Chapter 663: The High Priest's Awakening

Chapter 663: The Awakening of the High Priest

At this moment, surrounded by the Light, Gisen was utterly stupefied.

This was no longer a matter of playing secret tricks behind someone's back; it was throwing you onto a pile of firewood named "framing" and roasting you relentlessly.

Simple, direct, and incredibly brutal.

On the other end of the communication array, after witnessing this scene, Sousse and Bern remained entirely silent, quietly shutting down the array on their side.

Bern stretched lightly, and Davins, who was sitting on the sofa opposite him, stood up and asked:

"May I leave now?"

"Of course, my friend."

Davins looked at Bern and smiled faintly. "This kind of wrap-up is truly unexpected."

"Did it stun you?"

"Stun me? No. Rather, it felt like a violent tear."

"That was unavoidable."

"This does not seem like your style of doing things, Bern. This piece of leather is far too rough."

"But I quite like this style. Leather is merely a tool; obsessing over smoothness causes it to lose its purpose as a tool. After all, neither art pieces nor luxury goods are things we can afford to play with."

"As long as you are happy."

"Before you leave, I believe I should remind you of one more thing."

"A piece of advice?"

"No, a warning. Davins, I can recognize the value of your existence, and I am even willing to cooperate with you in certain aspects, but things like this must never happen again."

"An exception just this once?"

"I will initiate a round of screening and purging, starting immediately after you leave."

"That is your job, and your duty."

"You will regret one thing, Davins—you broke your agreement with Karen."

"Oh?"

"His desire to kill those people from the Desert Cult was not merely to avenge Volfren. He loathes betrayal."

"Heh," Davins chuckled softly. "Then I shall await his retaliation."

"What exactly was your agreement with him?"

"You do not know?"

"I have said before, he and I are 'peers.' He is my junior, yet he is not my subordinate. But I am curious about the specific agreement between you two."

"You can ask him yourself."

Bern waved his hand and said:

"When you choose to break an agreement, do not blame others if they turn their agreement with you inside out in the future."

...

Sousse silently raised his wine glass and drained the liquid within.

Immediately after, he snapped his fingers.

Moments later, the door was opened, and several secretaries walked inside.

"Pass down the order: the Desert Cult is suspected of assassinating former Chief Bishop Volfren. Arrest them all. If anyone resists arrest, execute them on the spot."

"Yes, Regional Director!"

"Yes, Regional Director!"

Sousse placed the empty glass back onto the coffee table, the bottom of the glass making a crisp clinking sound, and continued:

"Funds are tight, and prison expenses are something I plan to cut down. We cannot hold too many people."

After exchanging looks, the secretaries immediately responded:

"Regional Director, we understand."

With the departure of the secretaries, orders were passed down through the ranks. Soon, the Ankara Hotel was placed under complete martial law. Squads of the Whip of Order began rushing into the hotel building, and the defensive arrays within the hotel began shifting and altering their internal configurations.

Firm doors were kicked open one after another:

"According to the Regulations of Order..."

"According to the Regulations of Order..."

While reciting the opening lines, they raised their slaughtering blades. Blood splattered everywhere, but the screams were stifled.

In short,

the hotel cleaners coming to work tomorrow would find themselves burdened with a heavy extra workload.

...

Inside the Vien Royal Palace, Vic let out a long sigh of relief and ordered: "Evacuate immediately!"

The Remnants of Light quickly began erasing the traces at the scene, then split into several teams to depart the palace. They had their own hiding spots, places that would absolutely never be searched by the Whip of Order, and would even receive their protection.

Vic himself hoisted Gisen up and arrived at the side gate of the palace, boarding a carriage that had long been waiting there. The carriage began to move, its destination the Ankara Hotel.

Inside the carriage, Gisen, whose mind had been blank until now, suddenly glared at Vic and said coldly, "How despicable."

Vic remained indifferent. Instead of refuting, he took out a pair of nail clippers and began meticulously trimming his fingernails.

Human nature dictates a habit of treating one's own nails as a way to relieve stress;

therefore, Vic was not nearly as calm as he appeared on the surface.

Gisen reached out, but because of his injuries, he could not reach Vic. Still, he continued with a grim expression, "Do you think you can bring me down with this kind of framing?"

Vic glanced at Gisen. "You haven't even escaped my control yet, and you're already talking nonsense."

"You never intended to kill me. You are using me as a rag to cover the mouths of those above."

"Mm."

"But you should know, Vic, that for others, being tainted by the Remnants of Light is a taboo that would cost them their lives or a layer of skin at least. But for my family, this is no great matter. Framing of this degree cannot truly shake my family."

"The communication just now was entirely recorded in memory crystals. The Regional Director and the Chief will also serve as witnesses to this matter."

Hearing this, Gisen's lips quivered slightly, but he still countered, "You cannot be naive enough to believe this will crush my family?"

Vic shook his head and replied, "Crushing you is enough. This kind of framing certainly won't bring down your family, but by ruining your reputation, your position as the next successor of the family will likely be forfeit."

"You..."

"Things have already reached this point, the orders have been issued, and they should already be acting at the hotel. No matter what, the negotiation and cooperation with the Desert Cult driven by your side has been declared bankrupt.

Now, there are only two paths laid out before you. The first path is to admit that your own conscience awoke, making you a defender of Order who avenged our region's former Chief. Though this will cause the resources invested by your faction for this matter to go down the drain, you will at least gain a good reputation and influence, so it will not be a total loss.

The second path is to lose everything entirely while everyone tears off their masks. I do not know if we can withstand the fallout, but I can at least guarantee you will be thoroughly ruined, destroying your future.

Do you know why it was me standing beside you, entering the frame with you?"

"I am doing poorly now, and you know very well how the Church treated me after my teacher vanished; you couldn't even be bothered to call me out for a meeting when you came to York City.

But if something really happens to me, especially involving such a sensitive matter, my upper limit of priority would become very high.

For instance, we wouldn't need to report you; I would just turn myself in.

I would take the initiative to admit my ambiguous relationship with the Light, and then name you as my accomplice.

It's quite sad that my identity is actually a liability, but used cleverly enough, it's quite nice, heh."

"Vic, I think you've truly gone mad!"

"Ah, yes, I think so too, huff..." Vic blew on his fingernails, "but I didn't go mad because of this matter; I was driven mad by my own curiosity."

He had joined this team later, but despite the short time, he had clearly noticed the small clique of Philomena, Muri, and Ventura that differed from the rest, and this clique's progress in strength was far faster than the others, making the stratification extremely obvious.

As well as those words Mr. Alfred would whisper in his ear from time to time, sounding very much like the murmurs of a demon.

But he was just curious; he wanted to go and see what exactly it was!

That layer of secret was only a single membrane away from him; he had to do something to pierce it, and this time was his test.

He should have passed the test, right?

Keeson suddenly said in a low, eerie voice: "Then have you ever considered that even if this matter can be glossed over for now, once the wind dies down..."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Heh." Keeson looked at Vic, "You will suffer retaliation, from me or from my family; I won't hide this from you."

Vic nodded.

After learning about this plan, he had once said to Mr. Alfred: Doing this seemingly solves the most troublesome problem on the surface for now, but it will plant deep and severe hidden dangers for the future.

But after hearing his advice, Mr. Alfred just waved his hand dismissively and replied:

"Anything beyond two years is not for us to consider."

Immediately after, Mr. Alfred added:

"Oh, it's not even two years anymore; it's short by a few months."

Vic was very curious as to why this specific point in time had to be set.

What he did not know was that it was the time when his teacher, Rasma, would condense his divinity fragment, and the deadlocked balance of Mink Street would be shattered.

...

"Do you want to continue your vacation?" Karen asked.

"No, I'm coming back to work," Neo shrugged, "my business just happens to be finished."

"So fast?"

"I've always been highly efficient in handling matters, unlike you, who can drag out the business of finding a single copper coin for so long."

"There are always matters right in front of my eyes."

"Alright, are there any other matters next?"

"Let's wait for this matter to wrap up, then some time needs to be spent on handling the work of the region."

"True, the influence we've fought for must be secured in our hands."

"And then, you will accompany me to retrieve the copper coin."

"Why call me along? If it were an unclaimed divine artifact copper coin, you wouldn't need to call me; I would beg you to take me along to find it, and maybe even try my luck to see if a divine artifact might recognize its master.

But as for this Lax copper coin... she will only run excitedly in front of you and call you Brother Karen, it's impossible for her to tug at my sleeve and call me Grandpa Neo."

"Heh."

"But what surprises me is that the strength level of the people on your side has improved so quickly; Philomena, Ventura, and Muri seem to have been following your rhythm, either actively or passively, while the others have clearly fallen behind.

So, does this count as your influence?

As long as one closely follows our Master Karen, one will surely receive a blessing, heh."

"The ones following the rhythm closest don't seem to be them."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know it well in your own heart."

"You really are shameless; do you know how much effort I put in for today, how do you have the nerve to claim all these credits for yourself?"

"You started it first."

"Alright, that cat of yours is also very formidable after getting that skeleton puppet, especially in using spell arts; I was shocked, that is a true master."

"Kevin is inside assisting it, and... it burns vouchers very much."

Filling it with magic crystal stones one by one, if one were to be cold-blooded, the cost of a single battle would be enough to pay the pensions of how many people.

"I remember it is waiting for an operation, Kevin told me so."

"Yes, once the copper coin is retrieved, I will go to the research institute to prepare for this operation; the operation plan has long been ready."

"Why have you been dragging it out without doing it?"

"First, it was to guard against your Lord Kevin at that time; second, my status was not high enough then, so I could only rely on personal connections to carry it out. Now, the medical conditions will be much better."

"You make it sound like you're going to get a vasectomy."

Karen glanced at Neo.

Neo raised his hand and continued: "But it's the exact opposite of a vasectomy, though I am very curious; after getting used to treating it as a cat, won't you feel unaccustomed when it can turn into a human? Even if it's only briefly becoming a human."

"No."

"Oh, true, briefly becoming a human, the time is also enough."

Hearing this, Karen frowned slightly.

Neo reached out and hooked his arm around Karen's shoulder: "Rest assured, don't have any psychological pressure; isn't she just several generations apart from your fiancée, an unusual spiritual stimulation, isn't it?"

"I heard that the lifespan of the Blood-Sucking Heterogeneous Demon is much longer than that of ordinary people, and their youthful appearance can be maintained for a very long time."

"Yes, of course."

"Miss Elisa's mother should look very much like Miss Elisa, right? She should also be very young now."

"Oh, you really are a lovely little beast."

"You were a beast first."

...

The Holy See, the Grand Office Hall.

Since the new High Priest took office, this place had always been bustling with people coming and going; the High Priest was a workaholic beyond the imagination of normal people.

But in recent days, the grand hall had fallen into a rare silence, and the work that should have been reported here was streamlined and diverted to the desks of the three Cardinals.

The High Priest of the Order of God, under the pretext that a "Divine Oracle" had appeared, wanted to enter secluded meditation to comprehend the "Divine Oracle."

Logically speaking, this sudden suspension of work for seclusion would easily arouse suspicion from the outside world, and others had not detected any signs of a "Divine Oracle" descending;

But the truth was, everyone felt it was very normal. On one hand, although the High Priest was no longer young, he had nothing to do with old age yet; on the other hand, the "Divine Oracle" the High Priest was comprehending was very likely meant specifically for himself.

Because his identity was, from the very beginning, singular.

Especially for one standing at the apex of power, it was a habitual instinct to elevate any matter to a grander scale. The High Priest had only recently concluded his struggle against the church’s numerous factions, establishing an absolute, self-centered suppression so profound that even the Temple itself was forced to blunt its own edge during his reign.

At such a juncture, his contemplation of the "Divine Oracle" resembled a secular monarch who, having completed a redistribution of power, begins to invest himself with a religious sanctity.

Thus, in the eyes of the high-ranking members of Order, the faction leaders, and the Temple, the High Priest was merely further proclaiming his status as the "Successor of Tyranus."

Yet the true reason was... the High Priest’s body was genuinely failing.

Only the innermost circle of the High Priest’s inner sanctum could perceive this, but one and all, they would guard this perception unto death.

...

Beneath the grand administrative hall, from within the black tide, a colossal sea turtle slowly emerged. It was Bace, a descendant of the sacred beast that had founded the Church of Order.

Upon its head lay a man, none other than High Priest Norton, whom the outside world believed to be in seclusion, contemplating the oracle.

Norton slowly opened his eyes and sat up.

"You are truly too extreme," Bace spoke. "Your choice shocks even me."

Norton replied, "If the choice were yours, would you accept the memories of your ancestors from generations past?"

"I have no choice."

"But I do."

"In truth, you too..."

"You wish to say that I, too, am merely struggling in vain."

"I dare not."

"But then, who among us is not struggling? For an ordinary man, from the very day of his birth, the hour of his death can be roughly calculated. In truth, various accidents only hasten that hour. Yet, does one simply cease to live? Can one not strive to make their life more meaningful, more fulfilled?"

"I can feel that, after these past few days, you are much lighter."

"Why?"

"The old you would not have spoken so many words to me. Instead, you would have produced a leather whip to lash me, just as Lord Tyranus lashed my ancestor in days gone by."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, my memory does not err."

"It is time for me to depart."

Norton stood up.

"Those remnants of yours—how should I dispose of them?"

"Seal them away."

"Yes, I obey your divine decree."

Bace opened his massive maw, and soon, corpse after corpse flowed out from within it. Every single one of them was "Norton."

High Priest Norton looked upon the visages of "himself" continuously drifting out below, his gaze tranquil. These were all the selves he had "slain" over these past days.

Immediately after, Norton’s figure vanished, leaving this place to return above.

Bace slowly sank back down, its helpless voice echoing through the surroundings:

"So, this was your plan all along, using me as your... mortuary."

...

With the end of the High Priest’s seclusion, the grand administrative temple resumed its operations.

The various affairs of the Church, like a canal finally cleared of its silt, converged upon this place once more.

There were not only the pressing matters of the present, but also the vital affairs of the recent past, brought together once more for a comprehensive summary.

Upon seeing a particular document, the High Priest’s gaze narrowed slightly.

In the next instant, another version of him appeared within a solitary office. Standing there, watching his other self in the center of the grand hall swiftly processing the administrative work, he could not help but close his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Ah... has a second me appeared again so quickly?"

Any method of restraint could only serve to delay; it could never offer a fundamental cure.

Soon, all other emotions faded from Norton’s eyes. With an utterly serene gaze, he looked at the two documents in his hands: one was the investigation report on the assassination of the former Chief Bishop, Warphulen, and the other was the proposal for the vassalage of the Desert Church.

A sliver of a smile touched the corner of Norton’s mouth, yet it was a smile devoid of any warmth:

"Are they not beasts?"