Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Otto emerged from seclusion.

Aside from doing research, he had also been monitoring the birth of Herrschers.

But now, Herrschers were being born, and the world was changing in various ways.

Tesla's blast had allowed him to test Noldrei's resistance limits.

In two words, it was hopeless.

He didn't even know what kind of power Noldrei used to transform into that form, not even Honkai energy or internal energy could touch his body and soul.

Honkai energy was ineffective, and the core of his abilities was completely unknown.

Even with powers that could suppress Honkai energy, Otto still didn't know how Noldrei used some other power to control the changes in his body and the reorganization of his bodily tissue.

His recent seclusion had been to research Noldrei's methods and how that being would influence current civilization.

The conservative method of suppressing civilization's development had completely collapsed. Noldrei left almost no choices for humans.

Otto saw Durandal when he had just finished his seclusion.

But Otto already understood what Durandal wanted to tell him.

"Durandal, you don't need to say more. I already know what he wants to do. He's a very dangerous being. Don't mistake his current appearance as a sign that he has mellowed out. His appearance is like a human, he speaks like a human, and even every action and breath he takes is infused with humanity."

Otto's words made Durandal's expression serious.

If humans were to become so strangely abstract, then the future itself would be just as abstract and strange.

"Overseer, what should I do next?"

"Take some Valkyries with you. There needs to be enough people to monitor his actions." Otto's expression was solemn. He had fully understood all of Noldrei's choices.

Unlike Fu Hua, who had lived for so long and suddenly lost her memories. Fu Hua was basically a reincarnated character, who had merely retained her previous level and equipment.

But Otto had personally experienced what it felt like to live for five hundred years. Not only that, but he also had a soul steel body, and could arbitrarily change his body structure, reorganize his organs and tissue like Noldrei could.

In this regard, the one who understood Noldrei best wasn't necessarily his newly created clone, Kiana, but a local like Otto Apocalypse.

"That's a dangerous person. Humans can only maintain a strong will in two situations. One is when they know they're about to die, burning away all of their existence. The other is when they know that they can persist for a very long time. In that situation, they'll have countless opportunities to try things out. No matter how big the mistake, they'll believe they have the chance to fix it."

"In these cases, the individual's willpower is at its strongest."

Otto's words caused Durandal to reflect.

She asked in confusion, "If that's the case, then why are some humans showing such firm will in normal situations?"

Otto's expression was a bit strange, displaying a rare hint of uncertainty, as he said, "Because of reproduction, because of childbirth. Stable and conservative reproduction gives people the idea that the social relationships they created can be continued. It lets people think that their actions are for the purpose of their descendants to continue those actions."

Durandal's head was spinning. She didn't think she was suited for this kind of strange ideological exchange.

"You don't need to understand what I'm saying. Just tell that person what I need to tell him."

"Ask him if the future has separated reproductive rights and individual life."

After a moment of consideration, Otto added, "Also, ask him…"

His face became extremely serious, causing Durandal to feel a chilling coldness.

"Ask him, what's the limit of how wrong humanity must become before he decides to stop?"

Durandal remembered those words. She now understood what Otto wanted her to ask.

"Durandal, let me ask you a question. Suppose I believe that he's a future human, and that he traveled here from the future. Then how would someone who didn't find a way out in the future prevent the same mistakes he couldn't correct from happening?"

Otto ignored Durandal's confusion, and started talking to himself.

"If it was just an individual, such as me killing a war criminal, it might change the course of history. If it's the continued existence of a government, then finding a new source of revenue might change its focus from military expansion to stability. But if you want to correct a flaw in a way of thinking? Even future humans haven't found a way, so how should we, these primitives, think about a societal conflict we've never experienced?"

"There is only one possibility. When Noldrei thinks that he still has the ability to control humans, he will push humanity's ideological history directly to that stage. He will have humanity recognize that a certain ideology and a certain social system are wrong, and that they won't succeed."

"Only then, would it be written in human history that this ideology, that this 'ism' is a failure, and that it won't succeed."

"And when we revisit that path, humans will be more cautious and will have more preparations to face the challenges it brings."

Durandal understood Otto's point. She said hesitantly, "Overseer, are you saying that the future human wants to change the future, so he chose to have humans experience the pain of living in that future?"

Otto nodded, smiling and saying, "That's right. But the problem also lies here. If we push back a little, for example, why did humanity become the kind of society that even future humans hated? It must have been because people back then were trying to solve their own problems, taking one step at a time, right?"

"In other words, everything he's doing is accelerating humanity's development, letting humans master incredible powers. And even, these powers can fight against Honkai."

"We all know that Noldrei is pushing humanity to that hopeless future. But we can't persuade ordinary people to give up the benefits that come with changing themselves, unless…"

Otto shook his head with a smile, not saying any more unrealistic things.

Durandal understood.

Unless humanity could figure out the solution themselves before Noldrei gave it to them, humanity would succumb to the temptations offered by Noldrei.

Then humanity would personally taste that 'negative suffering' that they had never experienced before.