Chapter 17: Action |
''It established a connection with the pain control ability residing within the Oath Rope, and they are working together to produce an effect.'' Nemus immediately grew interested, even mobilizing a portion of his core Demonic Power to observe.
''To think that Faith would link together in this manner... it is truly unexpected, yet entirely logical!''
Nemus''s pain control ability—the Essence of Suffering—had originally been obtained from Purr through the Precept of Forgiveness.
And the Precept of Forgiveness had only achieved Sublimation because of the Holy Nails forged by the Power of Faith.
Now, as Purr directed his Faith toward Nemus, the resulting Power of Faith was naturally drawn to the Essence of Suffering.
''Perhaps this is the true way to utilize the Divinity Count.''
''Divinity itself is the qualification to become a god. Only the Faith of others can maximize and activate its power.''
''However, the Divinity Count I obtained is incomplete, and I lack a method to absorb Faith directly. Therefore, the Faith directed at me can only connect through the Oath Rope and the Medium of the Precepts.''
''The problem remains the same: I have far too little Faith!''
He actively stimulated the Oath Rope, but instead of activating the pain control ability, he guided the power of the Precepts within it, making the connection of Faith clearer and more stable.
Sure enough, as the connection stabilized, Purr gradually awakened a portion of his abilities. At this moment, the agony seemed to transform into pure energy, surging into his body and becoming the very strength that sustained him.
The Essence of Suffering that Nemus had acquired from Purr through his Precepts now worked in reverse during this link of Faith, activating that corresponding portion of Purr''s latent abilities and granting him the respective Extraordinary Trait: the Essence of Suffering.
While Nemus had only received a partial boost through his Precepts, Purr had unlocked the full potential of the Essence of Suffering.
Endure the pain, perceive the pain, and then weaponize the pain.
His previously thrashing body gradually calmed down. The two sources of agony ravaging Purr''s insides also began to fuse slightly at this moment.
One force was the Deep Well Water, and the other was the infectious power of the Whale Transformation Sickness.
Originally, the Deep Well Water possessed resistance against the Whale Transformation Sickness. However, the infectious whale song of the disease had blended with the calls of the Floating Whale, effectively donning a layer of camouflage.
The infectious power used this disguise to breach the first layer of defensive resistance. The Deep Well Water, which initially held the upper hand, was now forced into a bitter stalemate with the disease.
The so-called Deep Well Water was, in essence, well water mixed with whale blood.
It shared the same origin as the Whale Transformation Sickness but had diverged down a different evolutionary path. Thus, upon meeting again, they naturally repelled and clashed with one another.
Only through countless investigations had the Watchman discovered that the disease''s whale song could hide within genuine whale calls, thereby increasing its virulence.
According to the Watchman''s assessment, his ability to control the whale transformation was highly likely due to this very amalgamation.
While it facilitated the transmission of the Whale Transformation Sickness, it also restricted the volatile mutations of the transformation.
Ultimately, the Whale Transformation Sickness within Purr''s body was a stream without a source.
As time passed, the Deep Well Water inside him began to gain the upper hand. Slowly, Purr returned to normal.
The infection of the Whale Transformation Sickness had failed.
However, this was not a problem; it was entirely within expectations.
The Watchman had not succeeded on his first attempt either. It was only through repeated struggles against the Whale Transformation Sickness that he managed to plant a tiny seed of the disease within his body.
And this tiny seed was no longer rejected by the Deep Well Water; instead, it had Assimilated into a single entity.
Therefore, when necessary, the Watchman could draw upon the power of the Deep Well Water to complete his whale transformation.
''It seems there are some promising results after all.'' Nemus examined Purr''s body and discovered that his physical Attribute Value had been slightly developed.
Originally, as a probationary village guardian, his Attribute Value had been around three.
This fierce internal collision allowed the Deep Well Water to activate a substantial amount of his body''s Life Aura. Coupled with the development of his own Essence of Suffering, his Attribute Value had reached four and was bordering on five. The increase seemed minor, but it equated to years of progress for an ordinary person.
Take Nels, for example. As a noble, he had received Holy Knight training since childhood.
His cultivation resources, educational background, and time allocation were all top-tier.
His physical aptitude was not poor either.
Yet, despite training from a young age for over two decades, he had only reached an Attribute Value of seven.
On average, he raised his Attribute Value by one point every three years.
Looking at it from this perspective, Purr raising his Attribute Value by more than a full point in a single night was an absolutely staggering speed.
Of course, there was always someone stronger, and Nemus himself was a prime example of this.
Born into the Abyss as a Heterogeneous Demon, Nemus had started with a base Attribute Value of ten. Within just three years, he elevated his true body to an Attribute Value of three hundred.
''It is just a pity that my true body''s power is difficult to utilize in the Material Plane,'' Nemus thought with a hint of regret.
Just like that Lesser Demon Krog, exerting power in the Material Plane required a vessel for possession.
The same applied to Nemus. To unleash his full Attribute Value of three hundred, he needed a vessel with sufficient bearing capacity.
Without fully subjecting Nels''s body to Demonic Infusion, summoning a few demons from the Abyss was his absolute limit.
Even with complete Demonic Infusion, he could only wield a few dozen points of his Attribute Value. The only way to surpass this was to carry out his initial plan: slaughtering the hundreds of residents in the entire village.
He could use their souls and lives to force Nels''s vessel to ascend to the Iron Rank, fully transitioning from Demonic Infusion to an outright Demon.
Only then could he utilize his full three hundred Attribute Value, and even then, he might not be able to fully inherit all the Extraordinary Traits belonging to his true body.
Despite demons generally being vastly superior to beings of the same tier, they had yet to truly conquer the Material Plane.
A large part of the reason lay in these very restrictions.
''I will conduct another experiment tomorrow morning. I already have a few ideas that might accelerate the success rate.'' After finishing his examination of the body, Nemus arrived at a conclusion.
The Watchman''s success was multifaceted, but the crucial point lay in one specific detail: repeated clashes between forces of the same origin that ultimately triggered essential Assimilation.
Throughout this process, the whale song, bloodline, Deep Well Water, and even raw willpower were all of paramount importance.
However, this did not mean there were no shortcuts to take.
Or rather, those elements were only critical when the technique was immature. Once the method was perfected, those conditions would no longer be absolute necessities.
"Let us head back. There are still matters to attend to," Nemus commanded.
With the arrival of a new day, Nemus''s remaining time was growing increasingly scarce.
After all, the Church''s personnel would be arriving in just two days.
While their arrival did not guarantee an immediate problem, matters would undoubtedly become far more troublesome by then.
He needed to make preparations in advance.
For instance, he could issue a warning, or perhaps...
Silence them permanently!