"Why the suspicion?"
Hare sighed.
'Weren't you the one who just pulled out your weapon, ready to fight?'
Durandal was really confused.
She neither felt any sense of belonging as a Kaslana nor thought this so-called Project Stigmata was anything special.
Just as Noldrei had said, if Durandal had to choose between surviving by placing her life in the hands of others or dying facing Honkai,
She would choose to die facing Honkai.
How many Valkyries had sacrificed themselves on this path? Durandal had already been hardened by these sacrifices.
If they gave up resisting and became part of the Stigmata space, then wouldn't those sacrificed comrades have died in vain?
They hadn't fought so that one day, humanity would hand over the right to choose their own fate.
Whether it was Honkai or the Stigmata will, it didn't matter.
"This plan has too many flaws. And it also means entrusting our lives to other beings. I refuse this choice. If you insist on carrying out this so-called Project Stigmata, then I suggest… fighting to the very end."
Durandal frankly said, "Living, or rather, simply living just to fight has never been my choice. Such a life is just too boring."
Noldrei also agreed with Durandal's answer, saying, "Look, you're already treated as a human. If you don't even have the will to kill, then are you even human? Killing bandits, killing criminals, killing invaders, killing enemies, killing those competing for interests, killing exploiters, killing all sorts of…"
"Killing has always been a symbol of human freedom. Whether it's eliminating stubborn enemies or showing mercy, as long as you're prepared to kill for Project Stigmata, you already possess one of the most essential characteristics of humans."
"Although this Project Stigmata is full of flaws, bizarre, and even has a strange, arrogant stench to it. Considering that you are a primitive, I won't question the origin of your strange way of thinking."
'So, he's only this calm because he looks down on us, right? Aren't you doing the same thing? Your thoughts are just too human!'
Siegfried really didn't know what to say.
He even felt a slight tinge of excitement when he heard the woman explain Project Stigmata just now.
Maybe he could live a good life with Cecilia in the fantasy world.
But Noldrei didn't give them a chance to hesitate, immediately shattering the possibility of that dream.
"Hare, I won't speak of nonsensical ideologies. I'll just tell you directly, this plan infringes on my rights. All tools created by humans serve two purposes: perception and action."
"I could have experienced more sensations granted by this world, experiencing the beauty and pain the universe brings. But you have sealed me in the Stigmata, severing my important connection to perceiving the world. This is clearly infringing on my rights as a future human!"
"Even primitives should know about human rights, right? You should know that I'm willing to give up some rights if I'm facing pain, but I absolutely will not allow my rights to be taken away just so I don't have to suffer."
Noldrei had read so many books from this era that he already had a clear grasp of their way of thinking.
Now, he looked at Hare like she was an idiot.
'Has this woman not read many books? She feels like she was tricked into being a thug. Since she's already a thug, then why not be tricked by me? At least I tell the truth.'
Kiana was unconvinced. She retorted, "Doesn't that mean that you infringed on my rights from the start?"
Her first thought wasn't to fight, but to recall the 'humiliation' she had suffered at Noldrei's hands.
Memories of being pierced, hair growth, nudity, and other scenes flashed through Kiana's mind.
For a moment, the entire Stigmata space became somewhat turbulent.
This immediately made the surrounding people nervous.
Wendy carefully retreated behind Fu Hua, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Before entering the Stigmata space, Wendy still had thoughts of confronting Kiana. But after entering and seeing Kiana's 'true form,' she completely abandoned that idea.
Sorry, but this being didn't look human. Wendy definitely couldn't beat her.
Even a magnanimous figure like the Nagazora Emperor was almost angered by being backstabbed by his own people, especially by his personally appointed crown princess.
Noldrei took a deep breath, retorting, "Let me ask you, has your perception not become stronger after I injected you with the serum? Has your mobility not become stronger? You can even change your own genetic information. As long as you want, you can return to your previous form at any time, and you even received more benefits. What did I control about you?"
"You...?!" Kiana was stunned, carefully recalling what had happened since she met Noldrei.
From the first time she saw Noldrei shoot, to when Noldrei retaliated, to when he turned her into her current form.
It seemed… like Noldrei really hadn't controlled her?
"Strange, then why do I still feel like I'm being controlled by you?"
Kiana was confused. After thinking carefully for a long time, she found that she hadn't been controlled.
Unlike the later arrivals like Raiden Mei, those people were specifically chosen by Noldrei for governance.
Even Doctor Tesla, Noldrei's 'favorite', was allowed to leave when he said so.
The others, apart from gaining the ability to transform, had also gradually been freed from his control.
If Noldrei had used a gene virus or some strange ability to control them, then that would've been one thing. But he didn't. He had only maintained a certain level of deterrence.
"Dad, what did he control about us?"
Kiana really couldn't figure it out. She stayed just to prevent Noldrei from doing anything worse. But now, he seemed pretty normal.
Siegfried was speechless. He covered his face, unwilling to look at his foolish daughter.
Shadow Mei also took two steps away from Kiana. She was worried that the idiot virus would be contagious.
An awkward silence fell over the scene.
Theresa, with her forty years of wisdom, had to explain, "He didn't control anyone, he just showed the threat that he could control anyone. So others had no choice but to obey his commands. It's because you don't know when you might be controlled. It's that simple."
Miss Theresa had finally clearly explained something.
Noldrei's reign entirely relied on his unreasonable power of deterrence.
It made others unable to ignore his words, and even forced them to obediently listen when necessary.
Especially when no one could analyze whether he was a good person or a bad person, a normal person or a psychopath, his power of deterrence had reached an unreasonable peak.
Fu Hua nodded suddenly in realization, saying, "I understand now. This is the legendary 'voluntary.' Regular workers should understand. Even though the boss knows that everyone isn't working overtime voluntarily, he still has to hear from his subordinates that they're 'doing it voluntarily.'"
"The control in Noldrei's words isn't his actual control, but us being controlled by our own desires and weaknesses. What truly controls us are the things behind us."
"So, entering the Stigmata space isn't about humanity achieving victory and moving forward, nor is it about redefining 'humanity.' It's about humanity being defeated by its own desires, kneeling before a stronger power in the face of survival."
"The so-called Project Stigmata is essentially the 'forced voluntariness' of humanity by its executors."
Fu Hua had gained a new understanding of these strange Stigmata beings.