Chapter 459: Chapter 459 Possessed by a Demon_1
Deep within the library of the Rose Iron Prison, Daili’s research studio.
"A possessing demon?" Aiden asked.
"Yes, it’s the kind we just used on Halo. According to the Warden’s recent statement, that wizard has the highest possibility of cultivating a possessing demon." Daili showed Aiden her short magic wand, at the end of which was wrapped the possessing demon she had summoned.
"Demons only need magic power, not food. Of course, the ancient tales of demons eating humans are also true, but what demons consume is not the nourishment of flesh and blood but magic power. That’s why there are modern theories of demons hunting for souls. It was over forty years ago that Abigail confirmed at a gathering that demons only feed on magic power, and devouring souls is simply because they are the collection of spirit carrying magic power..." Daili explained without end.
"Alright, alright, hit the main points!" Aiden raised his hand hastily to interrupt her, lest she should not stop on her own.
"That is to say, a body without consciousness is of no value to most demons. Although there are types of demons that can convert the flesh and blood of living beings into magic power, it is obviously more cost-effective to feed these demons with livestock than with human bodies. Possessing demons, however, are different. To utilize the value of possessing demons, a human body is required," Daili said.
Professor Dodge had once raised the issue of bloodline separation and purification to the Harvest Mother Cult, and Aiden thought this should mean that Dodge’s son had not died.
But if that was the case, his request to the Cult for producing a progeny body using his son’s hair was quite intriguing—Aiden initially speculated that this request might be related to his son’s condition.
After all, he and the Witch’s Gathering only knew that his son might have been put into the Empire’s "Demonic Being" plan and turned into a half-demon, but it was unclear which demon he had merged with.
And Daili happened to be an expert in demonology, so Aiden specifically sought her out to consult about the types of demons.
When inquiring, he omitted some details, only mentioning that he was investigating a male witch who had reared demons and had once transacted with the Harvest Mother Cult for two artificial human bodies without consciousness.
And the answer Daili gave was the possessing demons.
"Possessing demons are a very special kind of demon. They lack the ability to maintain a physical entity for an extended period—when summoned, they fall into a weakened state like this, and even the most rudimentary purification magic can banish them directly." Daili showed the wand to Aiden, on which the possessing demon appeared as a pitch-black, long shape, like an earthworm made from sludge, writhing with difficulty around the wand.
Aiden was well aware that such demons are considered the weakest individually—after being summoned, they would dissipate if they could neither find a host within about ten hours nor return to their habitat.
But if this creature found a host, it would immediately adapt to the host’s body before gradually taking over, regardless of the host’s species.
"Possessing demons adjust themselves according to their host. If attached to animals, they learn animal behaviors, attached to humans, they gain a certain degree of intelligence. To thoroughly study possessing demons, a human body is necessary. An artificial body without consciousness is just perfect; that way, the possessing demon can quickly make itself at home," Daili expounded.
"Has anyone... been willing to be voluntarily possessed by a possessing demon?" Aiden asked.
"Of course, Warden, have you forgotten how you spoke divine words with my help in the past?" Daili laughed, "Possessing demons have the ability to modify the host’s body, a feature that is often exploited."
"Exploited..." Aiden thought for a moment before continuing to ask, "Can it be used for healing purposes?"
"Hmm, there was indeed such a thought in the past. Before taking control of the body, a possessing demon will ensure the host’s survival to some extent, so it would use body transformation abilities to repair physical deficiencies. Not-so-serious organ failures or limb defects can temporarily be remedied after using a possessing demon."
"That convenient?" Aiden was taken aback.
"But the wizards then discovered that once the possessing demon was extracted, the body would recover to its original form, although in rare cases the disability might be even more severe. But people can’t coexist with a possessing demon for long, else their spirits would soon be devoured by the parasite," Daili said with a hint of regret, "So now, summoning possessing demons is basically only used for short-term physical transformation and emergency first aid for external injuries."
People couldn’t live with a possessing demon for long, Aiden was aware of that.
Those who were possessed by demons for long periods, whether humans or animals, would undergo mutations similar to other demonkin, sprouting horns or tails and possessing innate spellcasting abilities, but afterward, their consciousness would be gradually dominated by the possessing demon.
It is impossible to reverse the complete demonization of a human being. They become extremely aggressive, while trying to kidnap ordinary people and summon other possessing demons to infest. One of the classic cases archived by the Heretical Inquisition is the eradication of demon-possessed humans.
But the fact that a possessing demon could remodel a body did indeed have certain practical applications.
It seemed that Professor Dodge’s son, in the Demon Man Project, was very likely fused with a possessing demon, to obtain the necessary body alterations to sustain life, while removing the risk of the demon encroaching on the consciousness.
But as a result... Professor Dodge, a military man of the Empire, had a falling out with the military over this matter.
Was it because the case was successful, and the military continued to experiment on his son, angering him?
No, if that were the case, it wouldn’t explain why he approached the Harvest Mother Cult with a request to cultivate artificial humans.
The likelihood that he was angered by the results of the experiment itself seemed higher.
Just as Daili had said, the wizard who wished to obtain an artificial human’s shell was most likely harboring a possessing demon.
Were those two bodies indeed provided for the "possessing demon" to inhabit?
At this thought, the words previously spoken by Father Bales surfaced in Aiden’s mind.
"...When I told him that this sort of quickly bred organism had a lifespan of less than a year, he was quite disappointed."
It is highly possible that after merging with the possessing demon, his son’s body was transformed, but also inherited the demon’s drawbacks—needing a host body to survive properly.
If this speculation were confirmed... could it possibly be useful? Aiden subconsciously began to ponder.
His goal was only to stop Mr. Blood from obtaining the Hand of Annihilation, but achieving that goal by finding and eliminating Mr. Blood seemed a bit difficult.
If he changed his line of thought, perhaps he could start with Professor Dodge. Regardless of Qiqimora, who was likewise covetous of power, at least in preventing the power from falling into Mr. Blood’s hands, their positions were provisionally aligned.
Having gathered this much information on Professor Dodge, Aiden formed a preliminary impression of the man. He had been involved in inhumane experiments and didn’t necessarily have a normal person’s sense of morality and justice, but seemed to hold family ties in high regard and had not shown much ambition for power.
A new idea naturally emerged in Aiden’s mind—perhaps he could find a way to win him over and make him an ally on his side.
