Rust - Chapter 553



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-553

Maru asked in response to PD’s objection.

“Why?”

The moment the rumor started to spread that the reason for the closure and control was to monopolize rejuvenation and eternal life, I judged that it would never have a positive effect on the HOLLY actions and preaching that had been built up until then.

“The Holy Ark Kingdom is a kingdom that was born with the goal of saving humanity in the end times.”

A kingdom where all citizens were practically indebted to Prince Vladimir Kalin for their lives. That was why he was able to push forward the idea of ​​royal land ownership, and by securing land, he was able to begin redevelopment and reconstruction.

Although it was supposed to ensure safety from the infected, mutants, cannibals, and monsters, it was unusual for citizens in the gun-free United States to readily hand over their land rights, which were their private property.

If they hadn’t approached HOLLY, if they hadn’t had the concept of an ark of salvation, they would have formed militias and resisted endlessly. That’s what Americans are like.

“There are many people who believe that they have been saved by the Holy Kingdom, because it has given them a safe life to live again. And now I have heard rumors that the Holy Kingdom has given them the key to heaven.”

What is heaven? What would be needed to realize heaven in this world, other than the heaven you go to after you die? Longevity? Eternal life?

What is the meaning of eternal life if you are extended by being bedridden, hanging on to life-extending devices, and watching TV with bleary eyes?

What good is having a lot of money? Wouldn’t it be hell when the people you love turn into hyenas and bald eagles and stalk you in your old age?

So while real hell may take many forms, real heaven begins with one longing: the longing for youth.

If you were to go to heaven while lying in a sickbed with an old body, who would want to go to that heaven? Just as a withering flower recalls the past when it was fresh, to the slowly withering old age, the word ‘youth’ was almost synonymous with the word ‘heaven.’

This was also the case with the ‘resurrection’ at the end. What would be the meaning of being resurrected as an old body? The resurrection that humans religiously expect is a resurrection of youth as a passive, not a resurrection of rust and the final resurrection.

“Even if it had been done under perfectly controlled circumstances from the beginning, it would have been difficult to prevent the rumors from spreading. It wasn’t just a simple rejuvenation, but it was also possible to change the body.”

“······.”

“Yes, you can be resurrected. Do you think you can control that will to be resurrected, that longing for heaven?”

Change your body. Into a younger body. How is that any different from resurrection?

‘Resurrected with the most ideal youthful appearance.’

This was the basic belief in heaven. And the breakthrough of the singularity made it possible to realize this belief in heaven in reality.

If it is possible to realize heaven in reality, then who would accept that? And in the divine kingdom?

Everyone was lost in thought after hearing the PD’s words.

The first one to bring up the subject was Ms. Kim.

“It’s a complicated story if you think about it, but isn’t it simple? If you want to be resurrected, fight hard. Make an effort. If you achieve results, heaven will open up. Isn’t that the end?”

Valhalla! It would be easy if I just did it. She was the one who played the game as a housekeeper.

“I don’t think it’s something to be taken lightly. Once the stories of rejuvenation and resurrection become true, the Empire and the Confederacy could join forces and attack the Holy Kingdom.”

Ki-sun also agreed with Hood’s rebuttal.

“I agree with that idea. It’s possible because there are no permanent enemies or allies in politics. And what’s at stake is rejuvenation and resurrection. If they could get it, they’d kill each other. Even if they kill each other, they can just erase each other’s memories and resurrect each other.”

Ki-soon giggled.

“······.”

“······.”

“······.”

“Why is everyone suddenly like this? I said it to make people laugh, let’s laugh.”

Ki-soon said, whining. Maru ignored the heaviness contained in that lightness and got to the main point.

“So. Are you saying that if you try to hide your rejuvenation and resurrection, problems will arise internally, and if you announce it without hiding it, problems will arise externally?”

“Yes.”

“That must be the case.”

Maru organized his thoughts after hearing PD and Ki-sun’s answers.

“How about sharing technologies related to the Empire, rejuvenation, and resurrection?”

“?”

“!”

“Huh?”

“Is that okay?”

“What are you going to do about the Confederacy?”

Maru answered Na Ju-yeon’s question calmly.

“I looked at the material you brought back from the South, and the Confederacy was close to rejuvenation and immortality on its own.”

The research on cannibals, werewolves, and vampires was almost complete. The moment it was completed, the non-aggression pact would be broken. War would start again.

They did not simply want rejuvenation and eternal life. Their goal was clearly rejuvenation and eternal life that surpassed human limitations. Ultimately, the control and domination of humanity by the nobility.

But what if the Empire had access to rejuvenation and immortality technologies from sources other than cannibals or vampires?

“They say they’re transferring technology to the Empire in order to form a strong alliance while keeping the Confederacy in check. But I wonder if that could work in reverse?”

“You’re saying it’s eaten in reverse?”

Hmm- The PD nodded as if he understood what Ki-sun was saying.

“The Empire and the Confederacy share the same roots, having split from the United States. As I said before, the reality is that there are bound to be many double agents on both sides.”

“Even if we only give the technology to the Empire, it’s only a matter of time before they join the Confederacy. We have to consider it a done deal. There’s a chance they’ll be able to complete their vampire research faster by using our technology.”

PD and Ki-soon had a fight. Kim Yang, who was listening to that, lost her temper.

“So what do you want me to do? If you have a way, just tell me. What are you doing? It’s so frustrating.”

“There are two ways to utilize rejuvenation and resurrection.”

“······.”

“······.”

“······?”

“One is to compete with rejuvenation and resurrection, as you said. The other is to sell.”

“!”

“······.”

“······.”

It was said that if you accumulated achievements in Valhalla or Heaven, you could become younger. It was said that if you died in battle, you could be resurrected.

It was problematic in many ways, but it was one of the quickest and most certain ways to quell discontent.

The other was the capitalist approach, where you work hard and buy yourself youth and eternal life. This had the advantage of being equally accessible to the empire.

Anyone who pays will be granted rejuvenation and eternal life. Everyone knows that it is cheaper to buy it than to go to war with Vladimir Kalin to steal his technology.

“Ha- I thought this old man was a faithful person, but he wasn’t?”

“I think it is the best way to maintain salvation.”

“You got away with it like that again.”

“While rejuvenation and eternal life are important, they are not more important than salvation. What the sacred must pursue first is salvation. Whether it is resurrection or eternal life, it comes after salvation.”

At PD’s answer, Ki-sun shrugged her shoulders and spoke with a serious expression.

“I think we should exchange the data on rejuvenation and immortality with the core research data of the Empire and the Confederacy.”

“Key research data?”

“Yes, our development speed is overwhelming. What we need is a catch-up.”

The powerful combination of quantum computers, grape clusters, supercomputers, and artificial intelligence was already dismantling the world in real time.

If this was utilized, the research on cannibals, werewolves, and vampires that the Confederacy was struggling with would have been a breeze. The same would have been true for the clone research and ability research that the Empire was pouring its heart and soul into.

“What are you going to do with that technology?”

“Knowledge is power, and ignorance is suffering – that’s a fundamental answer, right? In fact, what we need right now is the Empire’s cloning technology.”

Ki-soon’s gaze turned to Director Yoo Mark 2. Now, the little boy who had become Yoo Hee-yeon.

“These are the clones he’s operating. They look simple, but they’re anything but.”

A clone troop planned and produced as a bioweapon from the early stages of development. Even the individual personalities were vague, and the bioweapon was focused solely on operational capabilities.

“If you think about the next 10 or 20 years, I think the most important thing is national defense. If rejuvenation and immortality are released, you will only have one or two children? Probably about that many. There will also be many people who don’t have children.”

The population will gradually increase in the long term since no one will die, but that is only possible when the country is stable.

So is the future stable?

The future predicted by quantum computers and grapes is far from stable, for example, in East Asia.

The East Asian region was literally devastated by a massive earthquake and a series of volcanic eruptions. The collapse of Japan was not simply the destruction of an island nation.

Economically and climatically, the chain of volcanic eruptions in Japan resulted in volcanic ash and dust rising into the stratosphere, blocking out sunlight.

In North America, a winter that lasted six or seven months lasted for eight or nine months in East Asia. Farming became very difficult, and this meant that the civil war in China, which had split into seven parts, transformed into a war of plunder for a new, unified China.

Just because they aren’t fighting right now doesn’t mean their military spending will decrease. South Korea, which has an army of over 2.5 million, and North Korea, which has 4 million, have both reached their limits.

In a situation where productivity was already declining, the majority of people of working age were doing locust-like things in the military.

“therefore?”

“So what? We need to return the clones so that we don’t lock the barn door after the horse has bolted.”

The war with the monsters, the war with the Confederacy, and even the possibility of them coming across the sea to pillage, it would be better to prepare now. After all, it would be too late once things happen.

Ki-sun didn’t take his eyes off Director Yu Mark 2.

“What do you need for information on the Confederacy?”

“If we’re going to control the clones, wouldn’t we need some kind of vertical control method? I think the most realistic method is the control method the Confederacy is researching.”

The answer is that the method by which the superior entity dominates the inferior entity and the method by which the nobles control the werewolves is effective.

“Let’s stop here. Let’s talk again later.”

It was Maru who broke up the meeting and immediately stood up from his seat.

Ms. Kim immediately noticed that our dignity was not in good spirits.

Sigh- When I looked around, it seemed like Na Ju-yeon and the nurse had also noticed.

‘Hmm- Unit 2 (Hood) is serious···.’

Why is that?

Could the seriousness of Maru and the seriousness of Unit 2 be related?

I guess so?

Kim Yang, who had an animalistic sense of smell, approached the hood.

“What’s so serious?”

“It’s because it feels like the world I knew has completely collapsed.”

You say that you feel soft after hacking, but our dignity also feels soft sometimes.

Miss Kim nodded slightly.

“Are you okay?”

“···?”

“That’s right. The fact that you can come back to life whenever you die, and the fact that you can back up in virtual reality.”

“···?”

Kim Yang tilted her head at Banban Hood’s words.

“Actually, I’ve been researching that for a long time. I thought I could recover the past I had lost in the virtual world, but now that it’s become reality, it’s like a dream come true, but somehow it’s scary.”

The half-hooded man caressed his half-face and said.

Ms. Kim felt like, ‘Is that so?’, but it didn’t seem like there was anything to be particularly afraid of.

“Hmm – Then how about experiencing it yourself?”

“Huh? Experience?”

“That’s why it’s called Mayenshi. You can experience a truly realistic virtual reality. It’s good to worry about the future, but wouldn’t it be better to experience it for yourself?”

“Yeah. I guess so?”

Kim Yang looked at Na Ju-yeon.

At the signal for one more player to join Mayan City, Na Ju-yeon nodded and looked at the nurse next to her. That meant the nurse had also applied to play.

‘Wow – you’ve already recruited a nurse?’

Na Ju-yeon is no pushover either.

Yeah, when it comes to hitting your head, you all have to hit it together. Yeah.

Kim Yang and Na Ju-yeon exchanged meaningful smiles.

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Maru chewed over Gi-sun and PD’s words.

It seemed like the two were saying different things, but to Maru it felt like they were saying the same thing.

‘A more extreme reality than the present is coming. We must prepare for it.’

There is also a hidden meaning in the PD’s words that we should induce competition between Valhalla and Heaven, or make it possible to purchase them in a capitalistic way.

The hidden meaning in Gi-sun’s words about exchanging technology with the Empire and the Confederacy was that, in the end, bankruptcy was inevitable, so we had to prepare and utilize it as much as possible.

Both of those words are not wrong, but that’s why he was dragged along. Maru was uncomfortable with that.

The first thing to analyze was the mutant virus incident, the tentacle monster we encountered in Japan, and the unidentified foundation.

‘If only we could analyze it with minimal data.’

‘First, I need to analyze the data brought from Japan.’

I need to meet Chairman Charlotte Sim for the first time in a long time.

Maru’s gaze turned towards the red sunset in the distance.