When the plot-skips players into the game world

The mess Cain left behind back then is really too large, and now trying to clean it up is not an easy task.

But since little Cain is willing to take up the responsibility, at least the situation is improving.

—Although strictly speaking, it really isn't her responsibility.

The current "little Cain", in a certain sense, is Lucia who has acquired part of the Blood Celestial Marshal's memory. Others don't understand, but Aiwass understands well... Isn't this state exactly the same as Aiwass on the day of summoning the Shadow Demon?

Just like how his own memories and emotions remain intact, while he gained partial memories of the "Holy One"; just like adopting those partial memories as part of his self, treating them as his "past life", and being willing to bear the consequences and responsibility for them.

This is why Aiwass repeatedly asks Lucia "exactly how much memory" she has. This is actually confirming Lucia's personal willingness and determination.

No one can understand Lucia at this moment better than Aiwass—becoming a pawn of the Serpent Celestial Marshal while cleaning up the Blood Celestial Marshal's mess, neither of these tasks are pleasant. And once the crown of the Fog Demon King is worn, it isn't easy to take off.

Precisely because of this, Aiwass intends to help her.

After Aiwass returned home and discussed this matter with Sherlock and Isabel, they fell into deep thought.

"...It's also a solution."

Sherlock thought for a moment, stroking his chin, and frowned slightly: "But I feel this is not the best solution."

"Fog Demons and Son of the Moon are different."

Aiwass shook his head slightly: "The biggest difference lies in that Fog Demons can live solely among themselves, but Son of the Moon cannot. Son of the Moon cannot consume the blood of their kin and thus need humans as food. As Phantom Demons following the Path of Love, their appetite, lust, desire for slaughter, and desire for satisfaction are intertwined and mixed, forming a strong desire. This leads to the fact that if Son of the Moon gather together, the size of their Blood Slaves will grow accordingly.

"But Fog Demons are not pure Phantom Demons on the Path of Love. Just like the Shadow Demon mastering the Power of Love as a transcendence Phantom Demon, Fog Demons also possess the Power of Devotion. They can help each other relieve Path impulses, just like the elves of the Holy Nation. Therefore, Fog Demons do not need to live with other races."

"—The problem lies precisely here, Fox."

Sherlock sharply pointed out a blind spot: "This also means that the expansion of the Fog Demons' race is not restricted by natural conditions."

"Binding..."

"Exactly. Just like in a natural environment, if rabbits increase, grass decreases, and wolves increase—because the wolves' food increases. As the grass decreases, wolves increase, rabbits will then decrease. The same principle applies to Son of the Moon."

Mr. Detective sighed: "Although it sounds unpleasant... Son of the Moon is like the wolf that preys on rabbits. If wolves increase, rabbits decrease. Son of the Moon rampage, unable to find Blood Slaves, causing chaos. Thus, it results in intervention by external forces, or internal variables like Hawkeye, leading to the decrease in Son of the Moon's numbers.

"Precisely because of this situation, Son of the Moon, although able to assimilate new individuals through blood-bestowal resurrections, or normally reproduce pure-blood or mixed-blood Sons of the Moon... every birth of a Son of the Moon means a predator emerging out of nowhere. They will all compete for their food.

"From this perspective, Son of the Moon actually control their tribal numbers to a certain extent to avoid too many of their kind competing for food. The internal culture of Son of the Moon sees this phenomenon as a 'recognized arrogance', meaning people with not sufficiently noble status cannot join their race.

"—Yet Fog Demons do not have such a limitation."

Sherlock continued slowly.

His meaning was simple.

New Fog Demons will not affect the life quality of old Fog Demons—unlike Son of the Moon, which forms negative feedback due to food issues. Fog Demons don't even need to eat, they can live by drinking water. This means they will not squeeze each other's living environment due to work compensation.

For such a race that won't die if they take good care of themselves, wouldn't they keep increasing indefinitely?

"When Fog Demons expand to a certain limit, Fog City becomes Fog City, Fog City becomes Fog Island, Fog Island becomes Fog Country. Precisely because they need nothing and can live happily, it means there won't be significant internal contradictions and conflicts. And they are unlike elves with the 'keep everything unchanged' Dusk trait... Sooner or later, Fog Demons will spread out.

"But people in other places, living still bears costs. Their population is also swelling, residential space increasingly scarce. When Fog Demons come out to compete with them for living space, it will lead to new conflicts—even wars. Not internal versus internal, but internal versus external."

Sherlock looked at Aiwass, asking word by word: "That would be a life-or-death racial war. And while humans can transform into Fog Demons, Fog Demons cannot transform into humans... What do you plan to do when that time comes?"

It was a rather sharp question.

But Aiwass did not believe it was an insoluble problem.

"This is not a problem, Sherlock."

Aiwass said calmly: "The situation you described will only happen hundreds or even thousands of years later.

"Not to mention the Fog Demons are watched over by the Fog Sky Department, if any irreparable situation arises, the Fog Sky Department can be brought down to resolve it completely... Just like the Blood Sky Department, obliterating this race's peculiarity from the root.

"Moreover, what you worry about is too confined to the present era. Let me ask you, what's your view on Fog Demons not needing food, only needing pure water to survive infinitely?"

"Fear."

Sherlock answered without hesitation: "It means they exist in a manner more noble than humans. It means the Path of Love is nobler than other paths. It means humans, these Short-Lived Species, should be completely eliminated, giving living space to this new kind of humanity."

"But my view is—an opportunity."

Aiwass shook his head, speaking to the two: "Self-sufficiency not needing resources, yet being able to infinitely produce resources. This is a kind of perpetual motion machine.

"Fog Demons have the power of the Path of Devotion, meaning part of their power comes from the 'civilization' Source River. Civilizations merging with creation, what do you think of?"

"...Flame Celestial Marshal?"

Isabel asked uncertainly: "He seems to be such a combination."

Upon hearing Aiwass's words, Sherlock did not answer immediately.

He thought deeply, seemingly comprehending Aiwass's idea.

"You mean..."

Sherlock slightly furrowed his brows, incredulously asked: "You want Fog Demons to work in factories as workers? Because they don't need to eat, don't need sleep, don't want compensation, won't die, and are willing to work for others... But fog is a considerable harm to machines."

"Not just factories, Sherlock. There are many positions in the world, which under non-cost-saving conditions, could actually be completed by machines, and the difference between Fog Demons and them is that Fog Demons still possess the ability to create."

Aiwass said seriously: "You say Fog Demons are a new humanity that can replace humans... I think this statement is half correct. They can't replace humans because Fog Demons lack adaptability to the nine paths, they only have Love and Devotion. It's just a new race—and Fog Sky Department specially set that Fog Demons cannot reproduce, which is truly a form of controlling quantity.

"And as for the human kind with many needs, Fog Demons are closer to being an 'assistant' rather than replacing humans. The resources needed by both sides are entirely different, fully capable of coexistence. Currently, it's not feasible, also merely because there's no development of a low-cost, stable, universal approach for Fog Demons to coexist with other humans for extended periods without impact. But technology is improving—as long as there's demand, fulfilling it is simple. Not to mention, meeting this demand itself is not difficult."

"...Star Spirit?"

Isabel immediately associated it with Atlantis's servant race.

At that moment...

Just like this moment.