Chapter 546: Fallen Angel

Chapter 546: Fallen Angel

Purr was truly giving Kevin a beating, raining one paw stroke after another right down upon the hound's head.

Kevin did nothing but shield his head and tuck his tail, darting and dodging without pause, turning the scorching forge into a chaotic scene of flying cat and leaping dog.

In truth, by any ordinary logic, if a large golden retriever truly wished to handle a little black cat, it would be the simplest thing in the world—a single press of a paw, and the kitty would be utterly pinned.

Even if Purr could conjure fireballs, Kevin had already undone two layers of his seal by now; it was genuinely hard to say who was the stronger of the two.

Yet, Kevin had always treated Purr with a sort of doting indulgence; one might even say that the member of the household who spoiled Purr the most was not Karen, but Kevin. After all, Karen would never allow Purr to ride him like a horse, whereas the Great Evil God was perfectly willing, never tiring of the sport.

"Ahem..."

Only when Karen walked in and let out a light cough did the row finally grind to a halt.

During those recent days when Karen was away from home, Purr had been bored out of her mind by herself, and inevitably ate a bit too much to pass the time.

Lately, since she had stayed behind at the manor with Karen, worshipped as an ancient ancestor by the family's younger generations, she certainly hadn't lacked for "offerings."

Consequently, Purr was now quite a bit plumper than before. In her current huffy state, her head appeared all the rounder, looking immensely adorable.

Of course, the vast majority of females detested being called "plump and cute," even if she happened to be a cat at the moment.

"Karen, you come judge this! This stupid dog is simply bullying me too much!"

Though it was clearly she who had initiated the paws-on assault, the cat still felt she was the one entitled to a fair arbitration.

"What happened?"

Karen took a seat on a nearby chair. The temperature in the room was exceedingly high, and the seat of the chair had been baked quite hot, but there was no helping it. His own cat and dog were in here forging and upgrading a weapon for him; he could hardly bear to complain about the heat and suggest they go outside for a glass of ice water to talk things over.

Purr leaped onto Karen’s shoulder, intending to pour out her grievances in a rapid torrent, but after a moment's hesitation, she first extended a paw and pointed toward that Memory Compass.

"Radio Sprite, fetch that compass over here."

Alfred walked over, picked up a pair of fire tongs, removed the compass, and set it down before Karen.

Purr reminded him, "No need for the tongs. The heat is only meant for carving the internal arrays, not for melting it down. This bit of temperature means absolutely nothing to it.

Its material is memory metal, also known as Manico steel, smelted by an alchemist named Manico. Of course, the smelting method itself isn't particularly special; it’s mainly that the ore is difficult to harvest and extremely rare, so its value is quite high."

As she spoke, Purr jumped down from Karen's shoulder and stroked the compass several times directly with her cat paws.

Alfred nodded and said, "Duly noted."

Karen found it somewhat amusing in his heart. Purr wasn’t imparting this knowledge right now for the sake of education; she was laying the groundwork for her upcoming disagreement with Kevin. This preemptive lecture allowed her to appear more professional.

In any case, she was simply taking advantage of the fact that Kevin could not speak.

A ripple of spiritual energy emanated from Purr’s paw, and the compass began to spin. Immediately following, slivers of black steel plates flew out, beginning to revolve around Purr's body.

This compass was, in reality, a collection of these steel plates.

"This is a fine item. Whether in terms of material or craftsmanship, it is a fine item indeed. The fun-seeker truly has an excellent eye."

"The fun-seeker" was the nickname Purr had bestowed upon Neo.

As a member of the old Allen family, she had always adhered to pirate traditions; most of the people she interacted with frequently would be given a nickname by her.

"I would like to know the specifics, if we are to treat it as an investment."

After all, it was worth thirty-five thousand Order vouchers. Though Karen had mentioned he would make up the difference to Neo once his carriage was modified, there was no doubt that this sum would ultimately have to be paid.

"I imagine the fun-seeker bought this with the intention of undergoing an upgrade and reforging as well. Once it is properly upgraded and forged, the price of this thing will easily double."

"Is it truly that exaggerated?"

"Because excellent blacksmiths, array masters, and rune masters, once they reach a certain level of excellence, do not actually lack for vouchers. Therefore, while this transaction looks highly profitable, what it actually consumes is one's personal favors."

Karen nodded. This point was exactly what the director had told him previously.

"Do you want to give it a try?" Purr released her cat paw, and the steel plates that had just been dancing around her were all recalled, reconstructing the shape of a compass once more. "It has one flaw: controlling it requires a vast amount of spiritual energy, but for you, that can hardly be considered a flaw."

Karen reached out to pick up the compass, channeling his spiritual energy into it, whereupon he established a very faint, yet unmistakably real connection with its interior.

*Hum!*

The steel plates all flew out, beginning to circle around Karen.

Karen attempted to control them. Very quickly, the steel plates began to arrange themselves in an orderly fashion. One moment they stacked upon one another, forming a blade; the next, they stood upright, shaping into a sword; and immediately after, they dispersed and reassembled, turning into a shield.

The basic structure of the steel plates would not change, but the edges and curved surfaces could undergo minor alterations, which provided countless possibilities for their separation and joining.

In short, it closely resembled a children's toy that could assemble and transform, yet its sharpness was entirely capable of taking a life.

At the same time, it was capable of bearing elemental power, which meant it could serve as a primary weapon, an off-hand weapon, or a defensive implement.

Carrying it routinely was also very convenient; this compass could actually be folded down even further, and a sheath similar to one used for a dagger on the side of a boot would be enough to hold it.

Combining this with his own advantage of possessing an abundant accumulation of spiritual energy, it was indeed a weapon highly suited to him. The director's choice had been truly excellent.

"So, what is the point of contention between the two of you?"

Karen inquired while commanding the steel plates to retract.

"The stupid dog's idea is to carry out a comprehensive overhaul and upgrade on its original foundation, enhancing its power-bearing capacity, its responsiveness to the user, its self-defense capabilities, and so forth...

You can understand it as elevating its value from thirty-five thousand vouchers toward doubling that amount. Furthermore, this presents no difficulty whatsoever, neither for me nor for the stupid dog."

Was that idea not very good then?

Karen hesitated for a moment, then asked Purr:

"Then what is your idea?"

"Kevin's idea is to double its value. My idea is to increase it tenfold, or even a hundredfold."

Karen did not lose his composure upon hearing these words; instead, he looked toward Kevin and asked:

"Is the risk very high?"

Kevin nodded.

"Stupid dog, shut up!"

Kevin widened his canine eyes. He clearly hadn't even spoken yet.

"My meaning is to raise the level of the runes and arrays carved inside it as high as possible, sacrificing most of its other balances, or even sacrificing its smooth operation, because this thing is simply too interesting."

"Too interesting?"

"Yes, meow. Think about it. Originally, you had to treat it as a complete entity. Since completeness is pursued, the restrictions are naturally quite numerous. If you treat it as a somewhat extreme piece of work, then the restrictions become very few, and the direction and scope of the enhancement can be immensely vast—this vast..."

Purr used her two fleshy paws to gesture as widely as possible.

"My opinion is, don't you have that soul inside your body? Give this thing to it, and let it drive this compass and these steel plates. It would be equivalent to tailoring a body specifically for it.

Then, you would essentially possess a weapon that contains an artifact spirit.

If we do it this way, many components can be stripped away entirely, making it completely convenient for this artifact spirit to display its power. Manico steel as a material inherently possesses a great affinity for soul bodies."

"Integrating an artifact spirit..." Karen pursed his lips. "This is surely no longer something an excellent blacksmith can accomplish, is it?"

"Of course. Under normal circumstances, an artifact spirit must be nurtured over time, and it depends entirely on luck. The vast majority of implements have no possibility of ever birthing an artifact spirit. The reason divine artifacts have a higher probability of birthing one is due to the unique nature of divine artifacts themselves.

This thing you bought for thirty-five thousand Order vouchers wouldn't manifest an artifact spirit even if you left it for ten thousand years.

Well, up until now, introducing an artifact spirit into a sacred artifact has been hailed as an almost impossible feat. A brief attachment is possible, but forcibly integrating one through external forces and achieving a mutually nurturing, positive cycle..."

"There hasn't been a single successful case?"

"Oh, but there has."

"Hmm?"

"Technically, to a certain extent, I am one. Didn't Diss refer to me as an extremely powerful holy artifact? I might not be devastatingly powerful right now, but my grade is exceptionally high."

Purr grabbed her own tail and continued:

"The only reason you can wield the power of the Light is because you signed a symbiotic covenant with me. Looked at from another angle, I am the artifact spirit of that finger of the God of Light.

It was through me that you completed the purification and obtained the power of Light.

Therefore..."

Purr turned her head toward Kevin and shouted:

"I have an abundance of experience!"

"Woof, woof, woof, woof!"

"Alfred, translate."

"Yes, Young Master. Kevin says that Purr's case is a special exception and lacks universal applicability because she herself is a genius, and a genius is inherently an uncontrollable anomaly. If we forge it according to Purr's method, there is an eighty percent chance this newly bought weapon will be ruined instantly, reduced to scrap metal."

Hearing this, Karen said, "Which means there is still a twenty percent chance of success?"

"Woof, woof!"

"Within that remaining twenty percent, there is a ninety-nine point nine percent probability that the Thousand-Charm you brought out from the Door of Reincarnation... will directly dissipate and suffer sudden death."

"Tsk..."

Karen could not help but inhale sharply.

"It's not like that, it's not like that at all," Purr said, highly dissatisfied. "I've already lowered the difficulty. What I want to craft isn't a permanent vessel for the spirit, but a temporary one. When you need that loach, Karen, it will enter this compass. When you don't need it, it will leave the compass and remain inside your body. Doing it this way will lower the difficulty considerably."

"A temporary one?" Karen frowned slightly.

"Woof, woof, woof!"

"Kevin says that this temporary arrangement will cause the weapon's durability to drop rapidly. Generally, it will require a major overhaul after three uses, because the internal runic pathways will need to be reinscribed."

"Then it's far too much of a white elephant. Or rather, the cost-effectiveness is too low."

Hearing this phrase, Alfred immediately repeated "white elephant" over and over in his mind;

The Young Master used it to signify a poor cost-to-benefit ratio. Instinct told him this must be a usage from that particular language.

"But that problem can be solved," Purr said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Just let that loach repair it itself. Karen, you only need to provide the spiritual power within your body, which will be more than enough to sustain the loach while it completes the repairs on the weapon by itself."

Kevin froze. Evidently, Purr had not mentioned this proposal to it beforehand.

Of course, Purr was not to blame; the reason they had quarreled earlier was simply because it had interrupted Purr's suggestions one too many times.

For Kevin, who had only just unsealed a single layer of its restrictions, this was an extremely sensitive moment in its relationship with Karen. Karen undoubtedly hoped to see results, and it had to deliver something, moreover gauging the exact degree of its performance perfectly.

If its performance was too extravagant, there would absolutely be no hope for the next layer of the seal to be undone.

Thus, the upgrading and forging of this weapon was the tribute it had prepared for Karen, and it attached great importance to it.

"Is it feasible?" Karen asked, noticing the change in Kevin's expression.

"Woof, woof, woof, woof."

"Kevin says that if it is merely a matter of following a set routine of repairs, it can indeed be done. After all, the Thousand-Charm inside your body, Young Master, possesses a decent amount of intelligence.

However, from the perspective of implementing the entire design, the risk is still substantial, and the difficulty remains high.

Nevertheless, if it is only a temporary vessel for the spirit, the likelihood of the spirit being destroyed upon failure is reduced."

"Then do it."

Karen handed down his decision.

Thirty-five thousand points was not a small sum, but as long as the danger to the Thousand-Charm was minimal, he could afford the loss.

"How long will it take?" Karen asked.

Purr spoke up, "It can be finished tonight. In fact, we've already done the preliminary work. Leave the Thousand-Charm here, go have dinner and a night's sleep, and we'll be done."

"Good."

Karen nodded and extended his hand. A coil of mosquito incense appeared in his palm.

The Thousand-Charm did not expand, deliberately making itself look harmless.

"Go on," Karen instructed. "Be obedient."

The Thousand-Charm floated up and flew toward Kevin. In its eyes, the supreme leader was Karen, and the runner-up was this golden retriever before it.

"Dead loach, come here!"

The Thousand-Charm froze for a moment, then immediately turned its body around and flew toward Purr. It believed Kevin was terrifying, but the cat before it was capable of chasing Kevin and beating him.

Purr raised her paw, allowing the Thousand-Charm to encircle it, and warned:

"In a moment, I will teach you a runic pathway. You must memorize it for me. If you can't, a creature that stupid doesn't deserve to freeload in my house, understand?"

The Thousand-Charm nodded immediately.

"Alright, you two keep busy. I'll head over to the performance hall to check on Old Saman and Count Recar."

Stepping out of the forging room, Karen and Alfred exhaled a long sigh of relief almost simultaneously. It was truly too hot inside; thus, for those two furry creatures, Purr and Kevin, staying in there was genuinely no easy feat.

After leaving the castle and entering the performance hall, Karen caressed the coffins while allowing the Chains of Order emerging from the soles of his feet to connect with them, his consciousness sinking in along with the chains.

Although the two currently lying in the coffins could not yet be brought up to perform tasks for him, they were both employees he had reserved for the future. Whenever the opportunity arose, spiritual consolation and encouragement were still necessary; after all, employers loved doing this most.

Karen entered Old Saman's consciousness first, but failed to find him in the "cemetery environment." When Karen entered Count Recar's grand ship, he discovered Old Saman sitting together with Count Recar, fishing.

"It seems the two of you are getting along quite well."

Karen's arrival brought them a pleasant surprise. The three of them sat together, with Karen doing most of the talking, recounting the events that had occurred outside during this period as well as his own experiences, while Count Recar and Old Saman chimed in from time to time to offer a few critiques.

The time spent chatting passed quickly. When Karen prepared to leave, both of them made a request of him, which was to hurry up and add more people to the other coffins, otherwise their lives were simply too boring, and they had long since reached the point of being sick of looking at each other.

Karen smiled at Old Saman, "If you're so sick of looking at him, why did you still run over to his place to fish?"

Old Saman responded, "Since I'm going to be sick of it anyway, I might as well throw some bait in while I'm at it."

...

When Karen's consciousness returned to his body, he found that Alfred had already shifted his posture from standing to sitting.

"What time is it?"

Karen asked, rubbing his neck.

"Young Master, it is eleven o'clock at night. You certainly chatted for quite a long time."

"It couldn't be helped. They are too lonely. Before I left, they insisted on demanding that I add new faces quickly. Unfortunately, Madame Gandilo won't be coming over for the time being."

"Your subordinate will do his best to keep an eye out for suitable candidates."

"Heh," Karen chuckled. "Why does that sound so strange?"

"Will you be having your dinner now?"

"I am a bit hungry, order some food, and let's head to the forge to eat. We can see how Puer and Kevin are progressing, hopefully my thirty-five thousand points didn't go down the drain."

Stepping into the forge once more, the furnace fire had already died out, and the temperature inside had dropped.

Puer saw Karen enter and said, "Mm, you chatted for that long?"

"Yeah."

"It's the first time I've ever known that people lying in coffins can talk more than the living."

"Perhaps, because you can talk to them about anything. Where is the item?"

"I'm sorry, boohoo, Karen, I was wrong, I wasted your thirty-five thousand points, I'll drink less coffee in the future to make it up to you, meow."

"Heh, since you asked me about the chatting first when I walked in, it must have been a success."

"Can't you just play along with me?"

"I'll make fish for you tomorrow, just as my injuries have recovered."

"Great, meow! Loach, come out."

Qianmei flew out from Puer's fur, flying back before Karen in a sickly manner.

Karen asked in confusion, "How did it turn into this state?"

"I don't have much spiritual power to feed it, so it's normal for it to become weak and listless after leaving you."

"But it shouldn't be this fast."

"Then I wouldn't know, meow."

Hearing this, Kevin stole a glance at Puer.

Karen understood in his heart too; it was likely that Qianmei had endured Puer's mental torture for so long that it was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Did it learn it?" For safety's sake, Karen still asked.

"Of course, after all, it had such an excellent teacher."

Sensing Qianmei returning to his own body and beginning to rapidly replenish its soul and spiritual power from him, Karen said, "Then demonstrate it, where is the compass?"

Kevin pushed forward a stack of steel sheets from before him, which was no longer in the shape of a compass but had turned into the form of a long strip made of many decks of playing cards stacked neatly together, making it more convenient to carry around.

Replenished from Karen's side, Qianmei flew out of Karen's body and sank into this pile of steel sheets. Without waiting for Karen to issue a command, it floated behind Karen according to their most frequent cooperative habit.

"Clack!"

Like scales spreading out, Karen was entirely enveloped in a sheet of black, forming a complete defense.

Immediately following with a "crash," the black retracted, forming three pairs of black and metallic-textured wings behind Karen.

Accompanied by the gentle flapping of the wings, Karen's feet left the ground, and his whole being floated up.

Qianmei's consciousness transmitted over, requesting the blessing of the Chains of Order from Karen.

Karen released the Chains of Order, which were guided by Qianmei and entirely poured into the wings behind him, as if infusing them anew with muscles and bones.

"Buzz!"

In an instant, the length of the wings expanded once more. With just a few flaps, the sound of breaking through the air had already appeared. Combined with the sense of solemn majesty bestowed by the Chains of Order, it made the current Karen look like a fallen angel descending from a mural.

Puer waved a paw,

and said very excitedly:

"Just seeing this appearance makes it worth it, meow!"