Chapter 64: Awaken... the Strong?

Chapter 64 Awakening... a Powerhouse?

Night fell.

Karen sat at his bedroom desk, a blank sheet of white paper spread before him, upon which rested a brand-new box of paints.

After hesitating time and again,

Karen ultimately couldn't bring himself to use the fresh paints. Instead, he picked up a sharpened pencil he had previously asked Rent for, and began to doodle aimlessly on the white paper.

First he drew a pair of human eyes, then expanded outward to the other facial features, and finally sketched downward to form the neck and shoulders.

Before long,

a "person" unrecognized even by Karen himself emerged upon the page.

In fact, even the gender was somewhat ambiguous; whether it was male or female, Karen himself could not tell.

Once finished, he did not bother to admire his work, but simply flipped the paper over, face down.

If another psychiatrist had been standing there at that moment, they might have been able to analyze Karen's current state of mind through the drawing, but Karen had no interest in conducting a psychological dissection on himself.

"Brother, do you need me to pour you a glass of water?" Rent asked, lying on the bed and playing with his cards.

"Sure."

Rent climbed out of bed and walked out of the bedroom. A moment later, he returned carrying a glass of ice water, placing it on Karen's desk.

"Brother, are you in a bad mood?"

"No." Karen shook his head. "Maybe I just feel a bit stifled."

"Then this card is for you, brother."

Rent placed a card before Karen. It was quite beautifully printed, depicting a full moon and inscribed with: [Moonlight Purification, dispels all negative magical influences.]

Rent held a whole stack of similar cards in his hand. This was considered one of the most popular toys among male students of his age group in recent years, and Rent spent more than half of his monthly allowance collecting them.

Karen could understand this; in his past life, he too had bought countless packages of instant noodles as a child just to collect similar cards.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, brother."

Rent curled back into his blankets.

Karen took two sips of the ice water, leaned back against the chair, propped up his hands, and stretched.

"I'm going out for a breath of fresh air. Want to come along?"

Rent asked curiously, "Will Grandfather be coming?"

"We can go and ask him together."

Rent stuck out his tongue. "Brother, I don't want to take that risk."

The family's reverence for Grandfather was truly branded into their very bones.

"Here, brother, have another one." Rent drew another card and handed it to Karen.

Karen took it. Painted on this card was a person, with a shadow stretching diagonally out behind them.

[Shadow Guardian — Summons a black silhouette to accompany you.]

"You've already given me two. Can you really spare them?" Karen asked.

Rent smiled. "Some cards are quite common and easy to collect. I have a lot of duplicates of this one."

"Mm, that's good then."

Karen stepped out of the bedroom. The door to Grandfather's study was open, and Uncle Mason's figure could be seen inside, standing on a ladder to change a lightbulb.

Karen walked in and held the ladder steady for his uncle.

Uncle Mason spoke as he changed the bulb, "Mr. Ronmar, an old believer from the church, is on his deathbed. Mrs. Ronmar called to ask your grandfather to say the prayers for him, and young Mr. Ronmar came in person to drive him over."

"Grandfather works so hard," Karen said.

"Who could say otherwise? Half of the family's steady business is earned through your grandfather's reputation. Alright, all done."

Uncle Mason climbed down from the ladder, walked to the switch, and flipped it; the light came on.

"By the way, Karen, do you want a late-night snack? Your aunt just bought a new crate of canned herring for the two of us this afternoon."

"That sounds wonderful, but I'm not hungry right now. Eating canned herring when you're not hungry is a crime against it. So, I plan to go for a stroll instead."

"Oh, then you really are missing out on a treat," Uncle Mason said with some regret. "As you know, the time the family allows us to open canned herring is actually very brief, especially after winter sets in and we can't open all the windows for ventilation. They usually feel like the two of us have detonated a gas bomb in here. Alas, wretched souls can never grasp the true essence of fine cuisine, can they?"

"Indeed, let us mourn for the herring that lost its soulful companions."

Karen feigned great pity as he walked out of the study and headed downstairs.

At the dining table on the second floor, Aunt Winnie and Aunt Mary were going over the accounts together. They seemed to be whispering over the details of a certain payment, and they paid no attention to Karen as he went downstairs.

Arriving at the first-floor living room, it was very quiet, with only the light by the stairs turned on, so several corners of the living room were completely dark. To an outsider, it could easily evoke many imaginings at this hour.

Karen glanced at the living room door, but instead of rushing out, he walked into the basement and came to the door of his aunt's workshop.

The two bodies from the welfare list lying inside had already undergone preliminary treatment by his aunt. The magician was dressed in a cheap suit, while Mandila had been changed into a red gown.

Karen looked at Mandila. Before long, as if sensing something, Mandila sat up from the steel table.

"It must be stifling for you to stay here too. Shall we go for a walk together?"

Tomorrow morning, these two bodies would be placed on the first floor one after another. After completing the procedures and taking photographs, they would be sent to Paul's crematorium for incineration.

Karen walked to the first-floor living room. After confirming that no one from the family was coming down, Mandila followed him out. Wearing the gown and makeup, she gave off a very gentle and quiet impression.

Just as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, Karen spotted a figure dressed in a red suit walking toward him—it was Alfred.

Alfred saw Karen, and simultaneously saw Mandila standing behind him. He immediately lamented in his heart:

Oh, heavens, is this the kind of peculiar hobby that only great existences possess, taking a corpse out for a midnight stroll?

"Young Master."

Alfred paid his respects to Karen.

Karen had not expected Alfred to come by so late. If he had come out a bit earlier, he wouldn't have needed to "call" Mandila to accompany him.

"Why are you here?"

"It is like this, Young Master. I have already found some clues regarding that circus, so I came to report to you. They haven't actually left the boundaries of Roga City, but are merely hiding on a farm to see which way the wind blows. I will continue to use my connections to keep an eye on them and gather more information."

"Very well. As for the intelligence, share a copy with Dis."

"Yes, I understand. Should I go and report to Master Dis right now?"

Alfred felt that he really shouldn't play the third wheel here, even if the female companion the Young Master brought out for a stroll tonight... was a corpse.

"Grandfather isn't here. He went to Mr. Ronmar's house to say prayers."

"Mr. Ronmar?" Alfred mulled over the name.

"He should be just an ordinary believer," Karen said.

"Understood, Young Master."

Dis had told him there were seven days left. It was almost midnight now, so in reality, only six days remained.

During such a precious final countdown, Diss had specifically gone to the home of an ordinary believer in the evening to fulfill the duties an ordinary priest ought to perform.

Was it difficult to understand? No, it was quite simple, for that was just the way Diss operated.

"Alfred, have you ever been to Wien?" Karen asked as he walked forward.

"I have, Young Master. Wien is a magnificent country," Alfred replied, keeping pace beside him.

His response was brief, knowing full well that even if the Young Master had never set foot in Wien, he possessed various means to acquire knowledge of it.

The question was merely a gentle, unforced invitation: Walk with me a while.

One person, two people, a stroll for three.

Karen walked in the center, Alfred trailed half a step behind to his side, and Mandira followed smoothly, perfectly matching Karen’s stride.

For the next stretch of the road, Karen did not speak again, Alfred sensibly maintained his silence, and it was even less likely for Mandira to suddenly speak up and say:

Oh, the moonlight is quite lovely tonight.

They entered a small park along Mink Street, which was really just a somewhat spacious open lot containing a few potted landscapes and several benches.

Karen took a seat on a bench, and Alfred sat down beside him.

Within his mind, Karen signaled for Mandira to sit as well. Mandira accepted the gesture, walked over to stand before him, turned her back to him, and sat directly upon his lap.

Had Karen reached out to embrace her at that moment, it would have been the quintessential intimate posture of a pair of lovers.

Alfred’s eyelids twitched slightly, but he immediately averted his gaze to focus on the dim yellow streetlight across from them. What a beautiful view; that streetlight was truly a miraculous manifestation of the Creator.

In truth, Karen had not anticipated that Mandira would choose to sit this way. His aunt could not possibly have dressed her in clothes that were too thick. Whether a corpse feared the cold was another matter, but under normal circumstances, they could hardly lodge a complaint with his aunt.

Consequently, Mandira, wearing only a dress, imparted a distinctly icy chill to Karen. Her muscles had long since stiffened, making

Take a common Inquisitor of the Order of Justice as an example; for him to "awaken" the corpse of an ordinary person is not, in fact, difficult.

Awakening a corpse that possessed a heavier spirituality in life would increase the difficulty slightly;

Awakening one that was a divergent demon, belonging to another race, or a cleric within a system of faith in life would cause the price to surge instantly;

As for awakening an existence that was powerful in life... he would very likely fail and simultaneously drain himself completely dry.

It is just like the Ritual of Divine Descent; many times, the consequence of failure is that the practitioner of the ritual falls along with it, becoming a failed sacrifice.

"Therefore, Master..."

Speaking to this point,

Alfred suddenly froze. Then, with some difficulty, he turned his head to look at his young master, and a look of wild ecstasy spread across his face!

"No, that is not right. Master, you have not yet undergone purification, you have not yet entered the system of the holy church, and you have no functioning faith system of your own. You are... to a certain extent, just an ordinary person.

Yet you are able to 'awaken' a corpse at this very moment. This means that in the matter of 'awakening,' the burden on you will be far, far smaller than that on other Inquisitors."

To make an inappropriate analogy,

It is like others earning a monthly salary of three thousand lubis, going to buy a radio that costs eight hundred lubis a piece.

While his young master has a monthly allowance of three hundred lubis, and going to buy the exact same radio, it only costs him eighty lubis a piece.

So, although the master's income is inherently low, the purchasing power effect he can achieve is identical.

This meant that once his young master entered society to work and hold a position, obtaining the monthly salary of a normal person, he would be able to spend three thousand lubis to achieve ten times the effect of someone at the same tier!

As for why the shopkeeper would be willing to sell a radio to his young master for eighty lubis?

This was difficult to explain, yet also very easy to explain;

Because the essence of humanity is to "deify" everything before their eyes that cannot be explained,

One could only say that his young master could rely on his status as an evil god to scan his face and receive the lowest discount price.

Even, to put forward a bold hypothesis that was more exaggerated and irresponsible... actually, when the master went to buy the radio, the shopkeeper did not charge him for the radio at all. The reason eighty lubis was spent was not given to the shopkeeper, but was merely the taxi fare incurred by the master traveling back and forth to the shop.

"So, is this the reason you wanted to take a walk tonight, Master?" Alfred faced Karen, his buttocks already leaving the long bench, almost in a half-squatting posture.

"I have been contemplating this question," Karen said. "If I truly possess a natural affinity with corpses, just as Pu'er said, I possess a trait that allows the questions to write out the answers for me.

Then does it mean I can look for some corpses that are relatively well-preserved and were also relatively powerful in life, to help them undergo revival.

In this way, would I not be able to possess a very powerful bodyguard?

Of course, what is harvested is not merely immediate combat power; this also includes experience, wisdom, and performances in certain special abilities."

Dis had promised him that six days later, he would not die;

But once he went to Wien, how could he ensure that he would still remain absolutely safe?

After all, having grown accustomed to the kind of absolute protection from Dis, once it was lost, he would certainly find it very difficult to adapt.

Naturally, he directed his schemes toward this special ability of his.

Such corpses were hard to find; first was the reason of preservation, and second was the religious reclamation system. Even the corpses of divergent demons and other races were raw materials that their respective groups scrambled for.

But, by searching, there was always a chance to find them, wasn't there? Death is unpredictable; who knows where one might mysteriously die, right?

"This idea of yours, Master, is truly too wondrous and too grand." Alfred was incomparably excited. "Once we arrive in Wien, your subordinate will immediately search for suitable targets, and we shall conduct experiments.

For instance, some ancient tombs in Wien, the mausoleums of decayed religions, or even within the museum of the Wien royal family, several well-preserved mummies are collected. We can go and try them all."

Karen nodded; this was indeed his thought.

"It is very late, let us go home," Karen said. The conversation was finished; the specific execution after arriving in Wien would depend on Alfred. In fact, before he even reached Wien, the sensible and obedient Alfred would likely begin coordinating and planning in advance.

The three of them returned home together. Fortunately, not a single family member was on the first floor, so Miss Mandila was able to walk in normally once again.

For so many years in the house, Pu'er was not allowed to speak to any other family members except Dis;

It was the same for Karen. He could not bring the corpse of Mandila to open the eyes of his uncle and aunt; that would violate Dis's injunction.

Karen did not rush to the basement, but instead pointed to the coffin resting on the mortuary table that would be used tomorrow, gesturing for Mandila to lie inside.

After Mandila lay down inside,

Karen stood by the edge of the coffin, looking at her, and asked in his heart:

"Are you willing to be buried?"

"Outside... cold... here... warm..."

"Alright."

Karen nodded, then turned to Alfred and said, "Before you return, drop a stack of money at the entrance of my living room, with a letter attached on top, saying to please bury Mandila in the ground."

"Very well, Master, I understand."

Karen reached out and lightly tapped the edge of the coffin, saying:

"Alright, now you can go back and lie down first. Tomorrow you will receive your burial. I will come in person to see you off and mourn for you."

Mandila stepped out from within the coffin and walked straight toward the stairwell leading to the basement. But halfway there, she suddenly turned around and walked back toward Karen. After drawing near, she leaned in gently, kissed Karen on the cheek, and then turned once more, walking into the basement.

Karen froze on the spot, his fingers rubbing the place where he had just been kissed.

Alfred immediately praised in admiration, "Your charm, Master, is truly something that even life and death cannot obstruct!"

Karen turned his head to look at Alfred, speaking with great seriousness:

"She sat opposite us in the park and heard our entire conversation.

For instance, the command I gave her previously was to return to the basement, yet she was able to proactively turn back and kiss me.

This means that if we enthusiastically 'awaken' a corpse that was powerful in life, the first thing that corpse might do upon revival is to flip its hand and slap both of us to death directly.

She was reminding me."