A commander of the Church of Order was simulating an attack against the God of Order in his own mindscape.
Yet you could hardly accuse him of apostasy, for his mouth overflowed with words of praise for the God of Order.
At the same time, those praises did nothing to stop him from "commanding" the Order Legion to open fire on the God of Order.
He was pious, yet he lacked reverence.
No, his reverence was mostly manifested in the feeling of worship born from being unable to win this "duel" time and time again.
He was a madman—a madman of war.
Considering the timeline, Raniedal had ascended to godhood near the end of the previous era, making him a relatively late deity. By the time he borrowed the power of the God of Order to take vengeance on the Sea God, the God of Order had already supplanted Light and ascended to the position of overlord.
In other words, the fiercest and most frequent divine wars had largely concluded by then.
Aside from a few troublemakers, the vast majority of deities trembled beneath the authority of the God of Order.
Thus, this war madman had simply missed the best era.
The greatest highlight of his life had been commanding the campaign against the Sea God Cult, but that war had presented virtually no challenge. With the Sea God fallen and the Sea God Cult already fractured, those defending the Sea God's glory in the end were not human believers, but a host of undersea monster beasts.
Even so, he was truly suited to the present era.
Despite witnessing his "sacrilegious" conduct toward the God of Order, Karen felt no real anger. After all, when it came to insulting gods, his own grandfather definitely had him beat.
"Who on earth are you?"
Dickno looked at Karen. Although Karen wore Order clerical robes, Dickno clearly did not view him as an ordinary Order priest.
"I am the head of the Disciplinary Department of the Whip of Order."
Because an entire era separated them and many things had undergone massive shifts, Karen took the initiative to add a clarifying description:
"And the designated next Whip-Wielder."
Dickno pursed his lips and smiled. "Are you really that obsessed with your appearance?"
In life, his status had been roughly comparable to Daan's today—a commander-level figure. He would not feel intimidated by Karen's position. Furthermore, when facing a descendant removed by countless generations, any disparity in office could easily be bridged by "seniority."
This was the real reason why only the High Priest could mobilize the First Knight Order on a large scale. Virtually everyone resting here had held a high position in life; they wouldn't necessarily give a second glance to other department heads or system chiefs.
Karen shook his head and answered, "This is my true age. I haven't used any spells to alter my appearance."
Hearing this, Dickno first looked up toward the black circular hole where Karen had dropped in earlier. Then he looked Karen over once more, his tone noticeably more polite than before.
"Oh, then your talent is truly astonishing. I suggest you stop working in the system. Concentrate your energy on cultivation, become a temple elder as early as possible, and then strive for a godhead."
Without terrifying soul strength, it was impossible to reach this place. Dickno had thus deduced Karen's strength from the side and, factoring in his age, formed an assessment of his talent.
However, the standard definition of a genius varied from era to era. In this era, one reason Karen held such an extraordinary status was that as long as he did not meet an "untimely death," he would almost certainly become a temple elder in the future. In an era without gods, no one talked about ascending to godhood anymore.
Dickno, on the other hand, had lived in the divine war era of the previous age. He had known Raniedal personally and maintained decent relations with him. Not so long ago in the current era, an entire divine church would weep with joy simply upon receiving a vague oracle.
"Aren't you curious why I came looking for you?" Karen asked.
"The reason? Sorry, I'm not interested."
"Why?"
"Because I don't see much respect in your eyes—more like an amused curiosity. Are you treating me like a toy? An interesting toy?"
"I do find you very interesting, but not a toy."
"Would you use 'interesting' to describe your father, your grandfather, or your great-grandfather?"
"My apologies," Karen said contritely. "I was impolite."
"No, it's fine. Given what you've seen, no emotional reaction from you would make me feel offended."
Dickno was not afraid of his "blasphemy" being leaked. First of all, this was an internal mental exercise; since when were inner thoughts used as evidence for a conviction?
Second, he was already dead.
"I came with an assignment. The Church needs to formulate an operational plan against the Church of Life, and we need you awakened to do the work."
"The Church of Life?" Dickno asked. "Has My Lord found a way to breach the Tree of Life?"
"No."
"Then what point is there in pushing into the Church of Life? We'd still have to withdraw from the Garden of Life in the end. Those two Life Gods dare not confront My Lord outside; faced with My Lord, they'll just hide inside their hollow tree like turtles."
"Those two Life Gods are no longer in the Church of Life. In fact, they aren't even in this world."
"Where did they go?"
"I find it odd that you seem completely incurious about what happened to the world after your death."
"Since you're still wearing Order robes, what need is there for curiosity?" Dickno countered. "Our Church of Order could only grow stronger and stronger."
"Yes, that's true. Our Church of Order is now the foremost divine church in the world."
"What about Light?"
"Light failed in its confrontation with our Church over a thousand years ago and perished."
"Light perished?" Dickno was taken aback. "My Lord sat by and let Light perish?"
"Commander Dickno, an entire era has passed since the age in which you lived."
"That long? An entire era? What marks the transition to this new era, then?"
Eras were vast, but an era was not a fixed unit of time.
"In this era, the gods do not appear. To put it simply, there are no deities in this world."
"Not even My Lord?"
"My Lord was no exception."
"Where did the gods go?"
"They were driven out of this era. However, they are now preparing to return."
Dickno immediately said, "They must not be allowed to return! A world without gods is the ideal world we believers of Order pursue!"
"Do you truly believe that?"
"I feel fortunate." Dickno chuckled. "I used to think I was born in the wrong era. Now it seems I at least caught its tail. I truly never imagined the future world would be so boring. No gods left at all..."
"Yet you've caught up with it again," Karen said, spreading his hands. "The gods are returning. Under the High Priest's leadership, our Church of Order will resist this catastrophe. An era of divine war—an era where a divine church, no, where humanity wages war against the gods—is drawing back its curtain!"
Dickno pointed at Karen, caught between laughter and tears.
After a long while, he finally spoke:
"Hey, did you forget? You're using an apparatus in the First Knight Order to perform a shallow awakening on me right now to interact with my consciousness. But if you awaken me fully, I'll only have three days.
"Three days! Three days! Three days!
"If I had three years, I'd gladly play along with your speech and give you a high five.
"What can three days achieve...
"Oh, enough for me to draw up several hundred operational plans against the Church of Life.
"The question is, can our Church launch several hundred wars in three days?"
"There's an error in your thinking. You probably won't have time for several hundred."
"Others wouldn't have time, but as for me... look around, didn't you see this place?"
"I saw it. But you'll need at least a day to familiarize yourself with the current warfare capabilities of both sides."
"Oh, I see. You mean there's been substantial progress across the board, so my tactical habits and strategic thinking are outdated and need catching up before I can match the present era."
"No, quite the opposite. You aren't outdated; you are far too advanced. I have commanded legion battles myself. As far as I know, many war apparatuses can no longer be forged, and countless arrays and techniques have been lost to history. Our current standard lags severely behind the era you lived in.
"Of course, this isn't unique to our Church of Order; the other divine churches face the same reality. Relatively speaking, thanks to the First Knight Order's existence, our regression has actually been the smallest."
Dickno frowned, looking at Karen.
"What is it?" Karen asked.
"I cannot comprehend the reality of you falling further and further behind," Dickno said.
"It's easy to understand. Many lineages and teachings originated from the gods themselves. When the gods vanished, the source disappeared with them, making it impossible to maintain the transmissions intact. Naturally, things could only regress."
"Well then, I have even less anticipation for this world. Awaken me. Once I finish what I'm supposed to do, I can die completely without regrets.
"Wait, no. The Church of Life?
"Why choose to awaken me?
"If the Sea God Cult had resurfaced, waking me would make sense."
"Because you are outstanding."
"Heheh... You thought I was outstanding before seeing all this? Do you know how I felt reading my own epitaph before I died?
"I felt completely ordinary. Lying here, unless the Church faced annihilation, future believers would probably never even think of waking me."
"Indeed, I saw nothing special on your epitaph. But someone firmly and persistently recommended you to me."
"I never married, nor did I leave behind any bastards. I have no descendants to hype or embellish my legacy. Across an entire era, who would recommend me?"
"Raniedal."
"Did you find written records about me in his ruins?
"Oh, that truly touches me.
"He was a very peculiar deity. I'm grateful to him because he was willing to display the full spectrum of divine power to give me clearer, more intuitive data for my simulations."
"You were close with him, weren't you?"
"Deities are arrogant. Even if a god wails like the sweetest melody on earth before being hunted down and slain, you still shouldn't project human relationships onto them.
"We did have a connection, though. He treated me to roasted phoenix meat once; otherwise, I might not have lived past forty.
"He advised me not to exhaust my mental energy playing these solitary games and hoped I would condense a godhead fragment to gain a longer lifespan.
"Unfortunately, I failed his expectations. I simply couldn't help myself; there was no curing it.
"By the way, was he driven out later too? I mean, driven out of this era."
"No. Before the dawn of the new era, he was suppressed by My Lord."
"Hehehehehe!"
Dickno burst into raucous laughter, repeatedly wiping away tears that didn't exist. "I knew it! I just knew it! He told me to use my head less, and I told him to use his head less, but in the end, neither of us listened! Hahahahaha!"
Dickno doubled over with laughter.
This meant he had lied earlier. His relationship with Raniedal had to have been quite close; otherwise, Raniedal would never have shared such divine realm secrets as serving as a cat's-paw.
It was simply that this commander was proud to the bone and disdained relying on ties with a god to elevate himself.
"All right, all right." Dickno finally calmed down. "Communicating through consciousness consumes my spiritual power too. Since there's an assignment, I won't violate my ancient oath. Have them awaken me. I'll get to work. Once the operational plans are drawn up, hopefully I'll still have time to take a hot bath, soak in a steaming tub, and hold a glass of ice water."
"I like ice water too."
"Oh, not bad." Dickno reached out and patted Karen on the shoulder. "Would you believe that single thing makes you look far more agreeable to me?"
"I believe it, because the feeling is mutual."
"Heh, all right, let's not waste any more time."
"I still want to talk to you a bit more. There are things I need to make clear beforehand."
"Talk to me while I work after I'm awakened. It won't get in the way of getting things done. As the designated future Whip-Wielder, you can enter the war room of the Temple of War, can't you?"
"It's called the Curia now."
"They renamed the department?"
"It's a new addition, ranking second only to the High Priest."
"Oh, then let's cut the chatter."
"I still need to finish." Karen looked at Dickno. "If you feel regret over being born in the wrong era, I can make up for that regret. I can grant you a second life and let you display your talents to your heart's content in this era."
Dickno pointed at his own head, then at Karen's forehead.
"So, between the two of us, whose brain has gone wrong? The designated future Whip-Wielder certainly wouldn't be an idiot, so... did they accidentally bump my head while transporting my remains?"
Ignoring the remark, Karen continued, "In exchange, you must swear an oath to offer all your devotion to me."
Dickno's face darkened.
"Tell me," he asked coldly, "just who do you think you are?"
Karen did not answer. Instead, he turned around, putting his back to Dickno and facing the simulated battlefield ahead.
The shackle of the hunger addiction was slightly loosened.
In the next instant, the towering figure surrounded by the entire Order Legion in the battlefield area slowly raised its head.
Dickno's eyes went wide with shock. This was his own mindscape, where everything was a product of his cognitive simulations. Yet now, that supreme figure worshipped by generations of Order believers had slipped from his control, as though it possessed its own consciousness.
This could only mean one possibility... a possibility terrifying enough to make the dead Dickno kick off his coffin lid in horror.
The God of Order slowly opened his eyes.
Boundless majesty filled the lowest stratum of this space.
Instantly, everything within this layer—including the simulated ranks of the Order Legion—broke free from Dickno's control. They dropped to their knees in worship before that majestic figure, and countless hymns of praise began to reverberate through the void.
The God of Order looked down at Dickno, who stood there dumbfounded, and spoke:
"Tell me, who am I?"
***
Three coffins were transported out of the canyon, accompanied by a five-member Awakener team.
On the return trip, the two nun sisters felt much more relaxed. The moment Karen boarded the carriage, he closed his eyes to rest, while the golden retriever wagged its tail with ceaseless excitement.
Upon departing the First Knight Order's garrison, three distinct security forces—the Whip of Order, guards affiliated with the Curia, and the outer guardians of the First Knight Order—provided full escort for the convoy.
Finally, watching the three coffins and the Awakener team pass through the gates of the Curia, Karen's assignment was officially complete.
Purr asked curiously, "Is the commander that stupid dog recommended really that impressive, meow?"
She had seen how Karen, initially reluctant, had chosen him without hesitation after speaking with him.
Karen replied, "As long as the base pool is large enough, formidable figures will always emerge. What's more, countless generations lie sleeping within the First Knight Order."
"That's the heritage of an orthodox church, meow. Well, no—not even the other orthodox churches enjoy such a terrifying advantage as Order."
Kevin was being led by Little Kanna, happily prancing ahead. Every now and then, he took a few energetic hops, prompting Little Kanna to bounce along with him, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders.
Yet Purr noticed that Karen seemed preoccupied. She asked with immediate concern, "What's wrong? Is there still an issue with that candidate, meow?"
"It's not an issue with the candidate. I'm wondering why the Whip-Wielder specifically sent me on this trip."
To make it happen, he had even used the excuse that he had to stay by the High Priest's side and couldn't leave, asking Karen to go in his stead.
Yet the truth was... neither of them had been needed at all.
Sending any random representative to doze through the trip would have sufficed; the nun sisters could have finalized the list on their own.
Precisely because Karen had gone, possessing the highest rank among them, the authority to finalize the selection had naturally fallen into his hands.
"Do you have any clues, meow?"
"Perhaps the Whip-Wielder simply wanted to see who I would choose."
***
A list was placed on the Whip-Wielder's desk, accompanied by the complete epitaphs of the three commanders.
Foden held a cigar in his left hand while leafing through the materials with his right.
Vigulin walked in carrying a box and reported, "Lord Whip-Wielder, these are the archival scrolls just delivered from the records repository."
"Mm."
Vigulin withdrew from the office.
"Dickno Shan Beston."
The other two commanders had both overseen skirmishes against the Church of Life during their lifetimes. Yet this man's life had virtually no connection to the Church of Life; his only notable military merit was commanding the mop-up operations against the Sea God Cult.
With Foden's professional acumen, he immediately spotted the discrepancy.
Placing his palm on the scrolls, he began reading and cross-referencing the Whip of Order records regarding Commander Dickno.
These were very ancient archives, dating back to the previous era.
The Whip of Order was the internal investigative apparatus of the Church of Order, monitoring the conduct and faith of its priests to prevent them from straying, whether actively or passively.
Active straying referred to spontaneous, accidental errors arising during cultivation, while passive straying meant being seduced by external forces into betraying the Church.
External forces could be foreign churches, organizations like the Silencers, or individual figures.
In the previous era, the Whip of Order's definition of external forces included one more entity than in the present era... gods.
Certain deities would, for specific purposes, stoop to "bewitching" priests within the Church. Such beings had been primary surveillance targets for the Whip of Order in that era.
Therefore, if Dickno had ever made contact with a deity, it would almost certainly have been recorded by the Whip of Order at the time.
However, the fact that he was laid to rest in the First Knight Order proved he had never committed apostasy, nor had he erred in his faith.
Before long, Foden turned up the name of a deity.
Taking a puff of his cigar, Foden furrowed his brow. If he remembered correctly, wasn't this an evil god?
Foden signed a requisition slip and slipped it into a slot on his desk.
A moment later, Vigulin entered once more carrying a box of scrolls. "Lord Whip-Wielder, these are the reference documents sent over by the Great Library of Order."
"Mm."
Vigulin stepped out again, feeling a bit puzzled, though she dared not show the slightest curiosity.
The *Light of Order* had undergone countless revisions, whereas the Great Library of Order preserved most of the original records, especially regarding the gods. Such materials were strictly restricted from public view, requiring immense authority to access.
As Foden read through the records concerning this deity, his furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
"An evil god indeed. Yet his relationship with My Lord was rather unusual. Furthermore, he was suppressed and sealed by My Lord in the end, rather than slain. Given My Lord's temperament, for someone to commit offenses and still escape death... that was clearly My Lord's protection."
Foden recalled the day of the victory banquet at Augurev Fortress, when Punk had used the statue of Augurev to observe Karen.
The original records concerning him also clearly documented his friction with Augurev.
They were neither enemies nor friends, yet thoroughly familiar with one another, tinged with mutual disdain.
*"It's you?"*
Heh. The tone and the context matched perfectly.
Foden leaned back, took a slow puff of his cigar, and exhaled a plume of smoke.
"No wonder I could never find anyone matching your traits among our Church's branch deities. It turns out you aren't the inheritor of a god within our Church's pantheon..."
Foden's eyes narrowed slightly, and an easy smile touched the corners of his lips.
"Karen, so you're Raniedal."
Chapter 869