Further Probing

Naimus could not help but laugh as well.

"You really can't underestimate anyone." Naimus was not someone who could account for every possibility without flaw.

He merely had a different perspective and had spent a few more years amid the Abyss's schemes and deceptions. It did not mean he was incapable of making mistakes.

"Life is the same. People always make mistakes, but what matters is how they respond after making them."

"It is their capacity for error."

Naimus seriously considered this point.

For now, no matter what, the Old Priest had to die.

He knew too much. If he reported this information, Naimus's development within the Church of Precepts would very likely encounter problems.

Although Naimus could seize a new identity again, he was not afraid of inspections targeting the soul.

However, that would also expose certain information about him...

The God of Precepts is probably still looking for me, Naimus thought. He will pay attention to all related information.

"If information such as 'a clergyman whose soul inspection showed no issues yet who suddenly betrayed the Church' reaches him, it will likely provoke a reaction from the God of Precepts. Even if I change identities then, infiltrating the Church of Precepts again and rising through the ranks quickly will become incredibly difficult."

The True Spirit hidden deep within Nigel's soul stirred faintly, emanating a trace of chill.

But Naimus quickly concealed it.

Given the current situation, he might not necessarily be able to kill the Old Priest.

Besides, even if he did kill him, he might not be able to avoid exposing information about himself.

He had to seize the right opportunity and then make the optimal choice.

"...I still need to use others as scouts to probe for more information."

"After going in a circle, I've returned to this matter again." Naimus could not help feeling that reality was strange.

His original purpose in infiltrating the Material Plane, lurking in the form of a Demon, and signing a contract with Nigel had been to make Nigel kill the Old Priest and monopolize the faith of this village church.

Afterward, he had also taken Downs, who was possessed by a Demon, to probe the Old Priest.

It was only after discovering that the Old Priest was a Steel Breed that he slowed his actions against him.

Then matters such as the Village Guardian, Whale-ification Disease, the Whale Skin Mine, and the Church's arrival had divided his attention.

He had not expected that after all these twists and turns, he would circle back to the beginning. He needed to probe the Old Priest once more, then kill him!

"It is just that the person for the probe needs careful consideration." Naimus looked at Lia, who was constantly struggling, and lightly activated the Rope of Oath on the Village Guardian.

The current matter was an excellent test.

"Let me see how you respond!" Naimus knew that he absolutely could not panic at a time like this, but neither could he hide his head in the sand and turn a blind eye to potential danger.

Allowing someone who might be hiding secrets to act in the shadows would only give the enemy a growing advantage. By the time the enemy's overwhelming force came down upon him, he might not be able to escape.

Therefore, probing was necessary. After probing, making a decisive response based on the intelligence gathered was equally necessary.

Once the Village Guardian arrived, Naimus immediately assigned him a task—steal the organs.

The Village Guardian froze for a moment, but immediately agreed.

The contract Naimus had signed with him contained a clause guaranteeing Lia's safety, providing her with resources such as food and water, and doing his best to ensure Lia's Whale-Transform.

The Village Guardian also had a clause in the contract allowing Naimus to use him as he pleased, so naturally Naimus could count this as part of "doing his best."

It could be said that this was a contractual loophole Naimus had planted.

Before this, the Village Guardian might have entertained other thoughts, but now he truly did not dare.

The previous Nest Beast attack had caused more than a dozen deaths.

Those people had quickly been buried. With their coffins sealed underground, air could not circulate.

Following custom, their bodies had also been washed with herbal liquid beforehand. It had preservative properties, so their organs would not have completely decomposed underground so quickly.

Ten days was still usable.

"Activate Whale-ification before you go."

"Then make sure Isabella is at the Church at that time."

"If possible, find a way to draw Isabella's attention." Naimus then issued this order.

The Village Guardian's eyes trembled slightly, but he still agreed.

To expose himself directly before a member of the clergy was to court death.

Once they investigated thoroughly, it would be difficult for him to remain hidden.

And judging by Naimus's current objective, he would most likely be sacrificed.

"Lord Nigel, please spare my daughter's life." In the end, that was all the Village Guardian could say.

"...I'll do my best." After a brief silence, Naimus answered.

Neither of them mentioned the contract. The Village Guardian himself knew that he could not outplay Naimus and the others.

A contract's terms might seem capable of guaranteeing safety, but in truth, all terms existed to be violated.

For an existence of evil like Naimus, breaking a contract was as simple as breathing.

Their evil was a pure evil that scorned all other existences and pursued only its own goals.

Under such circumstances, the words "I'll do my best" did not sound particularly reliable, yet the Village Guardian still felt a measure of reassurance.

It was at that moment that Naimus received information from his Divinity—

[Precept changed]

[Master Precept: Oath Keeper]

[Precept Feedback: New—(Fatherly Protection): The power of a father's loving protection can give others a mountain-like sense of security and enhance the defensive capabilities of Pact Vessels.]

Naimus narrowed his eyes. He had not expected that making an agreement similar to a contract through spoken words alone, outside of an actual contract, could also yield Precept Feedback.

Naimus carefully sensed the differences in this change to the Precept.

His answer had not contained any so-called emotion.

He would not be moved by the Village Guardian's so-called fatherly love. Everyone possessed such feelings to some extent, but so what?

When interests conflicted, Naimus would not spare someone merely because they were a good father or a good son.

Just as Naimus had promised the Village Guardian—"I'll do my best." So long as it did not involve his own interests, there was no need for him to waste energy killing someone.

"This is probably not due to me, but rather the Village Guardian's intense conviction in the agreement, which triggered the change in the Precept." Naimus came to this conclusion, gaining a deeper understanding of how Precepts operated.

After the Village Guardian set off, Naimus set off as well.

He strolled leisurely toward the church.

On the surface, the Village Guardian had no significant connection to him.

Once Isabella discovered the Village Guardian's problem, if she distrusted Naimus, she would certainly notify the Old Priest.

Then let him see how the Old Priest would deal with this sort of "evil" once the matter was exposed!

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