When the word "demon" was ntioned, the first thing that ca to Ji Minghuan’s mind was actually "Majin Buu" from "Dragon Ball".
As a child, he really liked this cartoon. Because at the Welfare Institute, it was one of the few forms of entertainnt: whenever the children perford well, the nurses would reward them by playing an episode of "Dragon Ball".
Everyone would gather noisily around the TV, arguing over which Saiyan form of Goku was the coolest.
But unfortunately, a cartoon is still just a cartoon. If there really was such a thing as a demon in reality, it probably wouldn’t be a short, chubby villain with squinty eyes, so cute you’d want to pinch its cheeks. It would likely be sothing very hideous.
"Sounds bizarre... how do humans and demons mate?"
The boy in the hospital gown clicked his tongue, asking a question that seed rather unsuitable for children.
The ntor took a sip of water to moisten his throat, then explained, "So higher-level demons possess intelligence, and they can even transform into human form, disguising themselves as ordinary humans to infiltrate human cities. So it’s not impossible for demons to mate with humans, and Filio is a child born in this way."
"So there are many demons?" Ji Minghuan asked.
"No," the ntor shook his head, "Filio is the first demon we have discovered so far. His father must have been a very powerful demon; otherwise, it wouldn’t explain why Filio has such terrifying powers at such a young age."
Hearing this, Ji Minghuan silently thought: So, if Filio’s father is still wandering in human cities, then I should have a chance to et this demon soday?
What parent doesn’t love their child? Perhaps I can guide him to the Salvation Society’s base and rescue his child.
According to the ntor’s description, although Filio’s father was a demon, he still had human intelligence, so communicating with him shouldn’t be a problem.
Maybe this demon even leads a demonic army; that would make things easier.
Demon Lord, I entrust you with the task of rescuing from the lab! Lord! All my hope is pinned on you; you must help , Lord!
Ji Minghuan looked up and asked expressionlessly, "What does this little demon look like?"
"True to its na, half demon, half human: it possesses both demonic and human traits."
"No wonder it’s locked up here..." Ji Minghuan muttered, then asked, "What happened to his parents now?"
The ntor was silent for a mont: "By the ti we followed the clues, his mother had already been eaten. The house was left with so limbs, and the demon father who had the child with her is still missing."
Ji Minghuan raised an eyebrow: "Wouldn’t the one who ate his mom be his demon dad?"
"That’s what we initially suspected."
"And then?"
"Later, we found out we were wrong; the one who ate his mother..." The ntor paused and lowered his voice:
"It was Filio himself."
Ji Minghuan was stunned.
It was as if he couldn’t believe his ears. After a mont of silence, he t the ntor’s eyes and repeated, "You an... Filio ate his own mother?"
"That’s right." At that ti, we found undigested human limbs in his stomach.
The ntor lowered his eyes and slowly said: "Demons in their youth are like pure beasts. Even his demon father gained stable intelligence only after growing up... So, one day, while his demon father was out hunting, Filio personally ate his mother."
He paused: "When we found Filio, he was still crying out, ’Mom, where are you?’ At that ti, none of us thought he himself had eaten his own mother—of course, this was more inclined to be a genetically engraved, unconscious, instinctive behavior for him."
Ji Minghuan was silent.
Naturally, he hadn’t expected to et a pure, three-good student with a red scarf tied around their neck in such a ghostly place.
But starting with soone who ate their own mom raw, it did shake his outlook on the world a bit.
After hesitating for a mont, he whispered, "My mom taught to be careful when making friends, so... I guess I won’t make friends with this one?"
"Not making friends is too boring... Don’t you want soone to chat with you?" The ntor raised an eyebrow.
Ji Minghuan leaned back against the chair and sighed: "I’m just concerned about whether this kid ’Filio’ will chat nicely and then suddenly open his mouth and eat ?"
"Impossible." The ntor chuckled and interrupted, "You can rest assured, we discovered him when he was young and brought him to the lab. Here, he was well-educated, and his ’human’ side clearly outweighs his ’demonic’ traits. In his understanding, he is a human, so he wouldn’t do sothing like cannibalism."
"So does he... know he ate his own mom?"
"We initially intended to hide it, but as he grew up, he rembered."
"How did he react at the ti?"
"At that ti, he choked his own neck and lay on the ground vomiting for a long ti, even tearing up, and finally clutching his throat, asking in utter collapse: ’Why was I ever born?’"
Ji Minghuan was silent for a mont: "Oh... If I were in his shoes, I’d close off too. It’s normal."
"It’s normal for you to fear Filio as well, but think about it: if even you fear him, what do people outside think of him? He is such a lonely child. If we don’t accept him, then no one else in this world will. If you’re willing to be his friend, that would be great."
The ntor spoke softly, his voice seemingly tinged with a faint hint of sorrow.
Ji Minghuan tilted his head and silently watched him for a while.
At that mont, he couldn’t tell if the person in front of him was pretending or genuinely sincere.
He asked, "So tomorrow, is it just the three of us eting in this room?"
"Yes, Kong Youling will see you too," the ntor replied with a smile, "I know you want to see her."
Ji Minghuan was silent for a mont, then raised his eyes to et the ntor’s gaze, "You should know that I’m willing to sit here and chat with you because you haven’t caused her any substantial harm. Otherwise, I wouldn’t say half a word to you or help you find any ’nuclear switch’."
He paused: "If, hypothetically, it were found... I would push the switch first."
His implication was: if the demon hard Kong Youling uncontrollably, then they might as well all lose it together... See who really is the most terrifying monster locked up here.
"We’re not the bad guys. How could we use sothing dear to a child against him?" The ntor chuckled, "Your misunderstanding and prejudice against us are too deep."
Ji Minghuan withdrew his gaze from his face.
In fact, he understood that the Salvation Society was more worried if Kong Youling died or was injured, that his superpower would lose control imdiately.
Therefore, from the beginning, they’ve treated Kong Youling as his "emotion stabilizer."
Ji Minghuan was silent for a mont.
He started to beco unclear about these people’s true intentions.
If the Salvation Society is a benevolent organization, why did the exorcist "Traffic Lights" suddenly go berserk overnight, turning into a mindless executioner, slaughtering innocent exorcists, and leaving the "Salvation Society" mark after the cri deliberately?
This doesn’t seem like sothing a good person would do.
Could it be... there are actually two forces within the Salvation Society?
Causing "Traffic Lights" to go mad and bloodthirsty is the bad side, while the ntor is actually part of the good side?
Ji Minghuan’s mind was cluttered with thoughts.
Regarding the "Salvation Society," there are still many, many questions waiting for him to unravel, but there’s one thing he can be sure of: no matter the other’s original intentions, whether they are good or bad, whether they want to use him or protect him, he will certainly leave this broken place with Kong Youling.
What does the world ending matter to him? It’s certainly better than being trapped in this sunless cage for a lifeti.
Like them, who have no ho, they can only keep running forward; even if there’s no place in the world that belongs to them, they must still run.
Only... at first, they wanted to escape the Welfare Institute;
Later, it turned into this lab in front of them.
After a long silence, he whispered: "I’m tired, want to rest."
"Alright, let’s rest for today." Saying this, the ntor got up from the table and turned towards the exit.
Before leaving, he suddenly paused, turned around, and hesitantly asked, "By the way... are you not curious."
"Curious about what?"
Ji Minghuan lightly picked at a scab on his finger, not looking up as he asked.
"Abandoned by your parents, what are they like now?" the ntor said.
The entire detention room fell silent, as if the whole universe had quieted down. This dead silence lasted for ten seconds. After a mont, Ji Minghuan’s gaze moved away from the scab on his finger, slowly looked up to et the ntor’s eyes, and asked almost word by word:
"These two bastards... are still alive?"
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