Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

It wasn't just the bourgeois revolution that defeated the feudal land system; it was the capitalist mode of production that lowered the profitability of land to a certain point, making industry the theoretical structure for creating more wealth.

Just as the relationship between tenants and landlords was one of organizers and the organized within the feudal land system, the relationship between workers and capitalists is also one of organizers and the organized within the capitalist system.

When Noldrei took control of Stigma, a tangible product imbued with ideological color, the future relationship of organizers and the organized would be between the producers of ideology and the users of that ideology.

So when Theresa arrived in Jerusalem, she also understood what Noldrei was trying to do.

But Theresa's arrival was perfectly timed, because Noldrei knew she was the Current Era Herrscher who had inherited the Core of Reason from Welt Yang.

So he told Theresa about his Stigma Project truthfully.

"Are you insane?! You actually want to lead humanity into an era like this!"

Theresa tried to leap up and attack Noldrei's head, but it was useless. Her soft fists only managed to hit his chest, achieving nothing else.

"Theresa, humanity should have entered this era long ago. It's like how you all have quantum computers that could give human education wings to fly, yet you only use them to research Valkyrie battlesuits and for scientific experiments."

"You should be asking Schicksal why they insist on doing things this way! You all have quantum computers, yet countries still insist on using paper documents for office work! Theresa, you all have such amazing technology, yet you're always so timid, too afraid to do anything!"

Noldrei didn't even want to start ranting.

"Academy City has already cultivated the first batch of Stigma-enhanced humans. They have stronger combat and production capabilities, and they can use the power of Stigma to change and improve themselves. So why not dare to push this project further, to the entire world?"

"If you do this," Theresa said anxiously, "people will just escape from reality!"

Noldrei shook his head. "The reason people escape is not because of the pain of reality, but because there is nothing in reality that they hold dear and love. You should be asking those people why they've created such a society, not trying to stop me from further completing the decentralized Stigma Project."

Theresa was rendered speechless by Noldrei's rebuttal. She never would have thought he could be so radical.

He looked at this forty-year-old loli who looked so much like Kiana and asked, "Theresa, let me ask you, if I gave you this choice, would you hide in the Stigma Space, addicted to that god-like pleasure?"

Theresa paused for a moment, then said without a hint of hesitation, "Since I already know it's fake, why would I get addicted to it?"

"That's not what you said when you were embezzling public funds to buy manga."

Noldrei's attack was too sharp, instantly defeating Theresa on the spot.

"The reason you object is because even though you've suffered so much in reality, you still have people you can love and who support you."

"Theresa, a person's happiness may not always be real, but their pain is always real."

Noldrei cut off Theresa's final attempt at a defense. For all the years she had lived, she had never managed to win a debate against such a person.

Seeing her still huffing and puffing, Noldrei put his arm around her shoulder and started chatting with her as they walked.

"You don't need to worry about these things. I'm going to specially cultivate a group of people to deal with those who become addicted. Their main job will be to design the permissions within the Stigma Space. After them, we will focus on cultivating a group of talents dedicated to the work of 'interaction'."

All these talents Noldrei mentioned were being established to deal with those who would become addicted in the future.

"What's the use of these people?"

Theresa looked at him blankly. She thought they sounded like psychologists.

"In Academy City, I established the Stigma Matriarch. The 'Will of Stigma' is a reflection of the individual and an operation of the Stigma's will. But here? I'm preparing to establish a new Stigma Project, one that turns the 'Stigma World' into a reflection of the individual."

When Noldrei talked to Mobius and the others, he emphasized the ruling power of the new Stigma Project. But when talking to Theresa, he had to emphasize its productivity.

"What's the difference between the two?" Theresa vaguely sensed that this was a completely different method of Stigma management from Academy City's.

"Of course there's a difference. Academy City's Stigma Battlesuit project emphasizes individual cultivation and the continuation of power, at the cost of humanity's own need for procreation, while strengthening social management in reality." Noldrei chose his words carefully. "But the Stigma Project here emphasizes the deconstruction of the individual, and the decomposition of their ideology. The purpose is to unfold the traces of a person's entire life within the Stigma Space."

"This requires the second step after editing and leaving traces in the Stigma Space, which is immutability. Only with immutability can a person's spiritual world be fully revealed in the Stigma Space."

"When the limitations of physical reality are stripped away, what a person's mental activity creates will inevitably be the deepest, most unforgettable needs of their heart. It could be family, recognition, money, or the body of a woman. Of course, there will naturally be no shortage of lolicon perverts who desire little girls."

What Noldrei was talking about was letting these people's spirits unfold in the Stigma Space. This way, the thoughts and desires of individuals would be reflected in reverse, allowing the information exchange managers of the Stigma Space to better understand the needs of humanity in this era.

"So, unlike the monitoring model of Academy City's Stigma Matriarch, this method will reveal the deepest needs of a person's heart with maximum transparency. The people of Academy City can see their own will, made real by their own limitations, while the people here will see their own activities, made real by their own limitations."

"Theoretically, you can think of this place as a psychological treatment center for the entire human race."

Theresa never thought Noldrei would want to heal the psychological trauma of all humanity, and to do it in such a way.

She was both shocked by this astonishingly creative idea and felt that her own conservative thinking was far too... backward.

The aged loli was conflicted. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed for having opposed Noldrei so vehemently from the start.

"I didn't think you had such a brilliant ideal! Well, then... is there anything I can do to help?"

Noldrei revealed a meaningful smile. "Theresa, I heard that the Previous Era's Herrscher of Reason became a very powerful Divine Key, the Void Archives. How about... you also become the Divine Key in my new project?"

Theresa was completely unaware of how dangerous and insane this proposal was. The thought of being able to solve the mental illnesses of all humanity instantly filled her with a noble spirit of self-sacrifice.

The Kaslana blood hidden within her immediately began to burn.

"I'll do it! I'll do whatever you ask!"