@[Pcm](/user/show/10039396) I don't see Collin being okay with execution of his family. Imprisonment and attempting to heal then though is what he would have wanted. I suspect that would also double as an opportunity to learn about how to combat demons, but the dangers and risk are present in that as well should anything go wrong. From what we see with Garrett, the changes are both physically and psychological, probably even brain chemistry oriented. It would likely be a very long healing process with a lot of therapy and magic involved. From how I see it, the demons may be able to intellectually grasp why forcing pleasure isn't right (perhaps by the line of such isn't authentic pleasure anyway), even if they can't emotionally grasp why they shouldn't do that as pleasure is pleasure in their eyes. Another way could be to argue that seeking pleasure for pleasures sake will always lead to one following it at the expense of everyone else- even if you think you aren't doing so. It would be a very difficult process, that is for sure. If Collin were demonized, it would literally be the beginning of the end. Geopolitical that would be a disaster. And it would destroy what makes Collin himself, his compassion and awareness of others needs (though his excessive desire for self sacrifice also needs to be moderated). At that point, that wouldn't really be a victory to me at least should he be turned. He would become the despair of the world. That the demons don't care why Collin was miserable arguably is an example of how the pursuit of pleasure has begun to overshadow the obligations and love for one's loved ones. One could argue that in doing so, one has put pleasure before them. But then again, one can argue this is being done to free them from eastern cultural issues- in a very dubious way. I would also argue that while demonization might free people from the eastern cultural issues, it would also make those dealing with mental health issues or the like I'd argue somewhat dangerous. The heightened impulsiveness and lack of caring about what's going on besides pleasure reminds me a bit of the lead crime hypothesis- where it was argued lead in buildings and the enviormenr and water caused people to be exposed to large amounts of it, causing them to express more impulsively, criminal behavior etc (also having little mental health resources and returning veterans from multiple wars with untreared mental ills didnt help either). It's seen as one of the reasons the late 20th century had so much crime in certain areas, and also why some of the people in those eras (alongside a more trusting population, less advanced forensics and focus on safety, less integrated criminal justice/ officer units), led to an enviotment that allowed some indoviduals to commit truly terrible acts to sate their own pleasure. Once lead was removed, crime rates went down with it. It's not a fully established idea, but has its advocates and doesn't seem entirely off in full either. While the demons we see are more concerned about family, and while we have stories like Garrett's that show how demons are not inherently evil but to a degree amoral, for every one of those are likely a bunch of horror stories. The east is likely falling apart now as the citizenry have either fled or have been converted- I imagine many have potentially fled for ships on the coast if they know what's going on- with the knights all converted, public order has likely broken down save for regions near the capitol and the like. We already know the knights lost a major arm of their forces 50 years ago, so things aren't looking good.

@Anon With the demons, seeking pleasure is wired into their brain as a part of their biology. And corrupting others and make feel pleasurable are also biologically ingrained as the height of pleasure. It is how the demons function, their biology is directing them to seek corrupting others, either by demonizing them by themselves or incapacitating then with pleasure so that their masters can do so. They can suppress that desire to a degree, especially when it involves people they care for. I just eant to note that their spreading of corruption is biologically motivated, and they for most of the time don't care for the motivation except for their own biologically ingrained gratification. (Leon is an exception, but he is finding a way to reconcile his prior identity with his new biological drive. Rehabilitating them will be a challenge. What makes up a person anyway? Demonhood alters personality and desire, but it leaves someone's innermost self untouched. After millenniums of experimentation, the Overlod found a way to bypass this issue by altering aspects surrounding someone's core in a way that does not not contradict someone's sense of self, but caters to it, convincing that they are changing for the better and alters itself. William, for example, embraces demonhood because it doesn't really makes him hurt anyone, because that is aginst who he is. In fact, it is making others feel good, and that makes him feels good! Over time, making others feel no good no longer matters as long as much as making himself and his family feel good. His love for his family, on the other hand, is a permanent feature that cannot be altered. Unfortunately, the demons have no needs to alter that nor want to, after all, a brood of tight-knitted demons is always useful than a lonesome recruit. All they have ro do is to make William see corruption as a gift for them. Fleeing offshoe is not an option. Sailing away is a guarateed way to get themselves killed, converted, or worse by the Abyssal Gaze. It is why there has been no contact with other continents yet.

@[GoodBoyPuppy](/user/show/10028663) time will tell...

@Anonymous You don't know that it is AI.

@[Cutlerfan](/user/show/14171) He's got a point about AI or some text generation because bits of the story are nonsensical: "Jake grinned, a wicked glint in his eye. “Come on, Eth. I know, you’ve always been curious. And now, you’re small enough to take me. All of me.” The whole thing does read as stitched together or edited weirdly

@[Cutlerfan](/user/show/14171) Plus the author bio says I’m not afraid to use AI in my work, and the illustrations are also created using generative tools.

@Nonymous I have to say, I love the detective work that's being done. I didn't suspect AI at first, but it would explain some things. "Ethan blushed, but he didn’t look away". This sentence isn't necessarily illogical, but it is odd. I want to say that if it's AI it would explain the sudden and extremely quick mindsets of the characters (or how Jake making Ethan his sextoy was supposed to make it up to him), but it might be because this is the author's first story. I'm not sure its necessarily bad that he used AI but it needed to be used as assistance and not as the full on author.