Chapter 1919: Chapter 399: The White Prophet and the Black Sun
[And most terrifyingly, Axel does not want this power. He does not act to make others obey him, but to help people understand what âthe sunâ truly means... The power of the Sunbird lineage combined with human desire and ambition has given birth to such an awe-inspiring existence.]
"His way of thinking, I donât even think itâs wrong."
Faced with the Dragon King, Ian was also able to candidly express some of his unconventional thoughts: "If Axel doesnât set this brainwashing to encompass the entire âInega IIâ, and instead targets only newborns."
"Instill some knowledge and morals into childrenâs hearts, bypassing the initial hazy period, providing the best education to all childrenâor through mental methods, ensure that certain professions strictly adhere to their professional ethics, such as judges and lawyers who cannot be bribed, or juries that cannot deviate from justice. If we can set ârulesâ, then many problems in human society today would cease to exist."
[This is actually wrong too, strictly speaking.]
The Galewind Dragon King quietly listened to Ianâs thoughts and slightly shook its head after Ian finished his narration: [Wise beings have the power to make mistakes, but the price is that if they err, they must be punished.]
[For example, your human natureâitâs human nature to shield a friend who commits a crime, to resent rescuers who saved oneself but not oneâs child, parent, or spouse. Human nature makes people deviate, and while itâs not right, it must existâto break the law for a friend necessitates punishment, and those who resent rescuers will be rejected or even despised. As long as cause and effect continue uninterrupted, it is permissible.]
[What you contemplate, in educating newborns and providing âinheritance memoryâ, is something many races employ. Those magical beasts in your eyes, their bloodlines, all the techniques inherited at birth are similar to what youâre talking about... In the future, humans will also have their inheritance memory; as your Bloodline True Form gradually optimizes, it will become such a thing.]
[However, enforcing those âprofessional standardsâ through brainwashing poses huge problems: Who will supervise the ones doing the brainwashing, who will regulate them?]
"Heart of Terra."
Ian slowly answered: "A collective artificial intelligence that has already been brainwashed and regulated. It can learn to iterate moral ethics and at least can supervise everyone well, making people know they âhave a deity over their heads.â"
[With that configuration, itâs akin to gestalt civilization, albeit slightly independent, with everyone possessing self-awareness but under the main brainâs surveillance.]
The Galewind Dragon King was noncommittal; as a True Dragon, it acknowledged any form of civilization: [Itâs also one path, but using gestalt consciousness to solve human civilizationâs trouble invites gestural civilizationâs problems. By then, itâs a double trouble.]
[However, for your Terra, it might be just right.]
[Overall, this surpasses the technological prowess of your current civil cities; theoretically speaking, developing such planetary Mind Beacons as offense and stabilization methods would necessitate a starry nation comprising dozens of Starfields, based on Terraâs current situation itâd be difficult to utilize effectively regardless.]
[My advice is still to avoid using it as much as possible.]
"At least simplifying it for use as a Learning Machine is not bad."
Ian shrugged, having regained a bit of strength by then, he detached from the Galewind Dragon Kingâs body: "Speaking of this, I do recall when I was in the South Sea Great Labyrinth, I saw that Learning Machine... Echo, Learning Machine, Mind Beacon... Who could have thought, this is a single coherent technological path?"
"More importantly..."
He looked up, gazing toward Terra, his expression solemn: "Pandoraâs Box has already been opened."
He said calmly: "Todayâs Terra, all nations with slight technological reserves have likely begun researching how to brainwash their own citizens to boost productivity and cohesion."
"This is no different fundamentally from the Deceased Monarch; itâs not as preferable as the Era of Gods in my âSpirit Disasterâ, at least the gods required faith, recognition of free will, rather than blind adherence and submission post-brainwashing."
[Indeed.]
The Dragon King sighed: [As such, the activation of the Perpetual Motion Machine would likely have major issuesâregardless, the Perpetual Motion Machine would not accept votes from brainwashed citizens.]
"So."
Behind Ian, the Pioneer Platform appeared once more, the deep, twisted space-time emerging behind him: "I must return to Terra and announce something."
"Axel declared the true meaning of the sun to all Ordinary people, but powerful Sublimators remain ignorant. I must tell them the truth about this planet, Starfield, and the universe."
"And inform them... exactly what cannot be done."
[Then, farewell, I still need to observe the aftermath of the Calamity of Light, to stabilize the Cradle Fragments.]
The Galewind Dragon King watched the back of this human, it had seen many humans, but none like Ian Silverpeak, always so busy, so resolute, always knowing exactly where he must head.
Thus, it merely offered a blessing: [May all go well for you.]