Chapter 251
Why Use the Shepherd’s Method if It Doesn’t Hurt?
After Lixia left, Eivass refused the help of the court maids who came to clean the room. Instead, he had Lily tidy up the things in the room that had been burned.
—To be honest, the chair Eivass was sitting on, which was charred black, and those burned books and letters, newspapers, were all quite precious items! They could serve as excellent ritual materials with a little processing. They could even be used as components for Eivass to create Illusion Cards. Even though the power of the flames Eivass summoned wasn’t particularly strong, it was, in terms of status, the fire of a Heavenly Envoy.
Its power attacked Eivass from within his illusion—or rather, his dream—causing damage to the parts of reality outside of Eivass as well. This kind of power that could “seep from dreams into the Material Realm” was the most standard Heavenly Envoy power. The mundane objects burned by the Heavenly Envoy’s fire had also acquired the characteristics of extraordinary items due to this power’s touch.
The causes for the birth and death of things hold special significance. The Phoenix’s Nest and lightning-struck wood are both precious ritual materials. It’s like an ordinary person, unremarkable and forgotten by everyone for decades, who suddenly dies from divine punishment. Afterward, they gain a certain specialness. People will instead remember this person who died extraordinarily because their death has been touched by the aura of a god.
Lily, following Eivass’s instructions, collected all the ashes. Then, she ground them into powder and covered the Grimoire with them. This would not only allow them to draw power from the Grimoire of the same origin, reducing its activity to serve as a seal, but also allow the quality of these materials to slowly increase. The chair could also be cut into lumber and stored. This wood could later be used to channel the power of other Discs or Heavenly Envoys, making it into incense or charcoal… However, Isabel would still need some compensation. After all, it almost caused a fire. Although Master Janis was watching, it’s unlikely things would have gotten too out of hand, but it was still not ideal.
While Lily quietly finished tidying up, the Shadow Demon, hidden in Eivass’s shadow, suddenly spoke, “My Master… are you the type to fear pain?”
“Yes, I am very afraid of pain.” Eivass admitted this calmly without any shame. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of… rather, it shows that I am sensitive enough. If humans are numb to pain or endure it, their bodies are prone to problems. It’s like how humans instinctively fear water, because not everyone is born able to swim; when humans come into contact with fire, they feel pain, because if they are burned, they could contract an infection or even die. Pain and fear are the best armor humans have for self-protection.”
“Of course, I understand that.” The Shadow Demon replied in Miss Chloe’s sweet voice, “I’m not an intrinsically born demon… although it’s been a very, very long time, I was once transformed from a human. Of course, I know humans are afraid of pain. …I just saw that you feed us almost every night using the Shepherd’s Method. I thought you were the type who could enjoy pain…”
Feed us… Eivass’s brow twitched slightly. He thought this Shadow Demon had a high emotional intelligence. In reality, he hadn’t spent that much time feeding the Shadow Demon. After he reached the Third Tier, having somewhat left the beginner stage, his progression speed might slow down slightly, but before that, his leveling speed was more than sufficient. He was only held back by the ritual’s built-in cooldown of half a month to a month. The time he spent using the Shepherd’s Method, apart from the first one or two times when he was taming the Shadow Demon… was essentially the past half-month. And during this half-month, he had primarily fed the Butterfly of Blazing Flames. After all, the Butterfly of Blazing Flames was a fully formed Upper Phantom Demon, only lacking sufficient level to unleash its full power; moreover, the Butterfly of Blazing Flames’ abilities were very comprehensive, able to ram, fire energy blasts, cast spells, heal, and disperse. The Shadow Demon, on the other hand, was merely an Upper Demon, still quite a distance from being an Upper Phantom Demon, likely needing one or two more evolutions. A fully developed Upper Phantom Demon could become a Disc if any Heavenly Envoy or Pillar God took a liking to it. The Shadow Demon clearly could not. Although the Shadow Demon was still considered a BOSS in this version, in just two major version updates later, it would become an elite mob by the wayside. The Shadow Demon was like the guaranteed SR pull for beginners; it already had considerable training. At this point, feeding it more dog food was not cost-effective; moreover, Eivass couldn’t even get breakthrough materials for it even if he fed it to the max. The Butterfly of Blazing Flames, however, was Eivass’s first SSR pull, at a very low level, with great potential.
At the same time, the Shadow Demon was not yet Eivass’s Great Sin Beast, so it didn’t occupy a shared slot. Thus, they could both appear simultaneously… under limited resources, Eivass’s choice to prioritize feeding the low-level SSR was quite reasonable! The only problem was, the Shadow Demon seemed a little… jealous? It was like a family dog, kept for a long time, suddenly discovering that its owner brought home a kitten and doting on it—even if it knew it was a vulnerable kitten needing care, it would still feel unbalanced.
But now, the Shadow Demon discovered something—was its Master the type to fear pain? If that was the case, the situation was different. —If Master fears pain so much, why do you feed the Butterfly of Blazing Flames with the Shepherd’s Method every day?
Upon hearing this, Eivass merely smiled. “It’s precisely because I fear pain that it has meaning,” he replied casually. “If the process of sharing my flesh and blood with you were pleasant and enjoyable, it wouldn’t be considered a sacrifice. Naturally, it wouldn’t be considered devotion or mercy. If, because of fear of pain, I were to feed you non-painful, non-dangerous, or even pleasurable bodily components—such as hair or nails—the Shepherd’s Method would not take effect. Precisely because I fear pain and death, my act of cutting open my wrist and gripping the blade becomes sacred; precisely because I am in so much pain and fear, yet my heart holds only compassion and goodwill, I can use the Shepherd’s Method. If such injuries were no longer a threat to me, or if I had become accustomed to or blocked out the pain, the power of the Shepherd’s Method would also decrease.” Eivass patiently explained to the Shadow Demon.
If, one day, Eivass’s body’s recovery ability became so strong that his wrist healed immediately after he cut it, then that act would no longer pose a danger to him. At that point, Eivass might have to cut his throat. Similarly, if Eivass gradually became accustomed to the intense pain of gripping the blade, enduring it with a straight face even without using the Shepherd’s Method, then perhaps he would have to scrape his bones and cut his flesh afterward.
“No wonder…” The Shadow Demon murmured in realization.
“…No wonder?” Eivass, hearing the Shadow Demon’s words, asked somewhat doubtfully, “What do you mean?”
“The aura emanating from your Shepherd’s Method fluctuates constantly. The sweetest aura I’ve felt so far was from the first time you used the Shepherd’s Method on me… and every time after that was not as sweet. Although still sweet, it was like sugar water versus honey wine… The former can certainly make one feel happy, while the latter can make one feel intoxicated.” The Shadow Demon said with respect and longing, “After that nourishment, I felt a connection form between us. It was as if a part of your life was flowing within me, and I could constantly feel that warmth… like walking in a snow-covered land with a stream of heat flowing inside. That maiden’s voice was full of yearning: ‘I so crave your gift. After that, I no longer devoured human flesh and blood or souls, but only longed for your kindness in my heart. My Master, when will you allow me to taste your true kindness again?'”
Upon hearing this, the Butterfly of Blazing Flames’ clear, young voice chimed in from the side, “I want to eat too, Brother.” Although she didn’t quite understand what the Shadow Demon was saying, she figured it was the right time to speak up.
“Greedy as ever, you don’t bear the Great Sin of Gluttony!” The Shadow Demon became somewhat angry, its voice turning hoarse and dry, “There’s no way everything good will go to you!”
“You two, don’t rush. I can’t feed you for at least another half a month…” Eivass replied casually, postponing the dispute for the time being. He was somewhat troubled. These were only one and a half Great Sin Beasts… When he gathered all six, how chaotic would it be?
…However, the first time? Eivass recalled. It was the very first time he attempted the Shepherd’s Method immediately after reading the Shepherd’s Grimoire. At that time, he didn’t know what would happen afterward, so he was filled with fear; he also didn’t know how much damage he had to inflict on himself with the Shepherd’s Method, so he used an unusual amount of force—gripping the Ritual Knife tightly until the blade cut through muscle and lodged into bone; it was also the first time Eivass had injured himself, and he harbored fear and resistance towards death.
When the Butterfly of Blazing Flames was sealed, Eivass had already returned to school. Most mornings, he had classes or other arrangements, so he dared not become too weak. At that time, the flesh and blood he fed the Butterfly of Blazing Flames daily were calculated based on what his body could withstand. He also didn’t feed all his Mana, reserving some for Fire Worship. Because Eivass had held back, the nourishment the Butterfly of Blazing Flames received upon its birth was actually not that potent? No wonder Eivass always felt the Shadow Demon’s improvement from the Shepherd’s Method was greater than the Butterfly of Blazing Flames… It wasn’t a misperception after all. It was because Eivass’s mindset had changed.
Thinking of this, Eivass’s mindset became somewhat subtle. Perhaps this was why the Shadow Demon, despite being a little jealous, never rushed. After all, in the Shadow Demon’s view, the Butterfly of Blazing Flames had never truly eaten anything good—the best meal had been snatched by her, and everything after was mass-produced.
However, after Eivass understood the principle of how the Shepherd’s Method produced flesh and blood, he probably understood how to enhance its effects. Simply put, don’t feed so calmly. Be wilder, to the extent that it might even scare others…
“Eivass!” Isabel’s anxious voice arrived before she did, from the entrance, “Are you alright?”
The Shadow Demon under Eivass instantly dove into the shadows, and the Butterfly of Blazing Flames also stopped on Eivass’s shoulder, remaining quiet like an ornament. “Ah, I’m fine… Is something the matter, Isabel?” Eivass asked, looking up. “Are you going out?”
“There seems to be some excitement down at the port,” Isabel said energetically. “Want to go watch together?”
