Chapter 39

Chapter 038

"Demons are born in two ways: naturally or artificially."

It is generally known that the demons known to the public are 'naturally occurring.'

"Do you know the cause of the former?"

"Blackening?"

"...Yes. Blackening."

In the case of natural occurrence, it is mostly believed that the 'outburst of a superhuman' is the cause.

*Chuckle* The demon inside me is raging...! Worship me! I am the newly born demon, Devil Chio!

*Yelp* Even the name is really demonic!!

*You were strange since you were young, and now you've finally become a demon! Step back, you spawn of Satan!

*No, I am not the spawn of Satan! I am Satan himself!

The desire to become stronger.

The desire to possess something.

Hatred towards someone.

The sorrow of losing someone precious.

Rage and the desire for revenge.

Obsession with a concept.

Madness caused by mental stress.

"There are really various factors that can cause a superhuman to blacken. The scary part is that these factors are emotions that everyone experiences."

After the great upheaval, it has been widely known that superhumans transform into demons due to the outburst of negative human emotions.

"The first demon appeared in 2002, when a child born in 2000 was about three years old...? Anyway, it started from when they were an infant."

"Do you remember? Their parents were murdered...?"

"Yes. A burglar killed their parents, and the baby awakened their superhuman abilities due to the parents' pain and became a demon."

All those who became demons experienced a sudden surge in power.

Their bodies changed, their physical abilities became extraordinary, they transformed into beings that were no longer human, or they remained in human form but became pure evil.

"That child set themselves on fire and committed suicide when they turned ten. Since then, many other demons have appeared. There were cases where children who used their superhuman abilities in childhood were called 'monsters!' and then, upon seeing monsters in TV and movies, they projected themselves as such and became demon-monsters."

"The Mt. Fuji 'Snow Maiden' incident?"

"Yes."

In a small rural village near Mt. Fuji in Japan, a girl whose hair turned white due to the awakening of her superhuman abilities was teased by other children as a yokai. The girl believed she was a real yokai from TV and became a yokai-demon.

"She froze the children and trapped herself in ice. That's why we try to educate and raise superhumans in separate institutions, like this Jeju Island, away from ordinary people."

If a superhuman awakens at a young age, they must be isolated.

To prevent the superhuman from becoming a demon.

To prevent non-superhumans from being killed by superhumans.

"And now, with the social stability regarding superhumans... everyone has reached the point where they create their own demons, in whatever form."

*The existing demons are boring! I will create my own demon!*

*Yeah, that's plagiarism.*

*...* *Roar* *I'm blackening! I will destroy everything that calls my created demon plagiarism!!*

The desire for chaos, destruction, and slaughter was incomparable to that of ordinary people, and they would remove anything that stood in the way of achieving their goals.

"Whether they are demons, superhumans, or villains, they possess a truly terrifying power that the existing human race cannot resist."

Then.

"...As always, such superpowers have been the subject of constant research."

Is it possible to harness the power of demons?

Is it possible to turn ordinary people into superhumans?

If the power of demons can be harnessed, could ordinary people be awakened as superhumans?

"The desire for superpowers among those who don't have them is a natural occurrence."

If that were possible, even if they were to discard their aged bodies and live as demons, they could still enjoy youth and immortality, right?

"So far, there has not been a single case of an ordinary person becoming a superhuman, but the ultimate goal of the demon seed is the demonization of humans."

"...Do you want to awaken as a superhuman, even if it means becoming a demon?"

"Yes. I don't know how much the master knows, but I know more about demons than anyone else in this world. I came to Jeju Island partly because it is related to demons."

"Jeju Island is a place that studies demons."

"Yes. Many places, including Jeju Island, are researching demons. There are research facilities all over South Korea, and Jeju Island is where the most serious and diverse experiments are conducted."

When I say 'demon,' I mean 'superhuman.'

"The superhumans often used in these experiments are those of low rank. Among C-rank and below, those who have not advanced to B-rank or A-rank and have gone out of control. They are not just villains who cause accidents but have shed their human form and become demons."

I played a video through a streaming site connected to the TV.

*Ha ha! Now I am perfect!*

"Many superhumans have 'blackened' and fallen. They have internalized and accepted many villains, antagonists, and demons from various contents. But those demons all have an original 'motif,' right? They capture and use them. Even among those who have changed, there are some who can be controlled for experiments."

"Like that Jeon Yubin?"

"Yes. Succubus. Remember the friend I killed after a second transformation? Lilith."

"Oh, the demon that confronted Solar Platinum?"

"Yes. If she had been captured by a hero, she would have likely been taken to a different laboratory for biological experiments."

I pointed down.

"The demon seed is this."

"Reproductive cells...?"

"Yes. Especially using women's reproductive cells. Jeju Island seems to be moderating the intensity due to public scrutiny, but in other places, truly horrific things are happening."

Experiments so cruel that they cannot even be described.

"It's not just in Korea. Human experiments are being conducted all over the world, even on a national scale."

The madness that reveals how despicable humans can be is unfolding across the globe, making it difficult to even list.

"Jeon Yubin was probably regularly 'extracted' for her reproductive cells."

"...At least once a month, right? Or maybe they just extracted them immediately."

"Perhaps even more horrific, she might have been forced to 'give birth' to demon seeds."

"Did you confirm the content of the experiments?"

"No. There was no need to confirm, and I didn't want to. I didn't want to give the researchers a chance to escape, so I killed them all."

I can tell just by looking.

"If a demon's egg is artificially cultivated, a demon is born. Using that egg to create certain cells, and through that, what is created is..."

"The demon seed."

"Yes."

"It's terrifying."

The master swallowed hard, looking pale.

"It's even more horrific and cruel than I imagined. The fact that such things are happening on Earth is truly chilling."

"But it's reality. Jeon Yubin was likely not only an experimental subject but also a 'mother' who had already produced demon seeds several times."

"Any evidence?"

"It's a guess, but the resemblance between Lilith and Jeon Yubin? The cells extracted from Jeon Yubin's succubus body were used to create demon seeds, and when those seeds take root in another person, they resemble the mother."

"...The similarity in the appearance of demons is not just because they copied the look from old stories?"

"No."

There could be someone who became a demon by copying the appearance of Dracula.

Naturally.

But after extracting a demon seed from Dracula, other superhumans could become demons like Dracula through that seed.

"What do you think? The feeling of stepping into a world deeper, darker, and dirtier than you imagined."

"It's terrifying, but it's a story we must know. The Order considers demons not as fellow villains or allies to be persuaded, but as enemies."

"Yes. Demons are just enemies in the world we aim to conquer."

The Order is opposing demons.

While all superhumans have the potential to become demons, the Order, which has superhumans as core members, is putting all its efforts into eliminating demons.

"We eliminate demons that could destroy the world we aim to rule. It's a truly Order-like, Boss-like way of thinking."

I will protect the planet I rule.

Sometimes, it feels like the Order is on a different level from ordinary villain organizations.

"So, Master, be careful. Any superhuman can become a demon, and once a demon, they can easily destroy this Earth for their own purposes."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes. If the goblin were to become a demon, what kind of demon do you think you would become?"

"...I don't know."

I haven't thought about it, but I might become a demon stronger and more terrifying than any demon on Earth.

"If I were to become a demon, I would like to be called this way."

"How? King Goblin?"

"No."

"World Closer."

Another name for the demon of the year.