Meng Chao noticed that time within this wondrous space seemed to have frozen.
He had clearly deduced two futures in the virtual world, spanning several decades in all.
Even if they had not been real, decades' worth of memories had turned into a surging, crashing flood and poured into his brain.
Yet aside from a slight swelling sensation in his head, occasional gaps and dislocations in his memories, and being unable to tell which memories had truly happened and which had merely been deduced and had yet to occur, he suffered none of the severe symptoms such as splitting headaches or spiritual exhaustion.
Naturally, he felt neither fatigue nor hunger.
"So, did the 'ancients' who left behind this palace hope that I would remain in this space forever, repeatedly deducing the future until I found the 'correct answer'?"
Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it.
Finding a way to save Dragon City Civilization had always been the goal Meng Chao tirelessly strove toward.
He gathered his thoughts and carefully reflected on the lessons of the two Bad Futures he had just experienced.
"First, I can conclude that whether or not the Nine Great Families are eliminated is not the key to saving the nation from ruin and preserving its survival.
"Or rather, if we want to protect Dragon City Civilization, we must choose the right answer in every one of a hundred Life and Death Choices.
"Whether or not to eliminate the Nine Great Families is merely one of those choices.
"More likely, it doesn't matter whether the Nine Great Families are eliminated. What matters is what comes next after eliminating them—or winning them over.
"As the saying goes, 'Ruling a great state is like cooking a small fish.' What matters is the heat.