Apotheosis of a Demon - A Monster Evolution Story

Chapter 27

Twenty-one days of borrowed time left.

I didn't see anyone else on my way to the underground Magic Routing Control room that was supplying power to the hall.

I was prepared to eliminate anyone who saw me, but that didn't mean I would happily carry out an indiscriminate mass murder. Still... all the same, I felt like human countries really just weren't for me.

...I wondered if this distaste came from the discrimination of appearance that I'd been experiencing since forever. It was likely.

Nothing would change with just the words of one person. Every humans, down to their children, only ever saw demihumans as their livestock, as useful beasts. There was no scorn nor disdain to be had here. They were just animals, after all, not people.

The kindness the humans showed to demihumans slaves was no different from the care a cowboy showed to his horse.

To the humans here, killing 'cattles' was nothing to feel guilty about.

I had always wondered why things were this way. The reason for it all lay here.

"...the Magic Routing Control room."

Mana overflowing from the World Tree's Saplings that were sustaining the world was gathered and sent everywhere. Including this place.

Magic powered the trains and lit up the nights. A resource so vast no one even bothered to turn off the lights. It was just as vital to human convenience as electricity to modern Earth.

No. 01... Hans... he had left the following words in his will.

The human race, individually weak yet with high reproductive ability, had managed to conquer the whole world by leeching on the Saplings.

Doubtlessly, the other races with power had seen their weakness, and so they had allowed the humans to cling to the Saplings in pity.

Yet the humans had discovered a way to utilize the mana. With their newfound power, they had driven all the other races away from the Saplings and took them as slaves.

And with the knowledge coming from another world – from modern Earth – their power had only grown.

This building was constructed with the premise that its magical lights would never be off. So I expected that once the auction hall plunged into darkness after losing its magic power supply, everyone inside would be bewildered.

Just candles alone wouldn't be enough light for the people here to fight in. It should be the moment right before No. 17's magic stone would be brought on stage. About fifteen minutes after the afternoon auction began.

After taking out the lights, I would head right toward the stage, kill only the people blocking my way, grab the stone, then make my getaway.

...this was the most harebrained scheme ever, even if I say so myself. However, I didn't have the time for careful planning, my clock was counting down, my lack of experience would just create a plan full of holes anyway, and most importantly, I'd never even done this sort of strategic thinking before.

I was playing this thing by ear. I couldn't afford any delays; it would just put me on the back foot.

Alright, let's roll.

I dispersed my arm to unlock the control room. With my claws and weapons, I began to turn everything inside into junk.

***

"Just what is that fool of a girl doing in the washroom?" Tiz muttered in incredulity.

The afternoon auction had begun for a while, yet Shedy still wasn't back. Tiz took a sip of spirits.