King Felix II, back in Thighland, felt the residual heat of the Flow still coursing through his core. His victory over Duke Vorlag had been total, but the cost was manifesting not as political blowback, but as societal overdrive.
"Report!" Felix commanded, his voice tight with concern, as he surveyed the kingdom's status screens. The FPM was dangerously high, spiking sporadically above 12,000 even without a current external threat.
Lord Reginald, the GCVTD, trembled, adjusting his headset. "Your Majesty, the people... they are unable to de-escalate. The victorious Ritual of Combat and the subsequent GRWM provided such a high-grade surge that the populace is now suffering from chronic, high-intensity Flow Addiction."
"Symptoms?" Felix asked grimly, already anticipating the answer.
"Extreme mental tunnel-vision, Sire. They are constantly trying to find new, minute details in your previous stream content. They are neglecting basic sustenance, sleep, and even necessary infrastructure maintenance, all in pursuit of generating the next, biggest Flow surge. The entire economy is running on pure, manic energy. We are heading for a Societal Flow Burnout."
[SYSTEM WARNING: FLOW GENERATION UNSUSTAINABLE. RISK OF CRITICAL FPM CRASH DETECTED. IMMEDIATE FLOW MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS REQUIRED.]
King Felix paced, the weight of his power suddenly feeling heavy. He had weaponized the dedication of his people, but he hadn't planned for the long-term mental cost of peak gooning.
"We cannot simply order them to stop the Rituals," Felix mused. "That would cause an immediate Flow Crash, leaving us vulnerable to Chadgard. We need to introduce managed scarcity and aesthetic rationing."
Knight-Captain Rhea, the CM, offered a solution. "Sire, we need a Low-Flow Protocol. A temporary, mandatory shift in the national aesthetic focus. We need a concept so intentionally calm and unexciting that it forces the populace to relax and recharge their mental bandwidth."
Felix stared at her. "But that's anti-aesthetic. It goes against the very core of our culture!"
"It is strategic survival, Your Majesty," Rhea countered. "We must temporarily replace the high-focus Rituals of Gooning with a soothing Ritual of Aesthetic Self-Care."
Felix made the difficult decision. He stepped up to the main broadcast camera, his expression grave but still perfectly aesthetic.
"My dedicated Flow conduits," he began, his voice commanding but gentle. "Your devotion has saved this Kingdom. You have achieved an S+++ Flow State that has permanently raised our national defense grid."
He paused for dramatic effect, ensuring maximum focus before delivering the shocking news.
"But even the purest Flow requires rest. Effective immediately, I am declaring a Mandatory Low-Flow Period. This is a Sacred Directive enforced by the Crown."
He pulled up the new protocol graphic on the screen:
The Mandatory Low-Flow Protocol (MLFP)
Aesthetic Rationing: All new high-AI content from the King is paused for 48 hours.
Required Visuals: All citizens must switch their visual displays and décor to the Muted Pastel Filter (AI Score: 20%).
The Ritual Shift: The high-intensity Rituals of Gooning are temporarily replaced by the Ritual of Soothing ASMR Listening (Focus on gentle, non-aggressive sounds).
Enforcement: Any citizen found attempting to generate a high FPM surge will be given mandatory therapy and a temporary ban from all high-aesthetic platforms.
The entire kingdom reeled in shock. The national chat channels immediately exploded in confused panic, but the King's authority was absolute.
"This is not a retreat," Felix concluded, channeling his own deep sense of past-life exhaustion into the broadcast. "This is Strategic Self-Care. Recharge your focus. We are preparing for the next, inevitable wave of Cringe from Chadgard. We will return stronger, more focused, and ready for a Flow that shatters reality."
As the Muted Pastel Filter washed over the throne room, Felix felt the intense, manic heat of the Flow begin to subside, replaced by a gentle, steady hum. The kingdom was resting.