SWNOVELXO Chapter 424
“Biological experiments…!?”
Daria almost rubbed her eyes in disbelief, doubting if she was reading correctly.
“Experiments… with demons…? The demon written here couldn’t possibly be that demon, right?”
The phrase seemed like nothing more than a bad joke.
But Kurt’s unchanging expression made it clear that the contents of the notebook were no mere prank.
Suddenly, Daria intuitively realized that the contents of this notebook and the truth of these ruins were completely different from what she had imagined.
After closing her eyes tightly for a moment, Daria exhaled deeply and continued reading the old notebook.
It felt as if the old notebook had transformed into an evil grimoire capable of corrupting the reader’s mind in an instant.
—
– When it first came to us, we thought the traitor who had betrayed and left us had ultimately reported us to the Black Tentacle Cult.
But what came to us wasn’t a fanatic hunting witches.
Quite the opposite.
It was a sacrificial offering sent from the heavens to save us, standing on the brink of despair.
That creature, which called itself a demon, possessed enough intelligence to converse with us “humans.”
Upon hearing the term “demon,” I realized it was one of the “animals” that had been in conflict with humans in the outside world in recent years.
Rumors said that the failure of the Dimensional Gate Project had caused dimensional rifts to repair themselves, allowing creatures from another dimension to flow in. Demons were said to be indigenous creatures from that dimension.
How could a dimension, without a will of its own, repair itself as if it had consciousness?
As a mage and researcher, this was a fascinating topic, but with the limited information and technology in the shelter, it was impossible to know the exact details.
At times like this, I deeply miss the glory of the Dragnity Empire.
But what mattered wasn’t where the demon came from or how the dimensional rift repaired itself.
What mattered was that, upon seeing it, I felt that this creature from another dimension possessed a body with mana compatibility rivaling even the noble descendants of the Dragnity Empire, the Wizards. Not to mention, it wielded a completely different system of magic.
How despairing was it?
We had escaped our impending doom by conducting biological experiments on “animals,” but at the cost of our bodies being grotesquely twisted and our senses failing. How many years had we lived this miserable, ugly life?
The lead researcher, who monopolized the “animals,” betrayed us and left, leaving our cursed forms with no hope of cure.
In that situation, the appearance of this indigenous creature from another dimension was our hope for salvation.
—
“Enough with the formalities. Let’s get to the point. I am Ishtart, one of the 72 Great Dukes of the Demon Realm. Are you the leader of the humans?”
The female demon introduced herself as a duke.
‘Hah. “This one”? Acting like some noble despite being a wild animal… Ridiculous.’
Her pretentious behavior, acting as if she were noble despite not being “human,” was so absurd it almost made me laugh. But I quickly composed myself, realizing that the future of the Wizards depended on whether we captured this demon or not, and asked her why she had come.
“Hmm? Why no answer? I should be perfectly fluent in human language. Are you using some other native tongue?”
“Ah… My apologies. Your sudden visit caught me off guard. May I call you Duke Ishtart?”
“Hmm. Fine. I did come unannounced. I understand.”
And so, I spoke with the demon on behalf of the Wizards in the shelter.
In the end, I realized that demons, despite acting like “humans,” were nothing more than lowly indigenous creatures from another dimension.
The demon’s reason for coming was simple.
She believed the Wizards were the leaders ruling over humans and had come to negotiate.
To think that she considered us, who were too afraid of witch hunts to leave the shelter and had become grotesque through biological experiments, as leaders… Were animals truly just animals? Or had they sensed the nobility of the Wizards through their animalistic instincts?
Demons have a sense that allows them to feel the flow of mana within living beings, something humans lack. Based on this, they call those who can best control the flow of mana—those most skilled in magic—”dukes” and serve them.
To think they determine their leaders in such a primitive way… Perhaps non-“human” creatures are simply irredeemable.
But thanks to that primitive judgment, we found salvation.
“I have come representing the liberation faction among the 72 Great Dukes of the Demon Realm.”
“…Liberation faction?”
“Ah, right. It’s common knowledge among us demons, but it must be unfamiliar to you humans. My apologies. I thought I was being considerate, but communication between two species with different cultures is never easy. I must reflect.”
Disgusting.
How dare this lowly creature from another dimension act as if it’s being considerate to “humans.”
But I must endure. I need to keep the conversation going to lure her into a false sense of security.
Hiding my discomfort, I forced a friendly smile.
“…So, what is this liberation faction?”
“Hmm. You must know that the conflict between demons and humans is nearing its limit, and war is imminent?”
War?
This was the first time the Wizards, isolated in the shelter, had heard of this.
“Roughly… I am aware. I am deeply concerned about it.”
No. That’s a lie.
War has nothing to do with us.
Even if all the traitors who blamed us for the Dimensional Gate Project’s failure and sold us out to the Black Tentacle Cult were to die.
“Humans might find it hard to distinguish, but not all demons share the same tendencies. Currently, humans only know of those demons who constantly provoke conflict at the border between the demon realm and the human realm, seeking to start a war. But among demons, there are factions that see humans as nothing more than potential resources to subjugate, factions that prefer to observe the situation, and factions that seek peace. The liberation faction I belong to seeks to avoid unnecessary combat and pursue peace.”
“I see. This is the first I’ve heard of it. Demons have their own struggles, it seems.”
Unable to unify their own species’ opinions. Truly, nothing more than lowly creatures, despite their skill in magic.
“Indeed. If war breaks out, it will be an unprecedented, massive conflict for both demons and humans. Countless blood will spill. Before that happens, I have come representing the liberation faction to negotiate peace with humans.”
“I understand Duke Ishtart’s intentions. I, too, am willing to do anything for the survival of ‘humans.'”
“Oh? You and I understand each other.”
“Then, it would be rude to negotiate in such a humble place. Let us move elsewhere.”
—
The old journal proudly detailed how the author had deceived the naive demon into becoming a test subject for biological experiments.
Like a hunter who hadn’t caught prey in a long time, finally boasting of a big catch.
The journal’s author never once saw the demon as an equal intellectual being, viewing her only as a rare animal that could speak and communicate.
The journal calmly described the horrific experiments and research conducted on the captured demon while she was still alive.
At some point, Daria realized her hands were trembling uncontrollably.
Even if the subject was a demon, a creature that had once brought humanity to the brink of extinction in a great war, such acts were unforgivable against an intellectual being.
No, if the demon’s words in the journal were true, wasn’t she a kind being who had no intention of harming humans from the start?
Daria had known intellectually that the people of the Ancient Empire had treated beastkin as slaves, not recognizing them as fellow humans. But seeing it from the perspective of the victim was a completely different matter.
For the first time, Daria truly understood how horrifying it was for people to view others as mere animals.
The journal’s author had no awareness that his actions were evil.
He saw himself as a noble researcher, purely dedicated to the sublime cause of helping his fellow Wizards.
At that moment, Daria’s eyes met those of the demon girl, who was still cowering behind Kurt, looking terrified.
“Ugh…”
She felt nauseous.
The thoughts she had just moments ago, that demons were inherently evil and aggressors, and that refugees were inherently victims, now seemed shamefully naive and simplistic.
“Th-that… I…”
The old journal’s contents continued.
Most of it detailed the horrific experiments conducted on the captured demon to observe her characteristics and apply them to themselves.
Unfortunately for her, demons were among the most immortal beings in this world, and the woman who became the Wizards’ test subject was destroyed, regenerated, disassembled, and reassembled, cycling through death and rebirth.
Her mind was completely shattered in a living hell from which even death offered no escape.
And as her mind was destroyed, the Wizards’ achievements grew, applying their findings to their own bodies.
Gradually, they transformed into a new species, neither human nor Wizard.
Daria even realized, while reading the journal, what the “animals” they had experimented on before the demon were.
A race created by the Ancient Empire, both animal and human.
A race with powerful vitality and regenerative abilities that could compensate for the Wizards’ congenital physical defects.
A race with an appearance more alien than humans, with scaly skin and long, snake-like tails.
A race with a nearly atrophied sense of taste.
A race artificially created by combining the genes of amphibians and reptiles with humans—the Lizardmen.
And finally, as the journal neared its end.
As their biological experiments progressed.
They began to resemble the demons, just as they had once resembled the Lizardmen.
The demon’s body and the Wizards’ bodies merged, granting them overflowing mana control.
To control that immense flow of mana, they created organs solely for mana manipulation, and to house those organs, their bodies grew far beyond the size of ordinary humans.
They had reptilian scales, vertically slit eyes like snakes.
Bat-like wings made of membranes, and horns like demons.
Finally reborn, they declared themselves the true descendants of the Ancient Empire.
They named themselves Dragons, after the Dragnity Empire.
That was the full story of what had happened in these ruins.
“Ugh… Uweeeek!”
Unable to bear the disgust any longer, Daria vomited.