Chapter 1061: NO.184: The opportunity to expand the card pool must not be missed

NO. 184: The opportunity to expand the card pool must not be missed.

Demons, which inherently possess the special phenomenon that 'cognition equals power,' will be discovered as soon as one gains cognition of them.

This means that everything affected by demons, including plants and inanimate objects, will become a vector for demon propagation once observed by a person.

But the vast majority of Terra's residents do not feel pessimistic about this; the biggest reason is that they are unaware of this group's existence.

Yes, the demon race mainly exists in an abnormal region called the Wasteland, and secondly in the polar regions that border the real land, or rather the ice plains.

Of course, as described above, they are capable of spreading.

They will assimilate, in a manner similar to memetic contamination, any creature that is cognizant of them and feels fear.

The territories of the Sami and Ursas in the northern part of the continent, as well as the Great Yan border that also adjoins the north, are engaged in year‑round combat against them, keeping them confined to the far north.

In the southern part of the continent, beneath the scorching wind hot soil, there are likewise traces of demon activity, which were once jointly suppressed by the rulers Nightmare Khan and Sargon.

It can be said that it is precisely because of the struggle and sacrifice in these hidden corners that a relatively safe inland environment exists, but this so‑called 'relative safety' exists only because too many people in the world are clueless.

Internal wars, ethnic oppression, profit‑seeking… and so on and so forth.

Even without the threat of demons surrounding them, they can still stir up trouble to increase their own cost of survival.

Provoke, and it can likewise be considered a Faction‑level 'civilization trial'.

In the greediest, no‑holds‑barred manner, they squeeze out every possible possibility from origin stones.

Adding to that, the internal practice of hanging up the vulnerable 'infected' as target practice to shift blame completely constitutes the world's main theme of suffering.

Life will inevitably find a dead end; that is likewise one kind of solution.

Even if someone packages it as exploration or as survival, facts speak louder than words: whether on land or at sea, there is a group of high‑ranking beings who, gripping the controls, rush madly toward the Shen yuan.

Perhaps they will burst forth with the light of humanity at civilization's final moment, even turning the tide.

Or perhaps they will become rigid, merely awaiting the next civilization to verify their traces.

But it is precisely to avoid reaching that point that this game has been freshly released.

Under the guise of a game, this simulation drill's main purpose is precisely to seek the future; and since it is a simulation, it must strive for 'restoration'.

For example, the composition of major regions, and likewise the preservation of well‑known enterprises.

Moreover, for instance—Rhine Life, which stands at the forefront of scientific research and is filled with curiosity about everything, investigates the unknown.

Therefore, it is only natural that inside Rhine Life's sealed materials management room lies a seemingly empty box.

That is a sample.

Not only does it stem from the report of the polar scientific expedition, but it also draws support from the Pan‑Terra Anti‑Demon Front.

This land had already experienced a large‑scale demon invasion several years ago, but it had not yet spread to the populace's awareness; it was only passed down through the allied forces' resistance, divine support, and the efforts of the technical department.

Moreover, the entrance to the Wasteland in Letania has been permanently sealed, leaving only the drifting remnants of Herhul Zoron's melody.

This victory was not long‑lasting, so even though demons are so terrifying, everyone still needs to find ways to deal with them.

Rhine Life unhesitatingly took part in this research; although the purpose is not so lofty and pure, there is no doubt that it is advancing the progress.

The problem lies solely in this: the researchers are fine, but the subject of research shows abnormalities.

While one side remained stable, the suddenly rampaging demons easily broke through the blockade, spreading among the countless employees whose mental defenses were not solid, and the demons themselves headed straight for the most emotionally agitated presence in this building.

That was a child.

She possessed power she could not control, her heart overflowed with uncontainable emotions, and even deep inside her heart there likewise existed another turbulent soul.

Although it lacks such a subjective self, it too is being drawn in.

She is greatly needed, urgently needed.

They need her heart to be filled with fear, need her heart to be filled with memories, need her to accept assimilation, until her inner self also collapses and becomes part of them.

Then——

Release everything!

Boom—boom—boom—boom—boom!!!!

Hellfire, expanding instantly as the dead step into the realm of the living, erupts.

The fire pillar shooting straight to the sky is precisely the horn heralding the return of the flame demons; through the demons' release and the bearer's fear, the giant beast named Ifrit has already reached the realm of the supreme Royal Court Flame Demon.

The black‑hole‑like patterns belonging to the collapsers also stretch across His eyes, which should be wreathed in firelight, indicating His symbiotic nature with the demons.

Even so, the big girl who darts left and right, leaping and sprinting between streets, buildings, and towers within the fire pillar has not been assimilated in the slightest.

The girl's eyes show no fear; instead, they hold a hint of anger and pity.

The flame spirit, sharing the same style as her horned tail but far larger, envelops her whole body, providing protection and an exoskeleton‑like aid for her still‑unremarkable physical ability.

That too is the Royal Court Flame Demon.

That too is Ifrit.

Melding with the flame‑demon fragments within her body, Ifrit, who truly unleashes that flame‑demon power, likewise reaches the extreme of Sarkaz.

Hot winds howl and impacts clash; the confrontation between hellfire and the scorching‑earth, sky‑burning blaze has already caused all surrounding buildings to twist, deform, and collapse.

But there are no screams or shouts, only the sharp alarm tone echoing throughout the city.

Because the people nearby have all been completely collapsed and assimilated by the demons.

They will fearlessly attempt to aid the giant beast, but the flames of the giant beast and the flame demons will not regard them as allies.

Thus, wherever the battlefield of the two spreads, that place falls silent of human voices.

Only the roars of the giant beast and the girl's shouts when she counters become distorted in the temperature that spikes explosively in the environment.

The entire moving city named Trimon has become a fiery arena, and before the edge platforms where rows of overturned buildings stand, a demon appears bearing a female with the traits of a Wyvern (flying dragon), amidst the muffled sounds of limb collisions.

"The more times like this, the more we should remain mere observers, Miss Sereya."

Amidst the muffled sounds of limb collisions interspersed in speech, the martial artist blocks the opponent's punches and kicks with palms, arms, knees, and tail, gazing at the woman before him whose resistance is overly fierce; should he be even slightly careless, he ought to look at those small‑advertisement‑style revivals of dangerous women.

This is a point worth mentioning.

That is, although this world has all kinds of giant beasts and strange entities, the upper limit of so‑called ordinary people can likewise be raised very high.

Even extremely few beings exist who can reach the point of sparring with giant beasts, raising humanity's martial power ceiling to a degree others find hard to forget.

Although they are extremely few, don't forget that Rhodes Island is originally a place that gathers talent.

Although such existences are extremely rare among the whole human population, within this company they are not considered rare.

At this moment, the Ifrit, and the Seraya — an NPC theoretically constructed from past data — before Aomo's eyes, are both dangerous existences that, if Aomo does not use monster power, would be easily suppressed or even instantly killed.

But even so, he still wants to see that result.

Not only to let that girl, with whom he has had a few encounters, have her wish fulfilled, but also to hope that she can forge more comprehensive data for that Ifrit.

This is an experiment that he happened upon suddenly and must be planned immediately.

Obviously, he wants that data.

Then load it into the gacha machine in his own basement!