A person in Tokyo becomes a demon god

Chapter 283 What is Humanity?
"I"

When 'Smith' opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on the ground, the surrounding temperature was obviously very low, and he was covered with a pile of frozen fish.

Frozen fish

Why frozen fish?

Before he had fully regained consciousness, a surprised voice rang out beside him.

"You're awake, brother!"

?

“Dana,”

Turning around, I saw a young female reporter wrapped in a blanket next to me, her surprise and delight genuine.

"I"

Sit up.

Smith felt a weakness he had never experienced before.

The good news is that the feeling of 'burning' throughout the body has finally disappeared.

Unlike the 'purification' agent, which is injected directly into the body, the 'burning' agent is applied to Karen's lips and administered through kissing. This method inevitably results in a very small dosage. If the 'purification' agent hadn't damaged the virus's envelope, causing 'Smith' to become weak, given his powerful regenerative abilities, he wouldn't have been so easily infected.

In short, he has already weathered both the 'purification' and the 'furnace'.

Of course, there are also environmental reasons.

"Thank you, Dana."

It was clearly this 'younger sister' who saved him. However:
"You heard it too."

Smith isn't the type to bury his head in the sand, ignore problems, or run away from them like an ostrich. He's outspoken.

"I am not your brother, I am just a virus mimicking you."

"No,"

Wrapped in a blanket, Dana watched intently as the man sat up from the pile of frozen fish.

"First and foremost, you are a human being."

Dana stretched her hand out from under the blanket and held up one finger.

The French philosopher René Descartes once said:

“I think, therefore I am.”

It means: I can doubt everything, but I cannot doubt the existence of 'myself who is doubting,' therefore, my existence is beyond doubt.

"Descartes once doubted everything: the reliability of the senses, the reality of the physical world, and even the existence of a 'god' or 'demon' who controlled everything he saw and heard, and that he himself was merely an illusion."

As a journalist, Dana's eloquence is beyond question, because that is a true professional skill.

Finally, Descartes made one point.

Even the 'god' or 'demon' could not make him doubt: that is the act of 'doubting' or 'thinking' itself.

In order to be deceived, 'I' must exist.

In order to think (whether it be doubt, understanding, affirmation, negation, will, imagination, or feeling), there must be a 'subject' performing these thoughts.

Thus, Descartes' argument holds true: it is precisely because of doubt that 'I' exist.

At this point, the falsehoods crumbled on their own.

"Is that so?"

After listening to Dana's explanation, 'Smith' thought for a moment.

"This makes the doubt that this emotion has already proven the existence of a 'person'."

Or rather,

It is an 'intelligent being'.

As for the other question:
"Family ties are built on shared experiences and emotional bonds, rather than on a purely biological basis."

As a journalist, Dana had witnessed countless instances of blood relatives turning against each other, as well as harmonious adoptive families. Blood ties are important, but affection is the foundation—otherwise, she and Smith wouldn't have gone so far as to not speak to each other for years, becoming more indifferent than strangers.

"You possess human memories and emotions,"

"And our past experiences, in my opinion, are more profound than biological blood ties."

After saying that, Dana pointed to herself.

"Are you going to rush up and bite me?"

"No, I don't eat human flesh."

Smith, hidden under the hood, almost rolled his eyes. If it wasn't necessary, he wouldn't even bother to absorb humans—there were so many zombies for him to absorb anyway, and normal human food could still satisfy his appetite and even provide energy.

"Thank you, I'm feeling much better."

After being persuaded by Dana, Smith, who was hiding under his hood, also smiled.

Humans are social beings.

No matter how powerful you are, you still need others to provide 'emotional value'.

Therefore, even a tyrant, unless he is insane, will not exterminate everyone else: maids, servants, courtiers. Without these, no matter how strong one is, it is meaningless, because this is the essence of humanity.

"Hehe, now I can rest assured. Cough cough cough!"

Her smile was replaced by pain as Dana suddenly coughed violently, so violently that she even coughed up blood.

Even so, she still held onto the blanket tightly.

?

"what happened?"

"I'm fine"

Before Dana could even instinctively refuse, Smith abruptly stood up and ripped the blanket she was tightly wrapped in.

"let me see--"

? !
What came into Smith's view was a pair of arms covered with black and red tentacles.

"This is."

"I got burned when I moved you in."

The young female reporter gave a seemingly casual answer, but the smile on her face looked far too forced.

Don't forget, 'Smith' himself is a huge source of the virus. With him taking precautions and not showing any open wounds, he shouldn't have any impact on those around him.

However, since he had been unconscious, the 'virus' in his body, driven by the instinct for survival, would naturally infect any living creature that came near him.

Dana contracted the virus around that time.

Bang!
He punched the wall of the icehouse, and the hard metal dented into a hole the size of a washbasin.

If it were Smith at his peak, the wall would have been blown away!
"It's all my fault," he said after checking on Dana.

Smith was left with only regret, frustration, and despair.

Although he is called the 'virus originator', he cannot control these viruses in subtle ways—killing them is very simple, though.

The virus has now infected Dana. If Smith kills the virus, it's the same as killing Dana, killing his sister!
"Everyone dies eventually. If it's to save your loved ones, it's not too bad."

Since it has already been seen,
Dana simply and openly exposed her arms.

They even had the leisure to walk to the outside shelves, pick up a few bags of snacks, and prepare to enjoy them one last time before they 'died'.

At the same time, place the change on the cash register.

"Someone like me is definitely going to 'heaven'."

“If I recover my humanity after I die, just like my brother, then you should tell ‘her’ what kind of person I used to be.”

In order to keep Smith alive, his sister Dana has begun to make 'funeral arrangements'.

"If I turn into a mindless zombie, then you can absorb me."

"Take me with you, and travel the world."

"do not talk!"

Dana was interrupted abruptly by Smith as she continued speaking.

This was the first time he had shown anger; even after being betrayed by Karen, he was mostly taken aback.

"Dana, you once said: good people shouldn't have tragic endings."

Smith's chest heaved violently as he thought rapidly, and finally came up with a solution.

"The 'psychic powers' of supernatural beings can resist viral attacks!"

"I know, but I'm not a supernatural being?"

Dana turned her head in confusion. Even if she had the 'super injection' to use, it was too late.

"right,"

"But I am!"

Smith's eyes, hidden beneath the hood, were incredibly determined.
"Use my 'psychic power' to suppress and expel the virus from your body!"

? ?
"But, releasing 'psychic energy' is a very advanced skill."

In the island nation, the fighting master "Pegasus Hope" developed a technique called "Hatsu"; in America, it is called "Psionic Endowment".

Whatever it's called, it's undoubtedly an 'advanced skill'. The Smith before him—

It has been 'born' for less than a day.

"Believe me, I will definitely do it!"

With his hands on Dana's shoulders, Smith's mind was more focused than ever before.

"Trust me, just as you trust me!"

He was determined to make it happen; if his sister Dana died because of him, Smith would never forgive himself.

"Yes, I believe you."

Since her brother has said so, what else can Dana say?

In absolute focus, Smith's 'qi' actually traveled along his hands, stumbling yet resolutely, into Dana's body, beginning to suppress and expel the viruses that were constantly eroding her normal body.

Such is what miracles are all about.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Numerous warships are anchored off the coast of New York.

"Professor Victor, will this allow me to gain the power of the 'virus'?"

On one of the research vessels, the colonel lying on the operating table was covered in gruesome wounds, from which numerous black and red tentacles danced.

He was the colonel who led the team to capture 'Smith,' but was nearly killed by the enemy with a single claw strike: if it weren't for a 'stupid,' or rather 'brave' subordinate standing in his way, he would be the one now, flesh and power armor fused together.

"In theory, yes."

“These ‘viral strains’ have been destroyed by ‘viral envelope disintegrants’,”

In the secure laboratory, the old professor kept working while explaining: not only to the unlucky one on the operating table, or rather, the lucky one, but also to the many powerful and influential people closely watching this experiment.

"Viral activity has been suppressed to the lowest level."

“When I transplant them into your body, they will try to take control of your body.”

However, this is an extremely 'weak' strain, and given that the colonel is also a supernatural being, he naturally wouldn't become a zombie without any resistance like an ordinary person.

"Remember, this is a battle of wills."

"You must use your willpower to overcome these viruses: keep going, young man."

It's not about using 'qi' to fight against it, but about using willpower to subdue it—in the past, most people would have scoffed at that.

will?

If this stuff were useful, what would be the point of having scientists like you?
But this is the supernatural age, where willpower is a real and undeniable 'power': the ticket to the world of the strong, a technique called 'battle qi', is to use willpower to control the qi flowing within the body, transforming it into an indestructible attack and an unbreakable defense.

According to the 'paranormal scientist', it means elevating oneself to the level of a 'half-energy being'!
"Will?"

The colonel, lying on the operating table, glanced slightly downwards.

It landed on those 'tentacles' dancing in its own flesh and blood, and instead of being afraid, it showed a fanatical expression.

"Come on, I can't wait!"

He withstood the enhancement from the 'super injection' and gained power beyond that of ordinary people.

However, it only surpasses the 'average person' level. Even with frantic training, the rate of improvement is still too slow!
Without the 'powered armor', his strength would only be at the E+ level, which in the supernatural era would make him just a 'super soldier'.

The power of this virus could elevate that basketball-playing black man to D-level overnight! As for the 'virus originator,' it possesses C-level power—you should know that there are only a handful of C-level individuals in the island nation, and they are all important figures with many followers.

Such power

The writhing sensation throughout his body made the colonel grin.

They're mine! They're all mine!!
"You mere virus, obey my orders!"

As the colonel roared on the operating table, the writhing black and red tentacles suddenly quieted down, merging into the wound and becoming part of his body.

This surprised Professor Victor, who was preparing various backup plans.

"Success?"

This guy has quite the willpower, or rather, ambition.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Currency wars are so much fun, let me ask for another day off (feeling guilty).

(End of this chapter)