve as burial goods for their master. With this layer of protection, Daliwenluo's remains would be exceptionally well-preserved even under such extreme conditions, staying fresh for at least several years. Yet there was no need for that. Karen intended to Awaken him right now. Originally, the safest method would have been to hide his corpse first, wait until he was safe and the situation was under control, and then send someone back to retrieve the body and transport it to Allen Manor. After Awakening, he would first be sent to Alfred's performance hall to report in and go through orientation. This process normally could not be skipped, because essentially it took the burden off Karen; besides, Alfred, who constantly summarized, reflected, and improved his methods, was a consummate professional in this regard. However, Karen felt that this man was someone whose steps could be skipped. The man was something of a lunatic, possessed by a distinct paranoia and obstinacy, living entirely in a self-centered world of his own. Such people were usually terrifyingly stubborn, yet once a breach was found and torn open, they could shift their stance completely and utterly. A lunatic's thought process was often not that complicated—not because they were stupid, but because they had few scruples. Most importantly, Karen needed his power right now. At present, a group of outstanding youths from the major churches were hunting him down. If he could successfully turn one of the very best among them, what followed would become much simpler—and far more interesting. Indeed, Karen had never worried that he wouldn't make it out alive from the hunt of these youths. Because although Karen was young, he had long ceased to classify himself among the ranks of young talents. After all, he was a department head of a major district... or rather, the designated Regional Chief. As long as he did not run into organized rebel forces, and given that those youths were arrogantly hunting him down individually, dueling them one by one was really just going through the motions. It had been so with Demetria, and it was so with Daliwenluo. These young talents could display their abilities to their hearts' content before him, but in the end, the victor would inevitably be Karen. Yet this inevitably brought up the issue of efficiency. Tracking them down one by one was simply too inefficient, and each person he eliminated cost him a certain toll. More importantly, if he continued hunting them down individually, the remaining youths would in all likelihood sense the danger of being reverse-hunted. When a clear threat to their survival appeared, no matter how arrogant they were to the bone, they would start grouping up, hiding, or summoning large numbers of rebels to surround and capture him. Had he simply chosen to flee without looking back from the very beginning, that would be one thing. But now that he had taken the initiative to turn back and join this game, he ought to at least have a ring of heads hanging around his waist, shouldn't he? Well, that wasn't too much to ask; after all, he wasn't particularly fat. Karen then reached out his hand, palm turned downward. A Chain of Order extended from beneath Karen's feet and sank into Daliwenluo's body. Karen slowly closed his eyes, and images began to flash across his mind at astonishing speed. This was likely an ability honed in the dormitory of the Mad Pope and the others—his speed of conscious thought had been vastly enhanced, allowing Karen to read the information received in his consciousness in as much detail as possible within very little real-world time. *** This was an elegant manor, currently draped in white snow. At the manor's main gate, a three-year-old child knelt prostrate on the ground, bare-chested, his entire body shivering violently, his lips frozen blue and purple. Not far from the child stood a woman holding his clothes in her arms. She had brought the child here, and she had forcibly stripped the clothes from him in this bitter winter. She ignored the child's miserable plight, her gaze fixed entirely on the manor within, filled with hatred, anger, resentment, jealousy, and a vicious madness. Yet the manor's gates remained firmly shut. The servants inside seemed to know the identity of the mother and child outside. None came out to drive them away or scold them, but they all stood inside with cold detachment, as if seeing nothing and hearing nothing. The child turned his head, looked at Karen who had appeared beside him, and said, "I... I'm so cold..." Karen crouched down and waved his hand, conjuring a plume of flame between himself and the child. This was a flame of Order. It could not provide much physical warmth, but the flickering fire, even if merely watched, could bring mental comfort—a personal touch Karen had added on his own. The child held his hands over the flame to warm them, a smile appearing on his face as he spoke: "Do you know? They are all watching me make a fool of myself." "I know," Karen nodded. There was no sun in the sky above, only a rainbow spanning from one boundless horizon to the other. Thus, this was likely a core holy land under the Church of Life, and to possess such a grandiose manor in such a place was sufficient proof of the master's noble status. Those inside certainly knew the mother and son were out here, but the master's stance seemed to be letting them make a scene as they pleased, using cold indifference to express his disdain. It was truly a laughable, low-class brand of spite. Even a minor manor lord in Wien wouldn't have the heart to let a child freeze on his doorstep, let alone his own illegitimate son. In Wien's plays, novels, and films, there were plenty of plots where the lady of the house tormented and suppressed bastards, but the most sinister among them would merely arrange a covert assassination in some deserted spot—at least they wouldn't openly leave the child to freeze to death at the front gates. *Ah, just as the Church of Samsara enslaves souls in soul pearls, the Church of the Crypt suffers from frequent inter-racial massacres, and the Church of Order has plenty of scum who disregard Order... the Church of Life, it seems, isn't that respectful of life either.* The most direct manifestation was likely found in the doctrinal decree that for any believer of Life, abortion was the most unforgivable sin. Yet once born, whether they lived or died seemed of no importance. "I'm a little tired," the child said. "Because I don't know how many more times I have to come here." Karen glanced at the child's mother in the distance and said, "Probably many more times." "I hope my mother gets bored soon, though it might be improper of me to say that." The child sighed, displaying a maturity far beyond his actual age. "Do you think that day will come?" Karen asked. "Probably. If Mother continues to hate, then when I grow up, I'll help her take revenge. I'll find an opportunity, a method, an excuse, to kill everyone in this manor. "If Mother doesn't hate so much later on, and simply wants this kind of life as compensation, I'll work hard in the future. I heard that families of exceptional children receive generous allowances. The higher my standing becomes, the higher Mother's standing will be." "Mm." "But do you know what answer I'm afraid of getting?" "What is it?" "That Mother doesn't really want anything, nor does she truly hate him, but... purely hates and loathes me." "Do you think that's the case?" "Of course not. How could any mother in this world truly loathe her own child? Don't you agree?" "Mm," Karen replied perfunctorily. He could see that although the child's lips were frozen blue, a bright light still shone within his eyes. Even in his current predicament, he still carried beautiful yearnings for the future and for life. He did not wallow in self-pity, nor did he think he might as well be dead, for such negativity was a disrespect toward life. The surrounding environment began to shift. Even the flame of Order Karen had condensed changed color, growing larger. The child had now become a youth. The youth knelt before a fire. A woman whose face was lined with wrinkles held a pair of fire tongs, pressing them against the youth's back. "Ugh...!" The youth gritted his teeth and endured, not making a single sound. He did not scream or cry out, not out of stubborn defiance, but because he feared his screams would make his mother feel sorrow. Yet he was mistaken. From the changes in the woman's expression, Karen could perceive the shifts in her emotions. She was tormenting her son, but the boy's forbearance prevented the negative emotions she wished to vent from finding true release, driving her to use even crueler, more savage methods to continue the torture. The youth's body was covered in scars. Some places had already festered into sores, with maggots wriggling within. Various forms of torture flashed by repeatedly, leaving even Karen, who hailed from the Whip of Order, clicking his tongue in disbelief. A low-ranking priest of the Church of Life, a mother—where on earth had she found so many unfathomable methods of punishment? The gates of that manor could never be opened. For the rest of her life, her sole method of stress relief was torturing her son. It was as though she were torturing the man whose brows and eyes so closely resembled her son's, the one who had once violated her; it was as though she were venting her dissatisfaction at her tragic, unjust fate. And the light in the youth's eyes gradually dimmed as the scenes flipped by incessantly. Even so, hatred never took root in his gaze, for he was grateful to this woman who had nurtured his life. In some scenes, the youth's teacher discovered his injuries and visited their home, offering to adopt him or arrange boarding at the church school. Yet the woman refused every offer. She would not allow her son to leave her; she wanted to keep him by her side, to continue torturing him. Karen stood up. He walked outside the door and saw the grown Daliwenluo approaching. Daliwenluo looked at Karen and said, "I've gained the opportunity to train in the Garden of Life. My talent has been recognized, and my future is secured." "Congratulations." "I'm going to tell Mother. I want her to know she can let go of the past and welcome a new life. Of course, if she isn't willing to let go, I think I can help her take revenge later. I just need a little more time." "Mm." Daliwenluo walked into the house. After a long time, Daliwenluo walked back out. Karen said nothing, waiting for him to speak. Daliwenluo looked at Karen and smiled. "I killed her." "Oh," Karen nodded. "After I told her, she wanted to change her clothes and take me to knock on that gate again." "You were tired." "No, I was fine. It was just that I felt... she was tired. It was time for her to rest, rather than continue ruining life." Karen remained noncommittal. "What about you, Karen?" "Hm?" "Are you using some secret technique to keep my last breath hanging, and then invading my consciousness to read my memories? I must say, secretly prying into someone's memories is quite an improper thing to do." "When funeral parlor staff prepare a guest for the casket, cleaning, restoring, and applying makeup, the guest—regardless of gender—usually lies stark naked on the steel gurney. Do you consider that improper?" "That's different." "It's the same." "I'm about to die." "No, you are already dead." "Already dead? Then who are you talking to right now? *Slap!*" Daliwenluo slapped himself across the face. "I'm thinking, I'm feeling, I'm clearly not dead. I still have life." "Yes, you still have life—just your second one." "What nonsense?" Daliwenluo found it absurd. "Turns out you're a lunatic, Karen. You've lost your mind." "Being called a lunatic by you really is rather amusing." "End it. Stop playing around and let me die cleanly. Consider it compensation for not scratching up that handsome face of yours." "As I said, you're already finished. This is your second life." "Enough!" "That should be my line." Karen pointed at his eyes. "If you don't believe me, open your own eyes and see for yourself." *** In the desert, the formerly closed-eyed Karen opened his eyes and said in a low voice, "Order—Awaken!" The dead Daliwenluo suddenly snapped his eyes open. He sat up in a daze, first looking down at the wound on his chest, then glancing up at Karen. "Is this amusing? The Church of Order's Awakening technique. I thought you could understand me, that you'd get it. When life withers, letting it depart cleanly and quietly is the bare minimum of respect. "There's something I didn't say to you outright before: I actually look down on your Church of Order's Awakening arts, and I don't like the style of your First Knight Order, though they are undeniably powerful." Karen reminded him, "Feel the difference for yourself first." Daliwenluo closed his eyes and began to inspect his body. Then his eyes widened abruptly, because he discovered that within him, it was not spiritual power burning, but certain rules operating—this was not a single-use expenditure, but a brand-new, orderly ecosystem of life. "However, it still has a time limit, because it continues to drain away..." "What about now?" Karen began channeling energy into Daliwenluo through the chain. Daliwenluo jumped up in fright. "Th-This... this... this..." The lunatic who had previously faced death with complete calm now looked like a startled quail. Yet there was nothing strange about it; after all, there were plenty of things in this world far more terrifying than death. As an outstanding priest, Daliwenluo understood full well what the transformation occurring within him signified. Only at this moment did he truly realize that Karen's earlier words—"give you a second life"—were meant entirely literally. "So, Karen, are you an undercover agent planted by our Church of Life in the Church of Order?" "Hm?" "Are you actually our Church of Life's Holy Child, or an Elder of the Temple?" "Heh." "Are you carrying a divine artifact of our Church of Life on you?" "Can a divine artifact of the Church of Life accomplish this?" "No, that's impossible too... Granting life to the deceased is actually a transmission of consciousness. Our Church of Life is better at creating a 'Holy Child' from mortals to achieve a certain degree of life continuation. "Not like me. Dying once felt like taking an afternoon nap." "It wasn't even that long." "If you really are an undercover agent planted by our church in Order, I'm amazed the church was willing to send someone like you." "I am a believer of Order." "Really?" "I believe in Order." "But this is absolutely not the Church of Order's 'Awakening technique.' If the Church of Order had elevated this technique to this level, they would have unified the church circle long ago." "It is an Awakening technique." "What do you really mean?" "Have you read the *Light of Order*?" "I have. I quite enjoyed reading about which gods the God of Order beat up or suppressed. Skipping our church's part, it was pretty good." "Under the God of Order, there are the 12 Order Knights." "I know. Your Church of Order officially doesn't recognize branch gods, but those 12 Knights, the Four Retainers, and the other famous 'Lords' are what our church calls branch gods." "Now, the opportunity to become one of the 12 Order Knights lies before you. If you are willing to swear fealty to me and follow my steps, I will grant you this identity, to become my fellow traveler." "Heh... Hahahahaha!" Daliwenluo burst into laughter. "Karen, the way you talk nonsense with a straight face is hilarious! I really never expected someone like you to make this kind of joke, hahahahaha..." Karen did not laugh, standing quietly. "Haha... er." Daliwenluo's laughter gradually sputtered out. He took a deep breath to suppress his body's instinctive trembling, looked at Karen, and asked cautiously, "Are You... truly that... Lord?" The debate over gods and divinity, along with other theoretical concepts, Karen decided to leave to Alfred. He had no time to conduct an educational seminar here. "You may call my name directly." "God... of Order?" Karen neither agreed nor denied it. Daliwenluo's left knee bent instinctively while his right leg remained straight, causing him to assume a leg-stretching posture commonly used for warm-ups before exercise. In truth, the ironclad fact had already struck him—no, he himself was part of this ironclad fact. The seemingly casual chatter before was merely his brain going numb and stalling while digesting this reality. "Then why... why did You Awaken me?" "Probably because you dislike those two Gods of Life of yours." "Do You want me to betray them? Then I..." "No, I allow you to continue seeking the true meaning of life." Daliwenluo pulled his other leg back, dropping onto one knee. "If You want me to turn traitor, then... I'll turn traitor." Although Karen had prepared himself before Awakening him, the speed of Daliwenluo's turnaround still caught him by surprise. "In my second life, I don't want to load myself with too many burdens right from the start. Some things, I won't say I'm discarding them, but I can shelve them for now. I'm open-minded." "I can tell." "Besides, in my previous life, I died carrying out the church's mission to hunt down the Order priest Karen. I gave my life back to my church; I owe them nothing. The church raised me to risk my life for them, and I paid it." "I appreciate your capacity for self-rationalization." "Thank You for the praise. Actually, there's one more thing: I promised You that if You gave me a second life, I would take Your surname." "There's no need. Treat it as a joke." "No, this is no joke!" Daliwenluo's voice rose. "Before, it seemed like a humiliation, but now I'm clearly getting a massive bargain!" "Are you serious?" "Of course!" Daliwenluo smiled. "Please bestow a name." "From now on, you shall be called... Daliwenluo Inmerais." "Is that Your surname?" "Yes. However, you must keep this surname confidential." "Isn't that a bit plain? Not that I'm unsatisfied, but I'm greedy. You know, having lived twice, getting a full name for the first time naturally comes with higher expectations. And as You said, this surname must be kept secret, so when I introduce myself in the future, I still won't be able to speak my surname. That's truly a great pity." Karen thought of the name Purr had given Little Kanna, and of the surname he had bestowed upon Alfred, and said, "Daliwenluo Tu." "May I ask, what does the syllable 'Tu' mean?" "It's a feature of an evil god with whom I have very good relations." "I love it!" "All right, can this acquaintance ceremony come to an end?" Karen urged. "You have more followers than just me, don't You?" "Yes." "Still, I believe I will definitely be the most special one—no, the most decent one." "Suit yourself. Now, I need you to do something for me." "At Your disposal." "Go contact the others hunting me like you were. Help me eliminate as many of them as possible. I need their heads to offer as a sacrifice for the Order priests who traveled with me." "Please rest assured. I've observed them; in this group, I'm the only bald one. The rest all have hair." "That is your good fortune." "You are quite right." "Go find them. I need to make some adjustments and recover first. Remember, once you find them, do not act rashly on your own. Your current spiritual power is barely enough for one fight." Karen sat down cross-legged where he was, making use of the time to recover from the expenditure caused by the Awakening. Daliwenluo touched his skin, pinched a small clump of plant ash, and blew on it. A tender sprout emerged, gradually growing into a slender sapling. Gripping it in his hand, his figure was enveloped in a tiger of green light as he departed. After flying a short distance, Daliwenluo came to a halt. *Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!...* He began frantically slapping his own face. "Hsss..." Then he drew in sharp breaths of cold air repeatedly: "It really isn't a dream?" "I was killed by Karen?" "I was revived by Karen?" "Karen is the God of Order?" "How did a believer of Life like me suddenly become an Order Knight?" "Did I do this willingly, or was I coerced?" "Willingly? I envied him, wanted to possess his decency... Turns out that wasn't decency at all; that was the composure of a god. "Coerced? Even the two main gods of my church hid after getting beaten by the God of Order. Isn't it only natural for me to bow before the God of Order?" *Slap! Slap! Slap!* Daliwenluo slapped himself three more times. Promptly, his gaze and expression returned to normal, as if reverting to his former self. "Ah..." Daliwenluo let out a long breath, glancing at the emerald sapling in his hand. "Heh, a new life, and it's thrilling right from the start. "Why does something still feel a little off, though? When I took my orders just now, did I run off without saluting? What was the Church of Order's saluting posture again? Should I have replied 'As commanded' or 'I obey the divine decree'? "Should I go back and salute properly before leaving? "Forget it, better to get to work first. "Gentlemen, I'm coming to find you one by one! "Ha, "You never saw this coming, did you? I've fucking turned traitor!"