Deception

"Demon Tongue?" The rat demon's anger vanished in an instant, replaced by equal greed.

"Your fluency in Demon Tongue is nothing like that of a Paladin!"

On the Material Plane, some villages and towns often had two to five clergy stationed there.

Priests needed to master a certain number of divine spells, while Paladins needed to master the Holy Breathing Technique, allowing them to draw upon the source of life at any time to harm demons.

All such clergy needed a certain degree of knowledge and understanding of demons. Demon Tongue was an elective subject, and someone from a place this small being so proficient in it was abnormal no matter how one looked at it.

"A person always needs to make some preparations. Otherwise, how could they succeed?" Naimus gave that reason before getting straight to the point. "Let's make a contract, demon."

"I know a way to free you from your current bodily medium and allow you to remain on the Material Plane for a long time."

"I'll help you escape your current form, and you'll lend me your power to help me do a few things!"

Naimus stated his "purpose." He knew the thought processes of these Lesser Demons all too well.

They had brains, but not much of them.

"Hehehe... looks like you're an ambitious man!" The rat demon cackled, then spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The blood gave off black smoke. Then the Power of the Abyss was drawn forth, and a Demon Contract containing the power of the Abyss appeared before them.

The sole Abyssal authority of a Lesser Demon—the Demon Contract.

It allowed them to use their identity as demons to involve a trace of the Abyss's power and bind a contract.

The black blood the rat demon had spat out then formed Demon Script and settled upon the contract.

"Come, ambitious Paladin. Sign your name!"

Naimus accepted the contract, his fingers brushing over the parchment. It was ordinary demon-hide paper, and as for the terms, one glance was enough for him to spot the several enormous traps hidden within.

"I think a few adjustments are needed. This doesn't conform to the principle of equal rights and responsibilities under the terms." Naimus gripped the contract, and with a thought, the clauses written upon it began to change.

This was a basic manifestation of the Power of the Abyss. It ensured that even ordinary people who did not know Demon Script could understand the contents of a contract when holding it, while also granting them the power to modify it conveniently.

Of course, this language-comprehension power was limited to Demon Script.

The rat demon stared at the changing contract in a daze. Why did this Paladin seem more professional than him?

His gaze was drawn to the contract as well.

[Clause One: Nigel Dartmenly will provide the demon with a method to permanently remain on the Material Plane and help the demon (--) complete this method.]

[Clause Two: The demon must cooperate with Nigel, avoid attracting outside attention as much as possible, and remain concealed.]

[Clause Three: After the method is completed, Nigel must ensure that he does not deceive the demon and maintain the method's continued effectiveness.]

[Clause Four: After the method is completed, whenever Nigel requires the demon's power, the demon must provide assistance.]

[Clause Five: Once this contract is established, neither party may reveal this contract through any means, implication, or action.]

After seeing Clauses Three and Four, the rat demon sneered and directly changed them to—

[Before and after the method is completed, Nigel must ensure that he does not deceive the demon and maintain the method's continued effectiveness.] And [After the method is completed, whenever Nigel requires the demon's power, the demon may provide assistance depending on the circumstances.]

"With traps this obvious, you still wanted to deceive a demon?"

Naimus gave a sheepish grin in cooperation, then signed the name of his current identity: Nigel Dartmenly.

"Please sign an excerpt of your true demon name as well!"

The rat demon, who had originally intended to sign a false name, froze. Knowing that this Paladin knew his business, he could only invoke the Power of the Abyss and sign an excerpt of his true name—Kurog.

As the contract took effect, the atmosphere immediately eased considerably.

At the same time, Naimus could feel his Oathkeeper Precept being faintly stirred by the formation of the new contract.

The Pact Vessel hidden in the shadows was also strengthened to a certain extent.

"Follow me!" Naimus said no more and led Kurog toward the sheep pen.

Seeing this, Kurog knew that the contract was the greatest safeguard for both sides, so he lurked in the darkness and followed.

On the way, Naimus roughly questioned Kurog about who had summoned him, but received no definite answer.

The summoner had never shown himself. During the summoning, he had merely used the sacrifice to directly make several agreements, telling Kurog to cause a commotion while restricting him from slaughtering too freely.

Clearly, the summoner had been cautious.

Downs was waiting anxiously inside the sheep pen. Even with his beloved sheep swaying its soft, plump rear in front of him as usual, he had no interest in it anymore.

His breathing had grown rapid, and his entire body trembled slightly. He was waiting, waiting for a turning point in his fate.

Once he gained power and rose above others, he would no longer have to live in this stinking sheep pen. Then, in the village... no, even in the surrounding towns, he could do whatever he wanted!

Just as he excitedly envisioned his future, footsteps sounded outside.

"Is... is that Lord Nigel?!"

"Now, listen to me!" Naimus entered the sheep pen, stood before Downs, and directly issued an order.

The torch flame flickered, making Naimus's figure seem to writhe at that moment.

By then, Downs's desires had reached their peak, and his mind was consumed by the thought of gaining power and rising above others.

He was like those people blinded by enormous profits, who fell for even the simplest scams.

After hearing Naimus's words, Downs immediately waited for his orders like a puppet on strings.

"Cut your finger and let your blood drip onto the dirt before you." Naimus swung out his knight's sword and placed it before Downs.

Downs moved in sync with Naimus's words. He reached out, grasped the sharp blade, and cut his finger.

"Good boy!" Naimus praised him, using the knight's sword to draw through the bloodstained dirt before Downs. A simple inverted pentagram soon appeared.

"Now repeat after me!"

Downs had no idea what he was doing now. He could only instinctively follow Naimus's words and begin chanting unconsciously—

"Listen to my desires, gaze upon my soul, drink my blood!"

"My body is lacking, my soul is yearning, and all that I am radiates emptiness."

"Please enter my body... demon!"

The moment the word "demon" left his lips, Downs froze. Only then did he realize what he had just recited.

But before he could react, a mass of shadow was drawn out from the darkness and poured into his body like smoke and water sucked away by a siphon.

"Hehehe, your body belongs to me now..."

"No, Lord Nigel, save me, Lord Nige—" Downs felt everything he had being stripped away.

At that moment, Naimus completed the next step. With a slight flick of his sword, he sent the bloodstained dirt that had formed the inverted pentagram flying onto Downs's body.

The inverted pentagram was imprinted upon Downs's body, forming a seal.

"Let me teach you something: before and after the method is completed does not include the moment it is completed, you foolish Lesser Demon!"

This is a crucial period for a new book. Everyone's continued reading is especially important. Thank you for keeping up with it.