Legend of the Cyber Heroes-Chapter 74 - The Last Sacrifice

74: Chapter 74: The Last Sacrifice

74 -74: The Last Sacrifice

This must be a story known to my generation…

ah, probably even to my uncle’s generation.

For the previous generation, memories like these often involve places like “Internet cafes.”

This story comes from a Blizzard Entertainment franchise.

In this tale, a magical world is suddenly afflicted by a “Scourge”—a calamity that causes the living to fall ill and die while the dead are resurrected as monsters.

The leader of the Scourge is known as the “Lich King.”

Many years later, a hero, along with a few companions, made their way to the throne of the Lich King and ended this evil leader.

However, at that moment, the spirit of a deceased hero suddenly told the hero that if the Lich King were to die, the Scourge would completely spiral out of control, bringing devastation to all living beings.

Therefore, “there must always be a Lich King.”

Sometimes I think that we actually live in a world filled with Undead.

Really, it’s not an exaggeration at all.

When people seem just about busy transforming themselves and the things around them, creating unprecedented things, whenever the world sees the first light of progress, the powers of the Undead reemerge.

They live in languages, in cultures, in societies; they are the will of the gods, the remnants of ancestors.

A philosopher once said: “The traditions of all the dead forebears weigh like a nightmare on the minds of the living.”

And when the moment of change arrives, those who resist change summon the Undead, to serve them.

They borrow their names, their battle cries, and their fashions so that, donned in these long-revered garbs, using borrowed language, they may relive the stories of the Undead once again.

The Undead will tell you through their words, “That which has happened before will happen again; what has been done before will be done again.

Under the sun, there is nothing new.”

They will say, “This is how our forebears have lived down through the generations.”

The Undead bind my life.

All I see is darkness in front of me.

A long time ago, I recognized this when I observed those who, reeking of the decay of the Undead, walked in the Present World as “Lich Kings.”

“There must be a Lich King.” I reiterated my point to my friends.

These people are my friends, my companions.

I have spent seven years at this research institution affiliated with the United Nations University.

Over these seven years, I’ve exchanged and learned much with them.

I am also convinced of their stance, their aspirations.

I believe they will ultimately support me.

“You really are crazy, buddy.” Another man with a golden goatee stood up, pressing his hands downward motioning me to calm down.

“I think I understand.

You are definitely disillusioned with society, yes, I feel that way occasionally too.

But we can march, protest, we can campaign, organize social movements…” the man pointed to Black Warrior behind me.

“Look at him…”

“No doubt I’m a loser,” Black Warrior said helplessly.

“So far I haven’t succeeded in convincing any academic institution or library to open up their knowledge to the public—the only entity that recognizes my activist identity is the FBI.

That’s also why our Director can persuade me.”

This “Black Warrior” guy is devoted to the Open Access Movement—a social movement against the privatization of knowledge.

“Ah, right.” I nodded.

“Since the nineteenth century, people have been doing this.

A person wanting to change the world often chooses this path.

Many great individuals in the past have done so.

Some failed, some achieved a certain success but had their fruits stolen by the Undead, and others, though achieving great feats, exhausted their lifespans before the ultimate victory—so the next question, are you a politician?

How is your public speaking?

Do you possess the ability to communicate with the public?”

“What?”

“Those great Pioneers were professionals in this area.

What about us?

We’re just professionals in a different direction.

We’re scholars, cynical folks, nerds—what could I do if I now let the efforts of my earlier life be in vain, and change careers to transform the world as a politician?

Do you really think you possess leadership qualities that even the Pioneers didn’t?” I retorted.

“Of course, I want to change the world in the way we can—not because I want to, but because, dull as I am, this is the only way I can find.”

“Yes, you are exactly that kind of person,” my girl jumped up, blocking my view.

“You know what I hate most…”

“To be precise, the third most,” I smiled at her.

“You really hate how Microsoft distorts the geek culture you love— they even altered the definition of ‘open source’ in the eyes of the general public.”

“Wow, since you know…”

“Then have you ever thought that one day you could legally upload the source code of Windows anywhere you want?” I said.

“They are powerful enough to distort the industry’s ecosystem, so why shouldn’t we twist it in itself?”

The girl raised an eyebrow: “By doing the same thing as them?

What you’re creating is an unprecedented monopoly!”

“Please refer to it as ‘something unprecedented.'” I shook my head.

“Let me reiterate, I am not asking anyone to hide any papers.

I hope there is a research institution that will write ‘all results are openly accessible online’ into its charter.

The only reason we apply for patents is to open them up, ensuring that no one can monopolize the patents.”

“What I want to do is something unprecedented.

It has never appeared in history before, perhaps it’s a unique ‘new thing’.”

The girl folded her arms in front of her chest, “Can you guarantee that you won’t turn into a new evil dragon?”

“That’s why I need you…” I looked at her, then at the others in the room, “and everyone.

We will be each other’s guarantee against corruption.”

“What we intend to do is not to completely control power and authority, nor to create a conglomerate.

We are just participating in a game, obtaining the resources of those people, achieving what we aspire to, and then handing it over to humanity to change this world.” I closed my eyes and said softly, “We are to steal the Heavenly Fire from those who make the rules, and give the flames to the poor.”

Another man stood up huffing, “Enough, stop.

Everyone can leave.

This is just a madman talking.”

He pointed at me.

“I guess you also had Zhu help to block the surveillance or something.

But I can tell you, friend, you don’t need to do this.

Even if you put forward your ideas, no one will feel offended, nor will anyone accuse you of betrayal—they’ll just think you’re out of your mind.”

“Without building a technological advantage, how exactly do you plan to profit?”

I nodded, “That’s exactly why I blocked the surveillance—know this, research needs money.

Now money is controlled by the powerful.

If they think I am unreliable, then I might never have a chance to access those resources.

I have said it, my ultimate goal is ‘to steal the Heavenly Fire’—I don’t have the talent to ‘rob’.

If I don’t hide myself, it’s not ‘stealing’.”

“That thing in the ‘tent’ over there has such power.

Do you understand?

In this fair and just world, the knowledge created here will only allow those powerful beings to fairly and justly become stronger.

The only methods we have to choose from are to use our own way to guide the direction of this current.

This direction!”

“Let us control the power of the ‘Lich King’.

Let us redefine humanity’s common imagination about the ‘world’—let us create a new culture!”

“I emphasize once again—my goal is not to create a super conglomerate.

That’s not important.

A company or whatever, is just the chicken that lays eggs.

I just need to trick rich people into feeding the chicken, and then distribute the eggs to the beggars and the mud-laden.”

“What about the ethical issues then?” the first one to question the ‘Black Warrior’ fell into thought.

Her expression had softened a lot now.

“According to the data mentioned in that document, you might increase the average lifespan of the rich by two hundred years…”

“It’s a necessary sacrifice.” I said.

The woman seemed somewhat perplexed.

“It’s a necessary sacrifice.” I pointed to the slide behind me, “Look at this, look!

Its core essence is not this ‘damage resistance’, but ‘using Electric Field Energy to replace ATP hydrolysis’!

This yeast, it’s an autotrophic organism!

It’s an unprecedented ‘electric energy autotrophic’ organism!”

Organisms can generally be classified as ‘autotrophic’ and ‘heterotrophic’.

The so-called ‘heterotrophic’ refers to all organisms that ‘directly or indirectly eat autotrophic organisms’.

Those other than ‘heterotrophic’ are ‘autotrophic’—organisms that can survive without consuming other organisms.

Plants are typical ‘photoautotrophs’.

Herbivorous animals that eat plants, and carnivorous animals that eat herbivorous animals, are all heterotrophs.

Although there exists the ‘Leafslug’, an animal that can plunder chloroplasts from plants for photosynthesis, the vast majority of organisms can be classified this way.

Yeast is a typical heterotrophic eukaryote, its physiological process involves breaking down sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide to obtain energy, where sugar is the product of plant physiological activities.

However, this yeast on display has been transformed into an autotroph.

“If successful, humanity could be liberated from agriculture.

A person would only need two kilowatts per day to survive.”

“Two kilowatts, according to our country’s pricing, would not exceed 1.5 RMB, not even 22 cents.

If done with the industrial base of the Federation, it could even be reduced to 12 cents.”

“Just drink some water, add some inorganic supplements.

Humanity will completely step out of the shackles of carbohydrates.”

The woman pointed at the PPT, “Are you blind?

This yeast can only reduce the consumption by ten percent using this method!”

“That’s what needs further research.”