He Has Returned!

Just as the dignitaries present prepared to offer their salutations, two files of armored knights strode out from both flanks. Their sudden emergence brought with it a dense aura of stifling austerity. The Commander of the Second Knight Order and his two vice commanders; the Commander of the Third Knight Order and his two vice commanders; the Commander of the Fourth Knight Order and his two vice commanders... From the Second Knight Order all the way to the Twelfth, one commander and two vice commanders each—every active-duty commander-level officer entered the hall at this moment. Even Commander Daan, who nominally should have been in the desert coordinating the war against the coalition, stood among their ranks. The spectacle looked remarkably like a coup d'état. Still, no one let their imagination run so wildly. If a coup were truly underway, it would have been impossible for them not to be informed beforehand; even if only a select few were notified, the rest would not have remained completely in the dark. The Church of Order was not some minor cult with shambolic organization, where a single powerful figure leading his men could strike into the core and topple everything in one blow. Besides, with the commanders and vice commanders of eleven Knight Orders—all except the First—marching in together, no subversive faction, no matter how powerful, could ever muster such an overwhelming display. Yet this sacrificial ceremony, whose grandeur had already been elevated, was instantly imbued with an even more extraordinary significance and weight by their entrance. The commanders were unarmed. After taking their positions, they crossed their arms over their chests. The rest of the dignitaries followed suit, chanting in unison: "Greetings, High Priest." "Greetings, High Priest." The High Priest merely waved a hand with a smile and said, "Alright, let's head to the square." With that, the High Priest took the lead, walking through the center of the crowd. Cardinal Krede and two other cardinals followed behind him, succeeded by Foden and the rest. The other dignitaries fell in line, and once outside, the commanders who had flanked the hall split to both sides as well, functioning like an escort vanguard. This left Mobiten outside at a loss for how to position his own guards; he had no choice but to motion for the original High Priest's detail to hang back farther, leaving only himself ahead to the High Priest's oblique front to guide the way. The Sacrificial Square was quite a distance from the Office Divine Hall. But since the High Priest was not riding in a carriage, none of the others could take any transport either; they had no choice but to march on foot behind him in sequential order. This was Karen's first time touring the Holy See's core district in a relaxed frame of mind. Edifices rich in the culture of Order stood tall all around. Every corner held the weight of history; every fresco told its own tale. Even without tracing back to the mythic era of gods from the last epoch, the illustrious figures and anecdotes of this epoch alone were enough to burst the mind of the most seasoned tour guide. Karen, however, had heard Purr and Kevin's exchange when the High Priest first appeared. Thus, as his gaze brushed past the High Priest's back ahead, a flicker of doubt arose in his mind. Originally, he thought the High Priest had suppressed Tyrannus in the same way he himself suppressed the hunger addiction, yet judging by Kevin's reaction, that didn't seem to be the case. Still, with dignitaries so close by, detailed discussion was out of the question. One could hardly erect an isolation barrier in such a setting to whisper secrets, nor could they naively converse in "cat and dog language"—who knew if some dignitary possessed eclectic hobbies and had picked up beast tongue on the side? Everything at the Sacrificial Square was already prepared. Those who lacked the status to rest inside the Office Divine Hall had gathered early in the outer ring, tactfully leaving the inner circle open. There were no seats; the arrangement seemed fairly loose, but figures of this stature had long outgrown the need for pre-assigned nameplates, finding their proper places with ease. At the same time, diplomatic envoys from various churches accredited to the Church of Order were also invited to attend. Recently, the Church of Order had been holding major events quite frequently, yet rather than becoming desensitized, the attendees took each one with increasing gravity. Above the square, a translucent, crystalline phoenix appeared, bearing three figures upon its back. These were the representatives from the Order Temple, with the Oracle standing in the center. The Oracle was female, wearing a purple mask that concealed her features, but Karen recognized the two at her sides: Sidi and Rohan. Ukonga had once joked that the only ones willing to go out and run errands nowadays were those "lively, restless kids." The three elders touched down, and the colossal phoenix condensed into a cloak that draped over the Oracle's shoulders, making her look incomparably noble and mysterious. Sitting on Kevin's back, Purr reached up with a paw to press down the hood on her head. *Hmph, this cat's hat is more expensive than yours.* *Besides, crafting a cloak takes time; my great-great-great-great-niece hasn't finished making mine yet.* Kevin's attention remained fixated on Norton, so much so that he didn't even bother egging Purr on to take revenge on her foes. Little Kanna found the solemn, austere atmosphere rather boring, but knowing she couldn't run around right now, she pulled a tomato from her satchel and gnawed on it with both hands. Beside them stood a female dignitary, the third-in-command of the Diplomatic Department. Her rank was comparable to Karen's, but she hadn't used spells to retouch her appearance, looking to be in her sixties with a kind, genial air. She reached out to pat Little Kanna's head and smiled at Karen. "My granddaughter is about this age too." Karen returned a polite smile. Little Kanna pulled another tomato from her satchel and handed it to her. "Sister, have one." "I've tried them; they truly taste wonderful," the woman said. "Take it to your granddaughter, Sister." "All right, thank you." The woman accepted the tomato, slipped it into the sleeve of her clerical robe, and said to Karen, "You've raised her so well." She could naturally tell that this was a bone dragon—and in any case, that was hardly a secret among the church's upper echelons. Karen was about to reply when he noticed an anomaly ahead. The disturbance was subtle: a ray of rosy twilight appeared across the firmament, seeming to slit open a massive rift across the sky. The rift gradually widened, forming a screen of light. In the center of the screen of light, the silhouette of a colossal structure emerged. The building looked familiar to Karen, and he recognized it immediately: "Augurev Fortress." Many of the dignitaries present began exchanging glances, uncertain whether this was part of the scheduled proceedings. Karen was unsure as well. He wasn't surprised by the arrival of the Knight Order commanders, but was Augurev Fortress supposed to appear here too? In theory, Augurev Fortress was the Church of Order's military citadel for monitoring the void countercurrent, serving as the first line of defense to intercept void beasts entering the world. Its coordinates were perpetually shifting; each teleportation there required both sides to synchronize and establish a new coordinate system. Yet this time, it had inexplicably appeared here. While it hadn't truly manifested physically, it was literally just one step away—all that was missing was a resonance from the Sacrificial Square. Kevin finally tore his gaze away from the High Priest and turned toward the fortress. He remembered that during the victory banquet back then, a gaze from Augurev had fallen upon him. Soon, Augurev Fortress within the screen of light shifted position, and the garrison led by Fortress Commander Punk saluted the High Priest. It gave the impression of a prearranged segment. But this was a sacrificial ceremony, not the High Priest's birthday; why go out of the way to arrange a distant garrison to salute across space? Other dignitaries might still be puzzled, but Karen could tell from the garrison's posture and movements that this was likely a hasty improvisation, performed to cover up the fortress's abrupt appearance. In other words, this hadn't been planned in advance—Augurev Fortress had... gone out of control. Not the garrison, but the fortress itself. Karen stepped away from his spot and walked inward until he reached Foden's side. Foden showed no surprise at Karen's approach, giving only a silent nod. Understanding, Karen returned to his place, then departed with Little Kanna, Kevin, and Purr. Although the ceremony had yet to formally begin, Karen's duty had arrived. As the second-in-command of the Whip of Order, a sudden "accident" like this demanded attention. Foden could not easily leave with too many eyes on him, and Augurev Fortress was of utmost importance—ordinary Whip of Order department heads were unsuited to investigate, leaving only Karen to take charge. Walking some distance away, he looked back: the screen of light was gone, and the phantom of Augurev Fortress had naturally vanished with it. In its place, hundreds of Sandys soared in from all directions, creating an enchanting spectacle. Little Kanna marveled, "So there are so many Sandys." Purr corrected her, "But the Sandy in our region's beast sanctuary is one of a kind." "Yes, exactly!" Little Kanna often had to visit the beast sanctuary where Ashley's parents worked for checkups, and every time she went, she would play with the beasts inside. She was very fond of Sandy, even though Sandy was terrified of her. After all, as an avian beast, sharing a cage with a dragon of noble bloodline was a pressure no ordinary bird could bear. Yet that never dampened Little Kanna's enjoyment of playing with her. Every time Sandy fluttered her wings in fright, Little Kanna would cheerfully pick up the shed feathers from the ground to take home. As a bone dragon, she had no scales, so she had a peculiar hobby of collecting things like feathers and scales. Karen boarded his carriage. Once the doors shut, Karen looked at Kevin and asked, "Notice anything?" "Woof!" *(She is Tyrannus.)* Karen sighed. "I was talking about the fortress phantom." This dog's priorities seemed a bit skewed. To Karen, whatever Norton's condition was, as long as they didn't lay everything bare between them, it wasn't a critical issue. He wouldn't even mind the High Priest being a "Child of God"; in his mind, the High Priest's image was already firmly established. "Woof, woof, woof." "A problem with the fortress's array? It shouldn't be that simple. If it were just an error, why would it resonate with this place?" "Woof, woof." "Augurev was also involved in designing the arrays inside the Holy See? What does that have to do with the fortress? Do arrays come with familial ties and gravitate toward each other on their own?" "Woof, woof, woof!" "You're saying Augurev had a quirk—he liked to fuse part of himself into the core when erecting structures?" Karen pondered for a moment, then asked, "Does that mean Augurev's restlessness signifies his imminent return?" The unborn child in Mavaglio's wife's womb had displayed that kind of restlessness before. If this incident was of the same nature, did it mean the return of a branch god of Order was imminent? Little Kanna asked curiously, "Doesn't that mean a god from our side is coming back?" Purr patted Little Kanna's head and said, "If that were the case, why would the God of Order choose this dumb dog to descend? Wouldn't picking another branch god have been better?" Hearing this, Kevin puffed out his chest with pride. Once the carriage passed through the Holy See's gates, Karen released a black raven, and the carriage proceeded toward the Whip of Order headquarters. At the headquarters entrance, Scarlett, the Regional Director of the Dinge Region, had already arrived with a group. When Karen stepped out of the carriage, they saluted: "Greetings, Minister." "Let's go." Karen walked straight into headquarters. Personnel from various offices along the corridor fell in behind him. The raven's message had been crystal clear: the Whip of Order was inspecting Augurev Fortress. You only needed to tell the subordinates what needed doing, and they would coordinate everything on their own. The teleportation array inside headquarters was already primed. When Karen entered, the priest maintaining it reported that synchronization with Augurev Fortress was complete. Teleportation initiated. Karen arrived at Augurev Fortress. The accompanying Whip of Order priests split into teams to interface across various affairs, reviewing everything from basic ledger audits to reinspections of array layouts. This was the Whip of Order's authority as well as its primordial duty; after an incident like this, they had to investigate under the highest protocol to see whether Augurev Fortress intended to apostatize. Punk had long been waiting for Karen, and walked beside him across the square. "The problem lies with that." Punk pointed to the statue of Augurev ahead. "It went out of control?" "Not out of control, but starting a while ago, it began exhibiting more and more spontaneous actions. We checked, but found no signs of external intrusion or manipulation." "Why wasn't this reported to higher-ups?" "That is my dereliction of duty." Punk admitted his fault. He had reasons for not reporting it, but he couldn't tell Karen. Because if anyone checked the operation logs, they would see clearly that on the day of the victory banquet held at Augurev Fortress, he had directly manipulated the statue. Such deep-level manipulation violated protocol, and instead of casting the statue's gaze into the void for surveillance, it was used for close-range observation. And the target of that observation had been Karen. The person who ordered him to do so was none other than Whip-Wielder Foden. Because his memory had been wiped, Punk didn't know what had been observed that day. But since Karen was standing here, confirmed as the number two successor of the Whip of Order, it certainly hadn't turned up anything unfavorable. Yet his own actions were awkward. If a real investigation began, could he sell out Foden? Did he want to drive a wedge between the first and second-in-command of the Whip of Order? Even if the second-in-command knew the boss had investigated him, he would pretend not to know, and then they would tacitly team up to ruin him instead. Nevertheless, with this inspection underway, his unauthorized manipulation would definitely be uncovered. Still, he was determined to keep quiet about it. "Are you hiding something?" Karen asked. "Do you have any idea what kind of impact this erratic behavior from Augurev Fortress on such an occasion will bring upon the church?" "I... don't know the exact details, but I know it will be severe." "Once the ceremony concludes, the investigation report must be submitted to the High Priest." "I know. Therefore, I will cooperate with the investigation." Karen frowned slightly, but it was inappropriate to press further right now. This was a fortress, after all, not his Disciplinary Department interrogation room. "Was this the most severe instance of aberrant behavior?" "Yes. Previously, only the defensive arrangements here would be altered, but this time, it shifted the fortress's coordinates." Karen looked down and said to Kevin and Purr, "Go check it out." "Woof!" "Meow!" Charge of the Evil God Knight. Punk raised a hand to deactivate the restrictions surrounding the statue, but he soon realized that the dog dodged every restriction with pinpoint precision—the speed of his deactivation couldn't even match the dog's advance. Bearing Purr, Kevin scaled the statue and reached its crown in a single breath. Augurev was depicted bald, and the top of his head was inevitably slick, nearly causing Kevin's paws to lose purchase and slip. "Dumb dog, anything wrong?" "Woof." Kevin poked the statue's head with his snout, then tilted sideways to press his ear against it. After listening for a moment, he raised his head. "Woof, woof." "You heard a heartbeat, meow?" Just then, the entire fortress suddenly shuddered. Karen asked immediately, "What happened?" "Could your personnel have made a mistake while checking the arrays?" "No. They are professionals." These temporary subordinates were handpicked from headquarters; how could they make such a rookie mistake? *Crack... crack... crack...* The statue of Augurev began to turn. Punk said, "It's spontaneous. No one is controlling it." Facing the boundless void, starlight-like brilliance suddenly surfaced in the statue's eyes, projecting into the distance. It appeared to be actively conducting reconnaissance. Atop its head, Kevin barked: "Woof, woof, woof!" "Who's controlling it? Augurev, meow?" *BOOM!* A muffled rumble like a heavy sledgehammer echoed. The fortress's defensive barrier rose, blocking the sonic onslaught. Even so, the Whip of Order priests and many garrison members instinctively clutched their chests; without the fortress's defense, many hearts would have ruptured outright under that terrifying shockwave. Unaffected, Karen immediately looked toward the direction the statue had scanned, discovering that the endless void seemed severed in a clean slice, revealing a gigantic elliptical cross-section. Countless void beasts fled in panic. Many failed to escape in time and were pulled in directly, annihilated into nothingness. These void beasts were the true natives of this special realm. The fortress captured them regularly to send back for research or sale. When Karen participated in the selection trials here back then, mental-attribute beasts had even served as "examiners." Now, however, they scattered like stray curs, their sheer numbers astounding. After all, due to prolonged "overfishing" by Augurev Fortress, beasts in the area had grown increasingly scarce, with the survivors hiding deeper and deeper. This time, it was as if the entire fish pond had been overturned, forcing even the aquatic creatures buried in the deepest silt out into the open. Yet these beasts only fled for their lives, showing no intent to assault the fortress. Apparently, after so many years of "friendly coexistence," they knew breaching this fortress was impossible. In the past, Punk would have ordered the fortress to attack or capture them, but this time, he stood bewildered. For within that colossal cross-section stood the silhouette of a gigantic tree—towering to an unimaginable degree, as if only an entire world could sustain and bear its weight. From the best vantage point atop the statue of Augurev's head, Kevin's canine eyes widened: "Woof!" "The Tree of Life?" Purr asked at once. "Isn't the Tree of Life supposed to be in the Church of Life's Garden of Life?" That place was equivalent to the Church of Order's Order Temple—an independent realm sustained by that very tree. "Woof, woof, woof, woof!" "The Tree of Life is the true form of the first-generation God of Life, and the second-generation God of Life was also birthed from it?" The Church of Life possessed two orthodox deities. The first-generation God of Life belonged to the Eternal camp. When the Eternal camp faltered in its struggle against the Light camp, the Church of Life birthed a second God of Life, who joined the Light camp. Such flip-flopping tactics, though shameless, had spared the Church of Life from total liquidation as a defeated party. However, the relationship between the God of Order and both Gods of Life was abysmal. This was explicitly recorded in the mythologies of various churches: the God of Order had battled the two Gods of Life. Even united, the latter two were no match for Order, and were forced to retreat into the Tree of Life for refuge. In the Church of Principles' mythological accounts, it was even recorded that the God of Order once asked the God of Principles how to break the Tree of Life. Whether out of genuine ignorance or deliberate evasion, the answer the God of Principles gave lacked practical feasibility. In the end, the God of Order failed to bring about the true demise of those two Gods of Life. But a bitter enmity was forged. In this epoch's clash between the Order and Light camps, the Church of Life firmly aligned itself with the Light camp. Back then, having triumphed in the conflict, the Church of Order was preoccupied with promoting the Code of Order and constructing the Order system, so it did not wage a war of annihilation against them. However, Budalas had forcibly extracted many sequence technologies from the Church of Life. Even today, the Church of Order's beast rearing, priest training, and pharmacology bore the imprint of Life. Purr extended a paw, pointing into the distance. "In front of that giant tree... is that a person, meow?" ... "Who is that?" Karen asked. Punk: "I... I don't know." Though the figure was colossal, it was blurred. All they could tell was that it was a person—no, a being of such majestic stature could not possibly be human; it had to be a god! From Augurev Fortress, the view of that massive cross-section resembled a moving oil painting. A gigantic tree spread countless branches, and before it stood the figure of a god. *Crackle... crackle... crackle...* Suddenly, terrifying bolts of lightning swept past from all directions. One struck the fortress, only to be neutralized by its defensive ward. The void beasts outside were not so fortunate; many were struck by the lightning and annihilated on the spot. Yet no one could tell where these bolts of lightning were coming from. Karen immediately pointed toward Scarlett standing in the distance and commanded, "Report the situation here to the Whip-Wielder at once!" "Understood, Minister." Punk also snapped into his role as commander: "Measure changes in distance!" "Reporting: no change in distance." "Damn it, how is that possible?!" No change in distance? Karen asked, "Is it not moving?" Punk shook his head. "It might not be moving, but the fortress we stand on is constantly in motion." Yet the distance remained completely unchanged. Karen said grimly, "But this is definitely no phantom." Otherwise, there was no explaining the swallowed void beasts or the rampant lightning bolts. Punk nodded. "Yes, Minister, this is certainly no phantom." ... Atop the statue's head, Kevin tilted his head, a glimmer of wisdom shining in his eyes. Sitting atop him, Purr initially felt only an invisible breeze brushing across her body. But in the next instant, she sensed a drastic change: she... was aging. Though she was advanced in age to begin with, having sustained her existence through the finger of Light and her feline transformation, this aging accelerated her decay, threatening to drag her straight into withered senescence. "Oh, dumb dog, stop!" Kevin immediately shut his eyes and gave a shudder. Purr leaped off his back at once, crying out in shock, "Time?!" Kevin nodded. Breaking contact with Purr, he reopened his eyes and looked once more at that colossal cross-sectional scene. His gaze pierced infinite distance, stirring the very laws of time. Then, he beheld a scene that no one else in the fortress could see. For this vision originated in the past and was destined to manifest in the future—it did not exist within the present time. The distance would not change, because what separated them was not space, but time. Kevin saw the Tree of Life. It was not lush and verdant, but utterly decayed, as if an eternity of imprisonment had drained its every drop of vitality. One could almost "smell" the stench of rot with one's eyes. A gigantic, bald silhouette, enmeshed in boughs, appeared before it. Augurev! Terrifying lightning bled from Augurev's eye sockets; his divine body was enduring the excruciating torture of lightning. That was the source of the bolts. Yet they were not discharging in the present; having traversed an unknown span of time, they traveled from the past into the present. On the branches behind Augurev bloomed two flowers—seemingly the only vestige of vital color remaining upon this colossal Tree of Life. Within those two blooms, Kevin detected the aura of deities. The two Gods of Life! And elsewhere across the Tree of Life were swollen, rotted nodes. Within every single node resided faint divinity, giving Kevin an unmistakable sense of kinship. Not dogs... but gods. Suddenly, as if detecting scrutiny from the "future," the two flowers began to close, and from the dense cluster of nodes along the branches came muffled sounds. Like famished fiends finally catching scent of fresh flesh and blood, the deepest desires in their bones were stoked. Even Augurev's fingertips twitched. A voice drifted out from Augurev's divine body: ["Almost... here."] ... "There is something I hope you can answer," Karen said, looking at Punk. "What, exactly, is the mission of Augurev Fortress?" Punk fell silent. Augurev Fortress was built to monitor the void countercurrent space, preventing the beasts here from escaping and wreaking havoc. To that end, a statue of Augurev had been erected here, using its eyes to conduct comprehensive reconnaissance, letting nothing slip through. That was an open secret. Yet facing Karen's question now, Punk didn't know whether he should answer. "I hope you can answer truthfully. This is vital, Commander Punk. What is the true purpose behind Augurev Fortress's existence?!" Punk looked toward the colossal statue before them, sighed, and spoke: "This is a secret passed down strictly from one fortress commander to the next during succession. Of course, higher-ups certainly know it, and with your clearance, Minister, you could discover it if you investigated. "I can tell you now: "The true mission of Augurev Fortress is... "To monitor this place, "To prevent... "To prevent... "To prevent..." The words were clearly difficult for Punk to voice, as was what followed, for it ran contrary to the long-held tenets of an Order priest's faith. That was why it was kept under strict secrecy from the outside world. When Punk had assumed command here and received this secret, he too had remained in shock and bewilderment for a long time. "To prevent... the return of Lord Augurev!"