Chapter 1174: Chapter 1161: The Living Dead in the Land of Chaotic Rules Chapter 1174: Chapter 1161: The Living Dead in the Land of Chaotic Rules “What exactly am I? A human? Or a monster?”

This was the powerful demon slayer named Niyaji’s current dilemma. He had never imagined that, as a human who expelled Demon Beasts, he would one day turn into the very monster he most loathed.

When he first discovered that he had become a monster, the dignity of being human and the glory of being an Exorcist had led him to choose suicide immediately, preserving the last of the dignity of Niyaji the demon slayer.

However, he discovered an extremely despairing matter: with his current means, he simply couldn’t carry out this act of suicide. His vitality, or rather, his state of life, had completely departed from the realm that a human could possess.

“Niyaji, are you thinking about how to kill yourself again? What’s the matter? A great Exorcist consumed all day by such a mundane issue of life form!”

And just then, amid the moist sea breeze, a sharp voice that seemed like a knife scraping across glass rang in Niyaji’s ear, filled with mockery.

Sitting on the beach, looking out at the dark blue sea, Niyaji stood up to look toward the direction of that unpleasant voice, and then he saw it—a hideous humanoid monster.

If it were before he was cast away on this unnamed deserted island, upon seeing such a monster, he, as an Exorcist, would think first of how to dispose of this monster in the quickest and most sensible way with the least possible harm to his surroundings.

But now, Niyaji simply shook his head, sat back down, and couldn’t even muster the energy to respond because he knew what had transformed into this hideous humanoid monster.

It was previously, like him, an Exorcist who was human, then his fellow sufferer who had encountered disaster at the same time. A brother in misfortune, now his kindred.

“Why don’t you answer me? You weren’t so impolite before.” Niyaji’s lack of response instead piqued the monster’s interest. He walked over to the once-great Exorcist and sat down beside him, intending to have a good talk, to help alleviate some of his companion’s mental stress and to pass his own dull time, since there wasn’t much to do on this small island.

“I don’t want to discuss the boring question of ‘whether we are humans’ with you anymore.” Niyaji glanced at the humanoid monster that looked like a mummy unraveled from its bandages.

Unlike the desiccated mummy, the monster’s eyes were as lively as a human’s, filled with the vivacity of life unique to living creatures, which strangely and eerily contrasted with the Death Qi emanating from its body.

“I think it’s necessary to explore this a bit. After all, our views are completely opposite. You always stick to the thought that we are monsters, even believing that such monsters should commit suicide.”

“Do you think that our current state doesn’t qualify us as monsters? Can we still be called humans?”

Niyaji lifted his palm, letting his companion see clearly under the dim moonlight what this palm looked like—withered flesh tightly clinging to yellowed bones with not a trace of vitality, instead wrapped in a grayish-black Death Qi.

“How are we not humans? Have you or I experienced any wavering or change in thought or memory since becoming like this? Have you felt the urge to feast on human flesh? No, right?”

The eyes still as lively and bright as when he was an Exorcist, the monster stood up. He spread his arms wide in an embrace towards the sea,
“We still retain all memories of being human, of being Exorcists, and we still hold the noble intention of defending humans from being eroded by monsters. Why can’t we be called humans? Just because of a change in our bodies, are we monsters?”

“Isn’t a change in the body enough?” Looking at his impassioned, agitated companion, Niyaji rose from the beach,
“You’ve already felt the bizarreness of our current bodies. Indeed, we’ve retained all memories, and our thoughts haven’t been twisted. But can you really guarantee that when we face real humans, we can suppress the bloodthirsty instincts emerging from our bodies?”

“Of course, we can!” replied the inhuman monster without hesitation. “Even though I’ve become a monster, I remain human, and in the future, I will continue to live as a human, continuing my duty as a demon slayer, defending humanity.”

“Our present form will no longer be accepted by our families and friends; we will be regarded as monsters.” Niyaji, whose eyes also remained vivid, gazed up at the dark sky, troubled by this very issue.

“So what?” His friend looked at Niyaji with a curious gaze. “Just because our families and friends can’t accept our current form, should we view ourselves as monsters and then commit suicide? How absurd and foolish that would be! Haven’t you thought about how convenient it would be for us in our current form to banish those evil spirits that threaten humanity?”

“…” Niyaji tugged at his withered mouth, revealing a strange expression that wanted to smile but also to cry. He was moved by his friend who, even turned into a monster, first thought of how to use this power to protect humanity. “Ingell, I’m not like you.”

“Look at our current form. Although we are unsightly to the point that no one can bear to look at us, we cannot deny our strength, no matter what.”

“Indeed.” Niyaji, who had never worried about food and drink since the catastrophe, nodded. “Just not feeling hunger or thirst is astonishing enough.”

“Not only do we not need to eat or drink, but we also lack the usual vulnerabilities of ordinary humans. Most physical methods have become ineffective against us, and our bodies regenerate after being injured. These abilities, once applied to the exorcist’s cause, allow us to protect more humans than before.”

“Everything you’re saying makes sense, but there’s one problem, how do we return to human society?”

Niyaji looked at his increasingly excited friend and then softly asked.

At the mention of this problem, Ingell, who had been speaking more and more excitedly, came to an abrupt halt. Then, like an eggplant hit by frost, he sat down, looking somewhat dejected.

“Yeah, how are we going to get back to the human world? If we can only stay in this godforsaken place, I might as well think about suicide with you.”

“There will be a way.” Seeing his friend go from full of vitality to utterly dejected, Niyaji couldn’t help but speak out to comfort him.

“What way? We don’t even know how we got here. We boarded the ship to clear a vengeful spirit, then encountered an inexplicable sea wave, and ended up stranded on this damned deserted island, turning into these ghostly forms.”

“Yeah, it’s all very strange from beginning to end.” The grand exorcist Niyaji also lamented. He never dreamed that a simple exorcism mission could turn out like this.

As the two of them continued to probe the surrounding sea, trying to figure out how to cross the sea and return to human society, they were somewhat astonished to discover an unprecedented disturbance in the endless distance.

“What is that thing?” When a spot of fluorescent green light appeared on the distant sea surface, exorcist Ingell got particularly excited.

Because the barren island, devoid of any grass, was too quiet, with almost nothing around, and the surrounding Sea Area was the same, so when the third moving object came into view, his excitement was noticeable.

“Aren’t you getting happy too soon? Anything that can move over this sea is unlikely to be related to us humans.” Niyaji reminded his friend, his gaze intently fixed on the gradually expanding spot of light.

“What does it matter if it’s got nothing to do with humans? As long as it can move over this sea, that’s enough. Besides, we’re not even humans now. Even if we encounter those evil beings, staying with them for a while won’t be a problem.”

“Not human? Earlier, you insisted we were still human.”

“That’s on the level of thought, spirit, and mind. On the physical level, our current state has nothing to do with humans at all.” Ingell spread his hands, making the now suicide-averse Niyaji face the reality.

“Heh, whatever you say is always right, I guess.”

“Of course it is, but this isn’t the time for us to argue. Look, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Has that light started to multiply?”

“It’s not an optical illusion, they have indeed increased. It’s not just one unidentified object moving on the sea, but a group of them.”

The exorcists, keeping their monstrous bodies but human hearts, watched with grave expressions as the unknown group gradually moved toward their Sea Island. As the distance closed, the two demon slayers, who considered themselves well-seasoned, suddenly widened their eyes, which were not much different from those of a human’s.

“Damn!” Upon seeing clearly what was moving on the sea, they subconsciously exclaimed in unison, “What a huge ship!”

“How can there be such a huge ship? You’ve got to be kidding me! It defies all reason; it’s utterly preposterous!”

Ingell’s eyes widened as he looked at the giant Ghost Battleship floating on the sea, akin to a city. Such a colossal ship was beyond his comprehension.

“And why, if one ship can level a sea port, are there so many of them?”

“In this place, why do you speak of common sense?” Compared to his friend, whose emotions were clearly displayed, Niyaji’s expression became much more serious, even fearful, after seeing what the unknown objects approaching from the distance were.

Because the fleet, which was getting more numerous and almost completely obscuring the sea in front of them, carried implications far too grave upon closer contemplation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read