Angel's answer made the mind flayer examiner freeze for a second.
Judging from its reaction, it clearly had not expected Angel to stand so firmly on the side of "collective consciousness," not even leaving himself any room for ambiguity.
The mind flayer looked at the high-spirited Angel, its gaze probing. "Why?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Angel answered frankly, "Because in my view, a collective consciousness made of pure, harmonious, ruthless logic can eliminate civilization's greatest internal drain—"
After a pause, Angel slowly gave his answer. "Such as individuals tearing each other apart, and the chaos and indecision surrounding decision-making."
The mind flayer said nothing, merely watching Angel in silence.
"Imagine a kingdom that ought to be striving upward. If every person of even slight influence in every region had their own ideas and believed they were the one most worthy of reaching the summit, then rival warlords would carve up the land, and the entire kingdom would fall into endless infighting. Even if those in power could forcibly suppress every region through a balancing of interests and overwhelming strength, that suppression could only last for a time, never forever."
"Once a spark ignites upon the wilderness, it is difficult to extinguish. Even if torrential rain pours from the heavens, once the rain stops, embers will always drift up again and kindle towering flames anew."
"Here lies the sorrow of individual consciousness. Swelling ambition is that unquenchable ember—always believing it can replace what stands above it, always believing there should be a place for it above the heavens."
"One after another, utterly heedless of how this wilderness was becoming ever more desolate beneath the flames, until it became a dead land beyond salvation."
By the end, Angel could not help revealing a sigh of sorrowful compassion for the world.
As though