Chapter 20

She watched as hundreds of millions of lives in the light screen had their nerves semi-peeled, turned into nerve chips, and connected to cables, burning their brains and consciousness to provide computing power for the Empire.

The Empire's propaganda slogans echoed constantly in the cerebral cortex blocks:

【"The mission is calling! And the brave and smart will respond!"】

【"Turn your thoughts into torches and drive away the darkness of ignorance and superstition!"】

【"Brave people, move forward and bloom with light."】

Just as these slogans were ringing out, a slender alien creature with blue skin let out a wail.

Its eyes rolled back, full of hideous bloodshot veins, foam constantly bubbled from its mouth, and it muttered complex numbers.

Finally, white smoke emerged from its nostrils, and its skull was burned through by high temperatures, revealing a brain that had turned into charcoal.

The Imperial auxiliary soldiers nearby skillfully dragged the corpse and threw it into a synthesis pool to be made into biological gel to power other nerve chips.

【"Lord Corps Commander, may I ask? What is the Empire calculating recently?"】

An Imperial auxiliary soldier couldn't help but ask the tall and sturdy Imperial soldier beside him.

【"The burnout rate of nerve chips recently is 12% higher than before, and I heard from friends stationed on the periphery... that a large number of fleets have arrived recently."】

【"I don't know what the Empire is calculating either. I guess only the three major arrays of physics, sociology, and engineering in the scientific data understand."】

The Imperial soldier said while continuing his patrol:

【"I only know that what is being calculated now is the purpose for which His Majesty the Emperor built the Synaptic Condenser."】

【"This matter is of great importance... what you heard is correct; there are indeed a large number of fleets guarding the Synaptic Condenser."】

【"The Poison Saint Knight Order has arrived, the Grand Marshal of the former Human Federation is in charge of the operation, and the Scientific Hub has also been mobilized nearby to process information efficiently."】

Speaking of this, the Imperial soldier's voice lowered a bit:

【"It is said that His Majesty the Emperor is also unofficially inspecting the Synaptic Condenser. Do you know how important the content being calculated now is?"】

"It's simply the most cruel exploitation!"

Looking at the content on the screen, Topaz finally couldn't help but say:

"Life, freedom, wealth, and even consciousness and wisdom have been exploited and alienated..."

The nearby company employees looked at each other; there were indeed few opportunities for the company to condemn others for exploitation.

Not to mention that this Director Topaz they followed had joined the company for the purpose of... "safeguarding the interests of the vast majority of people."

Presumably, this was why Miss Topaz could not agree with the Empire's behavior.

Just then, the scene in the light screen fell on the Disaster Empire Emperor on the throne.

The Emperor was seen supporting his face with one hand.

【"To get a glimpse of the deeper meaning of reality, we need a brand-new science, a brand-new computer."】

【"The Synaptic Condenser represents the most important first step in our journey toward infinite knowledge."】

【"Its advantages are self-evident, but there are some races with twisted values that view this behavior of alienating individuals into computing chips as a moral problem."】

29. 【Obviously, That Disaster Will Always Be Us】

【"There are some races with twisted values that view this behavior of alienating individuals into computing chips as a moral problem."】

The words of the Disaster Empire Emperor echoed in the light screen.

Many people were left dazed by his words.

Viewing the behavior of alienating individuals into chips as a moral problem was actually considered twisted values in the eyes of this Disaster Empire Emperor.

In Cocolia's Fortress in Belobog, Bronya couldn't help but shake her head.

Just from a brief contact, Bronya knew that the Emperor was such a person.

He had a unique and tenacious worldview that was hair-raising.

"Or is it that your entire Empire is like this?" Bronya looked at the machine floating in front of her and couldn't help but ask.

It was a polygonal machine the size of a human head, changing every moment, full of unique rhythmic beauty.

Only the triangular window in the center of the polygon remained unchanged, releasing a pale green luster toward Bronya.

They called themselves the Sociology Array, an integrated organ formed by linking the consciousness of the most excellent sociologists of the entire Disaster Empire.

"No, it's just that your civilization has not yet correctly understood the world, values, and life."

"If you cannot correctly understand the world, how can you have a correct worldview?"

"If you don't know what has value, how can you have correct values?"

"If life is trapped in low productivity, how can you have a correct outlook on life?"

The Sociology Array evaluated calmly:

"You are still in an era of relying on matter, using other miscellaneous things to cover your eyes, unable to see where the value of civilization lies. We express understanding."

Bronya gave a bitter smile; it seemed the Disaster Empire shared a unique worldview.

Topaz hugged Trotter, pouting; she was one of the members condemned by the Imperial Emperor as having twisted values.

She knew that the company had also committed many sinful acts of exploitation, not to mention other departments.

In the Strategic Investment Department, there were quite a few people she couldn't stand.

But even they hadn't reached the level of exploitation of sentient beings as the Disaster Empire.

Linking countless sentient beings from different races into nerve chips to provide computing power for the Disaster Empire—

this was the exploitation of everything about the individual, making one's skin crawl.

However, in the mouth of the Imperial Emperor, the condemnation of this behavior had become twisted values.

Topaz wanted to see what kind of high-minded theories he could come up with.

【"Only science can pave the way for progress."】

【"Our mastery of technology is self-evident, but there are still countless things beyond our understanding: the path of the Fallen Empire, the power of Aeon beasts, the mystery of psionic insight, and even the power of the Void Realm gods..."】

【"If we want to fully exert our true potential, gain insight into the deeper meaning of reality, and pursue transcendent logic, there is no other way."】

The Emperor of the Disaster Empire leaned lazily on the throne.

【"With the development of civilization and the evolution of organisms, we have completely solved the problem of survival."】

【"As a result, love has disappeared due to the alienation and fusion of individuals; art has died due to being overly exquisite and obscure; and the yearning to reach higher levels has become the only sustenance and pursuit of civilization's existence."】

【"We crave ascension, to reach higher levels, and we will stop at nothing to achieve it."】

【"In the past few years, this craving has become increasingly intense, and we have already felt the manifest destiny belonging to the Empire."】

【"This manifest destiny is far more noble than this sea of stars."】

The Emperor of the Disaster Empire said softly:

【"The sentient beings among the stars are still ignorant. We will endure misunderstanding and suffer resistance, but our path of ascension will never stagnate."】

【"The stars have been discussing the disaster that might descend; that will be a crisis for all sentient life."】

【"Some call the Prethoryn Scourge the First Disaster, feel the Contingency that ignited the stars is the Second Disaster, and feel the Breaker that tore the veil to descend into this world is the Third Disaster."】

【"But..."】

His tone paused slightly, and he said as calmly as stating a fact:

【"Now it is obvious that that disaster will always be us."】

【"The Fallen Empire once possessed the knowledge we seek, but they became too sluggish and complacent, to the point of ignoring the call of manifest destiny."】

【"Now, we have the right to use any necessary means to surpass them and deconstruct the deepest mysteries of the universe."】

The Emperor of the Disaster Empire's tone suddenly became a bit gentler, looking at the subjects under the throne who were looking up at him, and said softly:

【"We may fail in the process of exploration, fall when reaching higher levels, or experience endless pain in failure..."】

【"But I would like to bless you all with a sentence I heard when I was still young..."】

【"... If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die content in the evening."】

Everyone in the universe was stunned in place.

The Disaster Empire's eager pursuit of the so-called manifest destiny and the path of ascension hit everyone's hearts fiercely.

All the subjects and rulers of an entire Empire were of one mind, willing to give up everything to uncover the mysteries of the depths of the universe and ascend to higher levels.

Regardless of whether they could understand it, all sentient beings felt shocked.

"..." Herta looked silently at the Disaster Empire Emperor in the light screen and turned to look at Asta.

"Asta, I'll give the company a bottom line first..."

"If the Disaster Empire appears in the universe, I will stick to them without hesitation and beg to join them."

"That's just how it is... just to hear the Dao."

30. 【Gravity is but a brush, reality is but a canvas】 ===== CHAPTER 21 =====