Chapter 721: Eye of Order, Open!

Chapter 721 The Eye of Order, Open!

Ventura, Muri, Vick, Leon, and even Philomena were all clutching their chests with their hands at this moment, their faces filled with shock.

They had known in advance what they were about to witness with their own eyes, but that did not diminish the powerful impact they were currently experiencing.

Setting aside the majestic and holy aura of Light from the initial stage, just the interrogation shouted simultaneously by their Head and the dark silhouette behind him... if placed in any other orthodox church, would already be considered a divine oracle.

An oracle: a response obtained by a church through special religious rituals, sensing a deity that had long since disappeared.

Most of the time, even a single, simple sentence was rare; it was often just a few scattered words or even indistinct syllables, which a specialized group of scholars in the church would then analyze and study to guess the true meaning of the oracle, sometimes misunderstanding it and only coming to a sudden realization when the event actually occurred.

Furthermore, obtaining an oracle usually required paying an extremely high price.

Now, everyone present had heard it clearly.

If a fee could be charged for entering the auditorium today, the Church of Order, and even other orthodox churches, would be willing to purchase this sky-high ticket just for that single sentence.

Alfred frowned slightly, concern appearing in his eyes.

Whether it was an oracle or not, he did not care; after all, in Alfred's cognition, only the words spoken by the young master and the things written in the young master's notebook were true oracles.

He didn't even care about the previous God of Order; as for other deities, Alfred's perception was extremely orderly, which was that they were all evil gods, holding roughly the same status as a dog at home.

Alfred was worried that if this purification failed to achieve the expected results, the young master's path to setting sail again might very well be cut short right here.

What meaning did an ordinary servant of God have to the young master?

Even if the young master continued to advance rapidly all the way back to the realm of an Adjudicator, or even a step higher, what difference would it make in front of Lord Rasma?

Only if the young master walked a path like Old Master Dis—where his realm might not be high, but his strength and foundation had to be exceptionally formidable—would he be qualified to face the future winds and waves.

The elevation of status and the enhancement of strength were two major things that both had to be grasped firmly, because these two were the true capital to deal with Lord Rasma's eventual return in the future.

Was he about to lose a leg now?

No,

It could not happen,

Absolutely not!

Alfred's gaze darkened as he began to ponder a way to salvage the situation.

Where on earth are you hiding, Light!

The inquiry had long been sent out, but still, no response was received.

Karen took a deep breath, the irritability in his eyes intensifying further.

Yet reality seemed to be playing a joke on him—no, not reality, but the so-called divine will, which seemed to be merely teasing him.

The last time, the voice of the God of Light had appeared, but this time, he simply refused to show up.

There was a theory in the Church of Principles used to explain the distortion of laws discovered after searching and analyzing countless cases, called: The God's Joke.

It meant that when a god looked down upon the mortal world and saw humans, like ants, trying to analyze the fundamental principles of things, making the god feel amused or uncomfortable, that invisible hand of the god would descend to alter the laws you thought you knew.

The rules you painstakingly pursued were merely the god's playthings.

Pu'er was already exhausted; it was extremely strained to have held on until now, and its body had begun to tremble.

Neo had already ended his saluting posture; looking at the scene before him, he wanted to help but did not know what he could actually do—this was not a fight, and there was no concrete enemy.

Moreover...

Ah, hiss...

Probably affected by the previous radiance of Light, the power of Light inside Neo's body now seemed very active, and even the mad pope living in his mind began to throw a fit.

Unlike his own body feeling very comfortable with this dense aura of Light, the mad pope carried a clear rage; after all, that was a lunatic who had once stood atop the Tower of Light and shouted, "I do not believe in the existence of the God of Light."

Fortunately, the orderly self in the reading room was responsible for suppressing the situation; the mad pope was only making a scene inside and could not affect his external self.

Although the orderly Neo had died, he was reborn in the reading room and had helped him solve his previous biggest trouble.

Neo raised his hand, looking at Karen in the central area, and began to bite his nails silently.

Meow~

Pu'er reached its limit.

Little Karen, this kitty can't hold on... can't... hold on anymore...

Pu'er was a bit bourgeois in daily life, but it was never pretentious in other aspects; when it said it couldn't hold on, it was truly drained to the very last drop. Pu'er closed its eyes, severely overextended, and fell unconscious at this moment.

Karen reached out and grabbed Pu'er's tail, preventing that finger from leaving his forehead.

But along with Pu'er's slumber, the dense aura of Light that had been rippling around was also gradually dissipating.

Karen's gaze narrowed, and the hand gripping Pu'er's tail began to exert force; the finger of the God of Light, which had merely been pressed against his brow, was now continuously piercing into Karen's flesh.

The tip of the finger had already entered the inside of his forehead.

Blood dripped down from between Karen's brows, staining his eyes red before passing along the bridge of his nose and across his lips, finally condensing at his chin and dripping incessantly, pooling on the floor beneath his feet.

With bloodshot eyes, Karen began to let out a low growl, and the black silhouette behind him also assumed a roaring posture:

Where exactly are you, Light!

Following this question, not only did the aura of Light continue to drain away, but even the black silhouette behind Karen began to gradually fade.

Right at this moment,

Karen suddenly sensed a will rising within his heart.

It did not convey any explicit words, text, or images, yet that feeling was clear and unmistakable.

It was like a devil tempting you to enter his kingdom.

It came from the depths of his soul—it was that Statue of Order.

Do you want to obtain power?

Do you want to obtain a power far greater than others?

Do you want to obtain a starting point that is higher and more solid than your former self?

Bow your head to me, admit defeat to me, pray to me, and I shall grant you... a true beginning belonging to Order!

Karen's eyes became even more bloodshot, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was caused by emotion or blood, and he did not know whether this failure was due to Light breaking the appointment or the obstruction of the Hunger Addiction Statue from the depths of his soul.

But he was very angry right now!

You thought you had experienced so many things, struggled to survive through so many life-and-death situations, your heart becoming steadfast through ordeal after ordeal, your perception becoming clearer through washing after washing;

In the end, you were still just a chess piece trifled with by the so-called high-and-mighty gods.

Lidiculously enough, they hadn't even returned yet, but they still possessed the ability across an unknown number of boundaries to flick away an ant like you who was attempting to climb up from beneath the steps.

As for the temptation from the Hunger Addiction Statue, even in a state of losing control of his emotions, Karen would not give it a single shred of consideration.

What he wanted was his own power, not to grovel at the feet of another existence to beg for pity and charity.

Alfred immediately turned his head, looked at little Canna who had been standing at the very back, and commanded, "Go to the young master's side right now!"

Little Canna didn't understand why; unlike humans who had an instinctive sense of worship toward a god's aura, she felt a repulsion toward everything related to gods, so although she had come, she had been staying in the peripheral corner, like a companion avoiding someone eating durian.

Me?

Little Kanna pointed at herself, but she did not hesitate, her form appearing in the central area right beside Garen.

Alfred bellowed, "Hurry, do it just like Purr did!"

During the purification process of becoming a divine servant, if conditions permitted, pairing with a holy artifact could provide an exceptional auxiliary effect; long ago, Diss had told Garen:

Purr was the finest holy artifact in this world.

Having reached this stage and having spent so much time by his young master's side, Alfred now possessed a deeper understanding of the holy artifact's role, particularly regarding his master's unique situation, which required external stimulation during purification to elicit a response from the God of Order.

Since things had failed on Purr's side, they would just have to switch to someone else; didn't the little bone dragon bear the inheritance of the Rebellious Dragon God?

Though the Rebellious Dragon God fell untold ranks below the God of Light, at this moment, they had to try whatever method was available.

This was also the benefit of their current group being "rich and powerful," possessing more than one divine relic; even if it was a "deathbed struggle," they at least truly had a chance to struggle.

Imitating Purr's previous manner, little Kanna tilted her head slightly and raised her left hand; the flesh of her left arm receded, turning into a dragon claw, its pure white surface carrying a pearl-like, translucent spirituality.

This signified that her high-standard diet of late had indeed provided an excellent boosting effect for her development.

The dragon claw reached forward with utmost caution, brushing against Garen's cheek.

Garen, who was originally on the verge of concluding the purification process, suddenly shuddered.

The black illusion that had been about to dissipate moments ago regained its solidity at this instant.

Within Garen's vision, a hellscape of magma appeared; he stood above a colossal volcanic crater, inside of which a peculiar, monstrous beast of unimaginably immense proportions was thrashing about.

And right at the center of this beast's head lay a legless man, who let out a roaring howl:

"Order, I am willing to obey your leadership; please leave behind my inheritance and godhead!"

"The God of Lava violated order, is judged a wicked god, and shall be suppressed."

"Order, you mad god, you butcher! When the God of Light returns, you will surely suffer retribution from the Light!"

"Light is not coming back."

"Hahaha, do you think Light has completely fallen? Do you think Light is utterly dimmed? No, I tell you, Light has not actually vanished!"

"Did you think that would concern me?"

"Order, one day, the God of Light will return to seek vengeance upon you! Your betrayal of the God of Light on Mount Anlamind will surely be liquidated!"

"Lava, you may die now."

Garen "raised his hand," and the sky above instantly twisted as a bolt of Order Thunder, thick enough to purge this entire space, crashed down.

"Roar!"

The immense beast within the volcano bellowed in rage, its body crawling outward in an attempt to resist—no, it had already lost the courage to resist; it was trying to flee.

Right at that moment, a dragon's roar echoed out.

A dragon whose scales were mottled in color yet exuded a powerful aura appeared, using its equally formidable draconic physique to slam the beast right back into the volcano.

"Boom!"

The collision of their bodies caused the entire space to tremble, and dense networks of fractures ruptured across the ground, creating a scene like the end of the world.

And it was precisely then that the Order Thunder descended.

The volcanic mountain range vanished, and the spot turned into a bottomless crater.

A gleam of triumph flashed in the eyes of the Rebellious Dragon God as it reared its head, letting loose an excited, prolonged cry.

The fall of every deity sparked a deep, inner pleasure within it, for those high and mighty gods truly made dragons sick to their stomachs!

Garen "looked toward" the dragon and "said," "Take this broken space away; take it to the subterranean world to settle the clansmen who followed you out."

The Rebellious Dragon God swept

Philomena landed before Karen, her left hand coming to rest upon his shoulder as she spoke:

"Enter the dream."

Karen’s vision shifted once more, but it was blurred, as though from a vast distance—amidst a host of deities bowing in reverence, there appeared the faint trace of a dark crimson figure.

And then,

Karen’s vision returned to normal.

In the previous era, the God of Order had possessed almost no intersections with the Goddess of the Dark Moon.

The chasm between a Supreme God and an ordinary deity was simply too vast, to say nothing of a Supreme God of Order’s caliber; even the Moon Goddess, Artemis, had to serve meticulously in the presence of Order, going so far as to allow the rumors of a so-called ambiguous romance between herself and Order to spread, yet when facing the challenge of the Dark Moon, the Moon Goddess had suppressed her with ease.

It was ineffective, completely ineffective.

Philomena felt only a wave of dizziness wash over her eyes, and she subconsciously withdrew her hand.

Perhaps Mr. Alfred merely wanted to make one final attempt, but, as one could see, it was useless.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of surprise or disappointment in Alfred’s eyes; he instantly bellowed: "Pick up the dog!!!"

Philomena looked down, her gaze falling upon the large golden retriever convulsing below, its mouth still flecked with white foam.

As an evil god, Kevin's perception of divine aura was countless times sharper and more acute than that of an ordinary person; thus, what appeared as mere awe in the eyes of the others was, to Kevin, absolute terror.

That vivid illusion, as if the God of Light itself were standing right before him, was simply too overwhelming.

Philomena hoisted Kevin into her arms.

"Use the dog! Use the dog! Use the dog!!!"

Alfred roared at the top of his lungs, unwilling to even call out 'Kevin' or use the honorable title of 'Lord Raniedal.'

After all, in this desperate race against time, the fewer the syllables, the better.

Philomena nodded, immediately grabbing the dog's paw, intending to place it onto Karen’s shoulder.

Yet at that moment, Kevin, who had been in a "stupefied" state, was jolted awake by sheer terror!

His canine eyes widened in astonishment, and he began to struggle frantically!

Are you all mad? You actually want me to awaken Order!

However, Kevin’s struggles were futile before Philomena; she was intensely obedient, doing precisely whatever Alfred commanded, and so she ignored the large golden retriever’s resistance, forcing the dog's paw down onto Karen’s shoulder.

The very instant it touched,

An immediate reaction was triggered!

In a flash,

Not only did the cleansing ritual—which was just about to conclude—restart its swirling vortex, but finally, above Karen’s head, a massive eye actually manifested!

Though it remained closed, the majesty it radiated still struck dread into the hearts of all who beheld it.

Kevin, who had still been struggling with all his might, ceased his resistance upon witnessing this scene, and tears began to stream from his canine eyes.

"Woof, woof~"

The God of Order actually cared about him, and, it seemed, was willing to spare him a glance.

Before Order, he had always been humble, prostrating at Order’s feet, witnessing the God of Order’s hegemony at the end of the previous era; his feelings toward Order were complex, for he was grateful that Order had kept his promise, and even though it was the God of Order who had suppressed him, in his heart, he had never truly hated that magnificent existence.

It was not that he dared not hate... but that he did not wish to hate.

Ventura, Muri, and the others all fell to their knees in prostration, chanting in unison: "Praise be to Order!"

Though the pressure was incredibly intense, the rich aura of Order nevertheless made them feel comforted.

"Fuck!"

Neo cursed under his breath, dropping to one knee, before his other leg was slowly forced down as well.

As a "heretic," facing the Eye of Order brought a wave of sheer deterrence that was truly far too overpowering.

Just as when the aura of Light had appeared earlier, leaving the believers of Order with no choice but to kneel, their own boss was naturally closer to them, and his oppressive momentum against outsiders was consequently much stronger.

Neo wanted to resist, wanted to fight back, but suddenly he grew bewildered—why was he fighting against the majesty of Order?

At the same time, within the reading room deep inside Neo’s soul, the Neo who was an Order Priest silently offered his salutations, ignoring the roars and rages of the Mad Pope beside him.

The brief confusion and entanglement within his primary cognitive thoughts caused the Order Priest Neo to temporarily lose his ability to monitor the other personalities.

Kneeling on the ground, Neo’s face began to twitch slightly, a sign that his personalities were in the midst of exchanging places.

Alfred also looked upon the emerging Eye of Order with boundless pleasant surprise;

Hehehe, it really works, it really actually works.

Open, open, open your eye!

The moment Kevin’s dog paw made contact with his shoulder, a verdant expanse appeared within Karen’s field of vision, complete with a small castle, unicorns, and all manner of adorable elves.

Karen had been to this place before, inside the small world sealed within the Temple of Order; he had even grilled fish here once, though the tour guide from that time had now been banished.

Upon the steps sat a lovely little girl, playing with an exquisite bookmark in her hands with a beaming smile, though traces of tears still lingered at the corners of her eyes—she had likely just been crying, but her mood had now turned for the better.

Just then, a voice drifted over from behind:

"Great One... the task you entrusted to me has been completed... Great One... would you... would you..."

Karen "frowned slightly"; he disliked this exhausting manner of listening to words.

Ankara stuck her tongue out at the prostrate figure and asked, "What is your name, little deity?"

"My name is Raniedal... respected Lady Ankara."

"Raniedal, teehee, how about I write your name on this bookmark? This is a gift my father just gave to me."

"Thud!"

Raniedal slammed his forehead directly against the ground, his entire body trembling violently.

"No, no, Lady Ankara, please, whatever you do, do not, do not..."

That bookmark was specifically meant for writing the names of gods; any deity whose name appeared upon it was destined to perish.

It just so happened that the sunlight spilled over the area at that moment, illuminating that shiny bald head, making it gleam radiantly.

"Hahaha, how fun, how fun," Ankara burst into laughter. "Raniedal, your bald head is so much fun. Why don't you grow any hair?"

"Because it brings you joy, Lady Ankara."

"Hehehe."

Karen "did not even turn his head" as he "asked": "The task I commanded is finished?"

"Yes, Great One, I... I have finished it."

"And then?"

"You... Great One... have you forgotten?"

Karen spoke with "displeasure": "Did I promise you something?"

"You..." Raniedal took a deep breath, not daring to continue his reminder, for the superior might merely be issuing a warning; as a subordinate deity, how could he possibly possess the qualifications to negotiate terms with a Supreme God, especially... the terrifying existence before him.

"No... I merely came to inform you that I have completed what you commanded. Do you have any other instructions, Great One?"

"What did I promise you?"

"You... you didn't. To serve you is my honor, my greatest glory!"

Ankara giggled. "Just say it. Father dislikes your sort the most, hehe."

Karen said, "Speak."

The word was uttered with sudden weight, sending a resonant buzz crashing through Ragnedal's mind. The stellar wisdom contained within his brain shattered entirely from its orbit, causing his bald head to bulge and indent in frantic, chaotic rhythms.

"Pfft... hahahaha!"

Witnessing this even more ludicrous spectacle, Ankara burst into another fit of laughter.

Perhaps it was the sound of his daughter’s amusement that lent Karen a fraction more patience for this god who could barely string a proper sentence together.

Ragnedal instantly steadied his trembling focus and replied in earnest, "Your Greatness once promised me that after I completed those few tasks for you, you would help me... help me teach a certain deity a lesson."

Karen "asked," "Teach a lesson, or kill?"

Confronted by the question, Ragnedal found a sudden, inexplicable surge of courage. He lifted his head at once and said:

"Kill her!"

"Who?"

Ragnedal's voice dropped back down to an instinctive whisper. "She is a main god, presiding over..."

"Who?"

"The God of the Sea."

Karen "reached out and stroked" Ankara's head, saying, "Go play by yourself for a while."

"Alright, Father." Ankara nodded with obedient sweetness, though a faint prickle of unease stirred in Karen's heart when he "looked" into those deep, amber eyes of hers.

Karen "stood up,"

walked toward the bald head prostrated upon the ground,

and as he passed him by,

said:

"Let us go."

Ragnedal blinked. "Ah?"

"It is time for him to fall."

...

Karen’s vision snapped back once more, returning to reality. During those previous fragments of memory, he had been in the "first-person perspective," yet the actions and words had been entirely beyond his control.

Above, though the majestic Eye of Order had manifested, it showed no sign of wanting to open.

In short, it possessed none of the desperate, mounting urgency of the previous occasion, where the eye threatened to snap open the moment the God of Light’s interrogation concluded.

In the eyes of Order, perhaps there was only ever Light.

As the purification ritual drew to its close once more, Ragnedal was utterly drained of strength. His tail slumped to the floor, his canine eyes remained shut, and his black nose twitched weakly.

"Alas."

Alfred let out a heavy sigh as he stared at the canvas before him. For a moment, he found himself at a loss as to how to set his brush to the paper again.

Perhaps,

this was simply the tribulation one must endure upon the path to greatness?

Karen knew as well that there was no other way.

Not only had he failed to achieve the more thorough, robust purification he had envisioned, but he could not even replicate the success of his previous attempt.

Karen lowered his head and closed his eyes.

The faded, dark phantom