Mutagen

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 circumstances 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..."

The despaired thoughts flowed into Mark's subconscious.

CLANG!

"Kill us..."

CLANG!

"Kill us..."

Mark parried several more, with each of them releasing the same lingering thought in their bodies.

Just how much pain did they undergo for all of them to have this kind of lingering emotions?

"If that's what you brats wish."

Mark said as he drew a sword made of [Blood Metal].

Five children jumped out of the tall grass and mud to attack Mark from behind. Unlike before, however, Mark did not parry the attacks with his wings or metal limbs. Instead, he turned around swung his sword a couple of times.

SHING! SHING! SHING! SHING! SPLAT!

The bodies of five children fell to the ground with their heads, limbs, and torsos detached from each other.

Wary but not scared, another group attacked from behind Mark, only to suffer the same fate.

This went on for another few times before the attacks died down. Of course, it did not mean that Mark already wiped the children out. It was because they started to view Mark as a predator instead of prey.

Right now, more than several dozen dismembered bodies of children littered around Mark.

Was it brutal? It might have been better if that was the case.

Unfortunately, it was not. Dismembering these Demon children was not even enough to kill them.

Even now, with their dismembered bodies, each part was still squirming like tails of lizards. They were Feral Demons. Not the infected. Just beheading or destroying their brain was not enough to kill them.

The only a few ways to dispose of these Feral Demons. One was to...

BAM!

Mark waved both his hands and the area around him was covered with black flames.

Burn their squirming bodies to ashes.

That sight made the surroundings quiet. Then, a few seconds later, it became noisier. The Feral Demons finally considered Mark as way above their league and started to flee, scattering in all directions.

But as if Mark would let that happen.

Mark flapped his wings and soared above the ricefield. From above, he could see the movements within the tall grass clearly.

At that height, Mark managed to deduce where most of the Feral Demons were. He then waved his flame-covered hands.

The Feral Demons continued to run away. However, they could only stop in surprise when they reached the border of the rice paddy. It was because, before them, a wall of black flames blocked their escape.

"SCREECH!"

Suddenly, that loud screech was heard once more.

"So, there you are."

Mark smiled as he swooped down into a patch of tall grass. The moment he flew up again, he had a girl flailing on his grasp.

About ten years old, this should be the leader of this pack of Feral Demons. Her screeches were the ones giving orders towards the others. Now that Mark grasped her neck and she could not let out a single sound, the Feral Demons below began to move erratically in confusion.

Mark could not help but notice the girl.

She appeared different from the others. The girl also had sharp teeth but had no sharp claws. Mark did not even bother stopping her flailing since her strength was weaker too.

It was probable that she evolved differently as a leader of the pack. In the groups of animals, this kind of differentiation also existed.

In any case, Mark captured the leader.

"Well, I'll let the others have their wish fulfilled, but some of you are coming with me."

Mark smiled, tapping the forehead of the girl he caught.

Was it not a good opportunity to capture a few?

,m Mark might better try to study these Feral Demons since there was a large possibility to encounter more in the future, especially when the different Dimensions of Earth began to fuse.

With the Demons freely roaming the Earth at that time, many humans might become Feral Demons.

What about their wish to die?

Mark had less care about that.

It was true that he granted their wish to die, but it did not mean that he would give it to everyone.

In the end, a large part of grass-covered ricefields began to burn with Black Flames. The loud screeches and roars of the children echoed as the flames slowly turned their bodies to ashes.

From those flames, Mark came out with three children in tow. One was the girl that was the first to attack him. The second was the leader of the pack. Lastly, a boy about nine-years-old.

Mark cuffed the three tightly and dropped them outside the vicinity of the flames.

Since Mark wanted to be sure that no one escaped the flames, he decided to let it burn for a while. And he was right. Some of the children hid under the mud. Unfortunately for them, the mud started to heat up and harden, forcing them out, only to finally be engulfed in flames and turn to ashes.

While waiting for the flames to burn the remaining Feral Demons, Mark decided to give the three he captured what they wanted. And of course, that was to eat.

Mark took out a carcass of one of the dogs they encountered this afternoon. He had no plans on eating dog meat, but he could probably give it to other people. Here, it became handy as he began to slice the body of the dog and fed the hungry Feral Demons.

Sure enough, the three were ravenously hungry. The three Feral Demons ignored their cuffs and dived unto the freshly cut meat in front of them. The three did not care whether their faces were stained with blood or pieces of meat enter their noses. They bit the dog meat and ate like beasts.

Watching the three, Mark felt like he had three new pets to tame and train.

Well, aside from that, it was better for Mark to start thinking about how he was going to bring these three with them without being seen by the workers.