Chapter 144
Shadow Demon: “Killing the chicken to warn the monkeys, right?”
To prevent Yulia from being woken up by her maid, Eivass had Yulia sleep in his room after treating her, ensuring she got a full night’s rest.
He spent a full fourteen points of light attribute mana to restore Yulia’s body to a healthy state in one go.
Considering that treating her high fever before only cost him two points of mana, this showed how unwell she was currently.
Although Yulia’s current state was actually that of a normal, healthy human… her body had, after all, adapted to the decade-long slow bake of low temperatures. Suddenly losing the heat source and returning to normal would actually make her a bit uncomfortable.
Now, once she woke up from her sleep, she should be mostly fine. While her body would still need time to slowly adapt and readjust… during this period, the mana Eivass left within her body would act as a slow-release treatment and painkiller.
This course of treatment would last for about half a week, and Eivass would administer another treatment next week… a maximum of two courses, and Yulia would be able to jump and run, completely indistinguishable from an ordinary person.
“How is it, my demon?”
Watching Lily tend to Yulia as she slept, Eivass looked down and smiled at the Shadow Demon, “Didn’t I tell you? I’d show you my strength.”
“You are so wise, great, and learned…”
The Shadow Demon did not hold back its flattery and immediately replied, “I tremble for your Soul of Transcendence.”
This was the truth. As a demon, it didn’t care where Eivass obtained such Forbidden knowledge. The Shadow Demon only felt anticipation for Eivass’s future… and a subtle unease for its own seemingly predetermined fate.
It was undoubtedly a legitimate demon, a Phantom Demon of the transcendent path. When Eivass exhibited such clear transcendent traits, it trembled all over. Externally, this manifested as the shadow beneath Eivass constantly quivering and slowly writhing.
Although Eivass’s objective was to save Yulia, this was not the repetitive labor known as “redemption” that demons disdained. Instead, it was a subversion of inevitable fate!
The hatching of the Phantom Demon Egg was irreversible and indissoluble. Considering that newborns would possess the host’s personality and memories and forget their previous experiences, from another perspective, it could be seen as these hosts shedding their shells and ascending to the Dream Realm as Phantom Demons. Therefore, interrupting the hatching process of the Phantom Demon Egg was equivalent to directly altering fate and severing the world’s law of rebirth after a demon’s death.
And it was achieved by using the extreme method of desecrating a Fallen Heavenly Envoy!
“As a demon… you should recognize Fallen Heavenly Envoys, right?” Eivass asked with a light chuckle.
“Indeed,” the Shadow Demon replied. “Although I was revived from a Phantom Demon Egg, in my past life, I was also a demon personally transformed by a Fallen Heavenly Envoy.”
Or rather, all demons should recognize Fallen Heavenly Envoys; they are the highest-ranking demons and the origin of the “demon” Phantom Demon species. The “Mark of Sin” itself is the power and mark granted by Fallen Heavenly Envoys to demons, and demons branded with the Mark of Sin would evolve to the next stage. Humans could also be secretly branded by a Fallen Heavenly Envoy, and after their death, they would transform into a different type of demon. This was the most common and original way for demons to be born.
For instance, “Shadow Demons” were once superior beings who fell from grace, or upright individuals who were betrayed and framed. They fell due to their experiences, becoming filled with hatred, willing to pay any price to drag others into the abyss to exact revenge. They were branded with the mark of “Wrath” by a Fallen Heavenly Envoy, granting them the power of shadows. As a price, after their death, they would transform into formless Shadow Demons, forever unable to see the light again.
“Do you understand now?” Eivass nonchalantly pulled out a red card and smiled, “The first was the Butterfly, and then it will be you.”
“… Of course, I understand,” the Shadow Demon uttered Chloe’s stolen voice and said ingratiatingly, “My respected Master… even if you don’t seal me into that small card, I will obey all your destinies.”
This was because the Shadow Demon was also a Ritualist. It only took one look to understand Eivass’s ritual.
Eivass first requested the blessings of the Nine Pillar Gods to ensure he would not be noticed by the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. After tricking them into obtaining the Mark of Sin, he used the blessings of the Nine Pillar Gods to ensure it wouldn’t fall upon him immediately. By using a fate-confounding ritual linked to Phantom Demons, he directly imprinted it onto the Phantom Demon.
As long as the Phantom Demon did not resist at this stage and was successfully branded… then the power of the Mark of Sin, in terms of ritual judgment, would be sufficient to override its own Path Trait. Those Phantom Demons who originally belonged to other paths would be deemed by the ritual as “Phantom Demons with adaptability to the transcendent path.” As candidate demons, they would be sealed into cards that matched their powers by the ritual of sealing demons of the transcendent path.
— Eivass had even personally inquired from the apostles of the Candlemaster about which cards were suitable for sealing Phantom Demons of the Path of Devotion.
It was audacious! Although Phantom Demons could not be killed, they could be sealed. And sealing demons was one of the most common and stable rituals. Sealing demons into mediums such as crystal balls, mirrors, and Tarot Cards to create cursed items and then gifting them to others was a very common method of murder for Demon Scholars. It could also be used to “forcibly break up” with demons that one could no longer control.
Phantom Demons do not die, therefore, they would not become demons due to the Mark of Sin. Thus, they would always retain this Mark of Sin and be consistently judged by the ritual as “demon candidates.” They would then be stably sealed into cards as Beasts of Sin. At the very least, the Shadow Demon itself could not find a way to break this seal from within.
The concept of this ritual belonged to the Fallen Heavenly Envoy, and its core power also came from the Fallen Heavenly Envoy — meaning, Eivass used the symbol and ritual of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy to trick the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s own power.
Undoubtedly, this was a brand-new ritual! A ritual that had never appeared in this World, developed by his own Master, Eivass! Had Eivass’s understanding of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy or the ritual deviated even slightly, he could have incurred the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s wrath. He might have also chosen the wrong Tarot Card, leading to him being unable to seal it or significantly weakening it after sealing. He might have also attracted the Mark of Sin, but it didn’t match the target, thus branding himself.
One wrong step meant destruction. Yet, he succeeded. A person’s fate could hold a maximum of six Marks of Sin, meaning Eivass could obtain five more such “Beasts of Sin.” And Eivass did all this just to save a minuscule, short-lived mortal. Furthermore, an adopted sister with whom he had no blood relation. Eivass had also told the Shadow Demon before that his goal was to kill the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. The most powerful aspect of this ritual was that even if the Fallen Heavenly Envoy were killed, the seals would not be removed. Just as the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s demise would not lead to the extinction of demons… and if the Fallen Heavenly Envoy fell, this ritual would only become simpler. Because at that point, there would be no need to request the Fallen Heavenly Envoy to grant the Mark of Sin; one could directly use its own to draw from unclaimed power in the Dream Realm through the ritual.
Eivass had even considered this step! As a mortal with a short lifespan, no extraordinary bloodline, and no divine power, he conceived of rituals to steal from the Nine Pillar Gods and the Fallen Heavenly Envoy during his First Tier, hoping to defeat the Fallen Heavenly Envoy with the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s own power. He even had the foresight to leave himself a backup plan, preventing the failure of rituals based on the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s power after its demise.
To have such foresight as a mortal. — How arrogant, and how “transcendent!” From this perspective, the Shadow Demon felt no resistance to being linked to Eivass’s fate. It increasingly wanted to follow Eivass and see just how far he could go. To what extent could Eivass reach? To leave behind a legend in history? A hero known throughout the world? An immortal apostle? A Heavenly Envoy as a candidate Pillar God? … Or perhaps, a Nine Pillar God?
The protagonist of the previous era was Arthur. Would the next be Eivass? But now, it was Eivass’s own contract, their relationship unique and inseparable. However, if it also became his Beast of Sin, it would only be one-sixth of Eivass. The contract might be terminated. Perhaps after defeating a more powerful demon, Eivass might expel it from the card and replace it with a stronger demon. Moreover, the Shadow Demon somewhat feared that card. Although Eivass had reduced its activity by “not connecting to the Earth,” the Shadow Demon could still observe the outside world at all times, at least it wouldn’t be too boring. But if it were sealed to that extent… would it be like being trapped in an endless prison within that small card? It would go mad. When so many exciting things were happening outside, yet it could not see any of them!
“All right, don’t be afraid. Even if I decide to seal you, it will be a long time from now… If you continue to be obedient, perhaps I’ll seal you last?” Eivass whispered, trying to soothe the Shadow Demon. He smiled, like a merciful priest, his voice gentle and sweet. He pulled out a brand-new silver Ritual Knife and expertly flicked it, creating a flourish. This was the “serving plate” Eivass had specially prepared for the Shadow Demon.
“Let me feed you something first, okay?” Eivass said, skillfully lighting a candle, drawing out the Ritual Knife, and slowly smearing it with essential oil.
Seeing this, the Shadow Demon became agitated and melted with excitement. The transcendent desire to “become stronger” made it forget all its previous worries and vigilance, its thoughts solely focused on savoring Eivass’s sacred offering. It wrapped around Eivass’s legs, extending to his elbows.
Looking at the Shadow Demon, Eivass was reminded of the pet dog he had in his past life. When he prepared food, it would stand up like this, excitedly pawing at the table with its little paws. “Although I haven’t fed you in a long time, don’t be in a hurry…” Eivass couldn’t help but smile genuinely.
“I offer my blood, my bones, my flesh.” Eivass gently soothed, slowly clenching the silver Ritual Knife he had lightly brushed across the candle, enduring intense pain as the Ritual Knife slowly carved into his bones, allowing his blood to slowly seep out and drip into the shadow pool. “Feast in silence…”
“—I Am the Holy Communion, This is Mercy.”
Thanks to Guan Guan for the illustration~ Chapter 2 is only two thousand characters… although it can be posted, Cat decided to add another thousand or so characters, so it will be delayed by about an hour!
