Chapter 349: This Is to Buy Your Life

Chapter 349: This is to Buy Your Life

Karen lay back down to rest after returning to his cabin. The token binding ritual would take place late at night, which was even earlier than the original schedule to enter the Valley of Samsara, making it all the more necessary to adjust his condition in advance.

Ventura stayed in Karen's room, not daring to step forward to call his captain again. He was not afraid of being kicked again, but rather afraid of disturbing his captain's rest.

The inner conflict and moving emotion caused Ventura to curl up in the corner and weep silently, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand over and over again.

When dinner time arrived, Ventura took a deep breath, stood up, and went out to fetch dinner for the captain. At the dining area, he bumped into Aisly, Blanche, and the others.

Before they could take the initiative to ask why his eyes were red, Ventura proactively revealed that the captain was going to take his place.

Therefore,

when Karen was nudged awake for dinner, his already small room was packed with all his team members.

The window of this cabin room was fixed and could not be opened, and there was no exhaust fan inside, making it stifling to begin with. With so many people suddenly squeezed in, each bearing a solemn expression, the sense of suffocation deepened immediately in both the air and the atmosphere.

Karen rubbed the space between his brows, expressing his dissatisfaction, "Sleeping requires plenty of fresh air so that the quality of sleep can be good."

"Captain..." Aisly pursed her lips and continued, "We all know."

"If you know, you know; it is not some special matter." Karen picked up his dinner tray, hesitated for a moment, but still stood up, "Come, let us go eat on the deck."

If it were any other time on a seagoing vessel, eating on the deck would by no means be a pleasant experience. The rocking hull and the waves that could splash over at any moment could add more seasoning to your dinner.

However, there was no sea breeze in this maritime region, and the ship sailed very steadily. After arriving on the deck, Karen could even place his dinner tray directly on the bulwark railing without worrying about it sliding off.

The variety of the dinner was not abundant, but the portion was large: three fried chicken legs, a large serving of curry rice, plus six pieces of pan-fried fish fillets.

The others also stood nearby, holding their dinner trays.

Bart spoke up, "Captain, let me take your place."

Karen picked up a chicken leg with his left left hand, took a bite, glanced at Bart, and said, "I do not want to speak any more of this nonsense."

"It is not nonsense, Captain. My meaning is..."

"Alright, do not discuss what has already been decided anymore. This is not watching a romance movie in a cinema where a simple plot needs to be recounted several times over. Save some time. Besides, I will find it annoying."

Everyone fell silent and began to lower their heads to eat.

The first to finish his meal was Ventura. This youth, who had always had the largest appetite in the entire team, rarely had no appetite tonight.

He broke the silence, speaking up, "Captain, you have a way to deal with it, right?"

Aisly also chimed in, asking, "Captain, do you have a way to preserve yourself?"

Karen did not answer, merely staring at the heavy fog ahead while biting into his chicken leg.

Ever since he stepped out of Groven's room with the "mission," he had been pondering a question. This question was simple, yet exceedingly complex.

How did such an extra matter get mysteriously added just as they were about to reach the Valley of Samsara?

Taking the token into the Gates of Samsara to meet and support Gaitanbert and Funitis was a mission known long ago. When Bharat assigned the missions, he had said that there were three missions in total, with their weight and importance graded from low to high.

He and Muri had held a briefing, directly turning the tasks assigned by Bharat upside down, changing the weight from high to low.

So, the higher-ups' backup plan was waiting here.

Choosing one person from each team to bind with the token meant that to Gaitanbert and Funitis, these two teams would be like wandering around in the dark night holding flashlights. If they still existed, they would inevitably be able to "see" them.

Furthermore, through the array formation already bound to the token, the person bound to it would "lose" the ability to resist, becoming the best vessel for the other party to inhabit.

Therefore, the higher-ups did not care at all whether you would arrange the weight of the tasks yourself, because they had already arranged it for you.

The point Karen was contemplating was not this, either, but rather how they dared to make such an arrangement, and lay it out so plainly and clearly.

Just as Karen had said to Groven previously, this was unfair!

In Karen's logic, sacrifice required logic. Just like standing on a great levee and fighting to the death to plug the dam to prevent it from bursting, that was because one clearly knew the residents below the dam needed protection. Only by understanding the meaning of sacrifice could one achieve sacrifice.

But on what grounds should the people of the present be sacrificed to welcome two souls whose survival was unknown, and whose state of existence was entirely a mystery?

This kind of practice, which completely lacked ground to stand on and was devoid of self-persuasion, purely treating people as silver vessels—

were they so certain that this batch of chosen youths would agree and would not refuse?

Yet, facts proved that they simply did not refuse.

Whether it was Ventura, Aisly, Bart, or the others, from the very beginning, none of them voiced anger or skepticism toward this arrangement of the higher-ups. Their coming to persuade and care for him was built on the premise that this matter was already a settled doom, merely wishing to substitute into this position.

In their cognition, this matter was only natural and right.

Even Muri had gone home yesterday to eat a reunion dinner. Looking at it now, he knew of his own "arrangement" at that time, which was why his mood was somewhat low today, but it was merely low. This young man, who had fought with him in the coconut grove for a long time that night, bore an attitude of completely bowing his head in acceptance when facing such an arrangement.

Only until now did Karen realize that his previous understanding of the Shenjiao was still one-sided.

It was not a country, although its internal structure very much resembled a country.

It was not a syndicate, although its operational model was very similar to syndicates and gangs.

It was even less of some interest camp, club, or research society of like-minded people.

It was a religion; it was a church.

The first Order Inquisitor he had deep contact with was his grandfather, Dis.

The second he had deep contact with was Mr. Pavaro.

The third he had deep contact with was the Captain.

Dis had long been a rebel of the church. If he had not condensed three divine personalities, his rebellious crimes would probably have made it into the history of the church.

The side of "humanitarian integrity" belonging to Mr. Pavaro covered his "church attribute." In Karen's eyes, he resembled a local police chief more than a believer.

The Captain was now looking more and more like a seeker of amusement.

In truth, his own vision was still too narrow, mistakenly believing that what he saw was the entirety.

Yet, the truth was not so.

If the Captain had not blindly followed the hope of being with Miss Elisa through church certification back then, Miss Elisa would not have failed to wait for the true Rest Liquid and lost herself to suicide.

If Dis could have severed the family from the church back then as he did now, "his own" parents would not have met that end.

Even with Mr. Pavaro, while listening to the painful sobbing of his two daughters late at night, he continued to reject external resources. Was it his moral character sustaining him, or was it his loyalty to God sustaining him?

The shouts of praise to the God of Order were, in fact, repeated oaths. When God needs you, when the Shenjiao needs you, you will offer up everything you have without reason.

It did not even require a plausible reason.

Because God

was the sole reason.

Muri's grandfather knew his grandson had been chosen, yet merely called him home to eat a farewell meal and let him go.

So, his own maternal grandfather, Old Man Delon, was also such an elder?

Therefore, his maternal grandmother, Madame Tangli, would not tell him of his own existence.

If one day the Shenjiao needed Eisen or needed Richard to do the same thing, Old Man Delon would not need to ask for a reason either. Likely, it would just be eating a farewell meal, and then sending his son or grandson out the door to dedicate everything to the great God of Order.

Karen suddenly felt some lingering fear in his heart. Recalling now his relaxed state of mind at the Guman family house, where his subconscious assumed this was also his relatives' home... it was simply a crime against the safety of his own life!

The Guman family was not the Inmeles family, and maternal grandfather Delon was certainly not grandfather Dis.

Their disparity lay not in strength.

Holding the chicken drumstick in his hand, Karen let his gaze sweep across the young people standing around him, and for a fleeting moment, he felt they were utter strangers.

He himself felt so painfully lonely—no, he was completely out of place.

The Church of Light preached light to the world, and the Church of Order preached order...

He had only seen the light, he had only seen the order, he had only seen the faith;

Yet he had forgotten that above them all, there existed gods.

Above faith itself, how could a god be permitted to stand?

Karen dipped his spoon into the curry rice, a sudden yearning washing over him to reach out and grab a notebook, to seize a fountain pen, and to write something down upon the page, but this was the deck of a seagoing vessel, not his study in the backyard of the funeral parlor.

...

"There has never been any savior, nor any immortal emperors..."

Inside the backyard study of the funeral parlor, Alfred sat behind his young master’s desk, humming his favorite hymn while organizing his "Quotations from the Young Master," also known as the "Karen Quotations."

Though he had long since memorized its contents forward and backward, the black notebook still lay spread open before him, serving as an indispensable ritual for Alfred.

For everything he recorded and organized originated from the young master's own writings within this very black notebook.

Suddenly, Alfred froze, for he heard a scratching sound coming from the black notebook, as if someone were writing, but the fountain pen lay beside it, completely motionless!

Alfred immediately reached out to flip the pages of the black notebook, and when he reached the newest page, he caught sight of lines of golden script materializing upon it:

"I have made a mistake, an error in my cognitive process."

Alfred's eyes widened, his hands beginning to tremble with excitement.

The handwriting continued to appear:

"I only saw the progressive nature of certain aspects of the Church, such as its war apparatus, teleportation arrays, administrative buildings, knightly orders, tobacco, wine...

But no matter how many progressive facets it possesses, it still cannot conceal its essential nature, which is backward, ignorant, and idealistic.

The correct perception should be to affirm the positive aspects of the Church while criticizing its negative side."

Alfred licked his lips, reading these words with utmost seriousness, and when the final sentence appeared, Alfred's mouth hung open in sheer astonishment:

"【At the end of faith—no god should appear.】"

...

"Captain?"

"Captain?"

The others saw their captain standing there, silent and motionless for a long time.

Karen slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile gracing the corners of his lips.

Taking one of the two remaining large chicken drumsticks from his meal tray, he handed it to Ventura, who dithered for a brief second before opening his mouth to bite into it.

Then, Karen picked up the other drumstick and offered it to Aisley.

Aisley instantly opened her mouth wide.

Bypassing Aisley, he held it out to Bart, who opened his mouth and took it.

"Did you bring any tissues?" Karen asked Aisley.

"No, I didn't."

"Captain, I have a handkerchief." Blanche immediately proffered a handkerchief.

Karen wiped his hands and handed it back to Blanche: "Apologies, I've soiled it."

"It's quite all right, Captain."

Right after, Karen surveyed his surroundings once more and addressed all the team members around him: "Alright, even if binding the token to become a vessel doesn't mean certain death, it merely lowers the probability of retaining oneself. However, I have a way to deal with it. I am different from you all; your souls are too weak, while my soul is far too strong.

What is perilous for you poses no great problem for me.

Therefore, pack away your downcast emotions; this is but a trivial interlude. Nothing will happen to me, believe me. I am still waiting to emerge from the Gate of Samsara to lead you all in establishing my very own Whip of Order squad.

I still want to earn plenty of points and purchase plenty of equipment."

Karen clapped his hands together and said, "Pull yourselves together. I have no interest in grooming your moods as if you were standard chicks, so I do not wish to repeat these words a second time. Am I understood!"

"Understood, Captain!"

In the cabin corridor, Pasio and Digat held cigarettes between their fingers, their expressions heavy.

They happened to see the members of Karen’s squad returning from the deck to the cabin, each and every one of them looking full of spirit.

Pasio turned his head to look inside the doorway behind him, where his own captain, Muri, and the others sat, their morale utterly collapsed into a shambles.

"What, did we not receive the same notice?"

Digat spoke up: "The opposing captain snatched the quota from his members."

"Snatching even something like this," Pasio smiled, "What an utterly unreasonable captain."

Digat asked in a low voice: "Should we go and perform a token struggle with our captain?"

Pasio shook his head and said, "No."

"True, it would be meaningless, and the captain wouldn't agree anyway."

Pasio blinked and said, "I'm afraid of the off chance he might."

...

Late at night, in the cabin hall, a group of Divine Officials of Order stood ready, ten young people standing behind them, and two captains seated at the front.

Groven stepped forward, his assistant gesturing to him that all was prepared.

Promptly, Groven walked to the very front.

Neither Muri nor Karen stood up, remaining seated.

To this, Groven paid no mind, instead speaking aloud: "You shall offer your loyalty to the Holy Church, and to the God of Order. If you fail to return safely in the end, the great God of Order shall also guide you to merge into the laws of Order.

If you return safely and complete the extraction of those two, that shall be the reward of the God of Order for your loyalty!

Praise the God of Order!"

Everyone present crossed their arms over their chests and chanted in unison, "Praise the God of Order!"

Karen could only stand up alongside Muri to join the praise.

Once the salute concluded, Karen and Muri sat down once again.

Three Divine Officials walked up to Karen and Muri respectively, one of them holding a tray for each.

The object on the tray before Muri was a single yellow lion hair, remarkably stiff, resembling a spike.

The one before Karen was a snake scale.

Both the lion hair and the snake scale were placed upon astrolabes, and as the officials beside them began to chant, luster continuously flowed into the astrolabes.

Finally, an official stepped up behind Karen and Muri respectively, first offering an apology before pressing down upon their shoulders.

The snake scale was picked up and pressed against his shoulder; Karen instantly felt a violent, piercing pain strike him, as though the snake scale were corroding a piece of his flesh, ultimately sinking into his body.

In that split second, a piercing, icy chill washed over him, causing Karen to shudder involuntarily.

Wrapped entirely within a complex formation, this snake scale was merely "lodged" inside his body, rather than integrated.

When Funitas sensed him, the scale within would rupture, first weakening and suppressing his soul before welcoming Funitas’s arrival—tantamount to inviting a spy in beforehand.

Having weathered the initial agonizing discomfort, Kaelen gradually acclimated to it.

Turning his head, he looked over at Muri, who was currently having a long lion's hair pierced into his thigh;

Kaelen suddenly felt himself to be somewhat fortunate.

The token-binding ceremony concluded successfully, and Groven picked up two glasses of wine, handing them to Muri and Kaelen respectively, while the other team members were also served wine by the attendants.

Groven raised his glass and spoke:

"I hope you will all complete the mission and return safely. I mean all of you; because the future of the Holy Church requires you!"

...

Kaelen did not return to his cabin after the ceremony concluded, walking alone onto the deck instead. The night had grown deep, and small boats began to emerge amidst the thick fog, each carrying a silhouette.

Like ghosts, they rowed tirelessly through the heavy mist.

Such a scene would be terrifying to ordinary people, but in the eyes of a true cleric, as long as it was harmless, it held no dread.

"Hey."

Kaelen turned around and saw Muri standing behind him.

"Are you feeling lost?" Muri asked.

"Heh." Kaelen smiled; this fellow was actually trying to comfort him.

Muri continued, "Do you feel that our future is just like the silhouettes on these small boats, with the path home blurred?"

"Sigh." Kaelen let out a sigh. "You can just openly state your own feelings, no need to use me as an excuse."

Muri grit his teeth and lowered his voice, saying:

"I originally thought my hard work could make my grandfather value me. I originally thought my hard work would eventually allow me to sense the great God of Order, to let Him know He had such a devout believer.

I am willing to do anything for my grandfather, for the great God of Order. I only hoped they would remember that he has a grandson named 'Muri,' and He has a believer named 'Muri.'

I truly never expected that my ultimate end would likely be that of a mere vessel, with my name erased, my soul erased, my existence erased, becoming the incarnation of another person.

Do you know, I had a dream last night, dreaming that when I met our teammates, they collectively called out to me, 'Lord Gaitanbert'."

Kaelen teased, "Without adding the word 'Lord'? Truly sacrilegious!"

Muri was made both angry and amused by Kaelen's words, his emotions completely disrupted:

"Damn it, your mindset is truly something else."

"Hehehe." Kaelen laughed, spreading his arms wide. "Because I am already prepared to welcome the descent of the great Lord Funitas into my body."

"Really?"

"To have my body borrowed by the great Lord Funitas is my honor. I hope Lord Funitas will be satisfied with my body."

"Any cigarettes left?"

"Yes."

Kaelen handed the cigarette pack and lighter to Muri.

Muri took them, placed one between his own lips, and then offered one to Kaelen.

"I quit."

"Keep me company for one?"

"Is that really necessary?"

"Seriously, please. You know, when I found out you swapped places with your subordinate, I was quite glad."

"Did I offend you?"

"No, because I feel quite honored to face this kind of situation together with you."

"Is it psychological balance?"

Kaelen reached out to take the cigarette, biting it in his mouth, as Muri helped Kaelen light it with the lighter.

"I suppose so, a balance. Because I admit you are more excellent than I am. Since even you have to face such a situation, the indignation in my heart can be lessened a bit. Pity, you have one more procedure than I do. If the target chosen at the very beginning had been my subordinate..."

"Would you have snatched it away like I did?"

"I would probably comfort him by saying the great God of Order will be with him."

"Heh."

The two men each held their cigarettes, leaning against the railing. Upon the sea behind them drifted aimless and numb boats of the undead, and in the eerie atmosphere, a song seemed to drift through the heavy fog.

Muri spoke up, "The probability of us retaining our selfhood and surviving is only fifteen percent, and that is the most optimistic estimate."

"Oh, is that so?"

"That is the result under peak condition. In reality, after entering the Gate of Samsara, how could we as captains possibly maintain peak condition."

"Mm, indeed."

Muri flicked his cigarette butt straight into the sea, then reached out to produce two purple pills the size of soybeans.

"These are soul pills my grandfather gave me, bestowed upon him by the former High Priest, Lord Lathma. Because my grandfather's soul suffered an injury, though he never consumed them. Now, there are only these two left.

Taking it can form a protective film over the soul, helping us resist the assimilation from the souls of those two great figures. Mm, theoretically, taking one can increase the chance of survival by ten percentage points."

"What about two?"

"The effect would be better, and the survival probability would increase further."

With that, Muri placed one pill into the pocket over Kaelen's chest, his palm patting the pocket area.

Kaelen reached out to retrieve the purple pill, scrutinizing it before his eyes, and asked, "This should be very valuable, right?"

"Of course, but why are you asking that?"

"How many credits? Give me a friendship price and I'll buy it, just enough to let me make a small profit reselling it on the black market."

Muri thought Kaelen was joking and walked straight toward the cabin, waving his hand with his back turned to Kaelen as he said:

"Not for sale. This is to buy your life."

Kaelen pinched the pill, his peripheral vision watching Muri’s gradually receding figure as he murmured:

"Oh, this is to buy your life."