Demon Bible

Chapter 205: Probing

As expected, just as Zoven was steadily losing ground and on the verge of being captured, the golden-eyed Baiter's gaze flickered.

Then, to Zoven's astonishment, the blade-wielder's slash veered off course, committing a remarkably amateur mistake.

In that very instant, a deeply familiar sensation flashed through Zoven's mind, and driven entirely by instinct, he thrust his sword forward.

This time, Zoven's thrust also missed its mark. Yet, the deflected sword seemed to curve in mid-air. The blade edge traced a bizarre arc, materializing at the blade-wielder's blind spot and slicing into his flank.

As Zoven retracted his weapon, the blade edge remained perfectly straight, showing no signs of bending.

It was as if the blade had momentarily slipped through an alternate dimension.

Baffled by this inexplicable injury, the blade-wielder immediately raised his guard. The Nest Beast parasite wriggled beneath his skin, rapidly mending the fresh wound on the left side of his neck.

"Just as I thought. It is the Sword Art of the Pole Star!" Baiter murmured from afar, his eyes brimming with elation.

The Sword Art of the Pole Star was a technique Baiter had sought for a very long time.

Endowed with a rare Spatial Trait, he paid extraordinary attention to anything related to the manipulation of space.That was how he discovered the Sword Art of the Pole Star, a discipline that had left a brilliant mark in history.

Legend had it that the founder of this discipline comprehended the very essence of space while cornered in a desperate situation, eventually expressing that profound truth through swordsmanship.

This forged a deep connection between the principles of the sword and the fabric of space.

If one could master this technique and advance their cultivation to its absolute peak, they would naturally develop a Spatial Trait.

Records concerning spatial manipulation had always been exceedingly rare. The Summoning System's spells touched upon it, but only superficially.

The Summoning System relied much more heavily on sensing.

For this reason, Baiter had been relentlessly hunting for the Sword Art of the Pole Star.

He had once managed to unearth a couple of fragmented stances, giving him a fundamental understanding of the technique.

He had scoured the world for more, only to turn up empty-handed.

Yet, to his absolute disbelief, while casually strolling through Tail Fin Town today, he had stumbled upon a mere youth who possessed this very sword art.

"Retreat!" Krew's voice suddenly echoed in the ears of the desperado duo.

The moment Baiter intervened, capturing or killing Zoven had become a near-impossible task.

Throughout all of Tail Fin Town, Rhine and Baiter were the only two individuals they truly struggled to handle.

Even if they could somehow manage it, the ensuing battle would inevitably cause a massive uproar.

Under these circumstances, there was simply no point in dragging out the fight.

Obeying the command without hesitation, the desperado duo cast a wary glance at Zoven before swiftly retreating into the shadows.

Zoven wanted to give chase, but a sudden, searing pain shot through his leg. He rolled up his pant leg to inspect the wound.

The spot where the arrows had pierced him was already pitch black, the dark discoloration rapidly spreading across his skin.

As a pair of outlaws who cared little for their own lives, let alone those of others, they naturally scoffed at any notion of martial virtue. Resorting to poison was second nature to them.

Meanwhile, Baiter did not rush to reveal himself. He made no move to capture Zoven, nor did he step out to claim the role of savior in exchange for the Sword Art of the Pole Star.

Instead, his gaze was firmly locked on Krew.

Prior to this, he had harbored a vague suspicion that a highly unusual, hidden faction was operating within Tail Fin Town.

When the Demon Warlock was apprehended, Baiter had assumed this hidden force consisted solely of the warlock and the demons he had summoned.

Now, however, he realized the situation was far more complicated than that.

If the Demon Warlock was truly the mastermind behind it all, an individual this powerful would not still be roaming freely through Tail Fin Town.

"So, care to tell me who you are, and exactly whom you serve?"

Krew opened his eyes to find Baiter standing only a short distance away. While Krew had been observing from the shadows, Baiter had utilized his acute perception to pinpoint Krew's location.

"I am afraid you are going to be disappointed," Krew replied, narrowing his eyes. Since he was out on a covert mission, he naturally had not retained his original appearance.

In his current demonic form, there was absolutely nothing linking him to the unassuming priest who served at Lord Nemus's side.

His features had been altered to look completely ordinary and forgettable.

At this moment, he was not particularly worried for his own safety.

He already knew about Baiter's Spatial Trait, whereas Baiter was completely in the dark regarding Krew's own capabilities.

Although there was a massive gap in their Attribute Values, the unique nature of Krew's traits meant he was not entirely helpless in a fight.

Even if victory was unlikely, escaping would not be too difficult.

Moreover, Baiter's sudden appearance essentially confirmed that he would likely become one of Lord Nemus's future enemies.

'In that case, I might as well test his strength on behalf of Lord Nemus,' Krew thought.

Krew raised a hand, leveling it squarely at Baiter.

Baiter remained entirely unfazed by the gesture.

In this little Tail Fin Town, there were very few people worthy of his attention, and the man standing before him was certainly not one of them.

Sure enough, the stranger's opening attack was decent, but only when compared to an ordinary Iron Rank.

A cluster of pitch-black flames suddenly erupted from Krew's palm, soaring forward to engulf Baiter.

However, an invisible layer of armor seemed to sheathe Baiter's body. No matter how ferociously the black flames roared, they could not breach that barrier to touch him.

"You... are a very strange one," Baiter mused. With a casual wave of his hand, a powerful suction force ensnared all the black flames. The dark fire rapidly surged into an empty pocket of space beside Baiter and vanished completely.

Baiter scrutinized Krew intently, an indescribable sense of oddity flickering in his golden eyes.

"Your Attribute Value seems to have fluctuated. It is significantly higher than I anticipated," Baiter remarked, unable to mask the suspicion in his gaze.

Initially, he had gauged the stranger's Attribute Value to be around twenty, a typical reading for someone who had only advanced to the Iron Rank a few years prior.

Yet, the moment the man launched his attack, his Attribute Value suddenly spiked to over forty, nearly doubling in an instant.

If Baiter had relied on ordinary defenses and underestimated his opponent, he very well might have blundered and died right here.

However, Baiter received no answer to his inquiry.

Frowning slightly, Baiter swung his hand again. An invisible ripple distorted the air, striking Krew's distant figure and shattering it into a dissipating cloud of black mist.

"Demonic Aura?" Baiter raised an eyebrow, just as a sharp prickle of danger washed over him.

The very next second, a cluster of dark aura flickered in mid-air. It flashed directly in front of Baiter, materialized again, and slammed squarely into his chest.

Baiter's body vanished in a sudden flash. Having lost its target, the dark aura spun aimlessly in the empty air.

A moment later, sensing something anew, it flickered and shot toward a different location.

Baiter reappeared nearby and seamlessly drew the sword at his waist. With a swift slash, a wave of lethal Sword Qi tore through the air, violently dispersing the pursuing dark aura.

His expression darkened with uncharacteristic solemnity. The hem of his coat was in tatters; the attack had come perilously close to making contact with his flesh.

"Your spatial shield is shaped like a bottle. You are forced to leave an opening, are you not?" Krew declared with absolute certainty.

He had just barely managed to crack the secret behind Baiter's impregnable defense.

And he was entirely correct.

Baiter possessed no means to actually create space; he could only bend and distort what already existed. During this distortion process, if the space were manipulated into a perfect, sealed sphere, it would detach entirely from their current dimensional plane. Thus, he was forced to leave a small gap open.