Chapter 381: The Demon Race That Will Encompass All Races
The Next Day.
Calm Belt, Rusukaina Island.
Nestled between towering peaks, the valley of Rusukaina Island was a vision of enchanting beauty. Verdant greenery blanketed the landscape, and a field of vibrant wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze. Petals, scattered by the wind, drifted through the air, filling the valley with an intoxicating fragrance.
On a patch of soft grass, a dense cluster of pink flower trees bowed slightly under the breeze. Their delicate petals fell like a soft rain, shimmering with an ethereal brilliance. The cascading pink petals danced like playful fairies, weaving through strands of hair and catching on the edges of clothing, moving in harmony with an unseen, melodious rhythm.
At the heart of this serene scene stood a magnificent, intricately carved piano. Before it sat a girl with flowing silver hair and striking crimson eyes, dressed in a gothic-style black dress adorned with white trim. Her name was Yin.
A gentle wind stirred, lifting Yin's long hair as her delicate fingers glided gracefully over the black and white keys. The music she played was hauntingly beautiful, weaving a spell of tranquility over the valley.
Ding ding dong dong, dong!
Time flowed slowly, the melody drifting through the valley like a gentle stream, its echoes lingering in the air.
At some point, Yin's hands stilled. Her crimson eyes, bright and luminous, fixed on a black-haired boy sitting beneath the pink flower tree, who look distant and lost in thought.
"That was beautiful, Yin," the boy, Kai, said, a warm smile spreading across his face as he noticed her gaze.
The familiar melody and the picturesque scene stirred memories in Kai's heart, recollections of another world, a simpler time, an ordinary life that now felt like a distant dream. It was really…
A soft breeze carried an ethereal scent, and before he knew it, a slender figure appeared in his arms.
"Master…" Yin's voice was soft, almost a whisper, laced with an endearing sweetness.
"What's wrong?" Kai asked, gently wrapping his arms around her.
"I want to stay by your side… forever," she murmured, her voice trembling with sincerity.
Kai chuckled, after being caught off guard by her heartfelt words and said while laughing. "Hahaha, that's quite a declaration, Yin."
He reached out, stroking her silver hair. Noticing her small hands tightening their grip on his collar, he softened his tone. "But isn't that what we're doing right now?"
His words lit up Yin's crimson eyes, her pupils sparked with joy.
"How sneaky! Yin's been scheming while I was asleep, how unfair!" a high-pitched, playful voice interrupted.
A tiny figure, Jin, emerged from the collar of Kai's shirt. Her golden, cicada-like wings fluttered as she pouted at Yin, then darted to Kai's cheek. Hugging his face, she rubbed against it affectionately, tapping it lightly as she chirped, "Master, Master, don't forget me! I want to be with you forever too!"
"I know, I know, your saliva's all over me," Kai teased while laughing.
"That's so dismissive! And how dare you call it saliva? This is a beautiful girl's kiss!" Jin protested, her light and sugary voice filled the valley.
For a moment, the air rang with Jin's playful complaints and Kai's warm, teasing laughter.
Time slipped by quietly.
Eventually, Kai rose and left the valley, his mind turning to more pressing matters.
He gazed upward, the entire world reflected in his eyes.
The planet was stable for now, but the chain reaction from an event as massive as the recent battle was profound. While Kai could mitigate the damage further, the effort would be immense, and he wasn't exactly eager to play the role of a flawless savior. Perfection was tedious, and he preferred to let the world sort itself out to some degree.
The clash between King and Sukuna had left a significant mark.
Beyond the immediate disasters, storms, tsunamis, and quakes, the battle had laid the groundwork for a transformation that would span centuries.
Kai had allowed this shift to unfold, even encouraged it, as an experiment. He was testing the concept of "open-sourcing" reputation value, gauging how much reputation, new intelligent lifeforms born in this world could generate over time.
For the next few hundred years, the world would see the emergence of countless new races.
Currently, the Demon Clan in this world was rooted in fear, one of the most primal negative energies in living beings. Their diverse abilities all stemmed from fear as their core.
Fear, in life, carried an instinctive understanding of what was dreaded, embedding knowledge and principles within it. Thus, the power wielded by the demons was termed "magic", or, more precisely, the "power of fear."
But Sukuna's negative energy wasn't limited to fear. It encompassed the seven deadly sins, arrogance, wrath, greed, sloth, and more, as well as emotions like depression, anxiety, disgust, and decay. All these negative forces fell under his dominion.
During the battle, these energies had dispersed across the planet.
In the future, new races might emerge, some centered on a single negative force, others blending multiple forces into complex hybrids. These energies would also intermingle with existing species, giving rise to entirely new races.
The possibilities were infinite.
Over the next few centuries, the world would birth a staggering array of strange and wondrous races. The term "Demon Clan" would evolve into a broad collective, encompassing countless distinct races, much like the concept of "demons" in Kai's previous life, which included myriad species.
How these races would develop was left to their own paths. For now, Kai was content to let the seeds he had sown take root.
The recent battle had already yielded significant rewards. Morgans' news reports had amplified its impact, and both King and Sukuna reaped substantial reputation points: King earned 3.93 million, while Sukuna garnered 3.89 million, setting a new record for a single event.
This battle would also boost their daily reputation gains. Their existence had seared itself into the world's consciousness, leaving an indelible mark. Morgans' portrayal of them as "gods in the sky" had cemented their legend, ensuring that even without further action, their reputation would grow steadily, as long as they remained alive and visible.
The concept of gods walking among mortals held immense sway in this world, and their influence was profound. As people began to notice the subtle changes in their environment, their awe would only deepen.
Tap, tap.
Kai's footsteps echoed as he arrived at the edge of a serene green lake on the island. Lush forests encircled the water, and a thin white mist hung between the trees and the lake, like a delicate veil, lending the scene a dreamlike quality. A cool breeze carried the scent of grass and wood, soothing the mind.
Leaning casually against a towering tree, Kai prepared to create his next Avatar.
Truthfully, he could have begun crafting new avatars days ago, but a small issue had delayed him: Iori Yagami's reputation points had been insufficient.
Only recently, through a brief mention in the newspaper's corner, had Iori's deeds earned him a million reputation points.
_________________________
Avatar: Iori Yagami
Strength: A
Physique: A
Agility: A
Spirit: S
Abilities: Yasakani no Magatama (S-level), Blood Flame of Orochi (A-level), Instinct (A-level)
Skills: Yagami Style of Ancient Martial Arts (A-level), Armament Haki (A-level), Observation Haki (A-level)
Reputation: 1.05 million
Note: D attribute is the attribute of ordinary people in the current world.
__________________________
Currently, Iori possesses only one S-level ability, acquired after earning 800,000 reputation points from defeating Garp and scraping together a million. Without that, he might still lack an S-level ability when the new avatar was created.
Kai didn't mind. His approach was laid-back, almost Buddhist in its detachment. His sense of time had shifted, aligning closer to that of an immortal being. There was no rush, many things would unfold naturally, and the world would follow its destined course.
Though he appeared young, Kai's sensory experience of time carried the weight of unimaginable accumulation. The information an ordinary person encountered in a lifetime was a mere droplet compared to the ocean of knowledge he held.
Despite being in this world for just under two years, it felt like an eternity.
As a result, Kai's actions increasingly gravitated toward what intrigued him. Perhaps, when boredom struck, he'd stir things up and do something interesting.
(End of this Chapter)