CHAPTER 1346: CHAPTER 1346: THE DEMON’S COMMISSION

Shard still held the cross with a straight arm:

"I know what you are, but I’m not afraid of you. Evil fiend, go to hide in the dark corners. I dare to bet, more and more Circle Sorcerers from the Three Major Academies and the Church of the Five Gods will gather in this city in the coming weeks. Even if you have your own plans, what can you dare to do?"

"Such arrogance, such arrogance."

The slick voice praised Shard:

"But you’re right, my presence in front of you this time is not to kill you or do anything to you."

"Do you wish to stop me from entering this manor? Is there really a secret hidden here?"

"No no, young sir, I am not here to stop you from entering this manor. On the contrary, since Ston Osenfort and Haila Osenfort can commission you, why can’t I?"

It asked with a smile, though its smile was truly chilling. And somehow, that smile reminded Shard of Mr. Sean Asmon, the Demonologist.

"Commission?"

Shard snorted, the heavy snow couldn’t cover the mocking expression on his face:

"I thought you were eavesdropping nearby from the start. You should know what I said: one of the common sense of Circle Sorcerers is never to make deals with any demon. I don’t even want to deal with those undead you’ve corrupted, let alone you yourself."

The demon Goethe still wore a slick smile:

"No, I am not looking to make a deal with you but to commission you to do something, just like Ston Osenfort and Haila Osenfort. I don’t require you to sign any contract or necessarily complete it. But if you really succeed, I can give you something... interesting."

Shard frowned slightly:

"Do you think I’m a greedy fellow?"

The howling wind carried away his voice.

"Aren’t you? I saw your duel with Osenfort under that dead tree, you possess the power of the Great Sin, oh arrogant one."

The demon’s voice was light, but Shard heard it clearly.

"The task I give you does not conflict with the other two tasks you are currently undertaking. In fact, you can fully complete them all and receive everything you desire."

Its eyes looked at the unmoving cross in the wind and snow, voice rather light:

"Besides, aren’t you not afraid of me? You’re well prepared."

"Nonsense, if I really wasn’t afraid of you, even though my hand is a bit sore, why do you think I’m still holding this up?"

Shard retorted, furrowing his brows, appearing to think, then squinting his eyes, he asked:

"I want to know first, what exactly do you want to commission me for?"

"Very simple, extremely simple for you. Enter this manor, drive out some intruders, find an item, and then forge a weapon."

The demon looked at Shard:

"You should have understood the history of Worsent Manor, back then the people of this manor offended me, so I gave them a little lesson. And those ordinary people, surprisingly, they actually found a remarkable thing to deal with me, but unfortunately, it’s of no use to me, and they don’t know how to use that treasure."

Shard glanced at the manor in the snow from the corner of his eye:

"Am I going in to find that?"

"Yes."

"Who are the intruders of the manor?"

"You’ll know in a while, they’re a group of disrespectful, cowardly yet filthy rodents. They also want to find that item, but don’t worry, they lack the ability, they might even run out on their own without your help. But I appreciate you, you can do it, right?"

Its eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean by using that item to forge a weapon?"

"The power of that item, though not useful against me, is effective on others. Therefore, it can be used to teach Ston Osenfort a lesson."

The demon said with a grin, the angle at which its mouth twisted was eerily sinister:

"I’m aware of the little tricks he’s been up to, and I also know what he commissioned you for. According to my contract with him, I cannot punish him without reason, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have someone else do it for me."

"A typical demon contract trap."

"No no, my friend, this is not a trap, it’s just that he himself hasn’t realized it. Go find the item that the Worsent Family once tried to protect in the manor, then forge it into a weapon, and use it to teach Osenfort a lesson. Even if he has the immortality granted by me, that weapon could still give him trouble... or even kill him."

Shard still held the cross aloft, and a layer of snowflakes had already accumulated on the sleeve of his right arm:

"Aren’t you worried that the weapon forged from that item might defeat you, or even drive you away?"

"Osenfort" pursed his lips and made a "tsk tsk" sound:

"So arrogant, very arrogant. If you want to do this, I suggest you wait until after I’ve paid you your reward."

"Are you so sure I’ll take your commission?"

Shard asked again.

"Of course, you will take it. After all, it does you no harm, does it? Furthermore, I’ve already told you these things. Even without my commission, would you not enter the manor to find that item and make a weapon?"

The demon’s voice was like an insidious whisper, light, slippery, but with a certain logic:

"All you need to decide is whether you want to teach Osenfort a lesson."

At this, it made an exaggerated expression of sudden realization:

"I almost forgot, you accepted the commission from Haila Osenfort to stab Osenfort’s chest with a sword and kill him. Look, I even found you a weapon. Whether you can kill him, well, that’s up to you."

"Have I been caught in your trap ever since I first met Osenfort?"

Shard asked, the demon still smiling:

"Always winning makes one arrogant. Osenfort is like that, and so are you. But fortunately, I’m not very interested in you. Your aura is too mixed, and my experience tells me that often means big trouble."

It stared at Shard:

"So it seems you have no reason not to accept my commission, after all, this is what you were going to do."

"What can you offer me?"

This time Shard did not refuse; he needed to draw out the demon again to allow Dr. Schneider the opportunity to act, and taking the commission would be the best time to act when the other party appears to pay the reward.

Moreover, accepting the commission would make the ancient evil think Shard was under its control, effectively lowering its guard.

"I have many treasures that are quite good for mortals—a flame that never extinguishes, a relic that extends life, an alchemical item that turns stone to gold, a bottle of wine that never runs dry. I can even give you a sacred book detailing demon knowledge if you want; I know it’s dangerous but still attractive to a Circle Sorcerer... Complete my commission, and you can choose any one from five items."

Shard deliberately waited two seconds before asking:

"Besides these, can I make my own request? I want to know about another ancient evil."

"Oh, it seems your adventure is more exciting than I thought. What do you want to know?"

"Do you know about [Desire]?"

The name of the breathtaking "Mermaid" was spoken by Shard in the snowstorm, and for a moment, even the surrounding snow seemed to shudder. Since the demon’s appearance, its smile vanished for the first time, but then it reappeared, and as it did when it first appeared, it began to clap:

"I see, your great sin was incited by her. Yes, I see now."

It nodded at Shard:

"Adding this intelligence, the reward is now one out of six. Once you complete my commission, you can freely choose the item you want."

"But how will I find you again?"

Shard asked, hoping the demon might reveal its hiding place, allowing Shard to call Dr. Schneider tonight.

"Once you’ve completed my task, I will find you. I know a demon’s reputation may not be the best, but isn’t it true that we always do as we promise?"

Shard nodded slightly:

"Alright, I’ll enter the manor now to see exactly who the intruder is inside."

Though the commission seems simple, Shard was certain it was connected to the conspiracy against the "Guardians." Shard didn’t believe that the demon wasn’t aware he possessed the Power of the Earth. This was an unspoken understanding, and it all came down to whose tactics would be more clever in the end.

"No, no, no, there’s one more thing to do."

The demon shook its head at Shard:

"Even if you’ve agreed to the commission, what if you leave this city, or tell the True God Church about this? Let me bestow upon you a mark, an ancient demon’s etching, which could even increase your chance of acquiring desecration and whisper power, enhancing your great sin power."

"I don’t want any mark."

Before Shard’s words were finished, a strange sensation surged through him, and in his eyes, the snowflakes blown diagonally toward his cheek seemed almost completely still. "Ston Osenfort" moved towards him in what seemed like slow motion, circumed around the Desecration Cross he held up, then reached out with a yellowish hand, trying to grab his face.

[The power of time, it nearly stopped time.]

"Since it stopped time, why do I... almost forgot, because knowing the secret of time, understanding the bridge across the First Five Ages and this era, I can selectively be immune to the power of time."

Thinking, while the snowflakes were nearly still and the demon slowly approached with a slick smile, Shard fixed his gaze on its black eyes, turned in place at a normal speed, and once more aimed the Silver Cross in his hand at the demon.

Because of the other party’s slow motion, Shard clearly saw how the smile on the demon’s face stiffly disappeared.