Chapter 3: A Once-In-A-Lifetime Perfect Wave

Demon Bible

''But no matter what, I still need to catch that lesser demon first to figure out who is stirring up trouble in this village!'' Nemus carefully sensed the condition of his body and made his assessment.

''This body is only at the Black Iron Rank. Although Nels maintained a daily exercise routine, he never stopped smoking and drinking. Both his body and mind carry trauma, so he never reached the limit of the Black Iron Rank. Assuming an ordinary person of the Black Iron Rank has an attribute value of one and the limit is ten, this body, combined with the breathing technique and the recent Life Path enhancement, only reaches an attribute value of eight.''

''Meanwhile, a lesser demon only needs to slightly adapt to a physical body to directly reach the limit of the Black Iron Rank. Furthermore, it possesses an extraordinary trait right from the start—immortality, making it immune to mortal weapons.''

''Of course, I could use demonic power to strengthen this body, but that would expose my identity. The Holy Knight Breathing Technique I currently possess can harm it, but killing it would consume too much source origin. It simply isn''t worth the cost.''

''Besides, a demon makes for an excellent thug. I cannot afford to waste it so casually...''

These thoughts flashed through Nemus''s mind in an instant, and he soon formulated a plan.

He turned his gaze toward Downs, who was standing to the side with his head bowed, pondering how to repair the sheep pen.

Downs originally lived right next to the sheep pen. With his exceptional vision, Nemus easily spotted the shepherd''s dwelling and the remaining sheep huddled together inside the pen. A few details within allowed him to deduce Downs''s general personality.

Beneath the facade of a rule-abiding shepherd beat a restless heart.

"Downs, was it? Do you wish to make a change, acquire power, and become a man above men?" Nemus asked bluntly. When dealing with people trapped in small villages, there was no need to beat around the bush; they might not even understand convoluted words.

"C-can I really?" Downs raised his head to look at Nemus. Once again, he saw his own reflection in the other man''s eyes—so lowly, so utterly weak.

"I am nothing but a peasant, a mere shepherd. How could I possibly..."

Downs lacked the confidence to do anything well besides herding sheep. The darkness in his heart had imprisoned him entirely within the confines of this sheep pen.

Until now, when a ray of light pierced through that darkness.

"Of course you can!" Nemus''s firm tone made Downs feel as though his very blood was beginning to boil.

"Downs, you must understand that the most terrifying thing in a person''s life is not being mediocre, but rather accepting your own mediocrity."

"A dull, repetitive daily life will grind away everything you are."

"Right now is your opportunity." Nemus''s words carried an enchanting, beguiling power. "Assist me in resolving this demon incident, and you will gain power. Your status and position will be completely transformed because of it!"

"You will break free from the cage called mediocrity and become an entirely new person."

"So, are you willing to obey my commands in exchange for this chance?"

During his repetitive daily life on Earth, Nemus had felt an unprecedented anxiety; everything about him was being worn smooth by the curse of ordinariness.

When the miracle of transmigration happened to him, he had been ecstatic, knowing that the very thing he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Everything he did was in preparation for that once-in-a-lifetime perfect wave to strike, so he could ride it all the way to the pinnacle!

Even falling into the abyss had not changed his mindset.

That powerful conviction bursting from within Nemus infected Downs. The shepherd stared blankly, unable to speak, his mind entirely consumed by Nemus''s words.

Trapped in his peasant status and believing he would be a shepherd his entire life, he grasped the true meaning of existence for the very first time.

His entire body trembled slightly from sheer excitement.

"I am willing!"

Following Downs''s answer, Nemus''s demonic power subtly shifted, and a new covenant was established. Dealing with people ignorant of demonic lore was truly far too easy; just a few sentences could make them blurt out their consent and sign a covenant.

"Excellent. You wait right here at the sheep pen. After nightfall, I will return and tell you what to do. When you hear my voice, you must immediately follow my instructions. Do you understand?!"

"Understood!" Downs nodded forcefully. Even the foul stench of sheep clinging to him seemed to have faded significantly.

Having made these arrangements, Nemus turned and headed back to his own dwelling. He ate a meager lunch, then completed the sub-rule inherent to Nels''s identity to maintain his enhanced sword art.

Time flowed steadily until dusk arrived.

Although demons did not fear the sun, they generally still rested during the day and prowled at night.

This was simply because, under the cover of darkness, human hearts were unpredictable. All sorts of hidden, selfish desires surfaced in abundance, providing immense convenience for demonic activities.

That lesser demon had devoured a sheep the previous night. It had undoubtedly concealed its aura during the day to digest its meal in secret.

Nemus had no intention of scouring the gutters for a rat.

It was much better to wait for now. As the sun gradually set and night prepared to fall, the lesser demon was already growing restless, unable to suppress the aura of desire leaking from its body.

In Nemus''s eyes, it was as distinct and glaringly obvious as hosting a bonfire party in the dead of night.

"There is a high probability that this demon was summoned by someone," Nemus said aloud as he walked unhurriedly through the dark. The night posed no obstacle to him; the torch in his hand served mostly as a disguise for his night vision.

As soon as his words faded, a dark shadow lunged out from the gloom.

Nemus raised the knight''s sword in his hand. It clashed against the dark shadow, showering sparks into the night air with a sharp clang of colliding metal.

Through Nemus''s eyes, the dark shadow revealed itself to be a pitch-black rat the size of a large dog.

Its entire body exuded a dark aura, almost as if it were smoking. The foul stench of a demon was unmistakably strong.

Missing its first strike, the rat demon swiftly darted to the side before whipping a blurred, dark appendage toward him.

Nemus saw it clearly—it was a thick, fleshy, segmented tail swinging at lightning-fast speeds.

However, despite Nels''s awkward personality, his inherent strength was still more than adequate.

Nemus tilted his body sideways, dodging the swipe without breaking his breathing rhythm. The unique breathing technique inherited from the Church gently stimulated his muscles, causing a speck of spiritual light to burst forth from within.

With an upward slash of his blade, the demon''s steel-like body and its iron chain of a tail softened under the radiance of that spiritual light.

The sword''s edge sliced through the tail, sending droplets of black blood spilling to the ground.

Although the massive tail wasn''t completely severed, it lost its agility, left dangling by a few strips of flesh at the base.

The pain only intensified the demon''s ferocity. It opened its gaping maw and unleashed a low, menacing growl.

"Enough. Don''t force me to kill you. Can we talk now?" Ignoring the demon''s snarls, Nemus spoke calmly, releasing a perfectly timed wisp of greedy desire from his own body.