347 Blooms Quietly

The torrential rain continued, and the neutrons that were Qualia-Direction the atmosphere did not kill any living things on the surface; the targets of the damage were limited to those whose bodies were covered in rain.

For trees and rainforests, a single Qualia Rain is hardly a catastrophic event.

Because the Dragon Satellite itself is a planet swallowed by a forest, with the dense, overgrown forest constantly spreading outwards.

For carnivores like the Treant, this might be paradise. However, history will tell us time and again that those who try to build paradise on earth will only head towards hell.

Native organisms gained a strong ecological niche in the forest, but then green deserts began to appear. Plants of the same species competed fiercely for sunlight, making it impossible for the understory to grow, and the forest floor lacked a middle shrub layer and ground vegetation.

Although plants do not compete with humans for air, they absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, significantly reducing the greenhouse effect and causing global temperatures to continue to fall.

Looking at it from both the perspective of an Li Aoz and a participant, it seems that all of this further confirms the viewpoint of "Magic, Dragons and Mithril": the essence of everything is a makeshift operation that cannot withstand any setbacks.

The Qualia Rain fell, afflicting the refugees and destroying the green hell.

It seemed as if neither side's victory was meaningful.

Reading brings Li Aoz a lot of peace. Perhaps due to the influence of his environment, he has recently begun to habitually engage in self-reflection and debate. Time, civilization, science, and chaotic systems have all sparked a positive and vigorous interest in him.

But this period of enjoyment was short-lived, and Li Aoz was soon forced to withdraw from the pleasure of this philosophical contemplation.

Because the rain stopped.

"It's time to go, my little beauty."

Mirrid slung his musket at his waist and, as he passed by Li Aoz, he didn't forget to reach out and touch his pretty face, his manner frivolous and his behavior outrageous.

"Keep up with me, don't fall behind."

Li Aoz closed the book, got up, and left.

Three days of torrential rain allowed him to finish reading a book. A lone man and woman alone in a room, especially...

It seems somewhat counterintuitive that a frivolous woman like Mirrid would not experience any particularly enjoyable events.

Li Aoz was incredibly calm as he followed Mirrid. He gradually realized why the description of the "Flower of Void" quest was so pale and chaotic, and why the conditions for victory were so vague.

Nihilism, realism, and romanticism—only one of these three ideologies will prevail.

The key to solving the mission should lie among these three.

Since Mirrid is the protagonist... is it possible that Mirrid's ideological shifts will affect the ending?

It is evident from the books he reads that the entire Dragon Satellite ideology is in a state of confusion, chaos, and nihilism.

That's not surprising, since everything on this planet is built on the void.

There is no path, no Star Abyss myth, no [society].

--etc.

Li Aoz suddenly realized, isn't this the so-called 'pure land'?

If it weren't for the void's invasion, this place would be a pristine paradise completely untouched by the Star Abyss forces, isolated from the world, peaceful and free to develop at its own pace.

Upon reflection, Li Aoz immediately realized many flaws:

"Speaking of which, Sir Mirrid, why are you never curious about where I come from?"

"Why should I be curious? I'm not your mother."

Mirrid gave him a strange look. "The Sealed Object all come from places outside this planet. As for whether you come from the void or from another planet, what difference does it make to me?"

"There is still a difference, after all, the narrative of the void only wants to kill you all and completely devour and merge you. We are different."

"And what about you, Mr. Lioz? How will the other Grand Narrative you represent treat Dragon Satellite?"

"The most likely scenario is... to kill 90 percent of the population with plague, bombard the remaining 9 percent with guns and cannons, and finally enslave the remaining 1 percent with markets and capitalism, then carry out colonial transformation, transfer the unemployed, Puritans and criminals who can't make it in our homeland to this place, and at the same time develop urban civilization."

After saying that, Li Aoz shrugged.

"Mr. Lioz, don't you know very well how it will end? The Void has been on this planet for decades. Before that, the people on this planet lived a peaceful and relaxed kingdom life, but in just eighty years, the social order has been completely overturned and technology has developed explosively."

Mirrid chuckled and said, "People who were used to being enslaved and manipulated when they were young, how could they possibly accept being asked to work and consume for themselves, or to sit in front of a computer and program without any labor skills? They've simply moved from one narrative to another, but they're still slaves. The shackles on their bodies have been broken, but the lock on their souls remains. Tell me, is there really any difference? Has the so-called change really changed?"

"I don't deny that."

Li Aoz found that his Charm seemed to have limited effect on Mirrid.

I glanced at the other party's information with the [Eye of Truth], but everything about Mirrid's template was normal, a normal Ita (7) level.

Only in the skill bar is there one skill that stands out prominently: [Worldview: Nihilism]

Long ago, Li Aoz discovered that Star Abyss's ' Worldview ' was not just something involving ideology; it truly possessed spiritual amplification and resistance.

Nationalism and martial spirit are rampant, villains are all imbued with Social Darwinism, Objective Materialism is called the 'god-killing template,' and Subjective Idealism is simply a powerful tool for unleashing devastating power. And all sorts of radical progressive ideas easily align themselves with the prevailing societal norms...

Nihilism is quite special. All nihilism in this world is the result of the outward radiation of the void. It can be said that it is a tool for the void to invade and expand outward.

Guided by nihilism, people question the meaning of existence, ridicule past myths and history, deny the significance of labor, oppose any war, oppose organization and unity, and reject entertainment and reproduction. Ultimately, they become empty and dull, with only emptiness as the only spring that can fill their parched souls.

Mirrid is a nihilist, which seems to explain why she always seems frivolous and indifferent, but she is very proactive and does everything herself along the way.

Unlike Li Aoz, whose Worldview had become materialistic after his university education, and given his background as a politician and Industrialists, he could easily switch to realism at any time.

"Then do you acknowledge the void?" Li Aoz asked.

"It doesn't need my approval. Even for the void, existence is unnecessary, just as 0 multiplied by any number always results in 0."

Mirrid casually remarked:

"The future is bleak and there is no possibility of change. Adults should know that this world does not allow us to question. History is a train moving forward, and you and I are just passengers on the train, or burnt-out waste. We can never decide where this track leads—even to hell."

"I think you don't need to be so negative."

Li Aoz shrugged:

"I read the book you gave me."

"How does it feel?" Mirrid asked.

"Human beings are essentially a makeshift team, just getting by. The human body is the same. The appendix is useless, you only have two sets of teeth in your lifetime, and once you've used them all, you can only wear dentures. Consuming carbohydrates and calories makes people happy, but eating too much will lead to diabetes and a sharp decline in health. We work to earn money to survive, but often it turns into sudden death or falling ill on the job—do you think such a creature has any meaning?"

Li Aoz sincerely shared his thoughts after reading the book:

"Not just humans, but any living thing in the universe seems meaningless. Mayflies only live for a day, while hibernating bears can hibernate for six or seven months. For every civilization, concepts like history, mythology, and nation have been almost useless for a long time. Culture, apart from providing artistic value, seems to have no other meaning. Politics is also a useless thing. War can be the most pointless act. Every time people try to solve problems with war, it only leads to more problems."

"But what's strange is..."

"It is precisely these meaningless things that make this world colorful."

As soon as Li Aoz finished speaking, a message popped up on the information panel: [Realism Victory: +0.3%]