When granaries are full, people know etiquette; when food and clothing are plentiful, people know honor and shame.
This statement holds true for people.
Just like Norton today, whose situation is completely different from Norton of the past, with completely different pressures, his inner thoughts will also change somewhat.
Norton sat upright in the luxurious convertible, his gaze fixed on the corpse of the man who was already dead but was still forcibly handcuffed in nano shackles and suppressed in a brutal manner. Long-forgotten memories slowly surfaced in his mind.
"This is... such a familiar scene..."
Norton murmured to himself, his gaze seemingly piercing through the river of time, watching the repressed and sorrowful young man walking on the muddy path strewn with petals.
The emotional breakdown, grief, and even guilt of the past have now transformed into a cold and indifferent mentality.
Does this behavior mean that one has killed their former self and transformed into the very person who once inflicted violence upon themselves?
Norton's gaze swept over the increasingly chaotic crowd.
The man who had just spoken wasn't the only one to jump out. Following the slight chaos caused by the soldiers' firing, shouts and cries rang out again from within the crowd.
"What Pale God? He's clearly Pale Devil! He killed my wife and daughter the moment he emerged from the ruins, and now he's being worshipped as Pope by the Federation?"
You don't deserve it! You inhuman monster!
"How dare this inhuman alien creature become a ruler of the Human Federation after killing so many people? This is a fundamental insult to the Human Federation! Give me back my parents' lives!"
It seems that ten thousand years is ultimately too long, and Norton's long-lost authority still retains some strength.
Or perhaps Norton stood too high, his vision, which had seen through the ages of Gore, was too lofty and unapproachable, and he no longer cared about the shackles called honor and disgrace imposed by human society.
Such blatant insults did not anger Norton; instead, they prompted Norton to reflect deeply.
"In the past, I walked through muddy fields of flowers, yet I never forgot the mother and child who had no chance of survival under oppression. This has been my motivation for many years, just to no longer suffer that suffocating oppression, just to be able to obtain true freedom."
But now, since the day I revived, I have disregarded human life and crushed countless people, leaving them dead or injured at my hands, yet I still cannot shake my heart of stone.
Am I not now doing exactly the same thing as those high and mighty Church knights?
"Am I now Norton, or the god who ascended to the highest realm but lost his humanity?"
Norton's gaze was deep and unfathomable; in the distance, modern mechanized forces had already begun their suppression.
It must be said that after ten thousand years, the times have indeed become slightly more civilized. These rioters, who would have been shot hundreds of times in the past, are now simply tackled to the ground by the troops instead of being killed on the spot. This truly reflects the beginning of civilization.
Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs.
If I were to truly ascend to the highest position, as I am worthy of my current status, it would merely be another form of God's existence...
This is not my intention, Norton, nor is it the foundation of my endless loneliness. I must rediscover the brilliance of humanity and enjoy boundless desires!
Norton's ideas have touched upon philosophical truths, transforming him from a pragmatist to a philosopher.
He actually had a philosophical contradiction from beginning to end.
If Norton truly adopts an air of superiority and treats all things as worthless simply because of his elevated Existence Level, wouldn't that be the same supreme state he embodies, emanating from the boundless starry sky?
Clearly, Norton disliked this state intensely. It meant that he remained as if he were one with everything, without any extra emotional fluctuations. Consequently, he felt no sense of purpose, no joy in life, and no satisfaction of his desires.
Of course, the most important thing is...
Is Norton really a bad guy?
While the upper echelons of humanity entertained themselves with murder games, homosexual acts, and even cannibalism in pursuit of thrills, Norton never indulged his own desires or showed any inclination towards personal torture.
Even though millions died because of him, he never tortured or killed a single person!
Kneel down and drop your weapon immediately!
"Ahhhh..."
The roars of soldiers and screams of agony echoed from afar. In this day and age, suppression no longer required much effort; a single soldier, equipped with nanotech armor, could easily overpower a group. This also meant that the chaos in the distance had ended, and the shouters, their arms bound behind their backs, were being escorted away by soldiers.
Most of those being escorted looked grief-stricken, some even crying as they were being forced to walk, their legs aching from the grief, while constantly cursing the damned Norton.
This change completely wiped out the lively atmosphere that had just been there. The netizens who had come to watch the spectacle cautiously retreated, and even the actors arranged by the Human Federation Government were stunned and stood there, unsure whether to continue shouting and forcibly recreate the lively celebratory atmosphere.
The official in charge of receiving them was already ashen-faced and was now running apprehensively and sweating profusely toward Norton's car, shouting words of comfort as he ran.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this was an unexpected incident. Please do not take offense..."
Even Abraham and Elizabeth, who were sitting in the car behind, felt a chill run down their spines.
Abraham ripped the bulletproof car door apart with one hand, then threw it aside like a rag. He then transformed into a blur and rushed toward Norton, wanting to check on His Majesty's condition as soon as possible, lest this creature from Biyang think it was superior and, if provoked, immediately transform into an ancestor and carry out a mass extinction on the spot.
He shouted, "The baseness of the human race will never be eradicated, and those who disrespect His Majesty are guilty of heinous crimes! Execute these rebels on the spot to wash away your own depravity!"
This is the best way; let a few people die in exchange for His Majesty's forgiveness.
After all, when it's really Norton's turn to take action, it won't just be a matter of a few people dying.
Abraham's roar echoed throughout the street, causing a commotion among the crowd.
Some internet celebrities or non-actors present even turned on their brains and recorded the entire scene live.
We live in a civilized age. Although the Human Federation has carried out forced suppression on several occasions, very few people have died. Most people have simply been arrested and imprisoned for a few years.
The fact that these people, who were originally the real victims, were now being killed simply because they had a chance to wail a few times is utterly appalling.
He truly is a figure who has survived to this day from the feudal era!
The officials on site were sweating profusely, fearing both Norton and Abraham's reactions, the potential for a major scandal if Abraham's suggestion was followed, and their own fate after the incident.
If he doesn't kill anyone, at most he'll lose his chance to advance due to mishandling the situation. But if he does kill someone, he'll definitely be used by the Federation as a pawn to quell public anger.
The surrounding soldiers also stopped moving, and for a moment, a stalemate ensued.
Norton let out a long sigh, and his pure white body, which had been moving since the attack, finally began to move.
"That's enough..."
These two simple words, carrying no Pressure whatsoever, acted like a pillar of stability, drawing all eyes to them.