Are You Ready?

Alfred's fingers traced continuously through the empty air. He had no intention of physically copying out the characters he had seen right now; instead, he wanted to engrave every stroke and every subtle nuance into the depths of his heart, saving them to slowly mull over deep into the night. The Young Master's handwriting was not as aesthetically pleasing as the writing on the stele. Although the thought bordered on blasphemy, it was an objective fact. The characters Karen had written in notebooks and in daily life at Alfred's request were certainly far from professional. On top of that, he had been using Maclay for everyday communication over the past few years, so his hand had long grown rusty. However, the writing on the stele was a tangible manifestation on the level of consciousness, which meant that through his intermittent study and comprehension, Alfred had long since grasped the true essence. He had actually... comprehended calligraphy. A smile of profound contentment spread across Alfred's face. The fact that the Young Master's handwriting was not quite as beautiful did nothing to diminish his radiant, towering image in Alfred's heart. The Young Master was the original spark, and the one who spread the fire was him—Alfred Sao. Wasn't the very reason the Young Master hadn't done everything personally to intentionally grant him a sense of purpose and worth? Little Kanna asked Philomena curiously, "Will you live here in the future too?" Philomena shook her head. "It's too crowded here." Bern chuckled. "Inside there is the sanctuary that we, believers of Order, yearn for most after death. It is the highest honor in an Order believer's entire life." As he said this, Bern licked his lips. He was already very, very close to lying inside. By rights, he ought to be like Piro and the others, arriving early at the coffin sector assigned to him to pick out a spot he favored, filled with boundless piety and excitement. Yet today, his enthusiasm was not as high as he had once anticipated. Faintly, it felt as though it had been overshadowed by something far more thrilling. "Kanna!" Augie walked over of her own accord and bowed to Karen in greeting. Karen nodded to her, let go of Little Kanna's hand, and walked ahead. There, the Whip-Wielder was surrounded by a crowd of people speaking to him. When those dignitaries saw Karen, their expressions grew somewhat awkward. After exchanging courtesies with Karen, they dispersed; some continued inward, while others stepped back to wait for the people behind them. These people were not the top leaders of their respective branches; their standing within their departments was roughly comparable to Karen's position within the Whip of Order. Foden looked at Karen and smiled faintly. "All here asking me for leniency." Karen smiled in kind. "So, lodging complaints against me." Foden nodded. "You made them hurt. But that was precisely the desired effect. Otherwise, if it were harmless and painless, it would make our Whip of Order look like harmless, useless deadweight. By the way, the security squad I arranged for you—do you really not want them?" "Thank you for your concern, sir, but your subordinate truly doesn't need them. I came from a security squad background myself; having people protect me now is something I simply can't get used to." "The past was the past, and the present is the present. Your circumstances have changed. Mostly, it's because that dragon of yours hasn't reached adulthood. If she were fully grown..." Foden paused here, then raised a hand and set up an isolating barrier after all. Notable figures from both within and outside the church were coming and going along the road, so openly whispering secrets in public was indeed somewhat unbecoming. Then again, as the number one and number two spymasters of the Church of Order, plotting something in public was also perfectly normal. "If that dragon of yours were an adult, you'd at least be able to escape with your life even if pursued by a temple elder." "A temple elder from an outside church probably wouldn't personally make a move against your subordinate." "Live well." Karen froze for a moment. On many occasions now, Foden's attitude toward him had been so good that it made him feel slightly uneasy. Foden reached out, rested a hand on Karen's shoulder, and asked, "Mind if I take a look?" "Go ahead." Foden's consciousness began probing Karen's body. It was not a hostile prying, but more like a basic physical examination of his body and soul. Removing his hand, Foden frowned slightly and asked, "How did you manage this?" Buken's legacy had been given to him; Foden certainly knew that, as he had been upstairs at the time. Yet since Foden was asking, he clearly believed that Buken's legacy alone could not have caused his soul's strength to advance so rapidly. Otherwise, why would anyone bother cultivating and meditating? Everyone would just devour one another instead. In truth, it was primarily because the hunger addiction had successively swallowed Ankara's consciousness and Buken's soul. Moreover, the hunger addiction's absorption and conversion efficiency was extraordinarily high. This was what created such a glaring disparity between the Karen of today and the Karen who had summoned a dharma body alongside Foden back at Augurev Fortress. Karen replied in a joking tone, "Cultivation has never really seemed difficult for me." This was a tentative answer that traded on their "good relationship," serving as groundwork so he could concoct a proper excuse when Foden pressed for details. Yet Foden did not pursue the question. Instead, he waved a hand to dispel the isolating barrier and sighed with emotion, "Yes, that's true." It was hardly incomprehensible for a Child of God to possess incredible cultivation talent. Foden began walking inward, with Karen at his side. Behind them, Augie, Little Kanna, and the others followed. Entering the canyon, they immediately arrived in a new world. It was vast and quiet. The boundless, heavily despondent permafrost stretched beyond sight, epitomizing the very definition of a forbidden zone of life. A broad carriage road extended downward from beneath their feet, leading straight to the center of this world—a solemn black pyramid. However, around the pyramid's perimeter was a pale blue barrier of light enveloping it, isolating it from the outside world. Originally, no such barrier existed, because this small world and the area leading into it from outside were among the core territories of the Church of Order. Ever since the First Knight Order had inexplicably stirred last time, this protective layer had been added. It was not meant to ward off the outside, but rather directed inward—not so much a precaution as an appeasement. Yet what gave Karen the most direct sense of grandeur was the colossal bone gate standing right above him. It was the sole passageway from the outside world into this place, constructed entirely from the skeletal remains of deities and divine beasts comparable to gods. Unlike the divine corruption encountered elsewhere, these bones were very clean, having presumably undergone special treatment. Of course, no matter what kind of corruption or heresy it was, it could never stir up any trouble here; it would become utterly docile. Little Kanna walked up to a massive gatepost, wiped a spot in front of her with her sleeve, and then glanced left and right. Leon and Philomena were immersed in the shock of their first visit here, while Bern lagged behind, conversing with the Head Bishops of two other regions. Augie noticed Little Kanna's actions and looked down. Little Kanna whispered, "Big dumb dragon, block me for a second." Augie was somewhat puzzled, but stepped behind Little Kanna nonetheless. "Mm, not enough. People can still see." Seeing this, Augie lifted the hem of her skirt and gathered Little Kanna beneath it. In human form, she was tall and voluptuous, while Little Kanna was just a little girl; shielded by the skirt, nothing out of the ordinary could be seen from outside. Besides, the dignitaries who came here deliberately restrained their consciousness, and certainly no one would demean themselves by peeking beneath someone else's skirt. In complete safety, Little Kanna smiled in relief, opened her mouth, and took a bite out of the gatepost where she had just wiped it clean. "Oh... so hard." Augie chuckled, finally understanding what Little Kanna was up to, and whispered, "Why are you so naive?" With that, Augie lifted her skirt to expose Little Kanna, only to see a small chunk missing from that section of the pillar, ringed with cute little teeth marks. And Little Kanna was currently chewing on something in her mouth. Chewing away, Little Kanna grumbled petulantly, "Why are you so foolish?" Augie: "..." The sight startled Augie so badly that her dragon tail nearly materialized. She hurriedly dropped her skirt back down, concealing Little Kanna once more. This was the holy of holies within the Church of Order, where every blade of grass and tree held supreme symbolic meaning, and she was actually gnawing on the gateposts! "Stop it right now! Do you know how severe the crime of desecrating this place is? It's enough to get the two of us skewered together and roasted like meat!" In response to Augie's warning, there was another crunch! Like snapping off a piece of chocolate, another bite was taken. Augie's entire face scrunched up. Crunch... Crunch... Crunch... The chewing grew faster and faster, with mounting frequency. Augie's body began to tremble. "Burp..." Finally, a satisfied burp came from beneath her skirt. "Enough, right? That's enough!" "Big dumb dragon, want a bite? It's sweet and fragrant, super tasty." "N-no need! Come out quickly, let's get far away from here." Just then, Augie felt the person inside her skirt jump up and down on the spot a few times. This was to help the food settle into her stomach faster, freeing up more room to keep enjoying the delicacy. Crunch... Crunch... Crunch... A series of crisp sounds rang out once again. "Aiya, I really can't eat another bite." Augie let out a long sigh of relief. It was finally over. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch... "Didn't you say you couldn't eat anymore!" Right after asking, Augie felt extra weight beneath her, as if several heavy steel plates had been strapped to her legs and belly. "I'm full, so we're packing some up to take back for round two." "Are you done? Are you done yet!" "Done. Phew, it's so stuffy in here." Augie lifted her skirt, only to see a massive crater gouged out of the pillar! "What do we do about this?!" "Cover it back up, cover it back up!" Little Kanna urged. Augie could only drop her skirt back down. Click! Hiss... Little Kanna sucked in a breath of cold air and walked out from under Augie's skirt. The pillar had returned to its original state. "How... did you do that?" "Mm, I used my own power to make it grow back." "Is that even the same thing?" This was the equivalent of patching a chipped gold brick with cement. "It'll be fine. Who would come inspect this?" Little Kanna stole a glance at Karen walking with the Whip-Wielder in the distance, turned her back, clenched her left hand into a fist, and tapped it with her right index finger. Augie asked curiously, "What are you doing?" "Divination." "That octopus's power?" "Shh." Little Kanna held the pose for a moment longer, then beamed. "It's fine. Safe." "Your divination might not even be accurate." "I did the divination for you. The result showed you'll be safe and smooth for the next few days. You don't believe it?" "I believe it." "Mm." Little Kanna prepared to walk forward, but having eaten far too much, she could only hold her belly with both hands. Augie asked curiously, "Is it really that delicious?" "Of course! I smelled it the moment I came in. Huh, what a huge notebook!" Ahead, a thick, heavy tome floated over, upon which sat an elderly man, Zhongtasen. Zhongtasen caught Little Kanna's words, paused, looked at her, and praised, "How is this child so well-nourished?" Saying so, he reached out to pat Little Kanna's cheek, but she glared at him and swiped at his hand. Zhongtasen immediately pulled back his hand and said sheepishly, "Why so stingy?" "Who are you?" "I am one of the caretakers here." Zhongtasen patted the thick tome beneath him with immense pride. "And this is no notebook either; it's the chronicles of the First Knight Order over all these years." "Mm, I get it," Little Kanna nodded. "Little one, whose dragon are you?" "The Silva family's." "Silva?" Zhongtasen quickly searched his memory for the surname, finally remembering who it was, as there was only one prominent figure in the church with that name. "Oh, you're Director Karen's dragon." "Mm." "Dragons should pay their respects here more often." Zhongtasen pointed toward the colossal bone gate ahead. "This gate is the masterpiece of the Rebel Dragon God." Although not long ago the Church of Order had cracked down on the dragon race within the Church of the Burrow, slaughtering and enslaving a great many dragons, the actions of later generations had nothing to do with their forebears. Although the Rebel Dragon God was one of the seven founding deities of the Church of the Burrow, its relationship was closest with the God of Order. In fact, there was a saying that because the Church of Order recognized only the sole God of Order and refused to grant titles and standing to subsidiary deities, the Rebel Dragon God had gone off to the Church of the Burrow to secure a founding god's status, seemingly stubborn in its desire to sit on equal footing with the God of Order. Had any other god in that era dared treat the God of Order with such an attitude, they would likely have been suppressed long ago; only the God of Order had tacitly tolerated its antics. This colossal bone gate of the First Knight Order had not been forged by the Rebel Dragon God personally—though it possessed various dragon talents, it was no blacksmith. However, the special foundation needed to construct the gate had been fetched by the Rebel Dragon God. Legend had it that it had personally ventured to multiple secret realms, slain powerful divine beasts, eaten all their flesh, and brought back the skeletal remains to cast as the foundation. "Did you know? Inside that pyramid, an enormous empty coffin slot was actually reserved. It was originally kept for the Rebel Dragon God at its own request." Little Kanna asked, "Is it inside then?" As she asked, she quietly licked her lips. "An empty slot," Zhongtasen shook his head. "Of course not. However, some of your predecessors do slumber inside. Like you, they were once our church's guardian dem... dragon race, who earned the right to be interred alongside their masters." Little Kanna pinched her fingers together. "How pitiful. Sacrificed as burial companions?" "No, no, no, of course not. The lifespan of dragons is far longer than humans; they entered later. How could our church have them buried alive? They were all believers of Order as well, just like you." Little Kanna poked Augie beside her. "She's not." Augie: "..." "Hahaha." Zhongtasen was amused by Little Kanna. In truth, he had only stopped to chat because he found her adorable. He had once adopted an orphan girl within the church whom he had never met, and that orphan girl had given birth to a daughter—his adoptive granddaughter. He had only ever seen photographs and never met them in person, but in two more years he would be able to leave this place and live with them. He was full of anticipation for his retirement. As such, he had no resistance to little girls. "When you follow your master and guard Order all your life, you have already sworn your devotion to Order through tangible deeds. Actions always speak louder than words." Augie wrinkled her nose; she hated being lectured and despised such preachiness. Seeing Zhongtasen turn solemn, Little Kanna immediately reined in her smile and bowed respectfully in return. "Thank you. Praise Order." "Haha. Yes, praise the great God of Order." Zhongtasen looked down and pointed at Augie. "I see now—you are, and she isn't." Little Kanna nodded eagerly. "Right, right, right!" At that moment, two columns of imposing knights on horseback slowly passed through the colossal gate. "Ah, the High Priest has arrived." Zhongtasen waved goodbye to Little Kanna and went forward to receive the High Priest. Those who could attend this memorial service were among the highest in status across the church community. Even so, strict tiers were observed here: the vast majority had to leave their vehicles at the outer entrance and proceed on foot, while individuals of Karen's rank were permitted to take carriages up to the canyon. Yet the only person permitted to ride a carriage all the way through the colossal bone gate was the High Priest alone; not even temple elders had that privilege. For by statutory right, only the High Priest of the Church of Order possessed the authority to activate the First Knight Order. This was not an authority granted by power, but power bestowed by authority. Watching the escort procession advance, Karen could not help but sigh inwardly. One reason the Church of Order had maintained this operational system over the ages, without being heavily eroded or interfered with by clans or temples like other churches, lay precisely in this. The supreme leader of the Church of Samsara was known as the Gatekeeper, while the supreme leader of the Church of Order was known as the High Priest—and what was being tended to and offered sacrifice was none other than this place. Foden asked, "Your first time here—how does it feel?" Karen pointed toward the towering, majestic pyramid below and answered, "Down there..." He paused, rarely needing time to gather his thoughts. It was not about pondering how to formulate a proper response—in truth, doing so required no deliberate thought. Rather, translating his raw inner impressions into concrete descriptions required an emotional progression. Foden said, "Down there lie generations of our Church of Order's forebears." Karen nodded and said, "And down there lies the history of our Church of Order—a slumbering, yet still 'living' history. Coming here, it is not us who are paying homage to them; rather, we are undergoing their scrutiny, enduring the review of history. They are generations of idealists, a collective of true believers of Order. Standing before them, one cannot help but reflect on whether the clerical robes on one's body have been soiled, whether one's words and deeds conform to the Code of Order, and whether one's faith remains steadfast." Foden nodded. "Well said." Then he thought to himself: *So, is that the perspective from which you review us?* "I'm heading over to the High Priest." Foden walked toward the High Priest's carriage. Karen located Little Kanna and walked hand in hand with her for a short distance. Sensing something off, he asked, "Sleepy?" "Yeah." "Did you take too high a dose of pills?" "I gnawed on the gatepost. It tasted so good." "That gatepost?" Karen looked toward the colossal bone gate. "Mm. Not that much. Um, I won't do it next time." "It's fine. If you can stomach it, I'll bring you here often to gnaw on it in the future. It should be good for you." Karen bent down and lifted Little Kanna onto his back; she was truly struggling to walk right now. Wrapping her arms around Karen's neck, Little Kanna asked curiously, "Huh, I thought you'd scold me. Augie said every plant and tree here can't be touched, and that it's a huge taboo." "It doesn't matter. They're just ornaments." The first thing the forebears of Order slumbering here would do upon awakening was immediately depart to fulfill their mission in whatever time they had left. Who would stay around to admire the scenery? As long as eating it aided Little Kanna's growth, it couldn't be considered a loss of church assets. The memorial altar had been arranged in advance, directly facing the black pyramid. Communication arrays had been activated one after another, broadcasting the scene in real time. For a major event, the organizers could be described as spartan to the extreme: no protocol officers, no attendants. If you wanted a sip of water, you had to chip off a piece of ice from the permafrost yourself and figure out how to melt it. Yet no one cared about such things. The people of the church looked solemn upon seeing that pyramid; as for those from other churches, no matter how well they concealed it, one could still detect the complexity in their eyes. Of course, there was no lack of priests here—in fact, there were quite a few. Their clerical robes bore an embroidered pendant on the chest, and every one of them wore a mask. They were the "Awakeners," belonging exclusively to the First Knight Order. Their mission was to awaken the First Knight Order slumbering within the pyramid whenever the command was issued. Throughout their lives, they practiced only this single magical discipline, delving solely into arrays and apparatuses related to awakening. Selected to come here in their youth, they could only leave in old age once their bodies and souls deteriorated. During this time, unless assigned an external mission, they were forbidden from leaving, marrying, or having children. Some among them would adopt orphans within the church, who received a special stipend, so that when the priests retired and left this place, they would have a family to grow old with. It could be said that the most precious years of their lives were dedicated to this place. The most helpless part was that the skills they spent their entire lives studying might never be used even once before they grew old and left. It was not just them; generations of Awakener priests had lived out their lives this way. For in the history of the Church of Order, there had only been occasional awakenings of small batches or individuals; a large-scale awakening had never once occurred. The High Priest's carriage did not ascend directly to the altar, but stopped before an ice sculpture in the center. The High Priest stepped down from the carriage. Riding with him was an elderly man dressed in the clerical robes of the Church of Principles: Xifusi, the Hierarch of the Church of Principles. Only the Church of Principles enjoyed such treatment; after all, the partnership between Order and Principles had a long history. Foden and a whole host of genuine heavyweights had long been waiting by the carriage, following the High Priest's pace. The High Priest sighed with emotion. "Every time I come here, a distinct feeling wells up." Then the High Priest looked around at those nearby and asked with a smile, "Do you have it too?" "Yes." "Indeed, we feel it too." "Yes." Foden said, "A weighty sensation of being reviewed by history." Hearing this, the High Priest paused slightly, then reached out and patted Foden on the shoulder. He was growing increasingly lonely nowadays; only this former companion could truly understand him so consistently. Xifusi said, "Truly, I deeply envy the Church of Order for this historical weight." The High Priest replied, "After you die, a separate spot can be cleared out for you here." Xifusi replied, "Oh, how could I presume?" Conversing and laughing, the group arrived before the ice sculpture. It depicted only an upper torso, holding aloft a pendant with both hands, face turned downward and head bowed, obscuring the features. This was the "Awakener" ice sculpture, symbolizing generations of anonymous, selfless dedication in this place. The High Priest bowed solemnly toward this ice sculpture. Beside him, apart from Xifusi who remained motionless, Foden and the others all followed suit. Immediately after, all the Order priests on the perimeter, excluding the Awakeners, bowed in unison. Little Kanna slid down from Karen's back and performed a full bow alongside him. Once the salute was complete, all the masked Awakener priests stationed here bowed in return toward the High Priest and the sculpture. There were no speeches, no handovers—only silent, profound respect. Without them, the First Knight Order would not be the First Knight Order; and without the First Knight Order, through the passage of two eras, the Church of Order might well have foundered amid some storm long ago. At the very least, Light would not have perished like that; had conditions allowed, how could Light not have wagered everything on a final strike? Subsequently, the High Priest and his entourage ascended the altar. In front of the altar, small tombstones had long been erected, standing in neat rows. These were the Order priests who had fallen on the desert battlefield. Though most of them lacked the qualifications to enter the First Knight Order, they rightfully deserved equal reverence. Accompanied by Foden and the church's various department heavyweights, the High Priest and Xifusi reached the highest tier of the altar. Every communication array was trained upon the High Priest's position. The second tier was occupied by figures of Karen's rank, along with representatives from the various churches. Karen caught sight of Derius. Several times, Derius glanced over, hoping to seize an opportunity to converse with Karen, but Karen never returned his gaze. He had no mood to exchange pleasantries with this past financial backer right now; everything would wait until the memorial service concluded. Bern, Leon, and the others were on the third tier. Alfred, Philomena, and the other accompanying staff could only remain on the tiers below. Although the altar seemed insignificant compared to the pyramid ahead, it was actually towering and spacious. Still, an immense crowd had gathered today, so apart from the first and second tiers, the levels below were somewhat cramped. The High Priest stood at the foremost prominence of the highest tier. He opened his hands and slowly raised them upward. Below, the Awakener priests began to chant. The barrier of light that had enveloped the pyramid since the last disturbance was slowly lifted. A majestic, ancient, weathered aura began to spill forth. Only now was the true demeanor of Order's First Knight Order genuinely revealed. The solemn pressure plunged the entire altar into silence. Once the barrier lifted completely, the High Priest would deliver his memorial address. Little Kanna, who had been lifted back onto Karen's back, suddenly clutched him tightly in nervousness. "What's wrong?" "Mm, suddenly I'm really nervous." "Heh." The barrier completely parted from the pyramid. Streams of black light flowed across the pyramid's outer walls. The High Priest's voice resounded across the area: "Recently, the Church of Order has faced increasingly severe challenges. More and more factions have begun to provoke the majesty of our Order..." Just then, a whisper suddenly reached Karen's ears: "God, I, Salas Pino, await your summons!" "God, I, Sidroman Campos, await your summons!" "God, I, Difuka Hil Rollin, await your summons!" "God, I, Alas Ponxi, await your summons!" "God..." At first, Karen could still make out distinct voices, but soon, a tidal wave of prayers completely submerged his hearing. These were the oaths sworn during life and upheld in death by the members of the First Knight Order slumbering within the pyramid. These were their devout prayers to the God of Order. They stood ready at every moment to be awakened and sacrifice their final, absolute all for Order. Karen's eyes began to redden with blood. Fortunately, he was far stronger than before, and his soul was vastly more resilient; had it been his past self standing here, his soul and consciousness would likely have been annihilated instantly by this terrifying force of will. Even now, he endured tremendous pressure, forcing the hunger addiction statue within his soul swamp to surge upright and expand rapidly. Yet this time, it was not an outbreak of hunger addiction, nor did the statue attempt to seize control of Karen's body again. Instead, it uttered a low roar, as if answering a call. All of this unfolded in absolute silence within Karen. No one could detect anything amiss with the Director of the Disciplinary Department of the Whip of Order standing in a corner of the second tier. For in the next instant, every gaze—including those watching before the communication arrays, whether within the church or outside it—fell squarely upon that pyramid. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! From the uppermost tier descending downward, the coffins on every level emitted a faint tremor. Yet there were simply too many coffins here, and those slumbering within were all peerless figures in the Church of Order during their lifetimes. As the vibrating sounds of the coffins converged, they formed a terrifying resonance, and the pyramid itself seemed to tremble alongside them. The sensation felt like an advancing front-line phalanx of an Order legion. Wooooooo——! Hanging at the very peak of the pyramid, the divine artifact [Harvest Horn] sounded of its own accord without anyone activating it. Beneath the surrounding permafrost, massive ice cones jutted upward, sealing within them array after array of war apparatuses—belonging to array masters, warriors, priests, spellcasters... Among them, many were masterpieces whose crafts were now lost to time, impossible to replicate or reverse-engineer. When the First Knight Order was awakened, this ensured they could instantly obtain their fitting armaments and unleash their full power to the absolute limit. Thump! Thump! Thump! The permafrost began to shudder. At this moment, this small world seemed infused with vitality. A concentrated, fierce will swept through like a tempest. The terrifying oppression made many powerful figures present feel the true meaning of insignificance. Attending beside the High Priest, the caretaker Zhongtasen rapidly flipped through the giant tome beneath him and reported: "High Priest, this is the horn of battle readiness!" At his side, closest to the High Priest, Xifusi, Hierarch of the Church of Principles, gazed at Norton with immense envy. In an era like this, for the Church of Order to have a Child of God and successor of Tyrannus serve as High Priest—such fortune was truly enough to make other churches bleed with envy. Foden and the others also turned admiring, deferential gazes toward their High Priest. The people beneath the altar and the surrounding Awakener priests likewise looked upward instinctively and bowed. Even the temple elders watching this scene inside the Temple of Order wore remarkably expressive looks—a blend of pent-up grievance and suppressed frustration with nowhere to vent, mixed with a trace of resignation. Ukonga chuckled bluntly, "I can guarantee Budalas couldn't achieve this. So, gentlemen, just accept it. What the hell is there left to fight over?" Everyone assumed that this stir within the First Knight Order stemmed from the High Priest of the Church of Order. Except... the High Priest himself. The High Priest slowly raised his head and looked toward the sky. With his back to everyone, his eyes were exceedingly complex. *My Lord,* *have You truly returned?* Karen's body could barely hold on. Although Little Kanna remained on his back, her body had already begun floating; had she not been clutching and holding him up from behind, Karen would likely have collapsed onto the ground by now. In his mind, deep in the core of his soul, thunderbolts seemed to be crashing with furious intensity. Because of his arrival, oaths and prayers that originally targeted the Laws of Order converged entirely upon him. If this horrific tearing continued any longer, it felt as though it would rip him apart and annihilate him. This sensation was just like the dream he had had the previous night. In Karen's dazed consciousness, the pyramid before him transformed into that seated figure viewed from behind. Although that back remained towering, influenced by the dream, Karen felt that his divine body had already decayed. He sat there alone, having borne the most vicious curses of the pantheon of gods for an entire era. Karen asked dazedly in his heart: *He is weary;* *he can hold them back no longer;* *the gods are about to return;* *what...* *should we do?* Wooooooo——! The [Harvest Horn] sounded once more. Battle flags rose one after another. These slumbering forebears of Order were compartmentalized by their functions in life, with corresponding commanders assigned to each sector to ensure that upon a collective revival, the First Knight Order would be a complete, orderly, and fully integrated legion. Each battle flag represented a legion phalanx, corresponding to the constituent units of the army. Zhongtasen rapidly flipped through the giant tome and cried, "This is the horn of attack! The horn of attack!" The priests of the Church of Order fell silent; even the temple elders wore solemn expressions. The representatives of foreign churches present and those watching through communication arrays turned ashen. Because Order's First Knight Order was mysterious yet public knowledge, everyone knew what its foundation was. Thus, even foreign priests who despised Order to the bone would never naively think this was a staged performance orchestrated by the Church of Order. To stage a performance by prematurely awakening all—no, even just a portion—of the First Knight Order would be an act of utter idiocy that not even a fool would commit! All of this proved only one thing. Even in death, lying here as corpses, the First Knight Order of Order still radiated an intense, ferocious will to fight. They longed to be awakened, longed to take up their weapons again, longed to crush beneath their boots any existence that dared challenge the authority of Order. The Church of Order composed of the living was already acknowledged as the number one church in the world. Yet there was another Church of Order—the deceased one—and it was even more terrifying. It was unimaginable: if the High Priest of Order were to order the Awakeners to initiate an awakening right now, what church in this world could possibly withstand such a horrifying tide of black scourge? From the perspective of political influence, the effect of the High Priest launching this memorial service had been pushed far beyond the absolute limit. By laying down its ultimate trump card, the Church of Order once again proclaimed its overwhelming might before the entire church circle and the whole world. The High Priest continued: "Here, on behalf of the Church of Order, I declare to the entire church circle and to this world: the Church of Order shall never fear any challenge! All believers of Order will spare no cost, pledging their lives to defend the light of Order!" At this moment, Karen slowly raised his head. His expression was no longer one of agony. In this instant, Karen had finally found a balance between himself and them, as well as between himself and the hunger addiction. Illusory phantoms emerged from every coffin within the pyramid. They had not been awakened, nor did they possess self-awareness; according to research reports from the Church of Principles, these phantoms should be completely numb at this stage. Yet these phantoms were the emotional manifestations of the spiritual power within the remains of the Order forebears slumbering here. As they appeared one by one, the originally black pyramid gradually turned transparent. Viewed from the altar and through the communication arrays, it looked as though figures were standing in front of their respective coffins. It was true that they were numb—because before dying, only a single thought remained in their hearts, having long stripped away all extraneous impurities. Death had taken away everything, leaving behind only the purest ideal of Order. Karen opened his eyes. The bloodshot tint in his gaze had faded, replaced by a profound, fathomless black. The decay of the God of Order and the approaching footsteps of the returning gods had long pressed down on him until he could scarcely breathe; it was hard even to convince himself that he could truly withstand it all. Perhaps this was his true purpose in coming to see the First Knight Order. He hoped to find confidence here, to find courage, to find comrades... with whom he could fight shoulder to shoulder when the gods descended in the future. Karen asked in his heart: *Are you ready?* Within the pyramid, every phantom placed a fist against their chest. In that instant, a soul shockwave surged like a torrential flood from ahead, converging into a unified, roaring cry: ["Always ready!"]