Chapter 617: Kevin's Insight

Chapter 617: Kevin’s Insight

Though billed as a selection assembly, it was far more of a one-sided choice; the Crypt cultists who stepped onto the stage could easily be perceived as mere auction pieces, save for the fact that they could speak—indeed, they were auction pieces capable of self-introduction.

In truth, one needed only look at Lord Auggie’s actual treatment to see clearly that respect... simply did not exist.

"Hmm, does this mean she belongs to that arch-necromancer, meow?"

Kallen looked at Kevin and asked, "Are you certain there is danger?"

Kallen had absolute trust in this dog's perception, yet the gravity of the impending decision forced him to ask once more.

If it had been Neo, he would have treated it as a divine decree and bolted immediately, dog in arms.

Of course, had Neo dared to question the great Ranedar, Kevin would have long since ceased to serve him; yet facing Kallen's skepticism, Kevin closed his canine eyes and focused his senses earnestly once more.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a solemn expression in them, and nodded heavily at Kallen: "Woof!"

The situation had grown even graver.

"Hiss..." Kallen inhaled deeply. He truly did not want any accidents to happen at this juncture, for it meant he might have to bid farewell to the bone dragon he had worked so hard to set up.

But at a time like this, he had to keep a clear head.

Extending his arm, Purr understood immediately and slid down Kallen's arm onto Kevin, since Kallen could protect an "Evil God Knight" much more easily than a cat and a dog should any unexpected changes occur.

Kallen walked toward the private box; he could sell out Miss Dana and Lord Augie without any burden of conscience, but he could not abandon Aisli.

Yet the very instant Kallen prepared to open the door, a red barrier manifested, and the door before his eyes suddenly receded into the distance.

This meant the array within the theater had been activated specifically against Kallen.

Seeing this, Purr started to say something but held back; she had wanted to mock Kallen for reporting the situation to the enemy himself, but felt this was no time for sarcastic remarks.

A voice echoed from above:

"Summon: Undead Priest."

A black vortex materialized in front of Kallen, and immediately following it, a priest clad in clerical robes and holding a wand—resembling a mummified corpse—appeared before him, raised his wand, and hacked downward at Kallen.

He was called a priest, but he possessed none of the demeanor a priest ought to have.

Kallen did not hold back. The Sword of Diamans on his back flew into his hand; rather than choosing to retreat, he rammed forward directly, using the Armor of the Sea God as his defense.

"Bang!"

The wand struck his shoulder, bringing a sharp pain, but the great sword in Kallen's hand pierced straight through the opponent's body. The surging power of Order's purification rushed through the priest's entire frame, forcing a miserable shriek from him, but just as he was about to dissipate, he unleashed a spell blessing!

The blessing struck Kallen. A spell that originally served to augment someone's effects now carried an incredibly dense set of negative attributes. The sensation was profoundly disgusting, as though he were an ant plunged into a pool of thick phlegm.

"Buzz!"

The wings of Qianmei unfurled, forcibly breaking the shackles for Kallen.

Just as Kallen prepared to break through the confinement of this array, a figure appeared by his side, and Kallen swept his sword across.

"Crack!"

The figure, clad in a black robe, raised his left hand and caught Kallen's Sword of Diamans. The razor-sharp edge was actually unable to pierce his fingers; however, the hand exposed beneath the cuff was pure white bone, devoid of any flesh.

When he lifted his head, hidden beneath the hood was likewise a skeletal face.

"Director Kallen, perhaps we can have a talk?"

Evidently, the opponent recognized him.

"Who on earth are you?" Kallen questioned.

"Even if I were to speak my name, you would not know it. A minor figure from a subordinate orthodox deity cult truly lacks the fame you possess."

"That is not the answer I want."

"I speak the truth. I know you came here for the bone dragon; I can arrange for it to be given to you, but I hope you will not interfere with what is about to transpire."

"It seems I am in no position to interfere." Kallen looked toward his trapped great sword.

"Heh, you are not using your full strength, I can feel it. Furthermore, your identity is unique; I do not wish for you or the young lady in that box to face a life-threatening danger. That is not the outcome I desire, nor is it one I can afford to bear.

This is merely... some internal friction within our Deep Earth Cult."

"I wish to leave this place now, and lead the people of the Order Cult away. How you fight among yourselves within your own cult hereafter is entirely up to you."

"The withdrawal of the Order Cult—would that not glaringly signal to everyone that something is about to happen here?"

"Then I will only take one of my subordinates, and I will not notify the others."

"That will not do either, because I do not believe you would sit by and watch that young lady fall into such a situation, especially after you leave this place."

"I would."

"I do not believe you."

Kallen felt a bit of a headache coming on.

"Lord Kallen, return to the room. Act as though you have sensed nothing, and then that bone dragon will become your partner. Consider this my introductory gift to you."

"Are you the necromancer who resurrected the bone dragon?"

"That is not my sole identity. To be precise, that identity is already dead. I have many identities, such as Guss..."

"Guss is not your clone."

Kallen was certain of this point.

When Guss came to his door in the dead of night to ask if he wanted to raise a dragon, Kallen's immediate reaction was to wonder if the fellow was baiting him.

Alfred had conducted an investigation on him immediately, and before their departure, had even bound Guss up and brought him in for an examination, confirming that he was an independent individual.

"I bestowed life upon him. In dreams, I can converse with him, and I can also see his memories of the day, should I wish to."

These words sent a violent jolt through Kallen's mind, for it bore an uncanny resemblance to the ability of that Bloodthirsty Deviant Primarch within Neo's body.

Bestowing lineage, maintaining a connection with one's own bloodline, and even being able to hold a private dialogue with a specific individual of that bloodline... No, the reason the Bloodthirsty Deviants required the Liquid of Eternal Rest was precisely because the Primarch was "mass-broadcasting" whispers, causing many Bloodthirsty Deviants to fall into madness.

Therefore, the black-robed skeleton before him was capable of maintaining a connection to the skeletal life he had "revived," proving that his strength and realm were absolutely formidable.

"Lord Kallen, I am merely here to assassinate someone. You can completely stand inside the private box and watch the show. Furthermore, once the assassination is concluded, I can hand over this identity I am using for the assassination—the assassin—for you to kill.

After all, did you not just kill an assassin not long ago? You can wait to claim another great achievement.

Internal turmoil breaks out within a subordinate cult, and due to your intervention, this turmoil is swiftly resolved. What a splendid script. This is the gift and sincerity I offer you."

"It seems I have no reason to refuse?"

"In truth, I know you have not agreed yet. Profit will not cloud your judgment."

"Then it truly is quite difficult to handle, isn't it?"

Kallen prepared to gather his strength. The identity of this skeleton before him was shrouded in mystery. According to his words, if even that "mad scientist" arch-necromancer who revived Guss and the bone dragon was merely one of his identities, then this person's true identity was highly likely to be a high-ranking official of the Deep Earth Cult.

However, Kallen did not need to defeat him. To break through his interference and shatter the confinement of the array here, he only needed to cause a slight leakage of tremors, which would suffice to alert the outside world.

Setting everything else aside, in the box ahead, there still remained an adult Frost Giant Dragon!

Rasma could squeeze her like a ball because that person was named Rasma, and at this stage, Rasma was probably truly invincible beneath the temple elders. But in reality, excluding extreme anomalies, this adult female dragon was absolutely a formidable power that could not be ignored.

Post-incident benefits were not considered benefits at all in Kallen's eyes; of course, if the opponent were willing to offer benefits beforehand, Kallen would, in all probability, choose to turn hostile immediately after receiving them.

Therefore, this sort of negotiation held absolutely no meaning for Kallen. Judging others by himself, he would not truly believe the opponent would keep his word.

"It is not difficult to handle. I believe you will make the most appropriate choice."

The skeleton released his grip on the great sword and, at the same time, raised his arm to dissolve the sealing array. Kallen could even clearly hear the howl of some monstrous beast performing on the stage.

This move by the opponent, conversely, left Kallen surprised and at a temporary loss as to how to proceed next.

"If there is light within the crypt," the skeleton man said, "it must be the gaze of despair."

The moment the words fell, a vortex materialized beneath his feet, and his entire form sank into it.

Kevin immediately rushed to Karen’s side with Purr on his back, letting out a sharp bark. "Woof!"

Powerful!

As a former deity, Kevin could not possibly be comparing his current canine self to his past divine status. Lanyedal was highly professional in this regard, so this pronouncement of "powerful" was an evaluation tailored to the opponent based on Karen's current strength.

Therefore, the opponent's identity had to be comparable, at the very least, to a regional bishop or someone even higher.

"What did he mean by that last sentence, meow?" Purr asked in confusion.

Karen did not answer. Instead, he walked over to the door of the private booth. Just as he was about to reach out and open it, the door was pulled open from the inside by Lady Augie.

"You are quite interesting, taking your pets out to relieve themselves in person."

Did Verden never hold you up to pee?

Karen prepared to raise his hand to call