During their surveillance of the Cocoon of Finality, Kevin and Su had also encountered a number of related problems.
"The Cocoon is getting restless. Noldrei's plan is excellent; it looks like he's really gotten under its skin."
"According to the intel from Prometheus #17, the Cocoon of Finality can no longer restrain its impulse to act violently. The Will of the Honkai is leaning more and more toward direct intervention. It has even entertained the idea of directly creating a body for the Herrscher of Finality."
Kevin explained the current situation to Su in detail. As the last human of his era and the one who came closest to the power of Finality, he had the clearest understanding of the Herrscher of Finality's energy.
Su didn't rush to give an answer. At this critical juncture, there were no ready-made solutions for the current civilization to copy. To control the power of Finality, they would have to get Prometheus to open the back door again.
"We can't have Prometheus access the Cocoon's back door directly right now. That key can only be used once. If we use it a second time, it will become ineffective against the Cocoon of Finality."
Su pondered for a moment before adding, "The Cocoon has given up its silence. Prometheus can misdirect it. But Noldrei's suppression of the Honkai is too strong; he's giving the Cocoon no room to breathe. The research into cracking Imaginary Energy has even reached this stage. The Cocoon has no way to stop now..."
"The only thing we can't control right now is how to successfully have our people descend the power of Finality. And then, how to transfer that power into Kiana's body."
Kevin was, of course, aware of this process, but...
Compared to the Project Stigma of the past, what he now held in his hands was a plan detailing Noldrei's experiment for controlling the new Venusians.
This plan was, to some extent, terrifying.
In the past, the Previous Era had always treated Stigma as a random, uncontrollable force, even considering it an accidental power derived from the Imaginary Tree.
This power was somewhat similar to a reversed application of the SELENE.
"What's wrong, Kevin? Are you still looking at this Project Stigma plan?"
"Yes. We never thought Stigma could be used like this. Using Stigma to separate a person's desires, forming two 'consciousnesses' like K-423 and Sirin. But this separation doesn't divide the sovereignty of consciousness; it merely uses the connection between the Stigma's will and the individual to create a 'desire' in opposition."
"This way, we can see a 'Stigma' that has been condensed through external crystallization. It looks a bit like a structure similar to a Honkai crystal. This structure can form an external organ, allowing a person to 'compensate' by using powers like Imaginary Energy and Honkai Energy."
Kevin opened his hand, and a strange gem materialized within it. Inlaid on this gem was the Kaslana Stigma. The birth of this power allowed one to freely use the power of the Kaslana Stigma.
"Through the exchange of memories within the Stigma Space, the power of the Stigma is made independently real. It doesn't even matter if the gem is lost. One only needs to create a new empty one to reactivate the 'external organ.' Unless the person dies, it will never be extinguished."
"Noldrei calls this thing a 'Stigma Eye.' Possessing it allows one to perceive powers different from the original material world."
"But at the same time, it means that the Stigma system Noldrei created has an even deeper control over people."
Kevin looked gravely at the object in his hand. Under his control, the strange gem quickly dissipated.
As a powerful being who could create his own Stigma will, this "Stigma Eye" had almost no hold over him.
Su, of course, knew about this as well. Noldrei never hid the direction of his research from others. This thing was the ultimate product of the second Academy City.
He didn't pass judgment on the current civilization's methods of rule; he merely described the fear that such a system of civilization brought.
"If someone with a Stigma Eye disobeys or makes any unusual moves, they will be monitored by the Stigma Space that links 'desire' and the 'Stigma's will.' This way, Noldrei can have Kiana manipulate their consciousness to directly sever a person's individual desires. The person will become like an apathetic shell, regressing to a state similar to that of a naive child."
"The current civilization's control over each individual is so deep that it can control everyone's 'desires.' In a very real sense, it can strip a person's 'desires' bare."
"But Noldrei packages it as: as long as a person's desires are firm enough, they will receive a response from the Stigma... Heh... The Stigma will not betray the will of humanity. The power of the Stigma will quietly permeate their desires as their trust in it grows stronger."
Su sighed with emotion. "This... is a truly brilliant plan for ruling. It's unassailable, as if it cuts off the very possibility of human resistance from the root of their desires. New desires will continuously arise. And these new desires will, through the 'Stigma Eye,' become nourishment for the Stigma Space, creating a collective will of the Stigma that conforms to the needs of the 'Lord of the Stigma'."
"It's like using the power of the Honkai to make so-called religious faith a reality. It even makes these believers feel that this is a 'reality' of desires they themselves have created."
"Interesting, truly interesting! With such methods, it is indeed possible to monitor those whose 'desires' cannot be satisfied in the first instance. This allows them to temporarily escape the possible infiltration of the Cocoon of Finality. Even if it does infiltrate, it can be monitored and precisely targeted immediately."
"Just as Sirin couldn't hide her Herrscher power within K-423's consciousness, the Honkai cannot hide its energy fluctuations under the power of the 'Stigma Eye'."
"The power of a ruler..."
Under Noldrei's leadership, the current civilization's techniques of governance had taken a quantum leap. This leap was born before the very eyes of the seniors from the Previous Era, and these deeply pervasive ruling techniques sent a chill down their spines.
The Previous Era lacked precisely this kind of method of control. The seniors never expected their successors to pull off such an elaborate "trick" with the simple Stigma.
Su suddenly remembered something and asked Kevin, "What does Noldrei call this process? I mean, the process of condensing the 'Stigma Eye'?"
Kevin thought for a moment and said, "The expression of desires made real, which in turn further strengthens personal will through the power of reality."
"This action that makes people believe they are acting with self-discipline... he calls this situation 'the alienation of desire'."