Kill the Sun

Chapter 821: Physical Suffering

Potential and reality.

The relationship between these two concepts was the very basis of Zephyx.

It was similar to the concept of potential energy and kinetic energy in physics.

If a ball rolled down a one-meter-high incline, it had the potential energy to roll up another one-meter-high incline.

But that never happened because of interfering factors.

Wind resistance, friction, and so on.

All of these things used up the kinetic energy of the ball.

The difference between potential energy and actual kinetic energy was widened.

The ball lost part of its potential.

Its original potential no longer reflected reality.

If things were better, it could reach its true potential.

But things were not better.

This was how things were.

In a strange way, this gap between potential and reality could be used to create Zephyx.

It wasn't easy for Nick to wrap his mind around this concept since it didn't conform to the physical reality he understood.

Potential wasn't real.

It was just a made-up term.

Only reality was real.

However, the more advanced research became, the more surreal reality became.

There were particles that just randomly popped into existence before colliding with an opposite particle just to vanish again.

There were particles that could be in two places at the same time.

One particle could interfere with itself like it was a second particle.

These things made no sense.

And yet, one couldn't deny their existence when looking at the evidence.

In the same way, potential apparently was a very real concept.

This reality and physical existence of potential also validated the existence of suffering as a real thing.

Suffering was generally described as an emotion.

A feeling of distress, maybe pain.

If someone cut off the branch of a tree, would the tree suffer?

Of course not.

Trees didn't have nerves, sentience, or feelings.

In the emotional sense, that tree couldn't possibly suffer.

But in a physical sense, it suffered.

The tree had the potential to have another beautiful and big branch, but that potential had been cut off by reality.

This loss of potential could be harvested and moved into something else.@@@@

If extrapolated to a planetary scale, the generator would turn a planet filled with life into a dead husk.

It would produce a lot of Zephyx during the generation, but that would be it.

As soon as the planet was dry and dead, there would be no more Zephyx.

One needed to find a balance.

Instead of stealing the potential of life itself, one could focus on stealing the potential of something that could regenerate with time.

Feelings.

A person strived for happiness, but if one took that person's happiness, one stole their potential.

However, that person could recover their happiness after some time.

One Protector could live for about a thousand years.

They were on top of the world.

And yet, how happy was the average Protector?

They were miserable.

Pressure, fear, responsibility, torture...

Their lives were ruled by negativity.

Despite all that, almost everyone strived to become a Protector.

Ambition, hope, and power were what drove them to seek the miserable life of a Protector for themselves.

Humanity's hope drove them to increase their own potential just so that the aliens could harvest that potential.

If one had no hope of ever being happy, why should one try to become happy?

There had to be hope.

There had to be a reason for humanity to increase its potential.

Aegis was that hope.

And for the members of Aegis, the progress in their fight against the Specters was their hope.

They had to become stronger so that they could free humanity.

They had to suffer and contribute more so that Aegis could stop the Specters.

With time, humanity's potential would increase, which also increased Zephyx generation.

All their suffering would pay off in the future.

They suffered now so that they could be happy in the future.

And just when they were about to achieve their goal...

The era would reset.

The failure of the current era would be forgotten.

The new era would believe they had hope.

And everything would start from the beginning again.

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