Chapter 652: Wipe Them Out

Chapter 652 Wipe Them Out

The sound at this moment seemed to be entirely absorbed, leaving not a shred of release; as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but violent, undulating ripples of bloody crimson, as though having endured layer upon layer of climbing ridges, finally ushering in a silent explosion.

Even standing on the periphery, the barrier before Kallen was corroded entirely clean by the red light; if the foundational "Purification" spell was meant to obliterate all impurities, then this spell was meant to devour all outliers.

Upon the beach, a massive crater appeared, and lying right at its center in utter wretchedness was Miki.

She was covered from head to toe in black bloodstains; the toxin of the bloodthirsty aberration had completely invaded her body, shackling her physical functions while simultaneously suppressing her soul.

She was now nothing more than an ordinary person, a crab... stripped of its shell, leaving only the tenderest meat behind.

In truth, the reason she had not yet been reduced to a puddle of dry, fractured mincemeat was not because her luck was particularly good, but because Neo had chosen to hold back at the final moment.

The bloody halo retracted, condensing into Neo's form; his arms now hung limply down and his head drooped, his entire being appearing as though suspended in midair.

"Ah..."

A hoarse roar escaped Neo's throat, and he violently snapped his neck up, his palms turning upward as veins bulged across his entire body.

He turned his head slightly toward the direction where Kallen stood.

The sound of grinding teeth echoed, sounding like a countdown.

Understanding the cue, Kallen began to move.

Immediately after, Neo plummeted rapidly toward Miki's position.

"Buzz!"

Miki had already abandoned all hope; she lacked even the strength to stand up now, let alone fend him off.

Right at that moment, a greatsword manifested before her.

The Sword of Diamans blocked Neo's fingernails.

Following closely, thick chains of Order manifested around the crater, swarming toward Neo.

"Heh."

Neo let out a cold laugh and retreated swiftly, while Kallen chose not to pursue, letting Neo vanish into the distance.

If one were to follow the basic respect for a theatrical stage, Kallen and Neo should have fought another round; considering Neo was someone who pursued perfection and detail, an early exit most likely meant his physical or mental condition was in a terrible state.

Kallen guessed it was his mental state that required soothing.

The bloodthirsty aberration polluting the Light... even Kallen dared not attempt such a trick, nor had he ever even thought in that direction.

Barring any surprises, Neo had likely just successfully emerged from his previous split personality only to plunge headlong into an even more severe one.

But looking at it from another perspective, it did not seem entirely like a bad thing; at least he probably wouldn't have the peace of mind to think about Miss Elisa anymore.

Kallen lowered his head, his gaze meeting Miki's.

Though she wasn't dead yet and Kallen had no intention of killing her, if the subsequent events were to unfold, having such a high-tier combatant crippled in advance was undoubtedly excellent news.

Kallen opened his palm and cast a low-level healing spell that was better than nothing; its only use right now was to clear her head slightly, allowing her to feel the pain in her body more sharply.

Bending down, he hoisted Miki over his shoulder; the woman was heavy, and though she was plump herself, the main weight seemed to reside within her, and as he performed the shoulder-carry, Kallen seemed to hear the sound of an hourglass by his ear.

The skeleton inside this woman's body... was made of sand.

From the perspective of cultivation, the Church of Order was considered quite clean; though it had absorbed many sequences from other large, medium, and small churches, its mainstream path remained relatively "humane."

Other churches, in this regard, were generally rather "inhuman."

The Desert Church's method of refining a person's skeleton into sand was considered conservative; the original Sea God Church, in its pursuit of closeness to the ocean, used to alter their very form of life—despite being human, they insisted on being reborn from an eggshell to remodel themselves into marine creatures.

As for the Moon Church, it had always preserved a tradition of devouring; a team would often be cultivated in a single direction, and upon reaching a certain stage, the optimal candidate would consume the other companions—this also mirrored the style of Artemis, the Moon Goddess, who devoured other lunar goddesses to achieve her status as a chief deity.

The only flaw or characteristic of the Church of Order was its fondness for playing with corpses... which was practically refreshing by comparison.

Flapping his wings, Kallen landed before the main entrance of the Ankara Hotel with Miki over his shoulder, throwing the heavily injured woman to the hotel guards at the entrance; they would send her to the church hospital for treatment.

When Kallen walked into the hotel lobby, Leon actively stepped forward to greet him, handing Kallen a hot towel.

Wiping his face, Kallen listened to Leon's report: Luther had already checked into his room, the security arrangements were complete, and the investigation into the roadside ambush had begun.

After listening to the report, Kallen took the elevator to that floor; four personal security personnel stepped out from the opposite room—two men and two women whom Kallen did not recognize, but seeing them felt like looking at his former self.

"Lord Minister."

"Lord Minister."

Kallen nodded to them and knocked on the room door; Elanga opened it, welcoming Kallen inside before noticing Miki's absence behind him, and couldn't help but ask:

"Minister Kallen, where is Miki?"

"She's injured, and her injuries are very severe."

"Very severe..." Elanga froze for a moment, clearly well aware of Miki's strength.

Sitting on the sofa and preparing to dine, Luther heard these words and looked up in great surprise, asking in bewilderment: "To think that within the territory of the York City Area, there would be such a powerful remnant of Light?"

Kallen walked to the coffee table, picked up the untouched glass of red wine, took a sip, and reminded him: "That is not something you need to worry about."

"But Minister Kallen, this concerns my safety."

"Your safety is our responsibility; furthermore, I must warn you that Miss Miki originally shouldn't have come to any harm. I noticed it was you who gave her the command to pursue, disregarding my objections.

From now on, you must strictly abide by the security regulations sent to you beforehand. If you have any other needs, our arranged personal security personnel live right across the hall; propose it to them, and they will apply upward."

Luther smiled and said, "Is Order always this strict with guests?"

"Are you a guest?" Kallen countered.

An embarrassed expression surfaced on Luther's face.

Kallen continued, "Please recognize your position. You and your people are here to beg for the assistance of my Church of Order, not to be guests here."

Elanga immediately stepped forward and said, "Minister Kallen, is this your meaning or your Church's meaning?"

"I have said that I cannot interfere with the negotiation process between my Church's higher-ups and you, but if you are disobedient and I lose my temper with you, I do not believe the higher-ups will punish me for your sake.

You are welcome to file a complaint; perhaps the higher-ups would be quite pleased to see me wake you up early to what position you are truly in, saving a lot of trouble in the negotiations."

The innocence of a boy returned to Luther's face;

But compared to Ventura, his innocence was a bit too hypocritical.

"Minister Kallen, I understand. I will comply, definitely."

"Good."

Kallen set down the wineglass in his hand.

Luther actively went over to pour more wine for him, asking as he poured, "I feel that Minister Kallen seems to have had a problem with us from the very beginning. I would like to know why."

"There will be a damage report from this security operation later; originally, those subordinates of mine wouldn't have had to face so many dangerous situations. That is probably the reason I've had a problem with you from the very beginning."

With that, Kallen turned and left the room directly.

Elanga closed the door, raised his hand to erect a barrier, and asked, "My Lord, do you think what he said is true?"

Luther shook his head and said, "I don't believe it."

"Yes, I don't believe it either; this reason is too forced."

Swirling the wineglass in his hand, Luther said, "I suspect he knows about Valotti."

"This... how is it even possible."

"Elanga, never underestimate the Order of Light. Since the demise of the Light a millennium ago, it has reigned supreme as the paramount faith for a thousand years. How could its intelligence network possibly be lacking?

Besides, there are times when it wishes to investigate a matter; a single official missive dispatched, and many churches, yielding to its formidable might, would choose to cooperate.

Consider the Pamires Faith. For no discernable reason, they aligned with the Order to set a snare and declare war upon Samsara, inexplicably reducing themselves to a vassal of the Order.

I even harbor suspicions as to how many of the desert loyalists currently siding with us within the Desert Faith are actually covert agents of the Order."

"But my Lord, if the Order is aware that Valotti was an assassin of our sending, then this negotiation..."

"It will bear no consequence. Valotti's actions were fundamentally intended to catalyze the Order's intervention, to aid us in securing our independence from the desert. I trust the Order will choose the path of greatest advantage.

In any event, we have abandoned all bottom lines for this negotiation. So long as the Order descends to aid our independence, we shall instantly sign the treaty and become their vassal church.

To exchange a single Chief Bishop for an entire vassal faith, the Order well knows how to choose.

Furthermore, this affair could even serve as leverage for the Order to hold over us, a staff with which to strike us, leading them to believe we are far easier to control."

"Indeed, I share that view. We have come this time with the utmost sincerity."

"Elanga, do not forget that it was this Minister Karen who slew Valotti, heh." Luther stretched languidly. "His poor disposition toward us should please us; it proves the Order's intentions run contrary to his own thoughts. Only under such circumstances would he give way to his temper. By the way, when does the conference commence?"

"The formal assembly begins tomorrow morning. Tonight is the preliminary briefing, followed by the welcoming banquet."

"Very well, I shall take a rest first. Go and visit Miki—ah, forget it, you likely cannot leave this place. I am truly curious; that remnant of the Light possessed an aura of light so extraordinarily pure...

Yet I did not anticipate he would be so powerful as to defeat Miki."

"My Lord, could it be that Minister and..."

"Miki is still alive."

"Yes, that proves it has nothing to do with that Minister."

...

The banquet had begun.

Once, Karen had to rely on the guise of a personal security detail to scrounge for food at such high-class galas, selectively plucking the most expensive delicacies and surreptitiously packing leftovers for his teammates.

Now, the moment he stepped into the banquet hall, attendants stepped forward to serve him personally, inquiring after his preferences, so that he needed only to find an empty table and sit before an entire spread of fine food and wine was promptly delivered to him.

His promotion had come too rapidly; while the privileges and benefits had caught up, Karen had not yet found the time to grow accustomed to them.

Spearing a piece of roasted draconic lizard meat with his fork, he dipped it in sauce and brought it to his mouth. The meat remained succulent, yet Karen felt it lacked the exquisite flavor of those days when he used to devour it ravenously in the lower ranks.

"Heh."

A familiar chuckle drifted over. It was Chief Bishop Byrne, who seated himself across from Karen as attendants began arranging his meal.

"Things got a bit out of hand today."

"What things?" Karen inquired.

"The matter of the Light's remnant. How did someone so formidable suddenly emerge?"

"Everything is under control," Karen said.

"Are you certain it is all under control?" Byrne took a sip of whiskey. "Never mind, I shall not press you on this."

"Will you be taking the stage to speak shortly?" Karen asked.

"I will not. Even for tomorrow's meeting, I am merely an accompanying guest, much like Wolfrun used to be. The conference is simply borrowing our grounds; the negotiating team from the Digne District has already arrived."

"Ah, I see."

"We have not yet reached the echelon that dictates policy."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You ought to understand my meaning. Before the preliminary briefing commenced, I noticed they all wore relaxed expressions. Let us put it this way... they clearly did not look like men arriving for a tense negotiation."

"And then?"

"After the briefing concluded, they turned solemn." Byrne pinched a piece of meat with his fingers, placing it into his mouth and chewing as he spoke. "Look over there..."

Karen turned his gaze toward the entrance of the banquet hall, where a group of dignitaries from the Digne District, draped in scarlet robes, were filing in.

"They arrived late," Karen noted.

"Indeed. Because after the preliminary briefing ended, they must have held a brief internal meeting and subsequently monopolized the communication array room."

"Meaning?"

"Heh, what else could it mean? It must be that this lot from the desert offered a price too grand to refuse, one they likely had not anticipated beforehand."

Karen picked up a mango and peeled it by hand. The fruit's aroma was rich; he took a bite, finding it sweet and bursting with juice—another of those premium fruits bought with points that he would normally hesitate to purchase at home.

Byrne also picked up a mango, but rather than peeling it immediately, he set it before himself and squeezed it gently with his fingers, offering a warning: "The wind is about to shift. Look, they have proactively gone over to socialize with the desert contingent."

The focus of this banquet was inevitably the desert delegation. Aside from Luther and Elanga, there was a host of accompanying personnel, and at this moment, both sides had begun to converse with great fervor.

Whether it was Suse or Byrne, as the two nominal titans of this local district, their intelligence capabilities were beyond question, and the negotiating team dispatched from the Digne District had likely sensed the shift in the wind as well.

From their initial ease, to their subsequent gravity, and now to this current enthusiasm...

Men do not waste enthusiasm upon the dead.

Karen continued to eat his mango.

Byrne continued, "All that groundwork laid for nothing."

Karen smiled faintly and asked, "Did you sit here specifically to tell me this?"

"Naturally. Though before long, that superior of yours should be sending you a message as well."

"Oh, very well."

"Do you require my counsel?" Byrne asked.

"Then do you require mine?" Karen countered.

"It seems you do not."

"And what of you?"

"I prefer not to become entangled; it is far too wasteful."

"Fair enough."

"Very well. You seem fond of this fruit; I shall have a few crates dispatched to you later under the guise of complimentary provisions." Byrne stood up, reaching out to pat Karen on the shoulder, but Karen raised a napkin to block his hand.

Byrne took no offense, taking the napkin with a smile to wipe his hands as he departed.

As soon as he left, Alfred strode over briskly; he was originally supposed to be acting on Karen's behalf in the office.

"Young Master, this is a handwritten letter the District Chief requested I deliver to you."

"What does it say?"

Karen knew Alfred had undoubtedly read it already, and he did not mind; in truth, Alfred would not only unseal and read all his correspondence, but he would also draft replies on his behalf and send gifts in his name during various holidays.

"The District Chief's meaning is that the wind has shifted. Stay your hand."

"Do you believe this is the final decision from the higher-ups?" Karen asked.

"Your subordinate does not know, but it appears the desert faction has proffered a price the upper echelons simply could not refuse."

"Well, alright then." Karen glanced at Leon, who stood below the rostrum maintaining order, and instructed Alfred, "Go and tell Leon everything, then have him come see me."

"Young Master..."

"Go on."

"Yes, Young Master."

Alfred walked over to Leon's side and called him out of the banquet hall.

After a short while, Leon re-entered the hall. Just then, a bishop from the local region was chatting with Elanga over raised glasses; he called Leon over, introducing him like a promising junior.

That bishop was likely genuine in his desire to lift up the younger generation out of respect for the former Chief; he knew nothing of the matter, as only the heads of the Regional Management Office and the Order's Whip in this region were privy to the original plan.

Leon enthusiastically clinked glasses and drank with Elanga, exchanging a few words, and only after the conversation ended did he walk toward Karen, his demeanor entirely natural.

"Sit."

"Yes, Commander."

"Are you hungry?" Karen asked.

"I had a little something during the break, I'm not hungry."

"Mm." Karen nodded. "Is there anything you wish to say?"

"Commander, I will obey the church's arrangements. I can accept it, and I can make peace with it. You don't need to comfort me, truly."

"Did you bring cigarettes?"

"I did. Mr. Alfred specifically instructed that when I am with you, I must have these ready." Leon produced a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out, and handed it to Karen.

Karen took the cigarette, then held it up to Leon's lips; after a brief hesitation, Leon took it between his teeth.

"Light it."

"Yes."

Leon lit the cigarette and took a drag. The moment the smoke from the Church of Thunder hit his throat, he hurriedly grabbed a napkin from the table to wipe his mouth, suppressing his voice as he began to cough.

Once he had composed himself, his eyes rimmed with red, he looked down at the cigarette between his fingertips and said, "Commander, this cigarette is too strong, I can't smoke it."

"If you can't smoke it, don't force yourself."

"Commander..."

Karen pulled out a cigarette for himself, lit it, and took a drag, his expression unchanged.

Though he was not addicted to using such things for stimulation like Neo, he had smoked this specific brand from the Church of Thunder quite often in the past to suppress his soul injuries, and he had long since grown accustomed to it.

Exhaling a ring of smoke, Karen said softly, "Likewise, I cannot pretend that I'm not used to smoking it."

Immediately following that, Karen pressed the cigarette, from which he had taken only a single drag, into the exquisite ashtray on the table.

"So, it's better to just put it out."