Demon Progenitor Development Project

After acquiring the Stone Mask, Shugo handed it over to the research institute in the Infinite Castle for study, requiring them to submit a report periodically.

It's the work of Kars, the genius among the Pillar Men, after all; it shouldn't be limited to just evolving into a perfect creature.

As distant relatives who inherited this estate, they naturally had to take good care of it.

Kars, temporarily dormant: ? ? ?

This is the one in Shugo's hand.

In order not to disturb the researchers' train of thought, Shugo did not tell them what he knew about the Stone Mask, but only told them that it could turn people into creatures similar to demons and let them use their imagination.

Fortunately, these researchers proved their worth.

Otherwise, Shugo should consider reforming the research institute and fast-forwarding these wastes directly to the 'waste disposal' process.

After multiple comparisons, no matching stone material has been found for the Stone Mask.

Tsk, it seems we need to collect the Stone Masks as soon as possible to prevent losses during the experiment.

These researchers are really careless in their experiments; they've dismantled quite a few of the stone faces and can't even put them back together, acting like spoiled brats.

This thing is a rare find!

It's worth noting that Kars's Stone Mask also has different versions.

The Stone Mask that Shugo currently possesses is a more refined version, but it doesn't have any Aja Red Stones embedded in it, meaning it's not the final version made by Kars.

Shugo took a sip of tea, feeling a deep sense of regret.

Why didn't Kaz make more?

[Observations revealed that the stone golems are extremely sensitive to blood. Upon contact with blood, they will eject several bone needles. These bone needles originate from an unknown creature, whose bones are harder than refined iron.]

Bone needles?

Could it be the bones of the Night Clan?

So this is why Kars wiped out his clan? (laughs)

[As instructed, we had a human test subject wear a mask, and bone needles pierce his brain, turning him into a vampire who fears sunlight and possesses superhuman regenerative abilities. Unlike demons, this novel life form only enjoys drinking blood, has no interest in flesh, and is far weaker than a demon.]

Hiiragi slowly looked at the report and felt that the format of research reports should be standardized.

He used to find it annoying as a nobody; now that he's a big boss, he doesn't like reading nonsense.

The following content takes a sharp turn for the worse.

[We ate the vampire! He was so delicious! He didn't need any digestion at all; he was absorbed directly. For a vampire, he's even better food than a human!! Even a vampire whose appetite has already reached its limit could eat him!!!]

(A demon's appetite has a limit, and its appetite is equal to its aptitude. For example, a certain abandoned Kyōkai.)

Hiiragi swallowed the gasp and the tea he was about to spit out.

Gan!

How can there be such a glutton in the research institute? We should educate people about the dangers of food poisoning—no, we should educate them about laboratory rules.

You researchers shouldn't put yourselves in danger!

If you die, it means I've lost out.

And can you eat vampires?

Come to think of it, it seems that the Pillar Men have always regarded vampires as food?

That's fine.

We didn't eat all the vampires; instead, we took only a portion each day and fed them with human blood regularly. Furthermore, the amount each vampire consumed varied. Through long-term observation, we discovered that vampires are not poisonous to other vampires, are edible, and are highly nutritious.

Great, let's include vampires in the breeding plan too.

[The Stone Mask is truly amazing. We not only conducted experiments on humans, but also on various animals, such as vampire cows, vampire sheep, vampire chickens, vampire dogs, and so on. These vampire species can also become food for demons, unlike before when eating them was the same as not eating them. It's just that the effects of eating them are not as good as eating vampires.]

? ?

Shugo took a sip of water to calm his nerves. Was this an expansion of the recipe?

Furthermore, these vampire creatures experienced varying degrees of physical enhancement, but some did not receive this enhancement. I noticed that these animals that did not receive strength enhancement seemed to have become smarter? I started trying to train a dog, teaching it to read, and after a while it learned to read and could understand some short sentences.

???

Shugo's eyes widened. What the heck? The Stone Mask has an intellectual stimulating effect?

Isn't this thing supposed to unleash the potential of life?

What if animals could become as intelligent as humans? Would this be an all-animal version of Rise of the Planet of the Apes?

Shugo, bursting with witty remarks, turned the page and continued reading.

Based on the above findings, it has been confirmed that the Stone Mask has the effect of stimulating the potential of living beings. Therefore, I have decided to apply it to oni (demons). I hope you will approve. — Nayuta

*

Lei silently watched the little girl walk in, surrounded by servants.

Hearing the other person's heavy footsteps, Lei couldn't help but feel annoyed.

A girl who was healthier than him.

The little girl was very pretty, with chubby cheeks, wearing various delicate little ornaments in her hair, and dressed in a pink little kimono. Her snow-white tabi socks further accentuated her snow-white skin as she walked against the light.

The dim light of the night cast a filter on the girl, making Lei feel a sense of shame.

Lei lowered his head slightly, then looked up again and met a pair of bright black eyes that were looking at him curiously.

Muzan looks tired, as if he's looking at his past self, his gaze unusually kind.

Two young children have limited play options, especially due to physical limitations.

Muzan doesn't like games that are too childish.

So the two started playing backgammon—a rare game that even children could play. (A board game popular during the Tang and Song dynasties, later introduced to the countryside, which the Ji brothers also played. The movement of the pieces is determined by the number rolled on the dice, and the first player to move all their pieces off the board wins.)

Tired, he unconsciously bit his fingers; his sensitive pride prevented him from losing.

Muzan slowly tossed the dice, his gaze calm, showing no remorse for bullying a child.

The dice, tossed onto the chessboard, made a crisp sound.

I was so tired that my whole body stiffened, and I stared blankly at the numbers on the dice.

Muzan: "I won!"

Exhausted, he gritted his teeth and said, "Again!"

after a while.

After losing 15 games in a row and questioning his existence, this girl didn't hold back at all!

"...Come again!"

"No, it's too late, I want to go home."

Only when I got tired did I realize that it was already late at night.

Watching the girl tidy up and leave, Lei didn't manage to say what he wanted to say.

—Are you coming again tomorrow?

Exhausted and resigned, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

As Muzan returned home, he wondered to himself, "Was I really this cowardly before?"

This feeling of being tired is really similar to his.

They both have sensitive hearts.

I also want friends I can have fun with.

But have his roles been reversed?