Norton was not surprised by the current shifts in public opinion and the various emotional breakdowns in public discourse, nor even by Abraham and Duoxia.
As people age, they become more shrewd. Even without observing reality, they can roughly guess the direction of events simply by speculating.
However, compared to Norton, they are still somewhat inexperienced.
"Snort."
Norton smiled faintly, his lipsless mouth curving to his ears.
In recent years, Biyang has become increasingly sinister, giving people a creepy feeling and making them reluctant to get close.
"I have long foreseen the base nature of humanity. Greed, forgetfulness, and ingratitude are the foundation of their character. You can brutally enslave them, but you cannot voluntarily bestow mercy upon them!"
Behold, Abraham, Duoxia, look upon the state of collapse of these human societies, which I bestowed with immortality and peace. Behold the ungrateful souls who now question me, Norton.
Even if I constantly respond to their demands and satisfy their desires, if I fail to satisfy them even once, they can turn from gratitude into unfounded speculation and doubt about me, or even hostility and attempts to subvert me!
Under the oppressive policies of the Papal State in the past, even though people were treated as two-legged sheep, this system persisted for a long time. If I had not overturned it, it would probably have continued for thousands of years.
Thus, even though the Human Federation now peaceful and prosperous, and humanity enjoys longevity, resentment still frequently arises. Despite having no external enemies or internal troubles, it remains on the verge of collapse.
"Human nature, I have long since thoroughly understood it throughout the long river of history."
Human life is so good that even so, they are still not satisfied, so good that they have time for all sorts of random thoughts and to indulge their desires.
Happiness can only be highlighted by misery.
Immortality is only truly precious when it is achieved through an untimely death.
Freedom is only sought when it is coerced by confinement.
Therefore, I will create Hell of reality, I will construct an abyss of despair.
Humanity will suffer repeated torment in misery in an attempt to find a moment of peace. Humanity will have all desires eroded by struggle, and will only worship My boundless holiness!
Norton stood up, his tall, slender figure gleaming with bloodlust, his golden eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Everything in this world was created by my own hands. Humanity will ultimately be, as they say, kept under my Norton's control, and eternally condemned to damnation..."
Abraham and Duoxia may not have understood what Norton meant, but Norton himself understood it very well.
When are humans most loyal?
Answer: When you need him.
How could Norton possibly make humans need him?
It's very simple. First, give humanity a dreamlike life, then introduce an external enemy to destroy this dreamlike life, to limit Norton's methods, and force humanity to fight back tenaciously on its own.
On this arduous path of struggle, humanity will always cherish the memory of its past happy life and remain steadfast in its faith in Him!
Because humans are inherently base creatures—those who don't care when they have something, and only regret it when they lose it!
They will always cherish what they have lost, and never place their happiness in what they already have.
Therefore, Norton constructed a peaceful society with three thousand years of peace, immortality, and even the ability to lie down and do nothing without having to work, allowing humanity to indulge in its desires, yet remain unsatisfied and yearn for more.
In such a society, in a reality that has long been steeped in millennia of human resistance and exhausted, what would they think if the supreme God underpins their lives were to collapse, and non-human species were to continuously invade, completely destroying their past happy lives, forcing them to live in an environment where they have no control over their own destiny and their lives are not in their own hands?
Without a doubt, they will miss themselves terribly, they will be obsessed with themselves, and they will have a fervent belief in themselves.
Great beings can only be deified after death.
At the peak, one is met with false support; only the fall of a god can forge the most devout believers!
Just like the Emperor in Warhammer, it is only when it sits on that golden toilet that it becomes everyone's faith.
Now, Norton's entire plan is basically complete.
All that remained was the final, explosive outburst, and the grand finale that belonged to his Pale God...
Norton looked at Abraham's somewhat bewildered expression with his gilded eyes and couldn't help but smile contemptuously.
Look at this brainless idiot.
When Norton was revived, he had already revealed his goals to Abraham.
What Norton wanted was a national faith, Anchor for return.
Even now, Abraham, holding the answer, still can't figure out what he's doing, and comparing it to the answer, he still can't understand his thoughts.
Even today, they have been completely brainwashed by him and truly believe that peaceful governance is not suitable for human society.
That stupid piece of trash.
Without Norton's deliberate efforts to safeguard human life and well-being, would humanity be able to indulge its desires so freely?
Without Norton's relentless pressure, would humanity be able to suppress its true nature, and would society be on the verge of collapse?
Of course, that's what they say, but in reality, His Majesty's actions were truly benevolent.
To grant humankind eternal life, to grant humankind a carefree and joyful life without the need for labor, to grant humankind the development of scientific and technological civilization, and to grant humankind the possibility of ultimate prosperity.
It's just that human nature is inherently base, and they can't stand being in an environment of absolute freedom and security for an extended period of time.
Like that woman whose father sent her to a government office to "drink tea" and read newspapers—if she can't sit still, who can she blame?
Humans can no longer tolerate a long period of peaceful, idle life.
Norton gave them everything, so who can blame them for not being able to resist?
He deserves to be killed!