Chapter 6: Holy Chant |
Downs'' body had undergone a fundamental change under the influence of Krog.
In terms of attribute values, he had already gone from a mere one point to three.
And this was while the demonic power remained suppressed. The previously heavy demonic corpse now felt as light as dry grass, effortlessly lifted with a casual heave.
This sudden surge of unfamiliar strength caught the half-crouching Downs off guard, nearly causing him to lose his balance and topple backward.
At that moment, Downs truly understood the tangible reality of power.
Nemus walked in front, while Downs followed closely behind, carrying the demon.
Looking at the growing crowd of onlookers gathered not far away, he noticed their gazes falling on the demon''s corpse, and then on him.
Downs felt his entire body burn with excitement. His blood pumped faster, driven by the violent pounding of his heart.
He had never experienced this feeling of being the center of attention before.
However, upon catching sight of Nemus walking ahead, those petty thoughts quickly vanished.
Everything he had was granted by Nemus. He certainly didn''t dare to act out of line right now.
Even without turning his head, Nemus was fully aware of the psychological shifts happening within Downs.
Back when he had first crossed over into this world, he had acted exactly the same way after achieving minor successes—instantly letting it go to his head.
But reality had a way of putting people in their place, and such naive emotions were now a distant memory for him.
The small village was not very large, and they soon arrived at the Village Chief''s Residence.
Because of the commotion they caused along the way, Opper, who had been resting at home, learned the truth of the matter from the noisy villagers.
He hurriedly stepped out of his house, greeting Nemus at the door.
"As expected of Mr. Nels! To think you eradicated this ferocious demon in just a single night!" Opper began with flattery. When his eyes darted toward Downs, his usual dismissive attitude was gone, replaced by a warm, welcoming smile.
"It was merely a Lesser Demon. It didn''t take much effort," Nemus replied smoothly, entirely lacking the taciturn nature of the original Nels, who used to look as if the whole world owed him money.
He spoke magnanimously, instructing Downs to bring the demon''s body forward and lay it on the ground.
Staring at the motionless demonic corpse, the surrounding villagers burst into cheers.
Many crossed their arms over their chests—the standard gesture of the Church—and began reciting the teachings of the God of Precepts.
"The token of donation I promised to the Church will be delivered as soon as possible," Opper said naturally, though his expression rippled slightly as he glanced at the demon''s corpse.
"May you be blessed by God''s protection!" Nemus exchanged pleasantries with Opper while sensing the changes in his Precept.
[Precept Updated]
[Qi Instrument: Oath Rope (New Effect — Length Increased.)]
It was only at this moment that Nemus felt barely satisfied with the Oath Rope.
A Qi Instrument was a vessel existing between illusion and reality, forged by demons to ensure the proper execution of contracts. It typically required decades, or even centuries, of continuous refinement before it possessed any true combat capability.
But now, following several enhancements from the Oath-Keeping Precept, the combat power of the Oath Rope was already quite formidable.
However, right at that moment, Nemus felt a peculiar gaze. He immediately traced the line of sight and spotted a somewhat scruffy-looking man.
The man was dressed in coarse linen clothes. His long black hair had gone so long without grooming that it was matted and clumped together.
A small dagger was strapped to his waist, and a bow and arrows were slung across his back.
Whenever the people around saw him, they kept their distance.
Only one person in the village matched these characteristics—the Village Guardian.
In this world, the role of the Village Guardian was a unique custom specific to certain regions. Villagers who were unable to perform productive labor would be stripped of their names and turned into Probationary Village Guardians.
This was precisely what Downs had been terrified of becoming.
A Probationary Village Guardian was required to forge a covenant with the village and drink the Deep Well Water.
They had to take up arms and battle against wild beasts and the various dangers of the wilderness. Only after surviving enough battles and undergoing a certain kind of aberration could they drop the word probationary and become a true Village Guardian.
The status of a Village Guardian was both highly respected and lowly despised, making them a very contradictory existence.
They wielded power, but that power came with severe limitations. If they ever violated their covenant, they would suffer from pain so excruciating it could cause them to pass out on the spot.
Therefore, the majority of the villagers kept a respectful but wide distance from the Village Guardian.
The Village Guardian froze for a moment, then immediately averted his gaze, not daring to look at Nemus any longer.
''Something is wrong with him!'' The thought flashed through his mind, but the Village Guardian dared not investigate further.
''Just as I thought. The one with a guilty conscience will expose themselves!'' Nemus shifted his gaze away. It was much like how murderers often loved returning to the scene of the crime.
Upon hearing that the demon had been dealt with, the summoner would most likely come to the scene to check the situation.
There were not many people in Finback Village qualified to stir up trouble. Supernatural power was not something just anyone could master. The vast majority of people here would go their entire lives without even knowing that Breathing Techniques and Meditation Methods existed.
Under these circumstances, anyone capable of summoning a demon while remaining entirely hidden in the process must possess a deep understanding of demonology.
That narrowed the list of suspects down to just a handful.
One was Opper. The Village Chief undoubtedly possessed some form of supernatural power, otherwise, he would never be able to maintain his illicit businesses.
Another was the Village Guardian. As a demon himself, Nemus was acutely aware that the Village Guardian system was, at its core, simply an aberrant form of a Demonic Contract.
Through the village''s covenant, combined with the local waters, it mutated a human into an artificial demon.
Because of this, some veteran Village Guardians understood a bit of demonology.
''Although I cannot be entirely certain yet, the probability that the Village Guardian is Krog''s summoner has greatly increased.'' After confirming this suspicion in his mind, Nemus bid Opper farewell.
It wasn''t worth wasting any more of his time lingering here.
He called out to Downs, instructing him to grab the demonic corpse and follow him toward the village Cathedral.
The Cathedral was situated at the rear of the village, resting against Finback Mountain.
At this moment, the towering peak of Finback Mountain pierced through the clouds and mist, and tiny black dots could be seen dotting its slopes.
Those were the village''s primary producers. The herbs and other resources they harvested from the mountain served as the main public source of the Village Chief''s income.
Compared to other regions on the Floating Whale, the resources produced around the dorsal fin were actually quite low. This was why only a small village had formed beneath it.
The wealthiest resource-producing areas on the Floating Whale were mostly located around its head, such as Sky Spring City and Pupil Lake.
However, the environment in those regions was also far more complex, teeming with numerous powerful experts. Although he possessed special powers, he still needed time to develop them.
Pondering the unique characteristics of the Floating Whale, Nemus finally arrived at his primary destination since infiltrating the Material Plane—the Cathedral.
Even before he drew near, Nemus could feel waves of Faith rippling through the air.
Then, the resounding melody of a Holy Chant began to echo.
Though the chanter''s voice was ancient and hoarse, at this moment, it resonated with extraordinary power.
A power known as Holy Light!
Woven seamlessly into the song, this force surged outward, crashing directly toward Nemus!