Chapter 543: The Reason for the Wipeout
Chapter 543: The Reason for the Wipeout
So this is what Felicia meant when she said that by simulating the scenes of their lives, the Artifex Subsidiary bodies maintain minimal cognitive activity to keep their brains "fresh"?
Lyon scanned the Preservation Hall and saw six or seven "Preservation Vessels" with their upper skulls wide open, similar to the middle-aged man. He couldn't help but hiss, feeling a slight tingling sensation on his scalp.
This was truly... incredibly twisted...
Shaking his head in disbelief, Lyon hesitated for a moment, but instead of interrupting the "little theater" of the Artifex Subsidiary bodies, he activated the Concealed Tail and found a seat in a secluded spot.
"Fein, what are you saying?!"
Before the royal family members on the stage could respond, the Queen, standing next to the middle-aged man, exclaimed in shock:
"We already agreed that such madness is absolutely unacceptable. How could you...?"
"I... I'm sorry..."
It seemed that after his brain was removed, his ability to express "emotions" was affected. Facing his wife's angry questioning, King Fein sighed mechanically, then read aloud expressionlessly:
"You know the current situation in the kingdom. Whether it's the non-renewable energy represented by Thunderstrike Mine or the consumable materials represented by Levitation Crystal, both have been struggling to keep up in recent years. Nearly 20% of the factories have shut down, leaving over sixty thousand people unemployed.
Our contract with the Vandas Kingdom is due to expire in half a year, and they are preparing to raise energy prices. Cheshire County, Black Mountain County, and over twenty other mining areas have been causing trouble since last year, seeking to break free from their mining identities. The kingdom is facing a very grim situation.
If a stronger 'Artifex' were to appear and unify the entire kingdom, centrally allocating resources, the losses in these areas could be reduced by at least 15% and up to 35%. So..."
"This is not just a matter of reducing costs!"
Interrupting the middle-aged man's explanation, the Queen scowled and shouted angrily:
"Felicia is our daughter! She's just a teenager! How can you, as a father, say such nonsense?"
"I am not only Felicia's father but also the skulls of the Artifex Subsidiary bodies. I am the King of the Corlock Kingdom, and Felicia, though a child, is also a princess of Corlock."
Lowering his open skull slightly, King Fein's voice deepened, and he seemed to read aloud painfully:
"A person must bear the corresponding price for the privileges their identity brings. As the King, I must take responsibility for maintaining the kingdom. And Felicia, as a princess, has the responsibility to bear the consequences of her status..."
"She's just a child! What are you asking her to bear?"
The Queen raged:
"Fein! You disgust me! Do you even understand what you're saying? If Andre finds out..."
"If I don't do this, neither Andre nor Felicia will live to see their 15th birthday!"
"What?!"
Upon hearing King Fein's exclamation, not only did the Queen freeze, but even Lyon, down below, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
In the silence, King Fein sighed, then spoke in a low, subdued tone:
"As you know, due to our bloodline's influence, our bodies are generally weak, but our brains are naturally far more developed than ordinary people's.
Felicia and Andre's brains are far more advanced than ours, and the gap between their brains and ours is even greater than the gap between our brains and those of ordinary people. But this extraordinary talent is less of a blessing and more of a curse."
At this point, King Fein paused briefly, then continued in an even more subdued tone:
"The brains of these two children are different from everyone else. Some parts that should have finished growing in infancy and then stopped developing completely will continue to grow and occupy the space of other brain tissues.
Now they are still young and have not exhibited many abnormalities, but as their brains continue to develop, it will gradually affect their motor skills, and they may even experience loss of vision, taste, and touch.
In the last few years, they may completely lose control of their bodies, lose all perception of the outside world, and be confined to lying motionless in bed, trapped in an empty cage by their own brilliant yet overworked minds, until they eventually perish."
"This... this..."
After hearing the truth revealed by King Fein, the Queen was shocked and exclaimed:
"Andre has been tripping a lot lately, and he always says that his vision is blurry when he wakes up in the morning. Could it be..."
"Yes."
King Fein nodded.
"Andre's brain is gradually becoming overwhelmed, and with Atifi's current computing power, it's impossible to untangle his mind, which is a hundred times more complex than a normal person's. But... if we switch to Felicia, it might be possible."
The current choice is either to do nothing and watch the two children slowly deteriorate... or to sacrifice Felicia to give Andre a chance to grow up healthy.
"Oh my..."
Upon learning the truth, the Queen's eyes instantly reddened, and she sobbed:
"Why... why must we make such a cruel choice? And... if Andre finds out later that he survived by sacrificing Felicia, that child... he might..."
"He won't find out."
King Fein shook his head, his expressionless face reading:
"As I said earlier, Felicia's situation is a decision I made as a father, persuaded by Atifi, to save the kingdom from decline. It has nothing to do with Andre..."
At this point, King Fein removed his crown and bowed deeply to the silent crowd below, who had remained silent throughout.
"When I do this, please don't stop me, and please keep it a secret. Never reveal it to anyone."
"..."
After a long silence, an elderly man with white hair and beard among the unresponsive Atifi subsidiaries nodded slightly.
"Fein... you've suffered."
And after the old man's statement, four more elderly members of the royal family successively nodded.
"There's no other way."
"Sigh... at least we can save one child."
"But Andre will probably hate you for a lifetime."
"How about this, we'll say we forced you to do it, and you couldn't refuse under our pressure as elders... would that make it a little better?"
"..."
Wow... you guys arranged this...
At this moment, Corleon couldn't help but stand up and glance at the old man who had made the final suggestion.
No wonder Andre had such strong resentment, wiping out all the royal family members in one go. If I'm not mistaken, the entire Corlock royal family was probably annihilated by that one statement of yours.
Just then, the Queen, who had been sobbing, suddenly straightened up and looked at Lyon with a familiar gaze.
"Mr. Lyon."
With her hands clasped at her abdomen, she regained her original dignified and elegant posture. Artifex 00, borrowing the Queen's "body," asked:
"I wonder, will this story from the past satisfy you?"
(End of Chapter)
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