Cyber ​​Sword Immortal Iron Rain

"But after this so-called 'separation', mankind still has no future—"

This time, it was Patient Zero who interrupted him:

"I just want to provide everyone with a boat, so that everyone can finally safely cross the sea of ​​suffering and reach the true other shore..."

"Or rather - that is the ending we deserve."

"This is why I crossed the long river of time and came to the future... I know very well that not everyone is willing to choose separation as an answer."

……

Fang Bailu:

"But are you really sure - are you sure that their choice is right? It is possible that most of the human race died in that night hundreds of years ago."

"After all, you didn't receive any WeChat or phone calls—"

Patient Zero: "That's impossible. We can never contact each other."

Fang Bailu: "So you are offering me a solution that may never be verified... Is that right?"

"If what you say is true, all the people who came before us may be in eternal bliss, free to spend as much as they want; or they may have died completely and fallen into nothingness. But we will never know the truth, because everyone is separated forever."

Patient Zero: “That’s it.”

Fang Bailu: "But how can there be no connection between people? Or, in other words, are we still real human beings?"

……

Fang Bailu did not wait for Patient Zero's answer, but continued to push and pressure him with questions:

"Then why do we need to carry out what you call a 'farewell'? Is there any meaning to it?"

"Although you said a lot before, why do humans have such thoughts? Let's not discuss whether it is good or bad... But what is certain is that 'separation' must be a major and far-reaching decision."

"But people are generally not keen on changing the status quo; especially the comfortable and auspicious status quo—"

"From what you said, I feel that... the result of separation is very ambiguous, very ambiguous. I can't see a specific reason why I have to do this -"

……

……

Chapter 353: Mental Image (Part )

……

……

Patient Zero: "The creation and implementation of 'Separation' is to prevent the extinction of mankind - is this reason sufficient?"

"Mr. Fang, please think about this question..."

"If 'The Separation' and 'The Blackout' had never happened, would the world be like this now?"

Fang Bailu suddenly understood the hidden meaning in the other party's words:

"Don't tell me - you think the world is good now?"

Patient Zero:

"You must have heard the old joke - 'I don't know how World War III will be fought, but I know how World War IV will be fought: with stones and sticks'! Hahaha, hahaha - cough, cough..."

Patient Zero seemed very satisfied with the joke. After his hoarse laughter with phlegm, he started coughing and wheezing non-stop - Fang Bailu was just waiting for him to calm down.

Patient Zero finally soothed the pain from his coughing. He gently stroked his chest:

“Although it’s not very appropriate, but the principle is indeed the same.”

"I can tell you very clearly: if the 'separation' had not occurred, there would be no stones and sticks left for humans to fight with."

"The power you possess now - you should be able to recognize this clearly, right?"

Fang Bailu:

"I thought that with such applied technology, people's moral standards would be higher—"

"Or is it just a matter of raising the intensity of war and conflict to a higher level?"

Patient Zero:

"If we can give people more time, more time to make each other safer... perhaps, human moral ethics can keep up with the development of science and technology—"

“But in fact, it didn’t.”

"They are still stuck in the endless cycle of trying - doing something just because they can..."

"Look around you and recall what you saw when you woke up—"

"The 'occult revival' movement is just the beginning, the beginning of people trying and experimenting with their own powers."

"After that, there will be more, bigger, and more terrifying things to happen - we, the 'people of the future', have seen it, so we decided to stop it here."

……

Fang Bailu agreed with some of the other party's words, but not all:

"But from what you said, the result of 'separation' is completely unverifiable."

"What's more likely is that you simply evaporated those humans who accepted 'separation' into nothingness."

What Fang Bailu didn't say was——

If this is true, it is actually better than the ending that "separation" should have: people who endure "separation" and enter the empty world... face complete loneliness.

More lonely than any human being could ever be before the advent of "separation" -

If souls really exist, then even after they die... they will wander in the silent earth forever and infinitely. But from what Patient Zero said, the old humans may be able to watch the sun go out while they are still alive...

Alone, of course: and perhaps always alone.

……

Fang Bailu:

"Even for war or other conflicts, separation is too much of a solution to thirst."

"If we do that, humans will no longer be human."

Patient Zero:

"Really? Do you think so?"

"I agree with you - they are no longer human, but have become gods of their respective worlds."

"But humans cannot remain humans forever. Our ancestors did not wait for a war that could wipe out all of humanity, nor did they wait for the moral standards of all people to eventually rise to a high enough level..."

……

Fang Bailu:

"But if everyone has access to this kind of applied technology, will everyone agree to such an extreme and irreversible solution as 'separation'? From what I know about humans, there is nothing that all humans can agree on... not even life and death."

Patient Zero:

"You are right. If you realize this, you should also be able to recognize another point."

"In some cases, the minority is not popular... those who are in the majority will naturally resort to coercive means to solve the problem."

"Not to mention - 'Separation' is a good thing... not a bad thing. It is a means to achieve the welfare of as many people as possible."

"In the end, there were still some scattered survivors - such as the so-called immortal gathering, such as you and me, and other hibernating dragons."

"This is also the reason why I went into hibernation: I want to go to the future and give those who are left, wandering in the sea of ​​suffering... a better ending, and let them go."

"This is my wish."

……

Fang Bailu:

"Even if - I don't think your statement is correct, because there is no way to verify it - but even if you take a step back and say that you are right... every individual who has experienced 'separation' has become the master of a lonely world."

"But even so—"

"I don't think this is a final solution: at least, it can't solve all human suffering."

……

This topic finally came to a temporary end - because neither of them continued to bring it up to attack each other; but no one could convince the other.

The whole of Manila was wrapped in cinnabar, as if bathing in the color-adjusted rising sun - except that it was not the rising sun, but the increasingly dazzling light of the blood-red giant trees.

After a major power outage, is the scene also dark and dim?

Fang Bailu:

"So the 'big blackout' is a byproduct of separation, a consequence of it."

The light from the red trees flickered behind him, flickering like neon lights - this was the atmosphere Fang Bailu created for this question. The issue of the blackout had been lingering in his mind for a long time, and even now he couldn't help but use humor to dilute the seriousness.

Patient Zero must have noticed the other party's intention; but the old man just shrugged indifferently:

"When you leave home or go on a long journey, you naturally have to remember to turn off the lights, gas, water and electricity. The 'big blackout' is for the same reason."

Fang Bailu frowned. He was somewhat displeased by Patient Zero's lazy attitude towards this topic.

"That's if I still plan to come back... If I'm never going back to this house, I won't even bother to close the door; I've already given up, so why bother?"

Patient Zero didn't seem to notice Fang Bailu's change in mood, or maybe he knew but still didn't care:

"If you live alone, then everything will be yours, and no one else will have any say. But humans are a big family... maybe too big: 'parting' is not done all at once, but in batches."

"Some people suggested separating animals and plants like Noah's Ark, but soon others even asked: Should artificial intelligence and the earth itself be separated? But in that case, the separation will take a long, long time... In fact, people are not willing to wait at all. Humans are always impatient."

"In short, that era was very noisy during that period... The last few groups of people who were leaving cut off most of the energy supply."

"Because some people believe that the remaining animals may one day develop a new civilization; they will be the successors of humans—"

"They don't want animals to harm themselves ... and the planet they live on because of mishandling."

……

Fang Bailu:

"So it's still 'goodbye' - everything is about this separation."

Patient Zero:

"Do you know that since its appearance, 'Farewell' has only been able to be used on oneself - until the great blackout, when most humans disappeared from this universe, and the remaining humans modified its target, so that Farewell can also be used on others."

"The 'farewell' in the clay figurine's hand is the old version..."

"It was for this reason that he finally left this world: now, he should have found peace and joy."

……

Fang Bailu answered with silence - he still couldn't understand why the so-called clay man would rather choose to exile himself or the other party out of the universe; rather than engage in a conversation.

Although talking may not necessarily lead to a happy ending in the future...

Patient Zero suddenly broke the silence:

"So, it seems that you don't agree with separation."

Fang Bailu: "Of course."

Patient Zero:

"I still have a copy of 'Farewell' on hand——"

"I hope that this conversation can continue: If you do not think that 'parting' is a suitable ending for human beings, then I hope that you can give me other, better options."

"I will continue to try to convince you to accept the pursuit of separation as the direction for human progress - conversely, you can continue to convince me."

"If you can't convince me in the end... or if I find that I can't convince you: I will say goodbye to you."

"I don't think I need to tell you that destroying my body is useless. Just like what is described in most literary works, even if I die, 'separation' will still happen to you."

Fang Bailu: "That's true. Generally speaking, only the mastermind or the big boss would be threatened in such a way that their life and death would be at risk."

Patient Zero:

"So……"