Demon Bible

Chapter 150: Duel

Three days later, even after completing the entire interrogation process and stepping out of the confinement room doors, Daros still could not believe that Nemus had let him off so easily.

The deal Nemus proposed was not particularly complex. It essentially meant Nemus would not pursue the matter deeply. Daros could even use the rainy weather as an excuse, claiming he had misread the situation, to defend himself and secure a not-guilty verdict.

The corresponding condition for all this was equally simple: afterward, the Dartmenerly family needed to hand over the items related to the experiments from back then.

This included the remains of Nels's parents, as well as the relevant research records and other related materials.

Years ago, Nels had reported them, which led to the Dartmenerly family's research being halted and the related items being confiscated.

However, judging by the fact that the Dartmenerlys managed to hold out in Sky Spring City for several years before retreating to Tail Fin Town, the family had likely withheld some items in secret.

Those were precisely what Nemus wanted.

To be honest, this data was already outdated.

Furthermore, these research records could be backed up at any time.

While they held some value, it was not particularly high—certainly not comparable to the release of an Iron Rank Holy Knight like Daros.Therefore, for a moment, Daros had no idea what Nemus was actually scheming.

However, to Daros's surprise, the family had not sent anyone to pick him up.

No matter his loyalty to the family, resentment inevitably welled up in Daros's heart at this moment.

In his view, while he certainly bore some fault for the failure of this scheme, the family could not shirk responsibility for their negligence either.

They shouldn't have been so negligent that not a single person came to receive him upon his release, leaving him with no choice but to hail a Church carriage just to get back.

Yet, during the ride back, the coachman kept giving him incredibly strange looks.

Before Daros could think too deeply about it, he caught sight of the estate. No matter how much the surrounding workers and servants tried to repair it, the manor still looked rather dilapidated.

Slightly startled, Daros quickly hurried into the estate. There, he saw the lawn practically torn to pieces. Beneath the temporary repair scaffolding, the main house was missing almost half its roof, and the interior decor was utterly destroyed.

Only then did someone finally notice him.

"Lord Daros, how did you get out?" a servant exclaimed in surprise, seemingly completely unaware of the news of his release from confinement.

Unable to care about anything else at this moment, Daros urgently demanded to know what had happened.

Only then did he learn that on the very night he was imprisoned, Nemus had paid a visit to the Dartmenerly family estate.

Daros hastily ventured deeper into the estate to meet the patriarch, Dartmenerly.

Upon entering the side hall temporarily serving as the main house, he found that most of the family members were present.

The patriarch, Dartmenerly, reclined in a chair, his body covered in the traces of recent medical treatment.

His overall complexion was quite poor, clearly indicating he had just recently suffered severe injuries.

Seeing Daros return, Dartmenerly did not look particularly surprised; instead, his expression turned exceptionally grim.

Ignoring Daros, Dartmenerly gripped a cane in his hand, twisting it continuously. In a sudden instant, he violently crushed the steel head of the cane, unleashing his long-suppressed fury.

"Trash! You are all useless trash!"

The furious roar made all the surrounding family members lower their heads even further.

Raising his hand, Dartmenerly stared at the metal shards embedded in his flesh from violently shattering the cane. Unbidden, the memory of that blood-red sword strike flashed through his mind.

Beneath the blazing anger was a desperate attempt to conceal his fear.

A terror that had haunted him for three days since that night.

His thoughts raced, seemingly dragging him back to that evening. Nemus had arrived at the estate accompanied by a few Holy Knights and Priests, almost all of whom were at the Iron Rank.

He initially thought Nemus intended to use Daros as a bargaining chip in negotiations.

Just as he was pondering whether to forcibly protect Daros, Nemus viciously threw a pair of white gloves right into his face.

Dartmenerly was completely stunned in that instant, failing to process what had just happened for a long moment before the sheer humiliation ignited his fury.

Among nobles, throwing white gloves at someone signified challenging them to a duel with honor on the line.

The accompanying Holy Knights and Priests were the witnesses to this duel.

Dartmenerly could have chosen to refuse, but when such an event occurred between equals, the refusing party would subsequently lose all their honor and even drag down their family's reputation.

Of course, Dartmenerly also realized this was an excellent opportunity.

Duels were fought to the death, with no guarantees for survival.

If he could defeat Nemus, he could then use his status as the victor to strip him of his Great Knight title.

Consequently, Dartmenerly drew his sword.

He was the noble patriarch of the Dartmenerly family, and he had even received tutelage from Golden Rank experts since childhood.

Nels was nothing more than an experimental subject. The teachings he received from the Dartmenerly family growing up were deliberately flawed and incomplete.

He himself was at the Iron Rank, with an attribute value reaching ninety-two. He also possessed the noble Holy Path trait of the Dartmenerly family, along with other powerful characteristics, and had mastered numerous family secret techniques.

No matter how talented Nels was or how many resources he had acquired over the past six months, he could have raised his attribute value to fifty-something at most. Dartmenerly held an absolute numerical advantage over him.

As a noble patriarch, he wielded the family's secret treasures, and all his weapons and equipment were top-tier masterpieces.

This battle was a guaranteed victory.

Only at this point did Dartmenerly finally take a serious look at Nemus.

Ever since Nemus arrived in Tail Fin Town, it seemed this was the first time Dartmenerly had observed him up close, scrutinizing this former junior of the family.

Currently, Nemus wore a black-and-white robe over his tall frame, strapped tightly in several places.

Perhaps due to awakening a portion of his Saint's Essence, his originally brownish-black hair now held a hint of gold under the lamplight.

Several thin black cords woven into decorations hung from various parts of his attire, and a book was tucked securely at his right waist.

On his left hung an unsheathed longsword.

Standing with his feet slightly apart in an angled offensive stance, he exuded an intensely oppressive aura.

Dartmenerly had to admit that the other party possessed an exceptionally excellent physique—a testament to the superiority of the Dartmenerly family bloodline.

These thoughts flashed through his mind as Dartmenerly reached out to accept the Holy Path Sword, handed to him with both hands by a nearby squire.

Although it was merely a replica of the sword used by the family's founding Saint, it was still the primary weapon wielded by the family's Golden Rank experts, engraved with a complete passage of Holy Script.

"Make your move, Nels! Let me, as the patriarch, teach you exactly what it means to be a Dartmenerly and what family honor truly is!"

After Dartmenerly shouted these words, he saw the corners of Nemus's mouth curl up slightly, as if foreseeing something highly amusing.

Then, Nemus slowly drew the longsword at his waist. He did not rush to attack, nor did he attempt a sneak strike.

He merely held it upright, pointed the blade at Dartmenerly, and swung!