The Precept Demon

Azure Whale City, Dorsal Fin Village.

In the basement of a house that stood out from all the others.

The flickering light of a few candles stretched and distorted shadows against the walls.

A middle-aged man with stubble and long, wavy, brownish-black hair knelt before a shrine. He kept his head bowed, as if he had just finished reporting something and was waiting for a response from the entity within.

"Are you saying that you cannot do it?" A voice, calm to the point of being chilling, emanated from the shrine. The cloth covering the shrine was suddenly whipped away, revealing the demon statue inside.

It was a very standard demon statue: curved, spiraling horns, a hideous and terrifying face, vertical pupils conveying both seduction and dread, a pitch-black body covered in fine scales, claws with long, sharp nails, a thick yet flexible tail, and hooves like those of a goat.

Only Nigel knew that such a demon statue was merely a common perception; the entity's true form could change at will, and it possessed no physical body within the Material Plane.

"Y-yes, I cannot do it!" he said, trembling slightly, yet his voice grew firmer with every word. "I cannot kill an innocent old man just to achieve my own goals!"

"If I did that, how would I be any different from the people I despise?!"

"The old priest is a good man. He has worked diligently for so many years; I cannot bring myself to kill him!"

"I will not do it, so..." Nigel stood up, his trembling body regaining its composure, and asked, "Can you dissolve the contract? Can I go back to where I came from?"

"So, you've had a sudden change of heart and intend to be a good person?" Faced with Nigel's attempt to burn bridges before even crossing the river, the demon's tone remained flat and calm.

No, in this case, the other party was trying to burn the bridge before he had even reached the river.

"Nigel, you really are a man who can never accomplish anything."

"You clearly have a goal you are absolutely determined to reach, yet you are timid and indecisive."

"You signed a contract with a demon, yet you are held back by the concerns of so-called good people."

"I knew you couldn't be a good person, but I never expected that you couldn't even manage to be a villain!"

Following the demon's contemptuous words, a strange piece of paper emerged from the shrine, the clauses written upon it emitting a faint, gloomy light.

[Clause 1: The demon 'Naimus' (true name excerpt, verified) shall provide Nigel Dartmenly with the complete method for stealing faith, guarantee the authenticity of said method, inform him of its proper usage, and ensure that when used normally, there are no side effects, or that any side effects cannot harm Nigel.]

[Clause 2: Nigel must gain control of the Dorsal Fin Village church as soon as possible and allocate seventy percent of the stolen faith to Naimus.]

[Clause 3: Naimus shall not, in any way, hint at, act to persecute Nigel, or expose the contract signed between them.]

[Clause 4: Nigel shall not, in any way, hint at, act to reveal the existence of Naimus.]

[Clause 5: Seven years after the establishment of this contract, or when the total amount of faith stolen by Nigel reaches one thousand units①, this contract shall be dissolved. Thereafter, neither party may, in any way, hint at or act to reveal this contract.]

At this moment, Clause 2 was vibrating slightly; clearly, the contract was on the verge of being violated.

Nigel suddenly pulled a shortsword from his robes, its blade etched with runes using silver materials.

His body sprang up instantly, the runic shortsword in his hand turning into a streak of white light as he moved to shatter the demon contract.

As the resident Paladin of Dorsal Fin Village, Nigel had a certain understanding of demons. When he first discovered the statue and signed the contract, he had already prepared to betray it.

The runic shortsword was inscribed with Divine Script in holy silver, capable of directly shattering demonic power and rendering the demon contract void!

But the next moment, several snake-like ropes lashed out from the basement, binding Nigel instantly.

His lunging shortsword was only a hand's breadth away from the contract, but that distance had become an insurmountable chasm.

The ropes tightened, pinning Nigel firmly and pulling him into a spread-eagled position, suspended in mid-air.

Illuminated by the gloomy light of the demon contract, a black shadow slowly stepped out from the statue.

"To think you've fallen to the level of a resident Paladin in a tiny village, yet you still cling to the kindness that will drown you."

"And you even disguise yourself with a fierce, savage image to keep the goodwill of others at a distance."

"You act recklessly and self-righteously, wishing that you could have the best of both worlds without ever considering what failure might bring."

"Just like now, you thought you had the means to break the contract, but you forgot that violating contracts is what demons do best."

"How could I not have prepared for this?"

Nigel wanted to say something, but the ropes gagged him, leaving him unable to speak.

"I don't want to hear your clichés. Just surrender your body obediently." As the words fell, the second clause of the demon contract surged out and covered the surface of Nigel's body.

The black shadow transformed into a stream of light and rushed toward Nigel's body.

"The Abyssal Hell is too barren. I finally made it to this Material Plane; if you don't want the opportunity to steal faith and change your destiny, then let me do it myself!"

Nigel struggled fiercely with muffled cries, but aided by the power of the contract, the black shadow encountered no resistance, entering Nigel's mind with ease.

The last thing Nigel heard were the words of the demon Naimus.

"Everything you wanted to accomplish, all your regrets—I will handle them for you."

"Though the methods may no longer align with your ignorant kindness."

"No..., I haven't completed my redemption yet, I haven't..."

"This demon, this demon was released by me, I cannot..." Nigel's desperate soul began to wail, but he was powerless against the demon.

Everything that was Nigel was rapidly seized and replaced by Naimus under the power of the contract.

The ropes that had bound his body loosened and fell away at this moment, coiling up like an obedient pet.

The night passed quietly. As the sound of whale calls echoed from outside, Nigel... no, Naimus opened his eyes, savoring the long-lost sensation of a physical body.

The corners of his mouth curled into a smile, then vanished.

His gaze shifted to the floor, where the shrine and the demon statue began to burn.

Green flames illuminated the basement, which had been plunged into darkness after the candles went out. The shrine and statue dissolved rapidly in the fire.

The shadow of Naimus cast upon the wall did not flicker with the flames; it remained steady and real.

Closing his eyes in meditation, information flowed through his mind:

[New identity acquired, Precepts updated]

[Identity 1: Variant Demon Naimus]

[Precept Details]

[Master Precept: Oath Keeper—Strictly adhere to the terms of the contract; do not violate established contracts.]

[Precept Feedback: The effectiveness of the contract is enhanced, and its power can be channeled into the Pact Vessel, granting it extraordinary power.]

[Pact Vessel: Rope of Oath (Autonomous action; enhanced binding; enhanced speed)]

[Master Law: None]

[Identity 2: Paladin Nigel]

[Precept Details]

[Master Precept: None]

[Master Law: None]

[Sub-Law inherent to original body: Daily Practice—Must practice swordsmanship once every day.]

[Precept Feedback: Swordsmanship enhanced; (When selected as a Master Law—after completing daily practice, gain one hour of swordsmanship insight.)]

This was the greatest harvest Naimus had gained during his fall into the Abyss. He had successfully obtained a portion of the Divine Rank from the God of Precepts. Therefore, as long as he adhered to the precepts he acquired through his actions, he could draw power from them.

Primary precepts could be enhanced.

Each identity could possess one Master Precept and one Master Law.

Precepts and Laws were generally divided into passive and active categories.

Passive adherence—the act of not doing something—was called a Precept.

Active practice—following a certain pattern of behavior—was called a Law.

This power was also the reason he had actively infiltrated the Material Plane, a region shrouded in the faith of the God of Precepts.

"A truly long-lost feeling." Naimus walked out of the basement, looking at the rising sun outside the window, and let out a sigh.

Then, Naimus suppressed his emotions, his posture and expression shifting to match those of the former Nigel. At this moment, even if one were to observe his soul, he was Nigel.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

(Faith unit: The amount of faith generated by an ordinary believer praying to a shrine every day for one year.)

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