Captive!

Karen slowly raised his head and looked upward. Facing the gold-armored warrior attempting to assassinate him with the power of an artifact, he smiled. For a very long time in the past—or more precisely, ever since he opened his eyes and took his first look at this world—he had suffered from a deep lack of security. He felt like a toddler trying to crawl down from a crib, his upper body still on the bed while his lower half hung outside, his toes reaching down repeatedly in search of solid ground to support his weight, yet never able to touch anything. This sensation of dangling in midair was terrifying, and remaining suspended between heights was sheer torment. He had once told his grandfather: "The outside world might be wonderful, and I want to go see it." When he said those words back then, he had assumed that his grandfather and that family would always remain right there, waiting for his return at any time. Who could have foreseen that his grandfather would fall into a deep slumber, leaving him effectively "driven out"? And that home he cherished so dearly had now turned into a taboo he could not return to, nor even openly mention. He had walked this path trembling with fear. It was as if, turning around, he could still vaguely see himself sitting by the bathtub, searing his soul with the Fire of Light, and feel the agony of re-weaving his physical body from that puddle of contaminants inside the burrow. Although what he currently possessed was not enough—far from enough—he had at least reached a certain height. At this height lay a platform where the soles of his feet could finally feel solid ground. Whether he looked up or gazed down, his heart was at least somewhat at ease. If he voiced such inner reflections, very few people would likely understand. They might even think it was just another pretentious way of showing off. Yet fundamentally, Karen's learning pressure was not much different from Little Kanna's. Different environments of growth naturally corresponded to demands of different heights. With a cat perched on his shoulder, a dog walking at his side, and a hunger addiction hanging deep within his soul, if he did not push himself forward, he would truly be unworthy of the pets and adornments in his home. Right now, inside the military encampment behind him, an entire army group stood assembled and awaiting orders. When he stepped out of the camp to take in the surroundings, even if he ran into an assassination attempt of this caliber, he had no need to panic in helplessness, much less flee in disgrace. Instead, he could deal with it quite calmly. Under the dual protection of status and personal strength, Karen's restless heart actually found solace in this assassination attempt, gaining a rare sense of peace. However, the emotional ripples within him lasted only a fraction of a second. After the phantom of the Spear of Sin was gripped, the gold-armored warrior immediately let go, his body plunging rapidly. The surrounding air seemed to grow heavy from his motion, and an overwhelming pressure bore down instantly. The crisp cracking of bones continually echoed from Little Kanna. Her back was the battlefield, so she was naturally the first to bear the burden. Karen could not bear to let the little bone dragon he raised like a daughter suffer. A black grid materialized in front of him, and very quickly, the grid began expanding and folding outward, spreading everywhere. Under the obstruction of layer upon layer of grids, the falling gold-armored warrior's momentum was gradually reduced. By the time the distance between him and Karen closed to a certain point, Karen reached out, and the Sword of Diamans flew into his palm. Karen swung the sword upward. In an instant, a sea of the Fire of Order was unleashed. Seen from the ground looking up, it was as if an ink bottle had been overturned, dyeing this expanse of sky black. The gold-armored warrior ignored the strike. His body continued barreling through the sea of fire as his right arm melted, transforming into a golden scimitar. He raised it high and slashed down! Purr had already clamped its paws over its mouth, breaking off the prayer. Earlier, under the urgent threat of assassination, drawing strength from Karen to protect Karen had been sheer instinct. Now that Karen had engaged the assassin in combat, siphoning power from Karen would be doing more harm than good. "Order—Eye of the Sea of Fire." A distinctive luster swirled in Karen's eyes. Beneath his feet, a starburst appeared, within which lay a tightly shut eye. At the same time, the sea of the Fire of Order that Karen had swept into the sky retracted at an astonishing speed. When the formless power condensed back, the intangible bordered on the tangible. Clang! The Sword of Diamans collided against the gold-armored warrior's golden scimitar. A terrifying cutting force whistled toward Karen. Against an ordinary person, even if they parried this slash, the overflowing force would have been enough to slice them into shreds on the ground. Thousand Phantoms' wings appeared at the crucial moment, spreading wide to completely neutralize that sharpness. The eye beneath Karen's feet suddenly snapped open. The condensed Fire of Order erupted on cue, melting the gold-armored warrior's scimitar in an instant. Nor was that the end of it; the Fire of Order continued to melt and consume the rest of his body. In the rapid clash just now, it was hard to tell who was stronger and who was weaker. But just as the Ninth Army Group currently faced the heavily fortified Zuomaisi Mountains, the offensive party was usually at a greater disadvantage. The gold-armored warrior knew very well that his window of opportunity was fleeting. If Karen retreated or the cavalry protecting him rushed back to support, he would have no further chance to complete the assassination. Unfortunately, what Karen excelled at most was defensive warfare. On this point, Vice Commander Neo had deep firsthand experience. Thus, the gold-armored warrior had charged headlong into the hardest fortification on a suicide run; suffering heavily was virtually inevitable. Moreover, powerhouses specializing in different disciplines showed entirely different states in combat. This man's primary occupation was clearly not assassination. Judging from his style and golden armor, he looked more like a guard by trade. Had his realm of cultivation been given to Philomena, and had Philomena carried out this assassination, Karen would never have been able to handle it so calmly; he would most likely have had to retreat in panic to evade her. However, the gold-armored warrior cared nothing for the grievous wounds on his body. In his eyes, there was only the mission his young mistress had entrusted to him. He threw back his head and let out a roar. In the next moment, the golden armor on his body melted in large swathes, then boiled, vaporizing into a spear of pure gold. It was no longer an illusion, but completely materialized. He had thrown away his life... he had melted and forged himself. The aura of the Spear of Sin descended once more, as if everything before it would be corrupted and transformed, becoming part of the spear's origin of sin. "Kanna." Karen called out and crouched down. On the massive rib bone before him, a small bone spike emerged. Without hesitation, Karen impaled his palm onto it. Splurt! As blood splattered, the little bone dragon's body began to vaporize. Almost simultaneously, rusted, ancient Chains of Order whipped wildly out of Karen's body. The Spear of Sin condensed of pure gold plummeted. Boom! A blinding flash detonated, followed by the violent shuddering of the earth. Under a spell of this magnitude, both the cavalry led by Count Rekar and the cavalry left guarding the perimeter had no choice but to pull back temporarily. Continuing to draw closer risked having their formations shattered by the shockwave. After the two cavalry units circled away some distance, a massive crater appeared in the center of the area between them. Inside the crater lay scattered golden granules everywhere. The scene was enough to drive any gold prospector mad! Yet Count Rekar knew very well that this was only a minuscule fraction of the leaked power. Heaven only knew how horrifying the potency at the center of the spell had been. Still, his young master was likely fine, because he himself was still alive. Wait, that was not right... Count Rekar suddenly realized that he was not the black cat from the main estate. The cat shared a symbiosis contract with Karen, whereas even if Karen died, Rekar could probably keep hopping about for a while until his spiritual power ran out. Anxious concern instantly resurfaced on the count's face. He yelled: "Young Master! Young Master! Young Master!" In his desperation, he no longer cared about military propriety. He only knew that Karen could not die. He was not genuinely worried about his second life entering a countdown; he was lamenting that Karen had not yet knocked up any of his women—not a single one! *** "Did it succeed?" Elder Qisang asked, full of hope. Ruiqier sighed. "When intelligence is gravely mistaken, stop hoping for unrealistic outcomes. Our Karen is definitely not dead." Qisang said, "Our failure lies in not realizing he had been hiding his strength all along." Ruiqier nodded. "What else could it be? I trust those idiots in the intelligence department wouldn't have the nerve to tell me their investigation wasn't flawed, and that our Karen just happened to advance a few days ago, advancing by leaps and bounds all at once." "How could that be possible?" "Sigh, I already thought he was outstanding. Grandpa Qisang, judging by how he just clashed with Uncle Aona... Karen could serve as a guardian in our Laks branch's holy ground, couldn't he?" "Ah, he should be able to, since he even condensed his dharma body." "Yes, a very pretty hand. I truly hope that hand can touch my face. I would definitely be enraptured." "So young, with this level of strength, and holding such status..." "Grandpa Qisang, you were just calling him lowly blood." "No, this subordinate... this subordinate now suspects whether he is some Child of God secretly hidden away by the Church of Order." "Our Karen is an orphan." "The current High Priest of the Church of Order was also an orphan, but rumors now say he is the successor to Tyrannus, the founder of the Church of Order. The old family head also said this identity is very likely real; otherwise, the Temple of Order could not have been suppressed so thoroughly by this High Priest without daring to resist. Miss, don't you think this Corps Commander Karen strongly resembles their Church of Order's current High Priest?" "Oh?" "Now I understand your goal in wanting to marry him and bear offspring. Miss, you have great foresight. I was foolish. With your dual bloodlines of Gold and Black Silver, combined with the bloodline of a Child of God from the Church of Order, what kind of terrifying potential would the child born possess?" Ruiqier glanced at Qisang and said, "I just think he's handsome and has great presence, so whether he takes me from behind or I ride him, I won't feel repulsed, that's all." *This young lady was just lusting after his looks. What foresight my ass.* Qisang took a deep breath and said, "If you truly fancy him, Miss, then after the war, we can ask the family head to request a Disciplinarian step forward to arrange a marriage alliance. Having Order send him over isn't realistic, but if you marry into their side, an agreement must be made: the second child must be sent back to be raised in the church and worship the God of Laks." *** At the center of the deep crater, an expanse of white bones was revealed, coated in residual Chains of Order. Soon, those black, rust-covered chains faded away, and the white bones dissipated with them. Karen stood up quietly. Beneath his feet, Purr and Kevin were also safe and sound. Only Little Kanna remained hunched over, coughing up blood onto the ground. Purr immediately asked with concern, "Kanna, are you all right?" Little Kanna's eyes turned solemn. "My injuries are very heavy." "How heavy?" Little Kanna replied, "Heavy enough that I can't do my homework." "Oh, then you're fine. Go ahead and die in peace. After you die, I'll have Little Karen revive you, and then you can keep doing your homework, meow." Little Kanna: "..." Karen paid no mind to their banter, nor did he heed the shouts coming from Count Rekar and the others at the crater's rim. He reached out into the air, and the residual aura of the Spear of Sin around him began to reconvene, gradually taking the shape of a phantom in his palm that resonated with the golden specks scattered all around. Rolling up his sleeve with his other hand, Karen revealed a gruesome wound on his left arm, along with another across his chest. A portion of that power had even seeped into his soul. However, before that part in his soul could wreak any havoc, it was torn apart directly by the entity residing within. Now, Karen began peeling away and extracting the residual aura of the Spear of Sin from his wounds. Finally, the phantom of the Spear of Sin in his palm neared completion. He had used a similar technique during the Qihe case when "resurrecting" Luoya, and again when tracing the skeleton's location in the Church of the Crypt. Now, he was going to use it once more. A white chain extended from Karen's palm, sinking into the phantom of the Spear of Sin. Immediately, Karen's consciousness seemed to be drawn out—tracing to the source began! *** "He's still alive." Elder Qisang felt somewhat helpless. This meant his old friend had sacrificed himself in vain. Ruiqier lowered her head, wanting to check the situation through the telescope in front of her again. But she suddenly found the view through the lens blurry, as if obscured by a black mist. "Grandpa Qisang, is there something wrong with your telescope? Why is it..." Ruiqier abruptly trailed off. Through the lens, she saw a pair of eyes—eyes that were staring straight back at her. A thrill of horror instantly coursed through her body. Stepping back a few paces, she subconsciously looked toward Karen's direction, though without the telescope, she could see nothing at all. Yet that palpable feeling of being watched did not vanish; instead, it grew heavier. She began looking around warily, cold sweat beading on her forehead. "Miss? Miss?" Qisang called out. "He saw me! He saw me!" "Miss, that's impossible. We are at a sufficiently safe distance, and I placed special screening measures beneath our feet. It's impossible for—" Suddenly, Qisang noticed his own vision blurring as well. He took out his eyeball once more to wipe it, only to find that it was turning on its own. Contained within it was an unfamiliar gaze. Qisang shouted in horror, "Damn it, how is this possible? How did he do this?!" That person's gaze could actually penetrate such a vast distance, pierce his screening measures, and reach directly here. Exceptional craftsmen in church circles often resembled secular scientists: they held supreme confidence in the instruments they crafted and the principles they mastered. But now, his confidence and understanding had been trampled into the dust. Ruiqier took off a ring and crushed it. After a flash of crystal light, a duplicate of Ruiqier appeared, identical even down to her aura—a puppet of supreme quality. "Grandpa Qisang, stay here with my puppet. I'm leaving first." The moment she finished speaking, Ruiqier draped a crimson cloak over herself. Her appearance and aura altered in an instant, and her figure turned into a red beam of light, darting into the distance. Qisang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in his throat, dissolving into a silent, bitter smile. A minute ago, he had been mourning his old friend's death; now, he was likely going to keep his old friend company. He quietly accepted his fate. He had to create a safer opening for his young mistress. Even if her words and conduct were somewhat frivolous and unhinged, she was worth doing this for. Even now, Qisang understood the assassination choice she had made. Had the intelligence not been flawed, the commander of the opposing Order army group should have died here today. Qisang's ten fingers twitched slightly, releasing threads that sank into the ground. Below, combat puppets were activated one after another, entering combat readiness. "Boy, let me test your mettle." *** Karen opened his eyes, surprised by how unexpectedly close the target was. The person carried the artifact aura of the Spear of Sin. Anyone who could bring out an artifact was bound to hold no ordinary status, and they had the luxury to dispatch an assassin of that caliber on a one-way mission. In the past, Karen would never have taken an impulsive risk. But this time, letting it go would be unjustifiable. Thousand Phantoms flapped its wings, and Karen's figure drifted upward. "Purr, you and Kevin look after Kanna. Rekar, follow my lead!" Count Rekar immediately took the order. In the next instant, the wings behind Karen beat at maximum frequency, hurtling through the air at terrifying speed. Qisang sensed the approach of that powerful aura and took a deep breath, striving to adjust his condition to its peak. Then he looked up, only to find the black figure streaking like lightning straight past his head without the slightest pause, ignoring him entirely. And the direction the figure pursued was precisely the direction in which his young mistress had fled! "Not good—he's tracking the aura of the Spear of Sin!" *** In the sky, a silver wyvern appeared. This was the aerial strength of the Black Silver Legion. These wyverns were modified, no longer entirely flesh and blood, meant to counter the Church of Order's falcon knights. Ruiqier immediately signaled. Now that she had encountered her own side's wyvern knights on the perimeter of the positions, she was essentially safe. The silver wyvern received the signal and began descending. The two handlers on its back looked down curiously, not knowing which high-ranking commander would appear here at this time. Ruiqier stopped, parted her cloak, and reverted to her original appearance, panting heavily. To quicken her escape, she had cast speed-boosting spells nonstop, leaving her thoroughly exhausted. What she did not know was that the man she fancied not only possessed an absolute speed advantage like Thousand Phantoms, but could also sustain three or four of those speed spells running simultaneously without interruption. As the silver wyvern descended, a black vortex formed in the air beside it. A giant hand reached out and seized the wyvern in a vice grip. Crack! The wyvern, along with the handlers on its back, was crushed to pieces, raining down in a shower of blood and mangled flesh. Seeing this, Ruiqier pressed her lips together. Before her, black lightning touched down. As the wings retracted, she no longer had to view him through a telescope—she stood face-to-face with the Karen she constantly talked about. "Corps Commander Karen, did you know that I'm your admirer? It's simply too thrilling to meet you up close like this. I thought our meeting would have to wait until after the ceasefire. "Ah, such a rare opportunity. Could you give me an autograph? I swear I'll cherish it and sleep hugging it every night." Ruiqier pulled out a notebook with a girlish cover from her bosom, along with a pen. Yet the moment she drew out the notebook, a shadow fell across her, and a greatsword was already resting against her neck. "I only want an autograph. Just grant this tiny wish of mine, won't you..." Ruiqier acted as if blind to her situation, continuing to talk while reaching out to open the notebook. Hiss... The tip of Karen's sword pierced the girl's neck. Though it did not kill her, it was the most direct warning. "Ugh, fine, if you don't want to sign it, forget it. I understand. You must be very tired too, right, Karen? You definitely don't want to deal with your admirer right now; you need rest." Ruiqier let go, casually dropping the notebook. However, a starburst appeared on the ground. The moment the notebook landed, it was covered by the starburst, completing a secondary seal. The sealed notebook floated into Karen's hand, revealing its true form: a purple scroll containing terrifying fluctuations of energy—a semi-forbidden curse-level defensive spell scroll. Ruiqier smiled, realizing her little scheme had long been seen through by Karen. Looking at the pen she still held, she simply said: "This is an offensive lightning scroll of the same rank. I'll count to ten. If you don't back away from me, I'll drag you down with me. You know, dying together with you would be the ultimate romance for me. "Heh, ten... nine..." Karen quickly chimed in, skipping ahead: "Three, two, one!" Ruiqier: "..." As soon as the countdown ended, the Fire of Order flared along the greatsword, burning into the wound on Ruiqier's neck. Soon, agony twisted Ruiqier's expression, and she began to wail. Karen said, "Go ahead, activate the scroll. Let's die together." Ruiqier let go, tossed the pen to Karen, dropped to her knees, and raised both hands: "You win. I surrender. I'm afraid to die." Karen withdrew the Fire of Order as Chains of Order snaked outward, binding Ruiqier tightly. Scorched across large areas of her body, Ruiqier lay on her side, squirming slightly as she spoke: "Oh, not only have you captured my heart, but now you've captured my body as well. You'll treat me well, won't you, my dear Lord Karen?" "You should know what Order's policy is for dealing with captured high-ranking enemy commanders." "I'm not in the legion. I hold no military rank, not even a position within the church. I'm just a little girl who came to the desert for sightseeing, hoping to meet her idol. "Rest assured, my dear Lord Karen, I will help you scheme how to demand a ransom from my grandfather to maximize your benefits. "Now, you need to take me back to your camp, have a female priest treat me, and give me a bath. Once my skin recovers its former beauty, something might even happen between us. If you're willing to sow your seed in me, I'm sure the little fruit that bears will not disappoint you. "A handsome corps commander falls in love with a female prisoner of war, sparking a wondrous, passionate romance; "Hehe, I'll raise them until they're sixteen, educate them thoroughly, and then hold their hands as we come to the Church of Order to find you and have them call you Father. "Oh, what a romantic and picturesque scene that would be." "Heh." "Dear Lord Karen, you might not yet understand what noble blood I possess. Don't you wish for one of your bloodlines to receive an immense elevation?" "I think it would be a severe downgrade." "Oh, you truly are humorous." At that moment, a voice came from the seashell behind Karen's ear. It was a call from Rekar; the cavalry unit he led was already approaching. Karen replied, "Take your men and circle around. Tell them their corps commander lost the target and the capture failed." After he issued this order, Ruiqier's expression shifted drastically. She naturally was not naive enough to think Karen was simply letting her go; if he had intended to release her, he wouldn't have pursued her in the first place. This could only mean one thing: Karen had no intention of treating her as an ordinary prisoner of war, and he did not want her name appearing in the army group's official logs! "What... what... what are you doing?!" "The Spear of Sin—the artifact spirit of that divine weapon is on you, isn't it? Hand it over to me." "No, that's impossible! It has already merged with my soul; I can't separate it! I want to give it to you, truly—I'd give you anything you want, but this simply cannot be done. There really is no way!" Karen nodded thoughtfully, then said: "There is a way. You just mentioned it yourself." "What did I... say?" "Since you cannot cut it out, the only option left is to remove you."