Chapter 216: The Destroyer of Order!

Chapter 216 The Breaker of Order!

"The reincarnation of the world is your cargo container."

Neo repeated the words, tilting his head to look at Bertha sitting in the corner of the wall.

"I can feel my own prejudice against Reincarnation. Before, I didn't know where this prejudice came from. Now, I understand. This is no mere prejudice. I harbor an ill will toward the entire Church of Reincarnation."

Bertha pursed her lips, unsure whether she should reply, for she had grown thoroughly terrified of Neo's temperament.

Neo continued, "You, an emissary of Light, have actually climbed into the same bed as Reincarnation."

Knowing these words were directed at her, Bertha spoke up immediately, "I know the theological circles have always been deeply divided in their evaluation of the Church of Reincarnation, but my contact with their people is largely to borrow their strength. You may not realize just how desolate our Church of Light has truly become."

"I do not know, but I know only one thing: if Light must rely on filthy means to descend, then what reappears will absolutely not be the Light."

"In the world of the churches, where is there any true purity?" Bertha spoke these words through gritted teeth, summoning immense courage. "No matter how holy, the Light has already perished; no matter how filthy, Reincarnation still stands."

Yet Neo did not grow angry this time; instead, he responded, "It is not the same. Existence has never meant justification. Just because it exists now does not mean one must search for a reason why it must exist.

It is just like the Light—even if it has perished, as long as the people of the world still retain a yearning for beauty, then the Light, in truth, has always remained. It merely ceases to exist in the manner of the Church of Light."

"Then what about Order?"

"Order is different."

"But what difference is there between Order and Reincarnation? Order 'awakens' the deceased, and Reincarnation recalls the dead. Are they not the same?"

"What Order awakens is not the soul, but the residual spirituality upon the corpse. After a person dies, the corpse is no different from a sword or a blade the master used during life. Reincarnation, however, detains and imprisons the souls of the deceased.

Do you know why the First Knights of the Church of Order are called the strongest among the Twelve Knight Orders, striking fear into all other orthodox churches?

And why is it that the Church of Reincarnation possesses no such terrifying legion of guardians?

Because the 'Awakening' of the Church of Order rouses corpses that possess the cognition and consciousness of their past lives, endowed with their own choice.

The clergymen qualified to enter the First Knights all voluntarily signed agreements during their lifetimes; they were willing, even after death, to contribute their final ounce of strength to defend Order.

Among the First Knights of the Church of Order, not a single coffin is bound with iron chains. In the entire legion, there are only living people who serve as transport laborers, but absolutely not a single living guard.

When the members of the First Knights awaken, they can even form their own combat echelons according to their former ranks.

Would the Church of Reincarnation dare treat their reincarnated this way?

They dare not, because they know full well that once those imprisoned souls gain freedom, the very first thing they would do is not charge at the enemy, but turn and tear them to pieces first.

This is where the true strength of the Church of Order lies. You can see their corruption and degeneration, but you cannot deny that from the last era until now, generation after generation, they have accumulated many who truly hold the faith of Order.

The ones who truly guard the Church of Order are that group of people.

As for the Church of Reincarnation... I have heard that many mid-to-high-level officials of Reincarnation refuse to strike a reincarnation contract before their own deaths, wishing only for a clean end rather than being tortured and enslaved after dying.

They do not believe in reincarnation themselves, yet they constantly preach to make the world believe in the afterlife.

The dogma of Light is to cleanse oneself of sin and face life with a better countenance, whereas the Church of Reincarnation tells the world that the suffering of this life is already predestined, and by piously worshipping the God of Reincarnation, one can enjoy a life above others in the next cycle.

What Reincarnation preaches is a form of negativity, a form of paralysis.

In reality, if someone advises you to peacefully accept a fate that is preordained and unalterable in this life, telling you that you can lie down by the roadside of life with a clear conscience, it is for nothing more than two reasons: either he is a fool, or he takes you for one."

"Why... why are you telling me so much?"

"I don't know..." Neo shook his head. "Perhaps because of this photography studio today, I recalled many things."

"Have you... lost your memory?" Bertha asked in astonishment.

"It cannot be considered lost, only considered curious."

"Curious?"

"It is like the feeling when you flip through someone else's diary; that process of peeking into another person's life is inherently fascinating, is it not?"

"I... I don't know."

"I want to know one thing. Does your close association with her mean that the current high-ranking officials of Light are also intimately connected with Reincarnation?"

"I am not certain."

"Hmm?"

"But I have heard rumors that some elders in the central enclave advocate borrowing the power of Reincarnation to revive the Light. However, within the church hierarchy, there has been no concrete action. My relationship with her is merely a personal connection acting as an introduction. Therefore, I believe the central enclave might only have this idea, wishing to utilize the conflicts and rifts among the orthodox churches to gain support and allow the Church of Light to rise once more."

"No, it is more than just that."

"More than just that? What do you mean?"

"The return of the gods..."

"I have long heard the rumors that the gods will return. I wish in my dreams that the Great God of Light could return to save the church. For this, I am willing to offer everything I have!"

Neo could tell that when Bertha spoke these words, there was not the slightest hypocrisy or stray thought; deep within her heart was an absolute faith in the God of Light, a completely different feeling from when Karen spoke of his faith in the God of Order in the previous images.

Even though, when Karen uttered those words, it felt far more sincere and atmospheric.

"As long as the God of Light returns, you are willing to accept anything?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Then, what if the God of Light steps out from the Valley of Reincarnation?"

"How... how could that be possible!"

Neo let out a long sigh,

muttering to himself:

"I finally understand a little why Order wants to wage war on Reincarnation."

...

"Buzz!"

Talina's figure vanished from the spot once more, and in the next instant, she appeared to the left of Karen's body, the black dagger in her hand thrusting toward him.

The second time!

Even Gary would not use the exact same repeated move twice in succession against him.

With the blessing of the Blade of the Dark Moon, Karen's speed was pushed to the absolute limit. Ignoring the perception of threat coming from his flank, he charged straight ahead. After rushing forward a certain distance, he executed a swift diagonal pull, simultaneously cleaving downward with the Great Sword of Alius.

At that moment, Talina's figure appeared behind the Great Sword of Alius, mere inches away from being severed at the waist by Karen. She was shocked by Karen's speed, though her subsequent reaction was also incredibly swift—to be precise, the member of the Raymond sect currently possessing her body possessed lightning-fast reaction speeds.

She first shifted in the opposite direction of Karen's retreating sword, then closed in rapidly on him, the dagger in her hand stabbing outward. Originally, this was merely a feint, intended to adapt according to how Karen swung his great sword next, but Talina noticed that Karen's speed in recovering his blade was slightly slow.

The original feint instantly turned into a true strike. The black dagger pierced into the armor before Karen's chest, and the Armor of the Sea God rapidly froze in that region. Once the black dagger became embedded, the outer portion could no longer penetrate further, while the inner portion was swiftly dissolved by the currents within the armor, losing its lethality.

This was the disadvantage of non-materialized weapons, but it could not be helped; after all, Talina's pair of daggers had already been forcibly stripped away by Neo, leaving her without a suitable weapon on her person.

The Great Sword of Alius sliced back around. Talina's body swayed, and the fingernails of her other hand sliced open her own palm. As fresh blood flowed out, it rapidly condensed into a blood-colored dagger, which plunged into Karen's armor once more.

This time, it clearly stabbed deeper than before, and the portion that penetrated the armor did not dissolve into the internal currents; instead, guided by the blood, a new surge of power erupted within the armor, piercing right through Karen's protection.

"Pfft!"

Karen let out a muffled groan, sensing a sharp pain in his ribs. He was astonished that the opponent could use even fresh blood as a lethal hidden weapon, and based on the characteristics of his Armor of the Sea God, she had found a way to crack it in the blink of an eye.

This woman—no, this soul of the Raymond sect—possessed terrifying assassination experience.

Having delivered this strike, Talina's figure began to retreat, perfectly evading the longsword Karen swung back in response. Everything appeared flawless, a precision akin to toying with prey, neither a fraction too much nor a fraction too less.

Yet just as Karen had suffered a quiet disadvantage from his ignorance of his foe, so too would the adversary learn a lesson from her ignorance of Karen.

The edge of the Sword of Arius swept past Talina's front; the blade possessed only a definite length, but the dark red, whip-like extension that materialized from it was bound by no such limits.

In a flash, a streak of dark crimson darted from the tip of the blade, like a viper suddenly thrusting out its tongue; Talina, having precisely calculated only the length of the greatsword, was entirely caught off guard, and her abdomen was sliced open. Upon landing, she pressed one hand against her abdominal wound as blood began to seep through her fingers.

Having unleashed this strike, Karen did not halt to tend to his own injuries, for the section of the Sea God's Armor over his chest wound had already frozen over, checking the bleeding and purging the impurities in a swift self-preservation.

Confronted by the second wave of Karen's offensive, Talina's figure vanished once more.

As if repeating the previous two encounters, the murderous intent manifested directly behind Karen's back.

This time, however, Karen gripped the hilt with both hands, spun the greatsword downward with a rapid twist to aim behind him, and threw his body backward at maximum velocity.

The figure of Talina emerging from the rear did not dissipate, which meant she was real; at this moment, she was effectively hurling herself onto Karen's blade.

What she did not know was that Karen had extravagantly dispersed the water droplets from his Sea God's Armor all around himself to serve as physical tripwires.

Both Geri and Wind had once warned Karen that squandering even a shred of his spiritual energy in battle was a desecration of his own life, but the truth remained that the reserves of spiritual power within Karen's body far exceeded those of ordinary men, allowing him to easily afford such a luxurious style of combat.

Driven by necessity, a crimson light surged across Talina's hands as she attempted to forcibly arrest the blade of the greatsword, yet the distinct traits of the Dark Moon Blade made it completely impervious to—and indeed fond of—such stalemates.

Upon the briefest contact, Talina felt a fierce, piercing agony in both hands; at that instant, she bit the tip of her tongue and spat a mouthful of fresh blood, which coalesced into a blood-red dagger aimed directly at the back of Karen's head.

Next, if Karen continued his rearward thrust, the Sword of Arius would pierce Talina's body, and with a subsequent horizontal cleave, the woman would be cut in two—but Karen's skull would also take the strike of that blood-red dagger, which had previously breached his Sea God's Armor when it struck his chest, and now it targeted his brain...

Karen did not believe this woman would dare exchange her life for his, but he believed that the soul currently possessing her body would dare.

First, out of the professional devotion of an exceptional assassin, he would spare no method to slay his target; second, during their previous close-quarters clash, Karen had sensed the underlying emotion radiating from the adversary—it seemed the spirit desperately desired to use death as a means of liberation.

He could not escape Talina's control, nor could he defy her will, but he did not mind perishing together if it meant the one who enslaved him died as well; in that way, he too would find release.

Karen had no wish to trade lives with him, so he could only turn and retract his sword, delivering a diagonal upward slash in the process as a final mark of his stubborn defiance.

As Karen spun to evade, the blood-red dagger grazed his cheek and flew past, and a brief distance opened between the two parties once more.

Almost simultaneously, a black chain manifested beneath Karen's feet; however, the chain did not rush toward Talina, but instead extended silently outward under the concealment of the night.

Since the opponent chose to fight in such a manner, Karen had conceived a plan of his own.

Talina's hands were already dripping with blood, appearing as though they had just been seared upon a branding iron, yet a trace of regret surfaced within her eyes.

In the next moment, the dark red bead at Talina's chest unleashed its radiance once more, and the black shadow originally draping her was swept inside; immediately afterward, the silhouette of a woman appeared, overlapping with Talina's form.

It remained uncertain whether Talina had discovered that the soul from the Raymond Cult intended to drag her to the grave with him, or if she deemed engaging Karen in close combat without a physical weapon too disadvantageous, prompting her to alter her approach.

Talina's eyes shifted from white back to their original state before quickly turning white again; though her hands were bathed in blood, she still forcibly traced an array, and a green starlight manifested beneath her feet. The surrounding winds rose at this moment, and two azure lions materialized flanking her body, lunging toward Karen after a synchronized roar.

"Order—Guardian Wall!"

A massive black barrier appeared before Karen, but the anticipated violent collision did not occur; the two azure lions actually passed directly through the barrier and continued their charge toward him.

It was a spiritual attack, not a physical one.

A holy radiance flowed from Karen's right eye as he said in a deep voice:

"Light—Soul Cloak!"

The power of the Light attribute possessed an immense efficacy against all spiritual entities; a colossal cloak woven from white feathers descended before Karen, and the two azure lions crashed into it but failed to break through, their struggles forming a series of green ripples across the fabric like prey caught in a sack, making a final resistance.

"Order—Purification!"

The power of purification was unleashed, striking the massive cloak directly, whereupon the garment and the azure beasts enveloped within dissolved together into nothingness.

"Whew..."

Karen exhaled a long breath; Geri and Wind were no longer his matches, which had left him uncertain of where his true strength lay, for his capabilities had long since evolved beyond what could be measured by the title of "Inquisitor."

The opponent before him gave him the exhilarating sensation of a true duel.

Though he was well aware that the Captain had confiscated her equipment, leaving her at an inherent disadvantage and forcibly reducing her combat power—which smacked somewhat of cheating.

Yet Karen felt not the slightest shame, for had she not brought in outside help as well?

Karen felt that, judging by the rigidity and dogmatism the woman displayed at the very beginning, he could have won decisively even if her full equipment were intact; being powerful and knowing how to fight had always been two entirely different things.

Nonetheless, this method of sealing another's soul and summoning it for battle was truly quite unpredictable; however, Karen was certain that such a technique must exact a significant toll from the caster, such as... life force.

Because they were departed souls, granting them a presence in the mortal realm undoubtedly required giving them vitality, but as a church aristocrat capable of squandering a Samsara Crystal worth three million Order Vouchers without a second thought, the dark red bead at her chest likely stored a considerable amount of life energy.

As expected, no matter the circle, possessing family background and authority always guaranteed an inherent advantage.

Talina continued her casting, and a giant azure serpent materialized before her; at this moment, only a few portions had yet to fully solidify, but the reptilian body had already begun to writhe.

Holding his sword, Karen actively walked forward; he moved deliberately, appearing cautious of the attack the azure serpent might launch at any moment.

Yet behind Talina, a black chain that had long since circled around was rushing toward her at extreme speed.

The head of the azure serpent suddenly snapped around to look behind, seemingly sensing and discovering the anomaly from the rear, but immediately after, it turned its head back toward Karen and let out a fierce, low growl.

Did it fail to notice?

No,

It noticed but feigned ignorance.

Just as the previous departed soul from the Raymond Cult had demonstrated that mindset, the female spirit currently possessing her—adept in soul-type arts—made it even more obvious this time, though she might have been more skilled at hiding it in the past.

But this time, she dropped the act.

Despite the serpent clearly perceiving the threat behind her, she suppressed its instinct to defend her rear; she was deliberately creating an opportunity for Karen!

These souls bound by the Samsara Contract actually desired Talina's death more than her actual opponent did.

Finally,

The black chain reached Talina's feet and plunged directly into her body.

"Aaahhh!!!"

Talina let out a shrill scream, and the dark red bead at her chest began to vibrate violently; three figures of different colors appeared beside her, screaming in unison—two of whom Karen had seen, and one whom Talina had not yet deployed.

This meant she had signed Samsara Contracts with three departed souls.

Karen felt a spasm in his chest, a sharp pain, but he forcibly held his chest with his hand and endured; the spiritual energy within his body was being rapidly drained away, the sensation highly similar to when he used this chain for an "Awakening."

At that moment, Karen's black chain began to turn white, binding each of the three contract souls individually.

The bead lost all its luster; evidently, it had forfeited all constraint over the contracted souls at this instant, replaced instead by Karen's white chains.

"How can this be! How can this be? No, this is impossible, this is impossible!!!"

Talina watched this scene in terror; this development was far more unacceptable to her than the threat of death, for it was a subversion of the faith she had held since birth.

The Samsara Contract had severed its ties automatically without her consent as the master, an occurrence unprecedented in history, which meant a rift had formed in the proudest foundation of the Church of Samsara!

And the person who commanded that rift stood right before her eyes.

She would have preferred this man to defeat her by conventional means and then kill her, rather than tearing her pride and faith asunder with chains as he did now.

Talina panted heavily,

At this moment,

She found the man before her far more terrifying than the masked entity in the basement.

"Who on earth are you, why is this happening..."

Karen looked at Talina,

He answered:

"The existence of the Samsara Sect has shattered the... order that should have always bound life and death."