Chapter 529: You Are So Good

Chapter 529: You Are Truly Obedient

"Are you giving me time to prepare?"

"Yes," Karen nodded. "Because I know it would be quite dull, and I do not want it to be too dull."

"Heh, brat, you are exceedingly arrogant."

"Those close to me all consider me to be highly cautious."

"Cautious? Perhaps. But I find myself beginning to appreciate your arrogance now; it cannot help but remind me of my own youth."

"I do not take that statement of yours as a compliment."

"Then do you believe that one day in the future, you will fall into the exact same predicament as me?

Right now they want to push you forward as a figurehead, to forge you into the mask of this region's Whip of Order for this current stage, but if the wind changes and they need to pivot, the simplest and easiest way is to take this used mask off their face, strip it away, and throw it into the trash.

Perhaps in a few years, it will be you sitting here.

They have many ways to ensure you dare not resist, just like me now; I clearly possess the power to kill you, yet I cannot truly strike, forced to watch as you drive your spear tip into my chest."

Karen looked at Dolph, nodded, and said, "I believe that before death, a person will speak with some slight sincerity, and I did feel a bit of that from your words just now.

But you are mistaken on one point.

Perhaps one day I will fall into a similar situation, but I will absolutely never fall into the same predicament as you."

Hearing this, Dolph’s gaze narrowed slightly as he asked, "What would you do?"

"I will resist."

"And what of your family?"

"My family would want me to resist. I will do everything in my power to protect them because in my eyes, family comes first, but I know even better that the family I protect will always stand behind me in support; they would never wish for me to suffer injustice."

Bishop Dolph's lips trembled slightly as he said:

"Do you know that telling me this puts you in great danger? Though Byrne placed a restriction, there is still a certain probability that I could attempt to kill you before he descends."

Karen shook his head and said, "You won't, because you know very well that not only the people outside, but even your own family wishes for your death right now in exchange for their own chance to survive. Families differ from one another, and as the head of the household, you have failed to manage this home well."

"You..."

Karen raised the Spear of Punishment in his hand and thrust it straight down into Dolph's chest.

"Puff!"

The spear tip pierced Dolph's body, and the power of punishment began to diffuse within him, frantically destroying his flesh and soul.

Yet it was a conjured weapon after all, and its texture was far inferior to a real weapon; to make a somewhat exaggerated comparison, it was like the difference between eating with a pair of chopsticks and trying to scoop up rice with two strips of cloth.

Ever since the Sword of Alius had broken at the hunched youth's place, Karen had not found the time to seek a new weapon, but now he had a new line of thought.

This time, when reconfiguring his weaponry, he could prepare a set—a set here did not mean performance complementing each other, but was purely considered from the perspective of carrying convenience.

At home, there was the refrigerator left to him by old Saman and modified by Kevin, inside of which he could store the best, or perhaps the most expensive weapon, something like a greatsword that was unsuitable to carry on most occasions.

Aside from that, he should also equip himself with a weapon that was easy to conceal on his person.

Daggers and the like were favored by both Neo and Philomena, but Karen's combat style did not favor closing in immediately to gamble for an opportunity at the very start.

On the other hand, the kind of weapon Anita of the Tomb Guardian clan used—resembling a bracelet that could draw out silver threads to become a longsword—appealed quite a bit to Karen; it was highly suitable for emergency use.

He would let Alfred arrange it; Alfred would be responsible for whatever needed to be bought or scavenged.

The main issue was that handy weapons were all very expensive with a high premium; so far, the only weapon Karen had received as a gift was still from Ophelia—the Princess was truly magnanimous.

Logically speaking, the forged weapons from Dark Moon Island suited Karen's habits perfectly, but Karen was truly too embarrassed to be thick-skinned enough to beg them for a second one.

He could hardly say to them directly, "The quality of the first one wasn't good enough and it broke, give me a better and more expensive one," could he?

Unwittingly, Karen's mind wandered.

By the time he snapped back to reality, he noticed that in front of him crouched a fierce beast covered in black scales, staring down at him.

Furthermore, it had likely been watching him for some time already, it was just that he had shown no reaction whatsoever.

To Bishop Dolph, who had transformed into the fierce beast, it appeared that Karen was using a special method to isolate his mind from the outside world for self-protection; now, Karen's eyes meeting his meant that his self-protection method could finally hold out no longer.

"My apologies."

Karen said this single sentence to the fierce beast before him.

Regardless, drifting off was his own fault, and he ought to respect the fruits of another's labor.

A low growl escaped the beast's throat, and beneath its feet, the pitch-black void gradually transformed into infernal lava.

Karen stared at the ground with some curiosity; he hadn't realized before that this bishop, who seemed like the foolish head of a family, actually possessed some talent in the arts.

A burning sensation began to strike, wave after wave, bringing a suffocating and anxious oppression;

Between countless fissures, wounded arms began to stretch out one after another, helplessly and aimlessly trying to grasp at something.

The grotesque beast's body was gradually disintegrating, as torrents of blood mixed with minced flesh rained down upon Karen; one could even perceive the fleeting warmth of that exact moment.

Karen took a deep breath; even in his conscious space, he did not wish to experience such a foul and filthy process.

Yet Bishop Dolph had succeeded to a certain extent, because more than intimidation, Karen loathed being made dirty.

Lowering his head, Karen's right hand remained loosely curled as if gripping something; though he could not feel it, he knew the Spear of Punishment was still in his hand, and he was continuously supplying power for its existence, while Bishop Dolph's life force was steadily draining away.

"I once had countless nightmares."

The voice was somewhat ethereal.

"I originally pondered what kind of nightmare to use to torture you, for I felt that a nightmare which even terrified me should be quite sufficient for you."

"I look forward to it."

Karen brushed his other hand across his face, wiping away the thick, clinging bloodstains.

"But then I felt this would be rather meaningless. I am not adept in the mental domain; if you are truly exceptional and resolute enough, I might actually become your stepping stone.

If that is the case, I would die with far too little dignity, and I would despise myself."

"For someone like you, even if you wished to find a redeeming quality within yourself, it would be quite difficult. If I must praise you, I can only say that in your heart, there is a place for your family, and its weight is not light."

"Thank you. Therefore, I changed my mind. Actually, if you hadn't lived in the Pavaro home, would all of this perhaps not have happened?"

"Within coincidence, necessity is usually hidden. You used the mask as an example yourself; even without me, when encountering such a shift in the wind, a mask like yours that makes everyone uncomfortable would still be the first to be torn off."

"Heh, I feel you are right, so I have changed my mind."

"Snap!"

A sound like something fracturing rang out.

Immediately after, a dense web of cracks appeared before Karen, and Bishop Dolph, seated in his chair, manifested right in front of him, along with the Spear of Punishment in his own hand.

Bishop Dolph on the chair lifted his head: "I will not intimidate you further, nor will I curse you. I want to... bless you."

Karen watched Bishop Dolph's body wither at a speed visible to the naked eye, knowing the effect of the Spear of Punishment was expanding, and merely nodded, saying:

"As you wish."

"I want to change perspective. I acknowledge your excellence, and I believe that in the future, whether in realm or in status, you will surpass me. Therefore, I bless you."

The moment his voice fell, chains of order proliferated from Bishop Dolph's body, then slowly bound Karen.

This feeling was somewhat novel to Karen, for he had always been the one to bind others with the Chains of Order, and rarely had anyone ever used them upon his own flesh.

The Chains of Order flowed with the purest essence of discipline, yet they brought no sense of restraint to him.

This spectacle seemed as though Bishop Dolph had contributed his very own power, draping it entirely across Karen’s shoulders.

"Perhaps, for an exceptional youth like yourself, the vast majority of hardships are things you can overcome, and your path forward might be traveled quite smoothly; thus, I shall make your journey just a little more effortless."

A black vine spilled forth from the center of Bishop Dolph’s brow, looking like a newly born sprout; when it appeared, the aura of Order all around grew even thicker.

Above the Inquisitor was the Adjudicator, and above the Adjudicator was the Lexiographer, while above the Lexiographer lay a grand realm that was difficult to discern by any concrete, stepped criteria of strength.

Broadly speaking, it was to take root, to sprout, to branch out, to leave, to blossom, and to bear fruit.

The object before his eyes was, in all likelihood, Bishop Dolph’s root of faith.

"As an elder, as a senior, and as your Lord Bishop, it is only proper and right that I do something for a junior; I want to... fertilize you."

The nascent sprout floated upward, finally coming to rest upon the position of Karen's chest.

In an instant, Karen perceived as though a colossal weight had been pressed against his breast, causing even his soul to suffer a momentary distortion.

Immediately after, the sprout began to take root upon him, and a dense, tangled mass of rootlets commenced their deep descent into his body and his soul.

At this very moment, the conscious mind and reality produced a violent sense of overlapping and interlocking.

Bishop Dolph was in the process of bestowing his nascent sprout onto Karen.

This was indeed an unselfish gift, yet the same piece of earth could only grow this single root, and there was a chance it might not survive.

This was Bishop Dolph’s vengeance; his thoughts had taken a sharp turn in a brief span of time because he felt that merely relying on intimidation to leave behind a shadow of faith would fail to truly halt the progress of this outstanding youth before him;

Therefore, he adopted an inverse method, which was a proactive bestowal, akin to an act of "spoiling the child by pulling up the seedling" far ahead of its time.

This could, within a short duration, allow Karen’s strength and realm to obtain a conspicuous elevation, but the ceiling of his future development would only ever remain beneath Dolph.

The difficulty of condensing a sprout of his own grew vastly greater, and even if it were condensed, it would never grow better than this current one; it would only be lower, and weaker.

For crops, if too much fertilizer was applied, they would also be "suffocated" to death by the sheer richness.

Bishop Dolph was casting himself as that pool of fertilizer, desiring to forcefully stifle Karen’s future with abundance.

Even Karen had to admit that this old man's vengeful psyche and vengeful concepts were truly highly innovative; he had indeed been genuinely astonished.

At the edge of the basement hall, along the cracks, the pendant began to make a faint, rustling sound.

From his chair, Bishop Dolph spoke, saying: "Furthermore, let me tell you one more thing: Bourne is no good man. You ought to have heard a few things about him, right?

So, how could you possibly think that he had given you a piece of benefit?

Heh, I even feel that he guessed long ago that I would undergo this sort of transformation; he is cleverer than I am, far cleverer."

"Are you saying that Bishop Bourne is harming me?" Karen asked.

"No, he is not harming you. Perhaps in his eyes, your attainment of elevated strength and realm from me is a visible benefit. A man like him very much enjoys this feeling of holding interests fast in his hand.

As for your future, the height to which your talent could have been realized is simply not within his scope of consideration, for it cannot be concretely measured.

Of course, if you wish to hate someone in the days to come, you may hate him.

Remember,

it was he who allowed me to strangle your future."

Karen nodded and said, "I understand."

...

Above, within the study.

Bishop Bourne sat behind the desk with his eyes closed in cultivation. His fingertips gently tapped upon the tabletop, and the crisp sound of the pendant echoed near his ear, causing a sliver of a smile to grace the corner of his mouth.

"To pry a little something out of the hands of an old fellow like you is truly no easy task."

He slowly opened his eyes:

"I have seen far too many geniuses; most of them fell before they could hardly grow up. Therefore, I have never liked immersing myself too deeply in illusions of the future; I only like to fix my gaze upon the ground beneath my feet.

The number of elders in the temple is already sufficient.

Karen, if you discover that your future has already been shackled, and that you cannot advance further in your realm, you can come to my place to focus entirely on your duties.

My objective is by no means limited to a mere Pamiress Church; I wish to bind even more churches to the chariot of Order.

I hope you can come to aid me.

Mm, do not hate me, heh."

Having finished his sigh of sentiment,

Bishop Bourne closed his eyes once more.

...

The nascent sprout continued to grow upon Karen’s body, and its rootlets were also rapidly diving downward.

Gradually, Karen began to retreat; to be precise, it was the surrounding environment that was moving forward, making him appear, by comparison, to be backing away.

Yet Bishop Dolph, along with the chair beneath him, followed tightly and intimately without pause.

"Are you evading?" Bishop Dolph laughed. "I perceive it; you are evading, you are afraid, you are trying to break free. It seems your confidence in yourself is quite ample."

Karen did not speak, merely staring at Dolph on the chair before him; the man's visage was continuing to decay.

"Does it make you feel panicked? Does it make you feel angry? Does it make you feel despondent? The feeling of having one's future choked to death in this manner must be quite agonizing, is it not?"

Karen still did not speak.

Gradually, within the space of consciousness, patches of rootlets began to appear all around.

"Your soul is truly resilient, and your accumulation is indeed so rich; a talent like yours truly makes even me envious. In my youth, I was inferior to you, far inferior.

Heh, yet the more it is so, the more excited I become.

Because this proves that my method is correct; what I bestow upon you is a blessing, yet I am able to reap the true pleasure of vengeance, hahahaha."

Those root-systems had already covered close to eighty percent of the area within Karen’s conscious space; they began to exude the power of Order, treating this place as their new ground of growth.

Karen tilted his neck back, continuously drawing in sharp breaths.

"Are you restraining yourself? What are you restraining? It is useless, truly, it is useless. You might as well open up everything and properly accept the gift I give you. At least at this moment, you... are... very... happy... are... you... not..."

The countenance of Bishop Dolph upon the chair was gradually aging; the continuous destruction wrought upon him by the Spear of Punishment, combined with his proactive pouring of strength into Karen’s body, accelerated his demise.

Finally, when both his body and soul sank into a state of withered weakness that Karen felt was within his control, Karen let out a long breath of relief; previously, it had seemed as though he were conducting breath-holding training.

"Heh."

Karen smiled.

"What... are you... laughing at..."

"Laughing at you."

"Laughing at me... is that so?"

"Mm. You said I was restraining myself just now, that I was evading; actually, it was not so. I was merely hiding."

"Hiding... what?"

"There are things I feared you might see too early, for in the beginning, you possessed the means to send word out, even to Bishop Bern. Now, however, you have grown so weak that no message can escape you; even I hold you entirely within my grasp.

And so, I truly had to endure with great effort just now, forcing myself to conceal certain matters beforehand, keeping them well beyond your perception.

Did you not say you wished to use your blessing to strangle my future?

Very well.

But the premise is that your blessing must be grand enough to suffice; otherwise, it may not truly manage the choking. Even if I were to agree, it would be of no use—it depends entirely on whether they agree."

The moment the words fell, the newly sprouted rootlets all around began to wither and drop away at a frantic pace. The blessing bestowed upon Karen by Bishop Dorfo was, at this very instant, utterly repelled by a tyrannical force, much like an intruder breaking into a home only to be met with the fiercest eviction by its true master.

"Standing for so long has tired me out. Now, it is my turn to sit."

Karen leaned his body backward, and a chair materialized just in time to catch him as he sat.

Simultaneously, the figure of Dis, clad in the sacred robes of a Temple Elder, materialized right behind Karen.

Bishop Dorfo's eyes instantly widened: "A... Temple... Elder..."

And the next words from Karen's lips dealt Dorfo an even heavier, far more despairing blow:

"How truly obedient. When told to write a suicide note, you actually went and wrote it."