GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

The four-star demorgorg understood their plight so he just smiled and didn't rush them to stand. 

The tree father was watching them while inspecting the data he was receiving from their runes. He is of the opinion that while the initiation process is difficult and will need some getting used to, it is great for the giants of orders. It is still great even though 2 initiates didn't survive the process. 

These two died. They are different from the other 3 who failed because their demons died or the 3 who failed because they couldn't hold still during the tattooing. They can start again with other demons after a period of rest and training but these 2 can't. 

The burden was too big for their existence. Their bodies broke apart as their consciousness crumbled. They died and scattered to ashes leaving behind a ball formed by the chains binding a demon tightly. 

The leader said to the three that failed, "Two of you whose demons died will use the vestige that was left behind while the last one will pick a new demon to use. You will do this after resting for some days."

The 2 balls can still be used. It is usually how demons are transferred between demorgorgs. As long as the rune isn't damaged, a dead demorgorg will leave behind this ball which another demorgorg can assimilate. 

The three initiates paled when they heard that they would have to try again. They thought the death of the demons they tried to enslave would disqualify them. Apparently, that is not the case and the pain they just went through was in vain. They couldn't help but feel fear despite their faith in their god.

Their leader roared at them, "Snap out of it. Fear is a sin and a weakness. You cannot be afraid if you want to subdue a demon. Remember your training!"

That calmed them down. They thought back to their training, specifically the weakness that they must avoid. They must avoid exhibiting the sins of demons. Emotions like wrath, lust, fear, etc are weaknesses that demons can exploit. 

A demorgorg must have an inviolable will and perfect control over their emotions. It is not as important as the earlier versions of demorgorgs which were at risk of being corrupted by the demons they subdued. 

Back then, the demons could communicate with their host and use that link to break the mind of the host causing their death. Even though that is not so anymore, weaknesses in emotions will increase their chances of failure so they steeled their will and got rid of their fear. 

Their leader went on, "I am sure you will succeed after this painful experience. All of your training combined cannot help you prepare yourself more than this short brush with death could. Have you ever heard of a demorgorg dying while changing their demons? No, it doesn't happen. That's because they are already used to it. So be more confident in yourself."

What the leader didn't say is that it used to happen in the past. It is only recently that the rune has become better at upgrading a demorgorg from one star to two stars and more. Demorgorgs rarely die now due to the upgrade process. 

He might have omitted a crucial detail but he is right in that their chances of survival have increased after this failed experience. The initiates can see the wisdom that led to that conclusion and why the 3 who failed the tattooing part of the initiation were sent off. would have probably died if they attempted to acquire their first star. 

The tattooing is nothing compared to actually assimilating a demon. If they couldn't handle the tattooing then it is highly unlikely that they would be able to handle the assimilation. As it is, they might still die even if they return from training and succeed with the tattooing. After all, succeeding in getting the tattoo does little to prepare them for assimilation much less when they fail. 

"Let's go!" The leader shouted at them.

Then he grabbed them and the vestiges with his solidified divine sense and carried them away. He knows that if they can't speak, there is no way they will be able to walk. As they are, they will be stuck on their beds for many days to come. 

The underground prison for demons returned to serenity after they left. All that could be heard were the occasional moans of agony and shrieks of pain. But that is normal to hear here so it is peaceful. In fact, total silence would be considered out of place here. 

The tree father observed to himself, "So a survival rate of 75%. That isn't bad. It is worth it at least."

6 out of the 8 of them survived the process. The survival rate can be increased if the tree father adds divine life energy to the rune on the initiates. This will heal them and keep them alive during the assimilation of the demon. A 100% survival rate can be ensured that way. But the tree father isn't going to spend divine life energy on that.

Demorgorgs were created to assist him and reduce his usage of divine energy. They take some of the burden of running a kingdom off of him. While the investment of divine life energy into creating demorgorgs at 100% is low, Legion is not willing to accept that expenditure. Especially when there are other clones that need it. 

Divine life energy is useful for a lot of things. It is used to speed up growth in Ragnarok, Legion-5, and Legion-7. It is also needed for healing and the reconstruction of bodies for Legion-7 to use his ability. 

The supply of divine life energy is not infinite and is not enough for all of Legion's needs. As it is, even if the clones don't need it urgently, the tree father won't spend it on some weaklings. He would rather save it for when the clones need it. It is better to have divine life energy and not need it than to need it and not have it.