Slay Gods, Slay Gods, Slay Gods!

Karen calmly folded the drawing, slipped it into his pocket, and asked Mr. Bede, "Isn't the Church of the Mural God adept at prophecy? Reason dictates you should stay as far away as possible from areas where danger might strike." Mr. Bede looked a bit embarrassed. "That would make us no different from that bunch of swindlers doing divination, wouldn't it?" Divination branches existed in almost every religion and held considerable sway in secular circles. Quite often, the Church of the Mural God was lumped into that category, though they themselves refused to acknowledge it. Recalling how the Mural God Rielsa had insisted on painting the God of Order's demise at the very height of His reign, Karen could only conclude that his prospective father-in-law and Piaget's habit of constantly walking the line of fire was a trait inherited straight from their god. "Um... I have an observation." Mr. Bede hesitated, but decided to speak up anyway. "Piaget's special painting ability... it seems that every single time, it has something to do with you." "Perhaps as a friend, he cares about me quite a bit." "Oh, so that's why." Mr. Bede nodded vigorously, seemingly completely convinced by the explanation. "When do you plan on heading back?" "We don't plan to return just yet. There's still plenty of scenery we want to see, to gather more artistic inspiration." "Where do you plan to go next, then?" "Piaget mentioned he'd like to go home for a visit." "Back to Wien?" "No, back to Ruilan. His mood hasn't been great lately, and his head is always hurting. I figured returning to his hometown might ease his suffering." "I suggest not going back for now." "I know that place is rather special... but we aren't Order priests, so we won't violate any taboos." "Don't go back." "All right, we won't go back!" "By the way, wherever you travel in the future, remember to contact the local Whip of Order or the Tribunal beforehand. If anything happens, someone will be there to look out for you." "Right, understood, I will." Just then, a black crow flew into the tent. Karen stood up, caught the crow, and said, "First, let a priest give you both a medical checkup, and then I'll arrange for someone to escort you out of here." With that, Karen walked out of the tent. Mr. Bede walked over to Piaget's side, squatted down, tucked in the corners of his blanket, and felt his forehead. He had a slight fever. Piaget slowly opened his eyes. "My head hurts so much, Mr. Bede." "Were you pretending to be asleep just now?" "No, I was having a nightmare. I entered that temple again and saw that mural, but then a mountain suddenly crashed down and pinned me under it. It pressed down on me for so long. I thought I heard you talking to someone, and I tried to wake up, but I couldn't." "Karen was just here." "Really? Where is he?" Piaget sat up, pale-faced and drenched in cold sweat. "He had business to attend to and just left." "Why didn't you ask him to wait a bit longer so I could see him?" Mr. Bede blinked and said, "I have a feeling that if he hadn't left, you might not have woken up." "What do you mean by that?" "Nothing much. What I mean is, do you really think I can order him around?" "You're his father-in-law." "A father-in-law scooped out of battlefield rubble by his son-in-law is even worse off than one caught sneaking into a pastry shop." Piaget lowered his head and looked at his hands. "The drawing..." "Don't worry, he took it." "Oh, that's good then. That's good. Got any smokes left?" "None. But a priest is coming to examine us shortly. I know those soul-type pharmaceuticals are hard currency in military camps—I can ask for some on your behalf. After that, I'll take you somewhere with better scenery so you can recuperate properly for a while. How does that sound?" "I want to go back to Ruilan, to Luojia City." "Sorry, Karen forbade that." "Mr. Bede, do you always obey so meekly?" "As a father, I've already dragged down my daughter's marriage enough." "Then I'm renouncing my faith." "Fine, I'm a selfish, irresponsible bad father." ... The High Priest was set to host a summit in the Garden of Life, which was currently in its preparation stage, and Karen had stayed behind as well. However, he was not responsible for the specific logistical affairs. At present, he functioned more like the High Priest's aide-de-camp. Although outsiders would envy this position beyond measure, Karen had little interest in it. Apart from reporting on work at the High Priest's temporary residence morning and evening, he deliberately spent the rest of his time outside. In any case, the High Priest could "serve himself." Transformed into a bone dragon, Kanna carried Karen through the air toward the vicinity of some ruins. This had once been a prominent manor, belonging to a family whose standing within the Church of Life had always been considerable. By the ruins' main gate, a bald man knelt on the ground. "What is he doing?" Kanna asked curiously. Karen replied, "Recalling his childhood." "Will I be like that in the future too?" "Recalling the blissful days of your childhood spent doing homework?" "Ugh, that would give me nightmares!" Karen leapt down from Kanna, landing lightly on the ground. Beside Dalivenro stood Alfred. "Young Master, Richard has arrived as well. Following Neo's advice, there's a chance to find good materials here to help the Light Bug evolve. Right now, Philomena is accompanying him on an expedition to search the area." Though the place had been devastated by war, no small amount of treasures remained behind. Even thousands of years later, this would still be a sacred ground beloved by adventurers dreaming of unearthing some legacy of Life, stepping onto the path of the strong, and penning their own legends. Dalivenro slowly rose to his feet, wiping away tears with his sleeve. Kanna consoled him, "Don't cry. Don't be sad. It's all in the past now. You don't have to do homework anymore either." Dalivenro shook his head. "No, I'm not sad. These are tears of joy." Kanna: "..." "Young Master, I am profoundly grateful to you. Without you, my family would never have reached this day!" Karen patted his shoulder and offered comfort: "Don't mention it. The fact that your family reached this day is entirely because of you." "Young Master, I would like to call my family out for a reunion. I truly miss them so much." "Go ahead. Remember to convey my regards." Alfred stood aside with a smile, thinking to himself: *As expected of the Young Master. No matter how absurd the scene, he always maintains flawless decorum.* Karen turned to Alfred and instructed, "Send word to Vic. Have him take Kevin to Augurev Fortress again in my name. I need the latest observation report." "Yes, Young Master." Alfred asked with a smile, "Do you want to confirm that they won't be returning anytime soon?" "Quite the contrary. It's very likely that this war won't give us the outcome we hoped for. Instead, it might have... accelerated the worst-case scenario." "This..." "Remind him to be quick." "Understood, Young Master." In the center of the manor ruins, Dalivenro planted his sapling into the earth and began chanting. Before long, the sapling's roots began spreading like a spiderweb, scanning the area ceaselessly. Before a war of this scale, a clan's manor was utterly fragile. Whether long-range spells, dragon breath, or the roar of magic crystal cannons, any of them was enough to level the estate in an instant. Soon, slender vines pushed aside the rubble, hauling mangled corpses up out of the debris. The sapling planted at the very center seemed to receive a special kind of nourishment, rapidly growing into a massive tree, while those corpses hung from its branches like ripe fruits. Dalivenro stood beneath the tree, looking up greedily, his eyes brimming with the joy of harvest and the warmth of a family reunion. In addition, throughout this process, Life energy from the surroundings converged toward this spot, pooling into the tree and nourishing it. With the breach of the Garden of Life and the excavation of the Tree of Life, large reserves of uncollected and unprocessed Life energy lingered across this region. Priests from other sacred grounds of Life could hardly enter now, so Dalivenro reaped all the benefits. A patrolling squad of knights roaming nearby noticed the commotion and began converging on the area to investigate. Karen immediately manifested his dharma body. Spotting it from afar, the patrol saluted the avatar and promptly steered clear of the zone. With ample nourishment available, Dalivenro began pruning the branches. Only broken pieces of some clansmen's bodies had been recovered, and in worse cases, merely scraps of skin and flesh; yet under the nurturing of the Life energy, their "bodies" began reforming in the manner of flora. However, for aesthetic reasons, Dalivenro did not let full bodies grow, cultivating only complete heads. Before long, an entire tree of heads appeared, all bearing smiles on their faces. Fortunately, the Tree of Life had not yet collapsed completely, and the light from its canopy still shone above. If one were to witness this spectacle in total darkness, it would truly make one's scalp tingle. Dalivenro sat down, wrapping his arms around his knees. The doctrine of the Church of Life was plunder; right now, he was essentially plundering the "corpse" of the deceased Church of Life. Thanks to Karen, he enjoyed exceptionally favorable conditions. Moreover, the vine in his possession had originally been a branch of the Tree of Life. At this moment, the main body of the Tree of Life was being excavated, awaiting the day of the summit to come crashing down before the assembled Hierarchs. The instinct of Life also compelled it to seek a new continuation. This was a development even Karen had not anticipated. Yet it was not simply because Dalivenro had good luck—in truth, anyone who received such an "opportunity" would ordinarily meet a tragic fate. For his destiny would be to serve as a graft. He would be hollowed out, becoming the new sapling of the Tree of Life. Yet Dalivenro was fortunate. He had died long ago, had no soul, and was bound to Karen. Thus, when that will was drawn here and descended to seize control of Dalivenro, Karen was dragged in as well. In theory, Dalivenro was Karen's "puppet." Right now, that will was attempting to wrestle dominance over the puppet away from Karen. An even larger phantom manifested here, exuding a majestic aura. Yet it erected a specialized barrier of its own, clearly unwilling to cause too great a disturbance—after all, the surrounding area was steeped in the presence of Order, which it both reviled and feared. Karen stepped forward, his dharma body solidifying with every stride. Without prologue or prelude, the wills of both sides clashed violently! Across the ruined grounds, an intense soul storm raged unceasingly. Even Kanna had to cover her ears and stick out her tongue. Deep within Karen's soul, the hunger addiction sculpture—now half-transformed into Karen's likeness—let out a furious roar. In an instant, the great tree began to sway, taking on a withered, desolate appearance. Chains of Order spread from beneath Karen's feet, binding the great tree to restrain and strangle it. Karen's gaze was brimming with majesty and indifference. In a deep voice, he said: "Preserving a seed of Life beneath the rules of Order is already my greatest mercy toward you. If you continue to overstep... I will extinguish every last trace of you." The phantom of the great tree began to fade, until it finally sank into Dalivenro's tree. Evidently, it understood the threat and chose submission. Quiet returned to the ruins. Dalivenro felt as though he had just awakened from a dream. Turning his head toward Karen, who was already standing by his side, he said, "I just had a dream. In the dream, a new sprout grew from my body, and I almost ceased to be myself." "Mm. Only almost." "Thank you." "You're welcome. It was my duty." Dalivenro patted his gleaming bald head and remarked with emotion, "Though many sacred grounds of Life still remain on the periphery, in truth, from this day forth, the original Church of Life no longer exists. All that remains is... the Church of Life with Order characteristics." "That doesn't sound like something you would say." "Heh heh, I peeked at all of Radio's notes. A lot of it hasn't even been compiled into missionary material yet." "Who helped you steal a look?" "No one helped me." Kanna produced a big, bright-red apple from her schoolbag, took a bite, and chimed in as she chewed, "Yup, no one helped him." ... Vic was exceptionally efficient. In less than half a day, the latest observation sketches were delivered into Karen's hands. Perhaps the most time-consuming part of the process had been drawing them. The observation results differed from Piaget's painting; they were virtually identical to what Karen had observed last time. But if one insisted on working backward from the eventual outcome, one could indeed discern faint signs of change. This meant that the scene in Piaget's drawing lay even further in the future. This batch of deities was originally supposed to become the first wave of returning gods through the guidance of the Tree of Life combined with Augurev's direction. Whoever returned first could seize the greater initiative. Mighty chief gods wished to stake out more resources in advance, while weaker deities needed to make earlier preparations. Unfortunately, gods engaged in infighting as well. With the Tree of Life on the verge of collapse, the weaker deities would likely serve as "nourishment." The law of the jungle applied even in the divine realm; no wonder Raniedal had been so timid before chief gods. The High Priest's temporary residence was located in a grand hall of the former Life Holy See. In terms of diligence, counting backward, likely none of the previous High Priests could hold a candle to him. Though away from the Holy See, he was surrounded by nearly a hundred communication arrays, enabling him to handle official affairs just as he would in his main office hall. Moreover, his work habits remained unchanged. One version of him was working while another was relaxing—labor and leisure simultaneously. After walking in, Karen was ushered into a small vortex that led to an inner courtyard within the palace. Finding such a secluded, tranquil spot here right now was truly no simple task. The High Priest sat atop a tree stump, holding a book in his right hand and a cigar in his left. "Greetings, High Priest." Without looking up, the High Priest asked, "Have they all arrived?" "Many have already arrived. Presumably, all of them will attend." The High Priest was referring to the Hierarchs of the other churches. Though in ordinary times they shouted slogans about "toppling Order" and cried warnings that "without solidarity we will be devoured piecemeal," that didn't stop them from rushing over to share in the spoils after Order crushed Life. The High Priest chuckled. "They truly are honest, aren't they? Heh heh." Karen concurred, "Even regions in the secular world sharing the same language and heritage break out into wars, let alone these pagans genuinely uniting." "It's still different. Our pace must not be too fast." "As you say. Just like that proverb of ours in Wien: one shouldn't be impatient when fermenting bean paste, or the flavor will spoil." "If there's nothing else, you may take your leave. Build rapport with Ukonga more often. That is his flaw, and you must make good use of it." "Yes, High Priest. However, your subordinate has one more matter to report. This is the latest observation report sent from Augurev Fortress." In truth, because he had not conducted the observation personally, submitting this report carried risk for Karen. "Let me see." Karen handed over Vic's report. The High Priest took it, glanced at it, and remarked, "It seems no different." "There are traces of change." "Hm?" The High Priest examined it more closely. "The brushwork has worsened." "High Priest..." "Maintain the observation frequency." "Yes, High Priest." Karen could only bow out. He had not submitted Piaget's painting, because presenting that drawing to the High Priest would be like bringing a fortune-teller's prophecies to the imperial prime minister to demand a shift in national policy. However, after Karen departed, the High Priest unfolded the drawing once more. Pressing a finger gently against the paper, the images within began to stir, as if carrying out a deduction of future progression. Though it did not go as far as Piaget's drawing, a clear trend of change could nonetheless be observed. "Heh heh heh heh..." The High Priest chuckled. Placing his cigar in the ashtray, he picked up a glass of Life wine and took a sip: "Have you begun slaughtering one another?" ... The summit was about to begin, and the invited Hierarchs had already taken their seats. The venue was set atop a temple of Life that had been mostly destroyed by the flames of war; the location had been chosen because it offered the prime viewing vantage. Before the summit commenced, there was one more spectacle. After three days of excavation and preparations, today, the Tree of Life would meet its fall. Karen stood atop the back of the bone dragon. Beside him sat Richard, two cotton balls stuffed in his nostrils, his entire face flushed a deep purplish red like pig liver. "Do you have water in your brain, eating so much in one go?" Hearing Karen's scolding, Richard didn't dare talk back, merely hanging his swollen head in silence. Even the worst beating his father had ever given him hadn't left him swollen to this extent. Dalivenro had received an inheritance yesterday, but Richard hadn't idled either. Relying on his identity and trading on Karen's banner, no one stopped him anywhere on the battlefield. Where others looted gold, he looted roots. He dug up the rhizomes of those exotic plants, rinsed them off, and munched them down. Heavens knew how much he had devoured, gorging himself into a state where his body could no longer handle the excessive tonic. Karen looked toward Philomena and asked, "Why didn't you stop him?" "I tried, but he kept asking for more." "And you gave them just because he asked?" "Mm. So I gave them." "Heh." Karen sighed, looking down at the dignitaries gathered on the grand hall's viewing terrace. From another perspective, this Church of Life was truly a case of "when a whale falls, ten thousand creatures thrive." A few of his subordinates had already reaped tremendous boons, yet the lion's share of the cake would still be carved up and devoured by those high figures. "Roar!" Dragon roars thundered. A flight of dragons stretched their wings, chains bound around each of their bodies as they hauled at the Tree of Life. Down below, phalanxes of giants exerted their strength in unison in one direction. Finally, accompanied by a colossal crash, the Tree of Life toppled over. The Life realm plunged into darkness in an instant, but as beams of magical radiance surged upward, a cluster of miniature suns manifested across the sky, restoring illumination to the surroundings. Normally, the summit would have begun at this juncture. Yet an unexpected event occurred. After the Tree of Life collapsed, a terrifying crater opened where its roots had been. Black, purulent water began oozing from the pit, expanding outward until it covered the entire crater, resembling a black sea born from nothingness. Countless wails of despair echoed from the black pus, and two massive whirlpools churned within the dark sea. Immediately following, two enormous tree-stump seats rose from the depths of the black sea. The growth rings upon the stumps were dense and countless, far beyond what simple years could measure. Simultaneously, within the sacrificial and worship chambers across all peripheral holy sites of the Church of Life, piercing cries erupted, and blood began weeping from the eyes of the divine figures portrayed upon the murals. Philomena asked curiously, "What are those things?" Karen answered, "Dicono mentioned them. Those are coordinates." On the temple terrace, the grand figures wore varied expressions. Some were astonished, some grave, but most wore gloating looks of schadenfreude they could hardly bother to conceal. They knew well that one purpose of this summit was for Order to flex its military might before the entire religious circle once more. *Now then, let's see how you clean up this mess.* Sivus spoke up, "These two tree stumps are coordinates. Two Gods of Life shall return through here." Pausing, Sivus asked, "High Priest, I am very curious to know: how does Order intend to respond?" Order had just eradicated their church's orthodox lineage, and now the two chief gods of Life had fixed their return coordinates right here. This meant the date of their return was drawing near—it might even be calculated in advance through future changes on those tree stumps. Once those two returned and laid eyes on this devastated Garden of Life... they would likely be driven mad with rage on the spot. This was the wrath of two chief gods! Although rumors abounded that Order's God of Order had already returned, or would be the first returning god, as long as the God of Order had not clearly descended, all churches remained fragile, tense, and anxious in the face of beings such as deities. The High Priest turned around, his expression serene. Not only was there no hint of regret or panic, but a smile touched his lips. "How to respond? I can ask on your behalf—on all your behalves." A majestic phantom rose behind the temple. The aura of this dharma body was not overwhelmingly powerful, nor was it particularly solid, yet draped over it was the divine robe symbolizing the supreme authority of Order, imbuing it with paramount majesty! The High Priest opened his mouth, and the colossal phantom opened its mouth as well. His voice echoed across most of the Garden of Life: "Twelve Knight Orders of Order, do you still remember... your mission?" The next moment, The neighing of warhorses, the roars of dragons, the bellowing of giants, the clashing of armor, the clanging resonance of battle ranks... Beams of terrifying, chilling black light soared into the sky throughout the Garden of Life. Every pillar of black light represented a knight order currently stationed here, the physical manifestation of their incisive killing intent and will to fight. Across the surface of each pillar of light, portraits flowed and shifted. Look closely, and one would find they were all mighty beings—the deities and divine beasts that had fallen by the hands of each knight order since its founding. They were the order's medals of honor; not only were tallies etched onto their armor, but each triumph was etched into the collective spiritual imprint of their order. The return of the gods struck terror into the religious sphere and filled the world with apprehension, yet among them, there was only the purest exhilaration! For their very reason for being, their glory, and their pride required gods to prove! Following closely, a deafening roar of voices, like an all-engulfing torrent, surged from all directions, shaking the entirety of the Garden of Life to its core. This was duty, this was mission, this was their oath... And even more, this was their answer: "Slay gods! Slay gods! Slay gods!"