Karen felt utterly helpless, pressing a palm to his forehead. This feeling of talking past each other was excruciating, especially at such a critical juncture.
Neo picked up a pen and paper from the conference table, wrote a line, and showed it to Karen.
To Karen's relief, while his auditory hallucinations were severe, at least they were only auditory—he wasn't hallucinating visually. The written words read:
"Are your auditory hallucinations really that bad?"
Karen nodded. "Right now, whenever anyone speaks to me, I hear it from the perspective of the God of Order."
Hearing this, Neo wrote another line: "Sounds a lot like that old lunatic in the Yorktown slums who thinks he's a duke, handing out beer bottle caps to kids as knightly medals."
"You're in the mood to joke right now?"
Neo wrote: "Shouldn't I be? Symptoms prior to God's Revelation this severe are practically unheard of. That means the revelation waiting for you will be on a whole different level, and the breadth of the realm it unlocks will be far greater. If we weren't about to go to war, we ought to throw a party right now and celebrate."
"Thanks."
Neo wrote: "Do these symptoms need to be kept confidential?"
"Keep it quiet."
Neo nodded and wrote: "Then should I have someone bring Kevin over to take a look at you?"
Karen hesitated a moment before nodding.
Priests like Blanche wouldn't have any answers for this sort of baffling ailment. The Evil God was experienced and knowledgeable; having him examine Karen would offer more peace of mind.
Neo released a black crow. Before long, Muri arrived carrying Kevin over his shoulder.
"Head back and keep patrolling the camps. Kevin will come inside with me."
"Understood, Commander Neo." Muri nodded, turned, and went straight back to work. In this regard, he truly inherited the fine tradition of the Benda family.
Neo led Kevin inside on a leash. The moment he stepped into the tent, Kevin cast a fawning expression toward Karen:
"Great Order, I am willing to offer everything I have, if only you will help me exact my revenge."
"Heh." Karen found himself growing somewhat numb to it all.
Neo explained the situation to Kevin. Kevin froze for a moment, then grew excited, barking non-stop:
"The Sea God! She deserves to die, she deserves to die! Damn her!"
Neo brought over the pen and paper, telling Kevin to speak while he wrote. Before long, Neo transcribed Kevin's words:
"The auditory hallucinations you are currently hearing shouldn't be real; they stem from a 'translation' performed by your own theological understanding."
"'Translation'? You mean I've hypnotized myself, actively giving a new interpretation to my perception of surrounding things?"
Kevin barked for a bit, and Neo wrote: "That is essentially correct, but it is not an active choice on your part; it is a passive transformation. Your soul, your body, and your consciousness are already making self-adjustments to prepare for receiving the upcoming God's Revelation. It is like a dress rehearsal before a performance, or an actor trying to immerse himself in a newly assigned role by studying the character notes.
"Only in your case, it does not bend to your will. Because you believe in Order, and have immense ties and connections to Order itself, you exist within these rules, and these rules are exerting their force, altering you."
Neo added a line below, pointing to himself to indicate that this next sentence was his own: "You are washing your ears, preparing to listen to the teachings of the God of Order."
No matter the time or place, Neo never missed a chance for amusement. He naturally knew who had started the popular trend of "washing one's ears" to flatter superiors in the Church of Order.
Neo sighed inwardly: *As expected of the trendsetter. Others only copied it to suck up to their superiors, but this pioneer set his sights straight on the God of Order.*
Karen asked, "These symptoms will completely disappear once the God's Revelation ends, right?"
Writing on Kevin's behalf, Neo replied, "Yes, they will disappear."
"How much longer do you think I need? How long until I receive the revelation?"
Writing for Kevin, Neo replied, "You are already within the threshold of opportunity. It could happen at any moment."
"All right, I understand." Karen looked toward Neo. "Go oversee the command. I'm fine here."
Neo wrote: "Understood."
Having written that, Neo picked up Kevin. Kevin was the artillery battalion's "all-seeing eye"; whether the artillery struck accurately relied entirely on him.
However, right as they reached the tent entrance, Kevin jumped down on his own accord. He ran back over to Karen, picked up the pen with his paw, and wrote out a crooked yet legible line:
"If possible, I want to hear what her revelation to you is..."
Hesitating briefly, Kevin continued writing:
"I want to know... is she doing well right now?"
After writing, Kevin looked rather dejected. His feelings toward the God of Order had always been complicated: he felt awe, fear, pride, and gratitude.
Even though he had been suppressed by the God of Order, ever since his unsealing, not a single disrespectful word toward the God of Order had ever crossed his canine lips.
At this moment, he already had a premonition that Karen's God's Revelation would be anything but ordinary.
The God's Revelation received by other priests could be likened to a letter issued in the name of the "God of Order"—no, perhaps merely an official seal or postmark. These envelopes could be stored in post offices across various locations beforehand, and once you reached a certain "age," they were automatically delivered to you. For the most part, it was simply going through the motions.
That was how a "god" treated their believers: a mechanical manifestation of rules.
Those a notch higher, with exceptional talent, might receive a letter sent from the office of the "God of Order," though even that was not penned by the God of Order in person—much like how over ninety percent of the correspondence Karen maintained with others was ghostwritten by Richard.
Yet Kevin believed Karen's revelation would be different. He felt Karen might directly hear the voice of the God of Order... a voice that remained synchronized even across space and time.
Because Neo had told him that Karen's hunger addiction had also been triggered. And that hunger addiction was a true bond between Karen and the God of Order that neither could ever fully sever.
Neo walked back over, glanced at the scrawl, and chuckled. "Oh, we're about to fight a war, and you're getting all sentimental right now? All right, all right, the great God of Order can definitely sense your loyalty."
Neo picked Kevin up again. Kevin shook his doggy head, broke into his usual cheerful, warm smile, and barked excitedly:
"Kill the Sea God! Kill the Sea God! Kill the Sea God!"
Karen looked down at the words Kevin had left behind, muttering to himself, "Do you have something to tell me?"
***
Encampment.
Array Master Lizetel returned to her tent and pushed aside her bedding. Beneath it, etched onto the bed board, were array patterns already laid out.
She set down crystals, scrolls, rune seals, and an assortment of other materials, beginning the final preparations.
Right then, footsteps approached outside, followed by Kaixi's call: "Lizetel?"
Lizetel swiftly grabbed a handful of white powder and sprinkled it over the array to conceal its aura, then pulled the bedding back to hide it.
Immediately after, she stood up, walked over to the washbasin, and began washing her hands.
"May I come in, Lizetel?"
"Of course, Adjutant General."
Kaixi stepped inside, followed by Richard.
"Hello, Auntie."
Richard greeted Lizetel.
This was a military camp, and Richard held a higher rank than hers. By rights, he wouldn't use familial terms from the secular world, but Lizetel was somewhat flustered and failed to notice anything amiss.
"Hello, Richard... hehe, Lord Richard."
Richard stepped aside. The array master before him, similar in age to his mother, was his mother's close confidante; they had been good friends since before his parents married.
Before his parents formalized their relationship, she had tried her hardest to dissuade his mother from seeing his father.
Yet Richard had heard his grandmother say that back then, this aunt would take the initiative to invite his father on walks in the park, and would proactively visit the house to keep Madam Tangli company over coffee.
Although his grandfather wasn't a bishop at that time, the Guman family's status was already quite respectable.
Richard once asked Madam Tangli: "Grandma, why didn't you tell Mother back then?"
Madam Tangli's reply was: "Someone was keeping me company for coffee and flattering me with sweet talk—why should I refuse? Your parents weren't married yet anyway. Fair competition."
Later, his parents confirmed their romance and walked into the halls of matrimony. At the wedding, this Aunt Lizetel held his mother and wept bitterly.
Though his parents' love story couldn't compare to his grandparents'—neither as splendid nor as thrillingly dramatic—they were deeply in love at the start, and he was the fruit of that affectionate period.
It was only when his father suddenly fell ill and grew progressively worse that his mother, urged on by this aunt, chose to leave the family and take up a post in Sangpu City.
Madam Tangli told Richard she knew Kaixi's friend had been egging her on the whole time. And while egging Kaixi on, she would seek opportunities to comfort Aisen. But back then, Mr. Aisen had already sunk into severe social withdrawal—how could he possibly engage in an extramarital affair?
Richard asked his grandmother: "And you didn't step in?"
Madam Tangli said it wasn't his mother's fault; even they, as his parents, hadn't wanted to deal with their son back then. However, behind Delon's back, Madam Tangli specifically arranged a personnel transfer to send Lizetel to Sangpu City as well, so she could keep Kaixi company out of concern that her daughter-in-law would be lonely.
Although such friends rarely wished for your genuine happiness most of the time, they were often adept at making you feel comfortable.
It had to be said that Madam Tangli was remarkably open-minded in such matters.
Once Karen cured his father's illness and his father became the head of the militia array masters, Lizetel begged his mother to pull strings, allowing herself to join the first batch of the militia as well.
Madam Kaixi asked Lizetel, "If you're facing any difficulties, you can tell me."
"M-Me? What difficulties could I have?" Lizetel feigned composure.
"If you tell me now, it will count as turning yourself in," Madam Kaixi said.
"Ah... you—you two..."
Lizetel froze, staggering backward instinctively.
At her feet, white threads appeared. In an instant, they multiplied densely, binding her legs, and immediately after, pinning her arms as well.
Richard removed his white glove. White silk flowed from his fingertips down into the ground, connecting to the bound target across the room. He said, "She has lost her chance to turn herself in."
Next, Richard walked over to the bed, pulled back the bedding, and revealed the miniature disposable communication array within. Its patterns had been modified to match the jamming array overhead, allowing messages to be transmitted right through the shielding.
Seeing this, Lizetel opened her mouth to say something, but the moment she parted her lips, threads instantly stuffed into her mouth, completely packing her throat.
"Mmph... mmph..."
Lizetel began to struggle, her eyes overflowing with emotion, seemingly desperate for a chance to speak.
Seeing this, Madam Kaixi couldn't help saying, "Richard, perhaps we should listen to—"
Richard raised his hand and said in a heavy voice, "Ignite."
The white threads covering Lizetel's entire body ignited. Burning threads from Little Jerry had an extremely lethal effect targeted specifically at the soul. Soon, flames poured incessantly from Lizetel's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. With a thud, she collapsed to the floor, all vital signs extinguished.
The words half-spoken on Kaixi's lips were forcefully swallowed back down at her son's ruthless action.
Richard bent over and retrieved a clay sculpture from under the small desk in the tent... or more precisely, a small crystal figurine that resembled an exquisite piece of craftsmanship.
Inside every tent belonging to the communications unit—including the latrines and shower rooms, everywhere people went—these figurines were present. They had been placed by Madame Gandiluo to monitor everyone here.
Over this recent period, Lizetel had practically been arranging her sabotage under Madame Gandiluo's watchful eye.
"Mother, the matter is verified beyond doubt. We don't have the time or energy to sit here listening to a tragic tale of why she chose to betray Order."
"All... all right."
"Additionally, once the battle is over, I'll need Mother to go to the military tribunal in person to provide an explanation. After all, you recruited her into the militia. But don't worry, Father and I will testify on your behalf to vouch for you."
"I... I understand."
For the first time, Kaixi acutely realized that her son had long ceased to be the boy he once was.
This realization hadn't been obvious to her before. Since her return, she still frequently saw her son being beaten by his father, so in her established impression, Richard remained the same as ever—lively, mischievous, and prone to mistakes, especially after he had created that "Young Master Aisen" persona on Pastry Street.
Having said all this, Richard put on a smiling face, stepped behind Kaixi, and began kneading her shoulders.
"All right, all right, Mother. Let's go help Father. We've entered the final encampment area now, so Father must be under tremendous pressure with his workload."
***
"Battalion Commander Aisen, you can speed up a bit more, meow."
"Right, understood!"
Mr. Aisen was leading a selected group of array masters in establishing arrays.
Perched on Philomena's shoulder, Purr looked up at the falcon knights circling above and said, "Order the falcon knights to expand their patrol radius. Ideally, get right up in the peripheral enemies' faces and 'scout' in the most arrogant way possible."
Philomena relayed the order, then asked, "Isn't that just throwing their lives away?"
"First, the more arrogant you are right now, the more the enemy will believe they've successfully trapped the main force of our legion. Second, putting enough pressure on them will make them wait until every encirclement and assault preparation is complete before launching their attack. That buys us a bit more time.
"Do you really think that with our numbers, even if we erected a defensive network here, it would do any good against a real legion-scale assault?"
"Then what is Battalion Commander Aisen setting up right now?"
"What he's setting up isn't a defensive array; it's a decorative array."
At last, the first "decorative" array was complete. When Mr. Aisen activated it, the phantom projection of a colossal Throne of Order immediately manifested above the camp.
However, although the projection appeared lifelike, it possessed zero offensive power in reality.
Purr said, "Keep up the good work, Battalion Commander Aisen! Throw up a few divine artifacts next to scare them. Don't be afraid to exaggerate—make it as absurd as possible. It's totally fine even if you project the Temple of Order!"
"Right... understood."
Time trickled by.
Noon passed, yet the enemy's assault had not begun. By half past two in the afternoon, Purr let out a long sigh of relief and said, "I believe Karen and the others have reached their designated positions. We've bought nearly three more hours than anticipated."
Philomena said, "I will ensure your safety."
"Heh, you're overthinking it. Now that we've put ourselves in this position, any chance of breaking out to escape is completely gone."
The moment Purr's voice fell, a terrifying rumble resounded from every direction.
Across the northern sky, massive vines wove upward layer upon layer like someone knitting a sweater for the heavens, blotting out the sunlight.
To the south, an immense wall rose out of nowhere, towering and magnificent, complete with a fully equipped defense system and garrison troops prepared for battle.
These two sides were defensive in nature, intended to block any breakout attempt by the trapped legion. The directions launching the actual attack were east and west.
To the west, tremors continuously shook the sands as massive monster beasts marched toward them.
To the east, war golems sculpted from earth rose from the ground, roaring as they formed neat ranks and rolled forward to crush everything in their path.
Such was the might of religious war; the impact of individual strength was reduced to utter insignificance here.
The falcon knights had long been recalled. The reconnaissance battalion, assault squads, and the cavalry battalion led by Count Rekar were all gathered in the communications unit's stockade.
Purr leaped from Philomena's shoulder onto the command platform specially built for her. Speaking through amplification runes, she addressed everyone in the camp:
"Now, I will issue an important order."
Every eye turned toward the cat who held supreme command here.
Purr raised a paw, and with the utmost gravity, she declared:
"Everyone, pray together: Corps Commander, come save us, meow!"
Chapter 794