Ch.299Become my subordinate. If you do that—

“Though the plan to use outlaws ended in failure, there were gains. Knowledge about weapons called guns, and the discovery of a method that can alter a living being’s body more rapidly than orally administered drugs.”

The Omnipotent Demon Lord continued his explanation.

“So this time, you chose to quickly modify Dark Elves using cursed needles.”

“That is correct.”

“Why Dark Elves? I heard they all pledge loyalty to the Transcendent One. There shouldn’t be any outcasts or outlaws among them.”

Phyllis’s question was met with an answer that considerably defied our expectations.

“Because I received information about a captured Svart in the possession of the pioneers. And while investigating that specimen, I discovered that an anomaly had occurred within the entire Svart race.”

“An anomaly?”

“The current Svart are under some kind of taboo. I haven’t yet determined exactly what kind of taboo it is, but I suspect it’s the type that restricts their behavior—not only preventing them from taking aggressive attitudes toward other races but also making them unable to resist satisfactorily even when attacked.”

“Ah…”

“While the Third Eye’s combat abilities are inferior to the Svart’s, if they face an enemy they cannot fight back against, it presents an excellent opportunity for capture. Therefore, I decided to prioritize capturing Svart over the pioneers’ outlaws.”

Hearing this explanation left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The identity of the “taboo” mentioned in this conversation was the “prohibition of aggressive acts against other races” that I had ordered Lois Reich to implement.

Because of that, the current Dark Elf race had apparently fallen into a situation where they couldn’t respond to outside attacks and had to endure one-sided aggression.

“So you planned to capture these Dark Elves and breed them like the Third Eye?”

“I had two plans. If I could obtain a sufficient number of specimens, I would operate them independently as ‘Type 5-A.’ If not, I would create ‘Type 5-B’ through crossbreeding with the Third Eye and observe the results.”

Let me summarize this.

The ability cultivation experiments using only the Third Eye race were gradually losing their effectiveness, so he wanted to create another new human race based on a different species.

The first material he set his sights on was pioneers’ outlaws who could be kidnapped without causing problems.

The second target was Dark Elves, who he assumed couldn’t retaliate no matter how much they were tormented.

“Alright. I understand the full scope of your plan. So what do you want from us? Do you want us to use that artifact to cancel Armedia’s taboo that trapped you on this island after stealing your body?”

“No. I no longer need a body or life outside this island. What I desire is to obtain various experimental subjects. I would like to request your cooperation in this.”

“Various experimental subjects?”

“Not just pioneers, but Lyos, Dvergs, Beast Tribes… Every race has those who turn their backs on society and harm their own kind. Since you would also want such individuals eliminated, I wish to receive their bodies as experimental subjects if they’re going to die anyway.”

We were momentarily speechless at this bold request to hand over criminals from each race as experimental materials.

But the Omnipotent Demon Lord seemed to interpret our silence differently and began explaining the “enormous benefits” we could gain by accepting his proposal.

“Of course, I’m not asking for them without offering something in return. If experiments using other races prove successful, it means those races can also acquire abilities through my masks. In that case, I am willing to transfer masks corresponding to abilities I already possess to other races.”

“You’ll hand over the masks?”

“Yes. If you wish, you five can monopolize the supply chain. This would give humanity in Grantis a new power in the form of masks, and you would become heroes who brought this power, gaining wealth, authority, and honor beyond even my prediction.”

“……”

This time, our speechlessness stemmed from a different reason.

Setting aside the morality of wanting to conduct live experiments on criminals, the compensation offered was undeniably enormous.

But the Omnipotent Demon Lord’s sweet temptation didn’t end there.

“If you hesitate to make a hasty decision because they are still your kin despite their wrongdoings, how about starting with the Svart? They are hostile to all four of your races and have long been a thorn in the Lyos’ side. Wouldn’t their decline and extinction be a desirable outcome for the Lyos?”

“T-that is…”

Phyllis’s eyes began to waver.

For her, an Elf, the Dark Elves were mortal enemies who had harmed her homeland’s kin and kidnapped her sister.

Even though Iris had been safely rescued, and despite Iris now having the appearance of a Dark Elf, it was unlikely that her hatred toward the Dark Elf race had completely disappeared.

But through her meeting with Calliope and her experiences during Iris’s rescue, she had come to understand that Dark Elves were also a form of humanity, not monsters, even if she couldn’t agree with their values or behavior patterns.

Moreover, their most problematic trait—aggression toward other races—had now been subdued due to the penalty imposed on Lois Reich.

Perhaps there might still be an opportunity for reconciliation and harmony with them… though that might be too optimistic a thought.

‘Kidnapping those who cannot resist and selling them as subjects for biological experiments? Isn’t that an even worse sin than what the pioneers committed against the Water King’s people?’

Somehow, I could tell that was what she was thinking, and that Phyllis herself was conflicted about it.

That’s why the action I needed to take here was to first put my arm around Phyllis’s shoulders.

“Will…?”

“You were right, Phyllis. This is nothing but the ravings of a monster who doesn’t even understand the value of life, not worth listening to.”

Acquiring abilities through masks? Certainly appealing, assuming there’s no risk of mental domination.

Disposing of socially incompatible individuals like criminals and villains? Some people might welcome that with open arms.

All elves except Phyllis might still desperately wish for the extinction of the Dark Elf race.

But before all those facts—

“This guy’s head contains nothing but ‘himself obtaining omnipotence’ and ‘the materials for it.’ Even his compromise regarding criminals or Dark Elves isn’t out of respect for the other party, but merely a solution to supply materials with minimal trouble.”

“I pursue efficiency while eliminating risk factors to achieve my goals. What problem is there with that?”

“There are plenty of problems, but if I had to pick the most important one, it’s that no one in this world has any reason to sacrifice their life for your goal. That includes your enemies, criminals, and even the race you created.”

Outlaws don’t deserve to be used as experimental subjects.

Enemies of the pioneers or enemies of the elves deserve it even less.

Even if they are beings created by the Demon Lord, once born into this world with self-awareness, they have the right to survive and pursue prosperity.

At least, that’s what I believe.

“You refuse… Then I regret that I cannot let you leave like this.”

Along with the Omnipotent Demon Lord’s voice echoing through the space, the dome-shaped interior expanded several times, and the entrance we had come through vanished without a trace.

It seems we won’t be able to escape without a fight.

“So it’s become unavoidable to cause a disturbance in the Third Eye society after all.”

“Can we defeat him? The Omnipotent Demon Lord whom even the Great Sage and his companions couldn’t completely overcome.”

“Well… we’ll have to try our best.”

The Great Sage Deidric Asmard, who subdued the Demon Lord alone, and Armedia, the master of the taboo who stole the Demon Lord’s body.

Even they couldn’t completely kill the Omnipotent Demon Lord, so would it be possible for us now?

‘No, this guy isn’t even showing himself right now. Could I find him if I used a skill?’

Various concerns flashed through my mind, but the situation began to unfold in a slightly different direction than I had worried about.

The glass pillar containing Shun gradually began to glow, and a mask that flew in from somewhere passed through the glass and attached itself to Shun’s face.

“Shun?”

“This bastard, don’t tell me he’s going to use Shun…?”

It certainly looked like Shun was about to break out of the glass pillar and confront us.

As if to confirm that this guess was correct, the Omnipotent Demon Lord’s voice began to resound again.

“Among the stably maintained Type 4s, there was occasionally born a single dangerous talent. I couldn’t identify the nature of that talent, but I could instinctively detect that it possessed immense potential incomparable to other specimens.”

“So Shun and the other children who were treated as ‘non-existent’ all commonly possessed this talent?”

“That’s right. A talent too risky to release into normal Third Eye society. However, when threatening beings like Deidric Asmard or Armedia invaded, it was the most effective countermeasure.”

Shun inside the glass pillar underwent rapid growth.

A tall stature and solid build, with well-developed muscles forming a sturdy body.

Even the childlike face visible outside the mask transformed into that of a full-grown man.

Behind that mask would be the single set of features permitted to adult males of the Third Eye race, just like the Gentleman or the Regulator.

“The name of that talent is—{Hero}.”

With those final words from the Omnipotent Demon Lord, the glass pillar surrounding Shun disappeared like a mirage, and Shun, now grown into a proper adult, landed gracefully before our eyes.

“…My name is E=Fe=Shun, Hero of the Third Eye race.”

Pronouncing his full name for the first time in his life, Shun stretched out his hand, and a silver gleaming sword appeared from thin air and settled in his grip.

And in the next moment,

“I am the destroyer of the enemies of the Third Eye.”

‘Clang-!’

The battle began as Seti’s spear intercepted Shun’s sword strike that had shot out like a bullet.

The inevitable confrontation between the “Hero of the Third Eye Race” and the “Avatar of Calamity.”