Chapter 675 - The Feral Demons, An Irreversible Curse of a Failed Demonification (1/2)
Day 148 - 11:31 PM - Ricefield, District II, Municipality of San Miguel, Catanduanes
PANG! CLANG!
Bone-like and metallic sounds echoed as Mark parried another two children that tried to attack from behind him.
Mark observed the movements of the Feral Demon Children. It appeared that their hunting pattern relied on attacking the prey from behind while others did the distraction.
And to say, Mark agreed that it was quite an effective hunting method.
Furthermore, these children seemed to have numbers along with their speed and movement abilities.
It would be hard to fend off these children, even if it was a group of armed people. Not to mention, this was the hunting ground of these children. From the soft mud to the tall grass, they could use it to their advantage.
CLANG! CLANG!
Mark received another two attacks, which he parried.
”These guys are quick to adapt.”
Mark murmured.
After Mark easily captured the girl that attacked first, the children never attacked alone. Their coordination with each other was far from perfect, but not a lot of holes to take advantage of.
And after every attack that Mark parried, the next attacks would come, allowing the previous ones to flee back either into the mud or behind the tall grass.
These children were very well coordinated.
The sound of squelching mud and rustling grass continued as the children continued to attack Mark in groups.
Just how many were there? Mark could not estimate since he could not detect them. It was like with the infected.
In the first place, what kind of creatures were Feral Demons?
Last night, it was explained to Mark.
Not just any human could become a Spirit or a Demon.
Compatibility was needed like some of the members from the mother's side of Mark's family.
In this case, Blood Demons was an especial existence that was akin to Vampires that could pass on their Demonic Traits to any human. But of course, only Pure Bloods retained the highest abilities as a Demon.
As for disease-like Demonification, only a select few would turn into a proper Demon. Not even all human descendants of Aswangs could inherit their Bloodline.
However, it did not mean that incompatible humans could not undergo such Demonification processes.
The very fortunate ones could step into being Lesser Demons, but the majority in these circ.u.mstances failed the process.
Those failed Demonification produced being called Feral Demons.
Compatibility with such race-changing processes was not only determined by a person's body but mostly by one's soul.
While the body was the medium to store and materialize magical energy into existence, the soul held the control and capacity to use that energy. Both things were needed for a person to be able to successfully become either a Demon or a Spirit.
In ordinary humans, however, their souls had almost non-existent control to magical energy. As such, their bodies lacked it.
During the Demonification process, their bodies would be transformed into the race of demons they were supposed to become. The transformation was not physical but also magical.
And to incompatible humans, it was fatal. At least, to their souls.
Changing their bodies into Demonic forms enabled their bodies to hold and absorb magical energy. However, this process would not change their souls easily. The body would change first, while the soul would slowly change over time.
This was one of the causes of mental rejection to people that unwantedly turned into Demons. It was because their bodies already changed, albeit still having a human soul.
To compatible humans, their souls were able to handle such change in their bodies. Slowly, their souls would be able to control the new kind of energy flowing inside them.
But to incompatible people, that was not possible. Since their souls lacked the capability to control magical energies, they would not be able to handle the changes in their bodies.
Their souls could be caught up in the turbulent energies they now had and had no way of settling it down.
In the end, the chains that connected the body and the soul would be torn. The souls would be whisked out of their bodies, leaving an empty demonic shell. In the worst cases, their souls would be torn apart by the surging demonic energies inside them.
And if this happened, the world considered them dead. Their souls were sent to the afterlife, leaving these flesh-eating demons to become a threat to everyone.
A Demonified empty human husk, that was what Feral Demons were.
Mark parried another three attackers, with his eyes showing pity on the children. He would feel such if not for the fact that he was also a father of three girls now.
What would the parents feel if they saw their children had already turned into something inhuman?
Sadness? Remorse? Some of them might even think that the world was not worth living in anymore.
Mark suddenly remembered the story of a reincarnated king that fell into a cliff because of bandits. That was such a good story.
The death of a child could give despair. However, a child becoming a Feral Demon might turn out to be worse.
The worst thing, this kind of Demonificiation was not reversible. And even if a method to turn them back into human existed, they would not live long. After all, they already lost their souls. The best that might happen was for them to become lifelong comatose patients.
”What should I do with these brats?”
Mark asked himself.
He mulled over whether he should capture these children and show them to their parents.
But in the middle of his thoughts...
Mark sensed something. It was very faint that it was almost non-existent. However, it was there.
CLANG!
Mark crouched as his wings and spider-like limbs blocked another group of attacks. The children were still relentlessly attacking, trying to wear him down.
Suddenly, Mark's eyes glowed red, releasing sparks at its corners. As his senses towards Emotional Energies heightened, he managed to feel it clearly.
The lingering emotions of these children before their souls were whisked away from their bodies.
”Kill us...”