[Commandment Updated]

[Identity 1 Primary Oath: Oathkeeper]

[Commandment Feedback: New Addition—(Resilience Growth): The durability of Contract Artifacts has been enhanced.]

[Identity 2 Primary Law: Forgiveness]

[Commandment Feedback: New Addition—(Pur): Essence of Pain—You can bestow the essence of pain upon other entities, manipulating their perception of pain.]

Two streams of Commandment Information flowed by, causing Naimes to raise an eyebrow before lifting his hand. The rope at Pur's wound began to rotate, emitting a force that soon caused the previously trembling body to cease its shaking. The pain was gone.

The newly acquired feedback from the Forgiveness Commandment granted Naimes the ability to manipulate pain perception. This power required a medium to be unleashed. Normally, one could use weapons to harm others, with the sensation of pain from such wounds being amplified under control. Of course, Contract Artifacts—objects deeply connected to oneself—could also serve as mediums. Using this, Naimes adjusted Pur's pain perception, making him currently impervious to pain.

"Get up. I have some questions for you," Naimes commanded. He held some regard for Pur, seeing him as a promising demon seedling. Though just a seedling for now. If Pur failed to grow strong enough within a short time, his value would be limited to intelligence gathering, even inferior to Tangs. At least Tangs, possessed by a demon, could be considered a peak Black Stone grade entity with supernatural traits in critical moments.

"My lord must be inquiring about the village guard's information!" Pur demonstrated his initiative. As a reserve village guard seeking to escape his fate, he had naturally observed the village's sole official guard. Though he dared not openly follow the man, noting his movements during work wasn't difficult. Thus, Pur possessed some intelligence about the guard.

"I've noticed he occasionally takes food out at night, returning very late," Pur said, living close to the guard's residence. After sensing something amiss in the guard's behavior, he had tracked his movements—the faint candlelight providing clues. "So I suspect he might still have family!" Pur ventured boldly.

These individuals were all lone failures, typically without living relatives—or whose relatives had long died. Otherwise, they wouldn't have become village guards. Pur himself was such a case—his father had botched things, absconding with money and him. Pursued and killed, Pur survived due to his youth and inability to work, thus becoming a reserve guard.

The guard taking food out nightly strongly suggested he had unknown surviving relatives. Take Pur himself—had his father escaped instead of being killed, hiding in the wild, Pur would likely have fed him too. Such close family represented his only past hope of escaping the guard's fate. Hence Pur's deduction.

"Is that so?" Naimes nodded before deciding. "Return home normally. I'll summon you via rope to rendezvous here, then we'll ambush the guard!" Direct ambush—sometimes violence was the best solution. Naimes knew this well, hence his immediate decision upon learning the guard ventured out alone at night.

After arranging Pur's role, Naimes found Tangs, instructing him to join that night's operation. Returning home, Naimes ate some dry bread before sleeping straight away. Regarding material comforts, Naimes believed having them was nice, but their absence was no hindrance. This body had only two or three years left—maximum benefit must be secured within this time, creating opportunities for entering the Oath God's church's upper echelons.

As sunlight faded, Naimes awoke from his afternoon nap. Finding Tangs, they began their night march. The village was already quiet, everyone retired to their homes. Lingering twilight only deepened the gloom.

Soon Naimes, Tangs and Pur reunited at the village outskirts. Then ropes shot from Naimes' back, coiling around all three. Instantly, their sounds and scents vanished—utilizing the Oath Rope's enhanced sealing attachment and silence control. Though sealing was meant to restrain a target's power, repurposing it to mask scents sufficed. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novelFɪre.net

Pur led them to concealed bushes where they waited. Twilight fully dissipated as moonlight climbed the branches. Then unnatural movement sounded—even Naimes, not fully satiated, caught a whiff of meat. The guard had appeared.

Carrying a basket without a torch, he headed toward the forest outside the village. Naimes didn't rush; they'd prearranged tactics. The trio trailed the guard, Pur and Tangs flanking gradually. If unnoticed, they'd follow to his destination. If detected—immediate action.

Under night's cover, they enveloped the guard like a tightening noose. True to his title, though hearing nothing, he gradually sensed wrongness—not through observation, but prickling intuition. Trusting this instinct that had saved him repeatedly in combat, the guard suddenly burst into full sprint without warning.

Kicking off a tree trunk, he agilely leaped upward onto the branches. His eyes emitted emerald light as he unslung his bow. In an instant, arrow nocked, his sharp gaze locked onto the target—Tangs, lacking wilderness experience. Without hesitation, the arrow flew.

Yet the outcome defied the guard's expectations—the arrow struck true but inflicted minimal damage. Black energy swirled around Tangs as the demon's power activated. Simultaneously, a 'whoosh' made the guard's ear twitch, dodging sideways as Pur, seeing Tangs exposed, also attacked. Unfortunately, the arrow's flight broke the silence control's effect, alerting the guard.