The impact of the Honkai wasn't as great as expected.
Aside from an extra 'moon' in the sky, there wasn't much else to feel. For ordinary people, it might have caused some physical discomfort. But as long as one wore a Stigma Battlesuit, even the weakest of them—the Gaming Stigma—could alleviate this discomfort.
For those who had surpassed the first and second stages of Stigma activation, this immersion in Honkai Energy even allowed them to better sense the power of their Stigmas.
And for those at the fourth and fifth stages, this power instantly became a boon, even beginning to drastically enhance their bodies and push humanity's evolution in the direction of pseudo-Herrschers.
These sensations could only be experienced by those who had utilized their Stigma Battlesuits to a certain degree.
The rest, who only wielded the Eye of the Stigma, just had a vague feeling that it had become more effective. They were like tenants who go out for a while, only to come back and find their landlord has renovated the apartment and replaced all the appliances without their knowledge.
Kevin had inherited the power of Finality, and thus, he also knew with perfect clarity what Noldrei had been doing all this time.
If the Will of the Honkai couldn't defeat Noldrei, its only remaining option was to entrust this authority to Kevin.
Su's brow furrowed. He looked at Kevin and asked, "What exactly did the Will of the Honkai convey to you? Your aura is completely different from before."
Kevin took a deep breath. "It's difficult to explain the principle in words right now. For the moment, you can think of it as the reproductive power of the 'Imaginary Renormalization Group' that Noldrei created. He didn't just force the Cocoon of Finality to relinquish its own existence, he even forced it to surrender the very power that shaped it."
Su never would have thought the Cocoon of Finality could be forced to such an extent.
But when exactly did Noldrei obtain this power? Or did the Cocoon of Finality have its own reasons for acting this way?
"What information did the Will of the Honkai give you?"
Su was worried this was a last-ditch attempt by the Cocoon of Finality to sow discord, but one look at Kevin told him this had nothing to do with manipulation.
This was a real, practical issue that would genuinely place Kevin and Noldrei on opposing sides.
The Will of the Honkai had simply laid this issue bare for Kevin right before relinquishing its power.
"It wasn't that it gave me information. Rather, once I assumed this position, I suddenly understood what Noldrei has truly been doing."
Kevin pondered for a long time before explaining, "It's not just a matter of the Honkai. Noldrei has, in the truest sense, created a society where the Honkai rules humanity. On the surface, it seems humanity has mastered the Honkai. But in reality, the Honkai-based social environment they've created has only further enabled the Cocoon of Finality to control them."
"The humans of today are, in effect, Honkai Zombies with consciousness, Honkai Beasts that think in reality, and pseudo-Herrschers who possess authority."
"They correspond to the Eye of the Stigma, the Stigma Battlesuit, and the Stigma Wielder, respectively."
"The three stages are clearly delineated, efficiently and harmlessly integrating the will of life into the Honkai system constructed by the Cocoon of Finality."
"Those who fight the Honkai will ultimately succeed in integrating with the Cocoon of Finality, obtaining the highest authority within human civilization."
"'Emperor' is a pre-planned route on the ladder of power."
Kevin explained calmly, "Su, you can think of it as us not conquering the Honkai as we understood it. Rather, we've replaced the Cocoon of Finality with a stronger, more flexible entity, allowing that new entity to become the true ruler."
"The reason the Will of the Honkai accepted its own demise is because it knew that after it disappeared, I too would end up on a path of opposition against Noldrei due to the same conflict of principle."
Su completely understood the conclusion Kevin had presented.
Ultimately, Noldrei's course of action went a step deeper than the Stigma Project. It had fundamentally reshaped humanity's state of existence, allowing it to twist and merge with the external material world to become a truly new form of life.
But because of this, Noldrei had also constructed an unprecedented class system.
This class could, on one hand, create a Cocoon of Finality to stand in opposition to, and on the other, delve deep into the consciousness of every individual. They occupy a position in the middle, high above, plundering the fruits of the labor of ninety-nine percent of all life.
And Noldrei occupied just such a position.
"You mean, to prevent human civilization from entering that tragic new world, we must strike down the one who created it."
But Su still felt it wasn't that simple.
This was indeed Kevin's current line of thinking. He wasn't certain if his thoughts were correct, but the new world Noldrei had created was too powerful.
Proliferationism...
Propagation. The reproduction of life.
That eternal, endless struggle unfolded before Kevin's eyes like a canvas.
"Only by sitting in this seat can one see that endless future. No wonder the Cocoon of Finality relinquished its authority so easily. When it surrendered the power to create itself, it had already foreseen its own final outcome."
After speaking, Kevin fell into a long silence.
Su tried hard to recall what had happened after Shigure Kira obtained her power.
The final outcome was, of course, self-evident.
Su could already see Noldrei creating more Cocoons of Finality, letting life wield their power, and plunging it into an endless cycle of struggle.
"You're right. That man truly is insane..."
After learning of these discoveries about the Cocoon of Finality from Kevin, Su gradually came to agree with his perspective.
From the very beginning, that man had no intention of creating a stable, beautiful new world. Everything he did was a grander prelude to the next great struggle.
Before, the ones sacrificed were the people of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
Next, the ones to be sacrificed would be this new era's Stigma organization.
Even for the sake of preserving the fruits of the Current Era's victory, Kevin could not allow Noldrei to continue pushing the world down this path.
His fanatical pursuit of progress had become an obstacle to the interests of all humanity.
"It seems this time, we aren't fighting for the sake of the Previous Era, but for the sake of the new civilization."
Su lamented Kevin's tragic, laborious fate, yet had no choice but to commit these words to memory.
The day the new system was complete would be the day Noldrei would personally try to destroy it.
"I understand. I will..."
"How am I supposed to tell them something like this?"
Su was truly conflicted. He didn't want the hero of this new era of humanity to be branded a 'Lich King.'
In truth, Noldrei was simply pursuing progress, trying to push humanity to its next stage.
But if this wasn't handled carefully, then the Flame-Chasers brought out from the Elysian Realm, as well as Kiana, Bronya, and the others...
These individuals, so carefully nurtured by Noldrei, would become the next 'Schicksal' for him to tear down.