MGSFV?! Chapter 536: Humanity Isn't Worth Saving?; 850000
To surpass one's wishes?
When someone can do that...
"Hmm..."
"Hmm?"
"Isn't that exactly what Kevin hoped for?"
"Eh? Why do you say that?"
"If Theresa and the others really succeed—helping people regain the will to rise up again—wouldn't that mean helping everyone surpass who they used to be?"
When faced with a beautiful—at least seemingly beautiful—dream, being able to willingly give it up…
It would surely change a person's mindset.
Sometimes, people change just like that.
Like moving from high school to college, or from college into society...
After a certain moment, you feel like you're no longer the same person as before.
And that... might be called "growth."
"Surpassing the person you used to be, from being someone whose desires were dictated by others, to someone who says... I want to act on my own will."
"It feels like people are finally stepping out of 'childhood.' Though it can't happen overnight, you can sense progress being made step by step."
"...Maybe that's exactly it? After all, the Stigma Plan was originally made to help civilization escape its childhood."
Even if things hadn't gone according to plan, if it all somehow led to this...
Kevin... probably wouldn't reject it.
Maybe—
This was what he had hoped for from the beginning.
That's why he left them this precious time.
...
Let's not get ahead of ourselves on whether Schicksal and Anti-Entropy's plan would truly help humanity "escape childhood."
Back to the story.
The second plan—"showing the dreamers that the outside world is also wonderful"—was much gentler than the first, "blow the damn thing up and hope they survive."
Even Tesla, who really wanted to go and "gently" awaken people's sleeping hearts with her [Tesla-10562], nodded in agreement.
Speaking of which, wasn't Black Seele dismantling Tesla-3027 just a few months ago? And now it's already upgraded to 10562?
That iteration speed—definitely worthy of Dr. Lobster. Truly in a league of her own.
And at this moment, Dr. Lobster's tone was unexpectedly composed.
"...This is definitely more gentle than going hostile, but there's no doubt it's still a form of non-cooperation."
"However... taking this route is like firing an arrow—you can't turn back."
She paused and voiced her concern: "If this method works, then the randomness of the plan might lead to an outcome we can't control."
"If luck runs out and, by some coincidence, we end up creating an even more resistant 'Mental Adam Mark II,' then all our efforts will be for nothing."
That... did sound plausible?
So what exactly were Schicksal and Anti-Entropy planning to do about this risk?
The answer...
...
"Precisely why it's worth trying, don't you think?"
In-game, Einstein suddenly dropped that line in her usual mechanical tone.
"Ah?"
A line that Tesla really liked.
Dr. Lobster did seem genuinely surprised by the chicken-nest-haired girl's thinking.
"Chicken Nest Head, you..."
But of course, Einstein had her reasons.
She wasn't advocating blind risk.
But just like their earlier debate over the "blast the dream" tactic—there's no such thing as saving the world without taking risks.
So...
"...Why not choose a solution that's more in line with human nature?"
"Or put it this way—if the first step works... then the rest is basically a test of whether humanity is worth saving."
[Huh?!]
[A test... of whether humanity deserves saving?]
Upon hearing Einstein's statement, countless answers flashed through people's minds.
Of course, they wanted to say that humanity was worth saving—they were human, after all.
But if you set aside your bias...
War, killing, lies, death...
Yet also: duty in times of crisis, hope in bleak times, countless people who've engraved courage and resolve upon the stars with their actions...
The more they thought, the harder it became to reach a conclusion.
Maybe there was never meant to be a definitive answer—just everyone's own perspective.
For instance...
Dr. Einstein herself seemed to lean toward a certain conclusion.
"Dr. Tesla, your earlier anger wasn't unjustified—"
She paused.
"If humanity only ever gets rescued passively, then what's the difference between us and a bunch of caged hamsters?"
"Unable to survive on our own. Lacking the will to change the world... Such a humanity might not be worth saving."
So, how do they address the problem of the dream collective potentially becoming even stronger?
The answer: Schicksal and Anti-Entropy don't intend to solve that problem at all.
Because if that happens, it would mean humanity had already made its choice—and there'd be no point in forcing anything further.
If everyone chooses not to be saved, then... so be it. They'll just stop trying.
"Ugh..."
Tesla sighed softly at that: "Alright. I should've known—you were a savage deep down, Chicken Nest Head."
[Does Einstein really... hmm, yeah, not an optimistic view.]
Sure, if they lowered the bar, pulled some tricks—cough, strategic guidance—Schicksal and Anti-Entropy could dismantle the dream collective.
But...
If they want people to choose to surpass their wishes—to take that step of growth on their own—
Let's be honest. It doesn't look promising.
[No, I don't think that's it. I believe Einstein understands better than anyone that humanity is a mix of good and bad. There's no such thing as "humanity is purely good" or "purely bad."]
[Ah yes, the ol' "shades of gray" response. A classic.]
And yet—
Einstein's belief was far more optimistic than players imagined.
Knowing full well that it's a luxury to expect humanity to always be rational, she still chose to...
"No, I just believe more than you in the core and potential of humanity. I believe humanity is worth saving."
Hope.
No matter where human history ends up—
She chose to believe. She chose hope.
"Otherwise... how could a dream collective created by the Stigma Plan be capable of making so many people's dreams so beautiful?"
[Einstein's take is solid!!]
[Right—if most people in the Stigma Plan are dreaming pleasant dreams, doesn't that prove they yearn for goodness deep down?]
[Personally... is humanity worth saving? As long as someone among us still holds onto hope, then yes. Bad people don't deserve mercy, but to abandon the good people along with them? That's clearly not right.]
"Hmm..."
Someone who had been silent all along finally nodded.
Exactly.
If, even at the end of the world, there are still those who look toward tomorrow...
If, when civilization is collapsing into darkness, light still emerges...
Then yes—this humanity, this world—is absolutely worth it.
...
"..." *N
As the discussion continued, everyone ended up with their own take on this age-old question.
Each different, yet similar. Subjective, but reasonable.
They clashed, intertwined...
And in the end, whether there was a "right" answer didn't matter much anymore.
So...
Everyone present quickly reached consensus.
"I support Einstein's view."
"Even though I called it an irreversible path, it really is the better option."
"If fighting against the Stigma Plan is a battle between humanity's 'self' and 'abstraction'... then this fight, which will decide humanity's future, should be fought by all of humanity."
At this point—
As the highest-ranking official present, and Archbishop of Schicksal—
Theresa naturally stepped forward to settle it.
"Since everyone agrees on the plan now..."
"Then it's decided!"
She finalized the next course of action.
The next step: determining who would enter the dream.
In theory, the more people, the better—strength in numbers. And with so many dreams in the Stigma Plan, multiple entries would boost efficiency.
But the more urgent the situation, the more calmly it must be handled.
Rushing everyone into the dream is reckless—what if something goes wrong?
Not that they're afraid.
But unnecessary casualties should always be avoided.
However... while that's the ideal, they're not exactly familiar with the Stigma Plan's dream spaces.
Even if they want to prepare for contingencies, they're not sure how.
Not familiar with the dreamspace?
Actually...
Schicksal does have someone who's quite familiar with dreams.
Someone not only familiar with dreams, but also resilient in Stigma space—
And skilled in the art of persuasive conversation.
In short: the perfect candidate for point position.
..凬....
[Yep, it's Durandal!!]
One player deliberately tried to derail.
[It's obviously Theresa, okay?]
Another quickly tried to steer the topic back.
["Persuasive conversation skills"—hey you in front, think about that one more time.]
Naturally, more jokes followed as expected.
The stream chat exploded.
[Theresa: Take a good look at Judah in my hand and say that again. You convinced yet?]
[Oh, so that's the kind of persuasion she uses. Actually, lots of movies have the male lead beat up the misguided rival to bring them back—doesn't that prove that a good smack might just do the trick?]
[Got it. Humanity's about to get hit with Theresa's "Personality Correction Punch." (doge) No wonder she's the Archbishop—doing things we could never dream of.]
Some actually believed Theresa's "persuasiveness" came via physical force.
They seemed to forget—
Theresa is the Academy Head of St. Freya, after all.
Counseling and emotional guidance are part of her actual job.
Even if... she rarely did it...
Ahem, maybe it's best she wins people over with logic? Though she is great at swinging Judah... surely she can hold back just enough to only half-kill someone.
Okay, seriously now—
Theresa is fifty years old. She's survived countless near-death experiences. She's even served as the "respected" Archbishop for some time now...
In terms of life experience—she's more than qualified to give guidance to ordinary folks.
After all, the average person's troubles usually boil down to: don't wanna work, don't wanna study, don't wanna socialize...
Compared to Theresa's worries: Earth's exploding again, Earth's really doomed this time, Earth is dead...
Yeah—not quite the same level.
If she's seen galaxies rise and fall, why would small waves scare her?
[Aren't you guys overthinking it? And if it really goes the way you're saying... wouldn't that mean Theresa beat up all of humanity and still didn't get her own animated short? (sad)(sad)]
[Maybe she'll get one soon (serious)]
[Do you believe Theresa will get an animation, or believe that I'm Qin Shi Huang? (reverse jinx)(hey, maybe it'll actually happen)]
Sometimes you just don't know what to say to these guys.
[This again? Strategic jinxing is not the way! Instead of hoping for a short, why not ask if Theresa can get a new battlesuit?]
[Heh, say what you will, Duckie's new suit clearly shows growth. I'd love to see Theresa get a new suit too. Maybe she'll grow up too.]
But—
Since Hokuto hadn't yet released post-HoR Duckie in this timeline, and Bronya's design had always leaned young—
Players likely couldn't imagine what in-game Bronya would look like in a few more years (in-game time).
8>50000 wasn't just a meme.
[If Theresa gets a new suit, wouldn't that mean she needs some new kind of power?]
[Not necessarily—Theresa, with her Vishnu-gene fusion, has never undergone a man-made Herrscher awakening yet.]
[Man-made? You mean Theresa will go full Kosma and become a little monster?]
[Hmph, cute girls can do anything! Theresa's man-made Herrscher might not even turn her into a monster.]
[Then what will she become? Bigger?]
...
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