Chapter 5: Seed! Number!

Demon Bible

As the words fell, Tangs instantly felt a surge of power flooding his entire body, as if even his brain had been injected with a flowing liquid. This sensation caused him to faint immediately.

Though Kullog didn't lose consciousness, the rat-demon was now bound by the sealing spell within Tangs' body, completely immobilized.

Contracts inherently allow for wordplay, especially regarding time stipulations. In this case, vague wording could unexpectedly become advantageous. The Abyss's power protects contracts based on its own subjective intelligent judgment. Even ambiguously violated contracts can trigger the Abyss's intervention.

But once terms are explicitly defined—such as specifying "before" or "after" method completion—the protection timeframe becomes clear, meaning demon Kullog would be unprotected upon method completion. This is precisely the detail contract novices often overlook.

Clearly, Kullog had fallen into the trap Naimes deliberately left, missing this crucial point.

"That Abyssal magic circle... you're not human!!" Kullog's voice emerged from Tangs' body. The inverted pentagram formation was fundamentally an Abyssal demonic art—unlike demonic language, this was something no human could perform. Moreover, as Kullog knew, most demons couldn't cast such formations either.

"That's none of your concern. Now—silence!" Naimes declared. Kullog, who had intended to say more, found himself forced into muteness. Clause Two of their demonic contract required maximum secrecy, and the contract's effects remained active. For such clearly defined terms, the contract's binding power was absolute.

As for Naimes, he began sensing feedback from the Oath God's commandments.

[Commandment Information Updated]

His contract artifact had gained two new additional effects—rewards for playing both sides successfully. He'd fulfilled contracts with both the demon and Tangs. The demon's sealing within Tangs' body counted as a permanent method, while Tangs—now possessing demonic power—technically fulfilled Naimes' agreement with him too.

Naturally, resolving the demon incident would also complete his promise to Op, meaning another round of Oath God commandments would follow. Three birds with one stone!

Meanwhile, Tangs—who'd briefly fainted—finally regained consciousness. His first action was tearing open his shirt to examine the inverted pentagram etched on his chest. He frantically scrubbed at the mark until his skin turned red, but the formation remained utterly unaffected.

"N-Naimes... sir!" Tangs finally accepted the horrifying reality of housing a demon within his body. Trembling uncontrollably, he scrambled toward Naimes on hands and knees. "I don't want to be a demon vessel! I feel terrible—"

Before he could finish, Naimes kicked him away, the pain shockingly clearing his mind.

"Listen carefully," Naimes said calmly despite the command. "I could execute you anytime for colluding with demons."

"But this isn't punishment—it's an opportunity."

"Let me enlighten you: many things in this world are predetermined at birth. What you lack initially, you'll likely never obtain through effort alone."

"You were born lowly. Without this demon, you'd never gain power in this lifetime."

"Have a nice chat with your internal demon. You'll both understand the situation." Naimes wasn't worried about potential collusion—the contracts, sealing formation, and human greed all favored him.

The best way to prevent betrayal? Never give the opportunity. With Naimes' understanding of human psychology, someone like Tangs couldn't hide his mental shifts. Currently, Tangs feared the demon due to ingrained beliefs, but soon he'd delight in his new demonic power. Then greed and future anxieties would become Kullog's perfect prison.

Tangs might feign cooperation with Kullog, perhaps reaching limited agreements, but he'd never let the demon leave his body again. Simultaneously, bound by demonic rules, Kullog would become Naimes' means of controlling Tangs.

Though still immature as a small demon, Kullog was a true demon nonetheless. Once calmer, it would recognize Naimes as the true arbiter of its fate.

Spending just one day and night to acquire a barely competent enforcer while strengthening himself through commandments? Passable efficiency.

"Pity Beiqi Village is too small. My connection with the Oath God's church remains limited—if the village perishes, the link breaks."

"I can't go all-out harvesting resources. Otherwise, I might reach Gold Seed level within days."

Naimes mentally inventoried his available power, lamenting quietly.

This world offered only two transcendent paths: Life and Soul. The former typically unlocked life potential through breathing techniques; the latter enhanced spirituality via meditation. But ordinary beings faced hard limits regardless of cultivation.

What locals called "power," Naimes analyzed and quantified numerically. Generally, Black Stone Seeds had a numerical limit of ten. Most beings plateaued before reaching their maximum—like Naimes' original host Nael. Despite decent lineage and persistent training, Nael's number would've stalled at seven without Naimes' intervention.

Breaking limits required elevating one's "Number" to ascend one's "Seed." After Black Stone came Steel Seed, then Gold Seed. Were Naimes not a variant demon, Seed Numbers would rigidly constrain every individual. Only rare beings could alter their Seed Numbers.

"My greatest 'Number' currently stems from fragments of the Oath God's divinity—one of my paramount opportunities and my primary leverage for advancement."

"To fully utilize this Number requires the Oath God's church and its faith reserves."

"Nael proved incompetent, stealing negligible faith—insufficient for experiments while risking exposure."

"That elderly village priest needs testing, then immediate elimination!"

"I must secure this village's faith swiftly, then infiltrate higher church echelons."

The night passed in Naimes' scheming. At dawn's first light, as whale songs echoed, Tangs stood obediently nearby awaiting instructions.

"Carry that demon corpse by the door. We're visiting Op!" Naimes anticipated another Oath God commandment reward.