Chapter 272: My Inability to Impregnate Elves Makes Me Disabled |
Several minutes had passed, and Ashe’s treatment was nearly complete. The hovercar had also come to a stop.
However, Annan didn’t open the car door. Instead, he pulled out a remote control and pressed it, causing a drone to rise from the rear compartment of the vehicle. This appeared to be a special model, capable of silently ascending to the height of about ten stories.
“That Orc sorcerer lives right here,” Annan explained. “His plan for tonight is to study from 8 PM until 4 AM, then enter the Virtual Realm inside an Education Pod, where he will spend three hours before leaving for work at 7 AM.”
Ashe commented, “That sounds like a full life.”
“His wife thinks so too,” Annan said as he pressed the remote again, projecting a Holographic Screen into the air. “This is the image transmitted by the drone… I don’t mind, but you can’t see the screen with you lying on my lap.”
“Ah, is the treatment over already?” Ashe realized, sitting up suddenly. “I thought…”
Before Ashe could finish his thought, he was captivated by the scene displayed on the screen.
The drone’s footage showed a heart-stopping battle — an Orc was brutally beating a naked blond man, while a female Elf in pajamas, her hands bound, cowered fearfully to one side.
No further explanation was needed; Ashe immediately understood that the combatants were a pure-hearted Orc warrior and a blond Minotaur.
“Reproductive segregation was solved hundreds of years ago,” Annan replied. “Long ago, people believed that babies born with the bloodlines of all races would possess the talents of each race. For the rewards of the Weaving Festival, sorcerers of the past continuously researched miracles to break the barriers of reproduction.”
“But the results were not as ideal — the newborn would be dominantly influenced by the bloodline of one race, while the bloodlines of other races remained recessive and silent.”
“Now all newborns are vaccinated and receive genetic adjustments. After over a decade of genetic modifications, they will overcome reproductive segregation upon reaching adulthood. Some families might stick to traditions and avoid these adjustments, but in the broader social consensus, maintaining reproductive segregation is nearly akin to having a disability.”
As he spoke, Annan glanced at Ashe.
Ashe blinked—Am I considered disabled because I can’t impregnate Elves?
“Moreover, the priority of racial bloodlines is highly random. Like this Orc and Elf couple, their child could be an Orc or an Elf. So, over the years, races that were once minorities, like Elves and Sea demons, are nearly catching up in population size with Humans and Orcs. This couple, for instance, has an Elf daughter, but she’s staying with her grandparents tonight and isn’t here.”
Annan watched the Holographic Screen: “Interracial marriages like between an Orc and an Elf are not uncommon, or rather, marriages within the same race have been decreasing in recent years.”
At this moment, Ashe truly realized the profound differences between the Gospel and Blood Moon Kingdoms—not only in terms of technological levels but also in their fundamentally incompatible cultural systems.
Biological adjustments are not merely about breaking reproductive barriers, just as the Bloodline Prohibition Act creates a society full of orphans, biological adjustments also lay the foundation for a massive racial Fusion.
The Bloodline Prohibition Act of Blood Moon and the biological adjustments of Gospel represent nearly opposite societal transformations.
The former not only preserves racial divisions but even escalates these distinctions to individual levels, where each person is an isolated entity, unable to establish any stable relationships; the latter completely breaks down racial barriers, amalgamating all cultures, eradicating any race-based hierarchy—could someone whose mother is a Sea demon still claim ‘Humans are nobler than Sea demons’?
At this moment, the blond man in the screen seemed to say something, causing the Orc Sorcerer to hesitate. However, he did not let go but instead tied the blond man up with a rope.
“What did he say?”
“He claimed to be someone from the Kelmor Family, which means he comes from a significant background,” Annan explained. “He can compensate with Points and money.”
“How do you know that?” Ashe dug at his ear. “There’s no sound in the video.”
“I can read lips.”
“Wait, isn’t the blond man facing away from us? How could you see his lips?”
“Just add a little imagination.”
“So you’re just making it up…”
At that moment, whatever the blond man said next enraged the Orc Sorcerer. He kicked out, sending the blond crashing against the wall, coughing up a great deal of blood, and then rushed up to deliver a barrage of blows.
Ashe was initially amused, but his smile gradually faded, and he suddenly asked, “Did you know from the start that it would turn out like this?”
“Yes,” Annan replied. “I had you send away the Orc Sorcerer because I needed him to come home and see the video of his Elf wife’s infidelity.”
“But didn’t you just say that nowadays, married couples are the most suitable matches for each other? Why would there still be betrayal?”
“It depends on how you define ‘most suitable.’”
Annan gently touched his earring. “For instance, if there’s a female Elf who naturally loves fun and is attracted to men, how would you choose a suitable partner for her?”
“A man who also enjoys fun?” guessed Ashe. “So they can both do their own thing?”
“Wrong,” Annan said. “That pairing violates the fundamental principle of marriage: mutual benefit. Two equally fun-loving people together might not harm each other, but they also don’t provide any benefits, which is just like not being married at all. Moreover, betraying a partner is part of the fun, and if your partner doesn’t care about your infidelity, then cheating is pointless.”
Ashe looked at the image on the Holographic Screen, his face devoid of any smile: “So, the best match for a fun-loving female Elf is a dedicated, capable male Orc?”
“Yes,” Annan nodded. “With an Elf wife, the Orc Sorcerer feels happy and motivated at work; and with an Orc husband, the Elf enjoys the love and protection of a partner, and can seek thrills on the side when needed. Both parties achieve happiness, making it a mutually beneficial marriage.”
“But what if it’s discovered?” Ashe pointed at the Holographic Screen. “Is it still a suitable marriage then?”
“What do you think would happen if we hadn’t intervened?”
Seeming to have been sitting for too long, Annan changed his posture by crossing his legs and straightening his back to relax, calmly saying, “The Orc Sorcerer goes to work at seven in the morning and returns home at five in the afternoon to find a virtuous Elf cooking dinner. By six, their daughter comes home from middle school, and the family enjoys a peaceful dinner together.”
“Guided by the Gospel, they would happily enter their graves without any incidents that could destroy this family.”
The Gospel.
A thought gradually formed in Ashe’s mind: “Does the Elf ask the Gospel how to keep her husband in the dark?”
“I’m glad you’re catching up,” Annan smiled. “But that’s not quite it. If I’m not mistaken, the Elf learned techniques like ‘Anti-Reconnaissance’ in her secondary education, and she uses the Gospel to check for any slip-ups, ensuring the Orc Sorcerer remains oblivious his entire life.”
“Does the Orc never suspect? Just a little doubt, and if he consults the Gospel…”
“Do you suspect your pillow will suddenly grow teeth and bite you?” Annan said. “Human thinking can’t break free from its own perceptions, and Orcs are not naturally suspicious. As long as the web of lies is woven tightly enough, he’ll never escape it.”
“But doesn’t that turn the Gospel into a tool for betrayal?” Ashe barely finished speaking before shaking his head: “No, matching the Orc with the Elf from the start was already harming them!”
“Harming whom? Doesn’t the Orc have a virtuous wife? Doesn’t the Elf have a husband who loves her?” Annan countered. “Betrayal is just a minor issue.”
“What then is a major issue?”
“Getting caught is the major issue.”
“That’s not fair!” Ashe spread his hands. “The Orc hasn’t done anything wrong, why should he have to suffer—”
“Orcs aren’t purely good, either,” Annan said. “He cares a lot about his image, so he sabotages and defames his outstanding subordinates at work. He consults the Gospel on how to maintain his position and how to set traps for his subordinates… The harm he causes others might even be greater than the harm caused by his Elf wife’s infidelity.”
Ashe frowned, faintly sensing that Annan was about to perform a Miracle on him—a Miracle even more compelling than a Contract.
Annan continued, “Everyone has their own desires, everyone has their own stance, and everyone wants to encroach on others’ benefits. If everyone acted solely based on their selfish motives and clashed with each other, most of society’s resources would be consumed in internal strife.”
“Is there a system that can regulate everyone’s desires and make everyone happy?”
A book appeared in Annan’s hand.
The corners of Annan’s mouth tilted upward in a mix of disdain and resignation.
“Under the guidance of the Gospel, a perfect social network is woven from three threads: lifelong education, lifelong labor, and lifelong marriage. In this network, everyone hurts others to satisfy their own desires, but at the same time, everyone is secretly being hurt by others.”
“But it doesn’t matter, the Gospel helps them weave perfect lies, so they don’t know they’re being hurt. The Orc Sorcerer’s subordinates don’t know they’re being sabotaged by their boss, and the Orc Sorcerer doesn’t know his wife seeks pleasures elsewhere while he’s at work.”
“It’s like the seamless flow of traffic on the ground and the orderly drone routes in the sky—this vast network operates carefully yet flawlessly, with lies lubricating and concealing any Loopholes.”
Ashe was stunned for a moment, and after a long pause, he managed to say, “So, by disrupting their daily routine, are we actually doing something bad?”
“Listening to the Gospel leads to happiness,” Annan said. “Correspondingly, hearing our noise leads to unhappiness.”
At that moment, the Orc Sorcerer threw a heavy punch, knocking several teeth out of the blond man.
Ashe suddenly exclaimed, “No, we have to go and save him!”
“Weren’t you just enjoying the show? Why would you want to save—”
“I just want to save this Orc Sorcerer!” Ashe said. “If this continues, someone will get killed, and he shouldn’t be taken away by the Red Caps for that!”
“Don’t worry,” Annan reassured him. “I’ve looked into it. This Orc Sorcerer, although hot-tempered, has never killed even an animal from childhood. He works as a Production Sorcerer in the company and generally holds back, even when angry.”
Ashe relaxed a bit, but then something didn’t feel right. “Generally?”
“If someone really embarrasses him,” Annan said slowly, “then don’t blame him for losing his temper.”
Buzz!
Suddenly, the sound of flying machines filled the air. Ashe looked up through the transparent roof and saw several Sorcerers wearing Red Caps zooming overhead. Their Boots emitted blazing blue flames for propulsion, assisting their flight!
The warning from the Red Caps echoed through the sky: “The criminal in room 3506 on the 35th floor of the Holy Spirit Building, cease your criminal activities immediately. Place your hands high against the wall; otherwise, the Red Caps will take coercive action. This is your first warning! Holy Spirit Building…”
Trouble.
Ashe saw in the Drone footage that the eyes of the Orc Sorcerer were almost red. The arrival of the Red Caps was undoubtedly going to exacerbate the conflict. While there was a chance that the Orc Sorcerer and the blond man could have settled their issues privately, the Red Caps’ broadcast made the entire building aware of the incident in room 3506!
“He really cares about his reputation,” Annan commented.
Thud!
There was no sound in the Drone footage, but Ashe felt as if he could hear the sound of lives shattering.
