Chapter 16: Modification |
The Watchman carefully inspected the contract, reading it word for word. He then flipped through every part of the document, searching for any hidden patterns on the parchment.
He had heard rumors that some demons would disguise Demonic Language as decorative patterns on a contract, tricking people into agreeing to supplementary clauses.
Many people had signed such contracts completely unaware, only to be brutally exploited by the demons later.
The Watchman wanted to study it a little longer, but his current circumstances simply did not allow for it.
Under the present conditions, as long as he did not immediately spot any glaring issues, signing the contract was his only option.
As the Watchman let a drop of his blood fall onto the spot designated for the second party, the contract was officially established.
It was at this exact moment that Nemus received a certain amount of feedback.
With his Oath Rope, Nemus restrained the Whale-person, Leah, and brought her down into his basement. He then used the Oath Rope to set up a defensive perimeter at the basement entrance.
Only then were the prerequisites for the contract officially completed.
[Identity 1 Main Precept: Oath-keeping]
[Precept Feedback: New Addition — (Aberration): The material of the Qi Instrument undergoes an aberration, acquiring minor living characteristics.]
[Identity 2 Main Rule: Absolution]
[Precept Feedback: New Addition — (Watchman): Containment and Control — Grants extreme adaptability toward abnormal forces entering the body; (Whale-person Leah): Heterogeneous Eater — Grants the ability to consume abnormal foods to acquire certain traits.]
Although his primary goal in establishing the contract was to better exploit the Watchman, Nemus had indeed used this method to spare both the Watchman and Leah.
"I see..." Nemus murmured, sensing the newly acquired Precept information. He now had a general understanding of the Watchman''s entire situation.
Precept Feedback did not appear randomly; it was entirely shaped by the individuals involved.
Combining this with the information the Watchman had provided, he could deduce exactly what had happened.
The Watchman had seized an opportunity to steal a piece of Whalehide Ore.
He had then brought that piece of ore back to his home.
Judging by the "Heterogeneous Eater" trait fed back from Leah, there was a high probability that she had eaten the Whalehide Ore. It was this very act that caused her to contract the Whale Transformation Sickness.
Because of this, when Opper came to hold them accountable later on, Leah merely entered a state of suspended animation rather than truly dying.
"This ability is rather useful..." Nemus remarked, standing at the basement door. He extended his hand, and a faint, highly concealed trace of black energy seeped out.
This was the residual trace left on his body from when he had mobilized his Demon Body''s power earlier.
Thanks to his new Containment and Control ability, Nemus was able to easily extract this wisp of aura.
Meanwhile, the Watchman cast one final glance at the basement before turning to leave.
Downs was also ordered by Nemus to stay in hiding. The timid shepherd had just utilized demonic power, leaving his entire body reeking with traces of the demon.
If he were to bump into the old pastor again, it would not be so easy to escape.
Of course, this situation was not absolute. Nemus did have ways to suppress such an obvious Demonic Aura, but he needed some time to research it.
Consequently, Purr was the only one left in Nemus''s house.
"I beseech you to grant me power, my Lord!" Purr pleaded, dropping to one knee and looking up at Nemus.
During the ambush earlier, both of Purr''s archery attacks had been perfectly timed.
However... he was far too weak!
He never even had the chance to officially participate in the battle. He could only fire arrows from the shadows to exploit the enemy''s flaws and cause minor interference.
It seemed as though he had shot out one of Leah''s eyes, but by the time Nemus brought her to the basement, her eye was already mostly healed.
While this was largely due to the unique regenerative abilities of a Whale Transformation Sickness patient, it still highlighted a glaring issue.
Purr had no trouble dealing with ordinary Wild Beasts, but he was completely incapable of fighting against the Supernatural.
"Whether it involves summoning a demon for possession or any other method, I need to obtain power."
"Only with power can I better assist you, my Lord!" Purr declared, his eyes burning with a fervent, heartfelt desire for strength.
"I have already made arrangements for that," Nemus replied with a smile, highly satisfied with Purr''s attitude. "What do you think of the Watchman''s ability to trigger autonomous Whale-ification?"
While pursuing the Watchman with his Shadow Hounds, Nemus had already formed an idea.
He wanted to replicate the Watchman''s Controllable Whale-transformation in Purr.
After all, Purr was a Probationary Village Guardian who had already consumed Deep Well Water, fulfilling some of the necessary prerequisites.
Back in The Abyss, Nemus had once encountered a very peculiar demon.
Normally, the Peak Limit for a demon''s Attribute Value was 100. Under certain special circumstances, it could exceed this limit by 10 to 20 points, but that was the absolute ceiling.
However, Heterogeneous Demons were special exceptions among their kind. Although inferior to high-tier demons, their Attribute Value could reach two to three times that of a regular demon due to an expansion effect.
Nemus''s own Demon Body possessed an Attribute Value of 300.
Under such circumstances, Nemus held overwhelming, crushing power among his peers. The vast majority of demons could not even withstand a single strike from him.
But that one particular demon had been an exception—it was a Whale-ification demon.
That demon had seized the body of a whale on the Material Plane, thereby acquiring many Extraordinary Traits.
Thanks to those traits, it took a great deal of effort for Nemus to defeat the creature, and he had even allowed it to escape.
Because of this, that demon had left a profound impression on him.
Currently, the Watchman and Leah seemed to have obtained the power of Whale-ification, but they had not truly unlocked its formidable potential.
"That is exactly what I need!" Purr proclaimed, completely unfazed by the dangers of the Whale Transformation Sickness.
"Then rest for now. I will perform the modification on you at daybreak." Nemus already had a solid grasp of how the Watchman controlled the power of Whale-ification.
Now, it was simply time to put it into practice.
As for whether this would put Purr in grave danger, Nemus did not care in the slightest.
As an entity of "The Abyss", his role was to indulge in the evil of demons.
His purpose was to give wandering souls rejected by reality a place to belong.
It was only natural that Purr would dedicate everything he had to him.
He intended to become a savior for wicked men like Purr, not their babysitter.
Time passed quickly, and the sky outside the window grew brighter.
Nemus brought Purr down into the basement and extracted a portion of Leah''s blood.
He then waited patiently for the right moment.
When the Floating Whale drifting through the Sky Realm caught sight of the Sun, it would let out a long, resonant cry.
As that cry echoed out, Leah could not help but chime in.
The two whale calls were similar, yet fundamentally different.
The Floating Whale''s cry could stimulate a person''s perception of Time, rousing them quickly from their slumber and invigorating their spirit.
Leah''s whale cry, however, was a vector for disease transmission.
Seizing the moment, Nemus poured Leah''s blood—which was violently trembling in resonance with the whale cry—directly into Purr''s body.
Purr instantly convulsed, arching off the ground. Excruciating pain caused his body to tense up as his instincts screamed at him to flee.
Nemus was just about to use the Oath Rope inside him to suppress the boy''s pain receptors.
However, he suddenly realized that Purr had begun to pray.
He wasn''t praying to some distant god, but directly to Nemus.
A surge of energy welled up from the very bottom of Purr''s heart, subsequently interacting with the Oath Rope.
"This is... the Power of Faith!"