Chapter 31: Faith Guidance |
Nemus exchanged brief pleasantries with the Old Priest before leaving directly.
He still had many things to do and no time to waste here.
Within his mind, a stream of information flowed.
[Precept Updated]
[Main Precept: Oath-keeping]
[Precept Feedback: The Qi Instrument has gained a new effect—Bloodline Connection: The Qi Instrument''s transmission function as a Medium is enhanced, allowing for more precise influence over the bloodline.]
Indeed, this Precept Feedback originated from the verbal Covenant with the Old Priest.
The Old Priest hoped he would spare Jacques and proposed various trades.
Ultimately, Nemus chose to agree, which counted as establishing the Covenant.
With a standard Oath-keeping Precept, once the Covenant was established and he fulfilled his end, the Oath-keeping would yield benefits.
But this time was different. The Precept would only be truly fulfilled after he obtained the substantial items promised by the Old Priest.
"This ability is very powerful. It will play a massive role in the subsequent modifications to Purr, as well as the establishment of my own forces," Nemus declared, feeling quite satisfied.
At the same time, Nemus examined his newly acquired Divine Holy Sword.
A total of eleven Holy Scripts imbued this sword with three common Traits: Sharpness, Resilience, and Inspiration, along with a high-level Trait called Saint Power.
"It can channel my power, granting it a Divine attribute to inflict special damage against Evil Creatures." Nemus could feel his body becoming a bit more invigorated because of it, especially the newly acquired Saint''s Bone and the Holy Nails that were strongly linked to it.
"The Holy Nails are already in a semi-fused state with my skeleton, and my Life Aura has recovered quite a bit as a result."
"Moreover, it is not that I cannot continue the fusion, but rather I still need a clear opportunity."
With various factors combining at this moment, Nemus had resolved the aftereffects of being a Precept Holy Knight as if experiencing a Miracle, and the changes did not stop there.
''As long as I provide guidance, the Power of Faith within the Holy Nails will completely melt, and I will gain a special power from it.'' Nemus felt the changes in the Holy Nails, vaguely experiencing an "omnipotent" sensation.
This feeling was an illusion, but it was not without basis.
The most worship-worthy aspect of a deity was their Divine Power.
The effects of Divine Power were omnipotent to a certain extent, akin to a wishing machine.
As long as there was enough Divine Power, one could achieve absolutely anything they desired.
''And Faith is a supplement to Divine Power.''
''Therefore, the purified Power of Faith is also a type of pseudo-omnipotent power.''
''However, it is ultimately not true Divine Power, nor can it grant wishes. I still need some relevant Knowledge to make this thing truly effective.''
Nemus''s mind flashed back to the Secret Family Technique Jacques had used earlier.
The opponent had uttered Sacred Whispers, drawing upon the Power of Faith to strengthen himself.
If not for this, Nemus would not have dragged out the fight with him for so long.
It was precisely to meticulously observe the flow of Faith within the opponent''s body during combat.
Jacques, a Holy Knight who had not yet reached the Iron Rank, could possess such an incredibly powerful Trait relying solely on a single Saint''s Bone and a few Sacred Whispers.
This was actually the wondrous utility of Faith. By driving the power of Faith in a specific direction, it would manifest into a Trait formed according to that specific direction.
''Merely imagining the guidance results in too low an efficiency when utilizing the Power of Faith.'' Just like Nemus himself, who could currently mobilize the seven Holy Nails within his body and twenty-one years'' worth of Power of Faith to fulfill his own wishes.
For example, wishing for a strong and healthy body.
Then, this Faith would completely merge into his body, naturally accumulating to form a Trait.
Nemus was certain that any Trait formed under such circumstances would be incredibly ordinary.
''The Dartmenerly Family used the deeds of their past ancestors and the Saint''s Bone as a guide, locking the guidance toward that Trait''s direction to maximize the effects of the power of Faith.'' Much like constructing a building, one could not simply pile up materials. It required planning and blueprints, as well as mixing in other materials to act as supportive "rebar."
Within the Dartmenerly Family''s Secret Family Technique, the Sacred Whispers served as the blueprint. The Saint''s Bone Jacques carried, aside from drawing out the Power of Faith, also functioned as the core.
''Currently, I also possess two guides—the Precepts and the Saint''s Bone.'' Nemus could feel that if the Power of Faith were poured into these two guides, careful planning would allow him to extract its maximum utility.
''However, this is meticulous work that cannot be rushed.'' Nemus intentionally allowed himself to slow his pace.
Nemus was indeed very busy, but the more situations like this arose, the less he could afford to be anxious. Rushing would only lead to mistakes.
Being busy was a form of arrangement, ensuring he had something to do at every moment.
Being rushed is a Creative State, one where the quality of a matter is ignored to a certain extent in pursuit of efficiency.
This was exactly how Nemus was right now; his schedule was already packed.
Researching the Power of Faith.
Adding more Precepts.
Researching Whale Transformation Sickness.
Laying out plans for Covert Power Expansion.
As well as investigating the secrets of the Old Priest, Opper, and the others.
Yet Nemus did not feel annoyed; instead, he felt exceptionally fulfilled.
Because everything he was currently doing was preparation for his future ascent to the pinnacle.
''Waiting is a required course.'' Nemus returned to his residence and began his own wait.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
In the Basement, Purr stood up. Meeting Nemus''s gaze, he gave a slight nod. His expression tightened as he initiated his Whale-ification.
A large number of black spots surfaced on his body, rapidly transforming.
At this moment, the skin all over Purr''s body grew tough, resembling a layer of rubber.
Simultaneously, those black spots were stretched and contorted, forming a kind of pattern.
His entire body swelled by more than a full size during this process, yet he did not appear bloated at all, exuding only the robust sensation of a Colossus.
On his brownish-yellow skin, there were numerous black veins that looked like petals or cloud patterns.
Just standing there, he emitted an overwhelming sense of pressure.
After all, his head was slightly brushing against the ceiling of the Basement.
"That is basically a passing grade," Nemus nodded, reasonably satisfied.
At this moment, Purr''s Attribute Value had reached eight. Compared to his previous stats after Whale-ification, the increase was not significant.
However, he had acquired two Traits.
Colossus: Strength will gain approximately a fifty percent boost, capable of breaking through extreme limits.
Therefore, in his current state, Purr''s Attribute Value was twelve.
Tough Hide: Gains extraordinary resistance against external attacks, ignoring some damage from Swords and blades with an Attribute Value of less than ten.
This Trait could even be considered a low-tier version of the Grace of Absolution.
With the synergy of these two Traits, Whale-ification could finally be considered a qualified method for increasing one''s power.