Chapter 276: Surprise!

The sea breeze blew gently, and the leaves in the forest rustled softly.

Heartfelt thanks for all you have contributed to Darkmoon Island. You are weary, and you have labored long. I invite you to rest here in eternal sleep. — Bernard

When reading the words carved upon the stone tablet, one could almost sense Bernard’s expression at the time.

He had succeeded. He had used them, gaining everything he wanted. He had then removed them, and had not even bothered to dress his actions up in hypocrisy. Instead, he had used a tone of amused mockery to deliver one final taunt.

This was an isolated island. Without passing through the teleportation array inside the villa, it was basically impossible to reach this place.

This place was like a diary. Here, Bernard revealed a self entirely different from the image he had presented to the outside world. What was laid bare was the face he truly wore within.

The words on the stone tablet could just as well be read as saying: “Well now, look at that. A heap of idiots lies buried here.”

Karon took the Aelius Sword, which he had specifically brought for this trip, from its case. He walked to the stone tablet, crouched in front of it, and slowly used the blade to grind away the words that had been carved there.

Eisen and Richard waited behind him, quietly watching as Karon erased the inscription.

At last, the writing on the stone had been worn clean. Karon placed the sword across his knees and looked at the now-blank stone tablet, falling into thought. Because of his work at Immers Funeral Home, Karon had long since grown used to carving words onto gravestones.

He closed his eyes. A scene appeared in his mind. More than a hundred years ago, a group of people had ridden a sea turtle to Darkmoon Island. They had poured their efforts into the island, hoping it could develop in the future.

More than a hundred years later, they should have returned with hearts full of fury and vengeance, yet when that vengeance was about to be fulfilled, they chose to stop.

Was it mercy?

No. If they were described with merely the word mercy, that would be inaccurate.

There was hatred in their hearts. Otherwise, Phileas, after having just escaped, would not have laid a curse upon the Darkmoon Clan in his rage, and the Curse Insects would never have been born.

But more than a hundred years had passed. Bernard was long since dead.

When they came to the island again, in the eyes of others, they should have seen the descendants of their enemy, they should have seen Darkmoon Island prospering after feeding upon their blood and effort. They should have been angry, they should have roared, been unwilling and overturned all of the glory that had been built upon their corpses.

If Karon had been in their place, he felt that he definitely would have done just that. He would have allowed his fury to burn the entire island.

Instead, what they had seen was the growth of the crystallization of their past labor. It was the dream they once had shining into reality.

They were sowers of Light. They had not come to preach. They had come to scatter seeds of Light. After those seeds took root, sprouted, and bore fruit, they did not name that fruit “Light,” but “beauty.”

The Church of Light was the Church of Light. The God of Light was the God of Light.

And Light, was Light.

For a moment, Karon felt somewhat moved. He was not alone in this world with gods, because more than a hundred years ago, there had been such a group of people. Perhaps they had not possessed the same clear cognition and dialectical understanding as he did, but they had been better than him, because they had put their faith into practice.

That was probably faith in its purest form.

Karon had once admired a painting in the studio of Piaget’s wife, Linda. The painting was called Twilight of the Gods.

That painting portrayed the scene of the last pope of the Church of Light when he had stood atop a high tower and shouted, “I do not believe there truly is a God of Light in this world!”

Ecclesiastical historians generally believed that the last pope of Light’s cry was the equivalent to the final funeral bell of the Church of Light. After that had come the Church of Light’s demise.

Phileas was a descendant of the Mad Pope.

The Mad Pope’s shout had not actually denied Light, merely denied the God of Light.

Was there truly a God of Light? There certainly was. This was a world with gods. Gods absolutely existed. The dog back at Karon’s own home was one of them.

But was that being who was called the God of Light truly the God of Light?

Along the same lines, before the God of Order existed, had Order not existed in this world?

Before the God of Light existed, had people never seen light?

In the eyes of the Church of Order’s upper levels, how was Tiz not another madman?

Some people were mad because they truly were lunatics, while others were mad because the people around them were lunatics.

What difference was there between the last Pope of Light standing atop the Tower of Light and crying out to the world, and Karon’s own grandfather blowing up the Temple of Order?

Both men had seen truths the world could not see. More precious still, neither had chosen to drift along with the current. In their own eras, under their own circumstances, each had raised a cry that had belonged to himself alone.

A sudden unease seized Karon, causing him to weakly sink to the ground.

That was because he had suddenly realized that Phileas had inherited the will of the Mad Pope of Light, while he himself carried hopes that had been placed upon him by Tiz.

In essence, Karon and Mr. Phileas were the same kind of person, and that kinship transcended the restraints of land, nationality, church, faith, and all else.

The difference between them was that Phileas had already lived it.

What about Karon? Could he go as far as Phileas had? Did he possess the courage to go so far?

Karon discovered that the confidence and resolve he had once carried within him suddenly began to falter before the blood-soaked corpse of one of his own kind.

No wonder Tiz had asked him so many times before he left home if he was truly prepared. At the time, Karon had always answered that he merely wanted to go out and see the world, and had even been rather pleased with his answer, believing that it carried a certain style.

It was only now that he understood that he had been taking everything far too lightly.

He did not know what Tiz had felt every time he heard that answer.

The road was indeed lined with beautiful scenery, but what if it was soaked in blood? Another person’s blood might be easier to bear, but what if it was his own, and each step left a fresh red footprint behind him? In such a state, would Karon still have any heart left to admire the view?

“Huff... huff...” Karon began breathing deeply.

Richard stared at Karon for a moment, growing both somewhat puzzled and somewhat curious, though mostly baffled.

Eisen turned to glance at his son, then looked back at Karon before being unable to suppress a sigh.

Karon adjusted his emotions and began thinking again about what to carve.

“Thank you for allowing me to witness true Light...”

Karon shook his head. He was not satisfied with that, because he was not qualified to express such thanks to them.

“Please do not grieve for us, please do not...”

Karon shook his head again. This was not good either.

In the end, Karon still carved his own words upon the stone tablet:

Hey, we’re setting sail again!

Karon stabbed the sword into the ground and turned to face the corpse pit, crossing both arms over his chest. There was no praise.

Karon then turned around and looked at Bernard, who was lying face down. With a boot, he flipped the corpse over.

At this moment, Bernard’s originally neat and vigorous black-and-white hair was scattered, and his face was covered with sand.

Karon closed his eyes very solemnly and carefully sensed Bernard’s body, confirming that because the corpse was very well preserved, the amount of spirituality remaining within it was very high.

Richard finally could not help asking, “Karon, what exactly are you planning to do to him?”

“Humiliate him.”

“Are you going to start?” Richard asked. “If I’d known earlier, I would have drunk more water before coming, but no matter. There are plenty of ways to desecrate a corpse.”

“What meaning is there in desecrating a corpse? I want him to open his eyes and feel it himself.”

“Open his eyes and feel it himself? You want to use Awakening Art on him?”

Karon nodded.

“Are you crazy? He was the greatest genius clan leader in the history of the Darkmoon clan. Do you know how high his realm was?”

Richard was still a Divine Shepherd, not having yet reached the Inquisitor realm where he could use Awakening, but that did not stop him from knowing the cost and price of using that Art.

Eisen corrected his son, “No. He can do it.”

Though clearly, what Eisen believed and the true reason that Karon could succeed were not the same.

Karon looked at Eisen and asked, “Is there a way to both guarantee the integrity of his body while also ensuring that any sort of resistance will be suppressed after the awakening succeeds?”

The Church of Order’s Awakening Art and the Church of Reincarnation’s soul pact were completely different concepts. After a pact was successfully signed, one could forcibly control the soul and command it. On the other hand, the Church of Order’s Awakening Art simply awakened the dead.

The dead who awakened were free.

The safest method to proceed would be to cut Bernard’s four limbs off and place him within a jar, reducing him to human swine.

However, such extensive damage to the corpse would also cause a great loss of the remnant spirituality, and would very likely lead to Bernard awakening with an unclear mind.

After finally confirming that there was abundant residual spirituality within Bernard, Karon still hoped to torment him while he was clear-headed.

“There is a way. Arrays can be embedded in his body.”

“How, specifically?”

“Set suppression arrays on various parts of his body, including his soul, separately by layer and stage.”

“How long will that take?” Karon asked.

“It will not take too long. This only requires quantity, rather than quality. To be safe, we need to reserve at least two larger arrays capable of destroying him in an instant.”

“Mhmm. Of course. You can start preparing for me now.”

“All right. I need a more enclosed space.”

“That’s not a problem. Richard, carry the corpse. Come with me.”

Richard carried the corpse, following Karon into the cave.

Karon walked to Genevieve’s coffin and pushed the lid to open it. After checking, he discovered that the spirituality within her corpse had also completely vanished. He felt somewhat regretful, but also somewhat relieved.

“This coffin is very suitable,” Eisen observed. “The material of this stone coffin itself is very suitable for arranging arrays. Its original design form was born for array imprisonment.”

He then pointed at the coffin Lady Genevieve had lain in and continued, “This coffin’s array was once activated and sealed resistance from from within.”

“Then begin.”

“All right. Richard, put the corpse inside.”

“Mhmm.”

Richard violently threw Bernard’s corpse into the coffin. He was afraid that Karon would think he was not being crude enough and would ask him to pick it up again.

Eisen took out scroll after scroll from his robes and laid them across the coffin lid.

This sight quite surprised even Karon. He was not using any sort of transmission scroll to send things over, which meant that all of the Arts scrolls were things Eisen carried on himself.

“You can really hide things on yourself, huh? Good thing you already told me you don’t have a wife or any children, or else, with your ability to hide things, you would hide even your son’s pacifier.”

Eisen’s breathing grew slightly heavier.

“Richard, go outside and collect some stream water. There are also coconut trees outside the cave too, so pick a few coconuts. Be careful. There are many venomous snakes outside.”

“All right. Leave it to me.” Richard immediately went out to find everyone a late-night snack.

After he left, Karon said to Eisen, “Relax while you prepare.”

Eisen nodded. “The longer I spend with him, the more I doubt whether he is truly my biological son.”

“There is no need to doubt that.”

“Yes, but it is becoming harder and harder to accept.”

The corners of Eisen’s mouth pulled up to form a smile. While it only lasted a very brief moment, the former him would not have shown such an interactive expression.

Karon noticed it. Eisen had likely been repressing himself for far too long. First came the improvement after venting his frustrations on his son, and now, after being drawn along by the captain and then by Karon into acts that defied law and order, Eisen seemed to have relaxed even further. For some people, balancing work and rest was merely an excuse for laziness. For others, if they did not rest and release the pressure in time, they truly might collapse.

Karon stood to the side and observed Eisen. He first arranged the arrays on the coffin. To be more accurate, he completed the arrays there, which allowed it to be used.

After that, he took out a cube, which hovered in front of him. A strand of thread seeped out from it. He tugged the thread with a fingertip, and then began imprinting arrays from the scrolls onto Bernard’s body while using the thread to connect the body.

It felt like he was treating Bernard as a wooden board, while the arrays were ornaments hung upon it one after another.

Using the thread as a guide could reduce the damage done to the corpse to the greatest extent, which would allow it to retain more residual spirituality.

The process looked simple, but was actually very complicated. This cube should be a unique ability on the paternal side of Eisen’s family, because on the night Order had moved against Reincarnation, Karon had seen his grandfather, Derron, use one as well.

“Is that a holy relic or an Art?” Karon asked, pointing at the cube.

“It can be considered both a holy relic and an Art. Its purpose is to aid mental processing. For someone operating a ritual array, it can greatly reduce the burden.”

“Can I learn it?” Karon asked.

“This...” Eisen hesitated. “You should have better methods.”

“Is it related to your bloodline?” Karon noticed something.

“Yes. Those with the Gorman family bloodline seem to have an easier time mastering it.”

Eisen did not state it absolutely, but in truth, this cube was likely a bloodline-restricted ability.

“Can Richard use it?” Karon asked.

“He can, but he will only be able to truly activate his own cube after becoming an Inquisitor. He carries one as well.”

“Oh, so that is how it is.”

After returning, he could borrow Richard’s cube and throw it to Kevin and Pu’er to study. They could then create an imitation. As for the Arts used to operate the cube, Karon could draw them out of Richard as well.

The Gorman family bloodline...

He had that as well.

Karon had now discovered that his understanding of arrays could not remain at the level of basic cognition. He still needed to hurry and improve his level in that field. He still had the array notes left behind by Mr. Hoffen, and with the Gorman family’s cube added to the mix, he could get twice the result with half the effort.

Eisen added, “Even if you had not asked him to go out, I would have found a reason to send him out.”

“Mhmm. This time, I’ve made you spend quite a bit.” Karon knew every scroll was worth a great deal.

“It is fine. Scrolls are made to be used. I think using them here is very worthwhile.”

Roughly two hours later, Eisen finally finished setting up all of the arrays. If he had temporarily drawn the arrays, the project would likely have taken around three days and would also have required many materials. However, using so many Arts scrolls was essentially using prepared ingredient packs. One only needed to open the bags, pour them out, heat them appropriately, and food could be served.

Bernard’s body was currently covered in marks of various colors. Each mark was a ritual array with a different function: weakness, gravity, mental suppression, restraint, and so on.

On the back of the head and over his heart, explosive arrays had been placed, prepared for any sort of unexpected accident.

Karon could not help feeling somewhat emotional. No matter how powerful Bernard had been while alive, once Karon Awakened him, he would no longer be able to hop around, because Karon had implanted who knew how many bombs on him, no, inside him.

Eisen wiped sweat from his face while admiring his work on the greatest clan leader in Darkmoon Island’s history. A satisfied expression appeared on his face.

At this moment, Richard returned. His left hand pulled a vine wrapped around seven or eight coconuts, and his right hand held a branch skewered with a large section of roasted python meat.

Seeing this, Karon suddenly felt that his little cousin was rather useful.

Karon and Eisen sat down and began eating roasted snake meat.

Richard pried open a coconut for each of them and placed it before them. Then, he walked to the coffin and observed Bernard inside. He was still the young master of the Gorman family, after all. Although his current ability did not yet reach the necessary standard, he still had an eye for quality.

He excitedly said, “Damn, Memphis, you really are a genius in arrays! I think my dad is far worse than you in this field.”

Eisen raised his head to look at Richard, and asked, “Your father’s array level is not high?”

“Ha! All he has left is the level of using a Cage of Order to beat me. Teach me when you have time. I don’t know why, but these past few nights, I keep dreaming that I’ll get beaten by my dad when I get home. I need to hurry and improve myself. Next time he wants to strike me, I can use some arrays you teach me to hang him up and make him clear his head properly, then tell him that using domestic violence against his son is a very low-level and foolish act. Heh heh.”

Eisen: “Heh heh.”

After eating the late-night snack, their strength was replenished. Karon wiped his hands with leaves and stood.

Now, they could begin.

Richard stared at Karon with great excitement and asked, “My instinct tells me, Karon, that you really can do it, but how?”

“Awakening Art also has levels. That is what I’ve comprehended. You need to keep this a secret for me.”

“Of course. We are good brothers!”

“Good. Then when I have time in the future, I will teach it to you too.”

“Haha, good, good!”

Eisen reached out and pulled Richard back, signaling him to be quiet. He was well aware that there was no secret method to the Awakening Art. It was simply a competition of realm and price. The fact that Karon was able to awaken Bernard could only happen due to him possessing the strength and the necessary foundation. Eisen’s foolish son actually believed there was some special shortcut.

Karon looked down at Bernard lying in the coffin. He raised his hand and pointed at him. Beneath Karon’s feet, an ancient and majestic black chain appeared. “You thought death would be the end? Now, wake up for me. Let us settle accounts.

“Order, Awaken!” The black chain extended into the coffin and sank into Bernard’s body.

Karon closed his eyes, waiting for spirituality to be drawn from his body.

But after waiting for a long time, there was no reaction at all.

Richard and Eisen, standing behind him, were both on their tiptoes so that they could see what happened inside of the coffin. Both father and son even craned their necks with startling consistency.

Karon opened his eyes. This was the first time his awakening ability had failed.

However, not even the slightest hint of disappointment appeared on his face. Instead, a smile appeared on his face, and it slowly grew. Gradually, he began laughing. In the end, his laughter grew louder and louder, his excitement completely revealed. “Heh... heh heh... hahaha...”

He did not believe that his ability to Awaken the dead was completely free of flaws, but he also had never believed that his first mishap would happen with Bernard.

That left only one possibility, one that filled Karon with excitement and surprise. “Bernard! You’re actually still alive!”