Chapter 42 Absolute Control Vs. Destructive Freedom

"How can life essence be extracted by a chip? Wasn't that chip supposed to allow us to better interact with the hardware that was available to them?"

Bruce chuckled artistically before responding.

"The chip allows contactless and gesture-less interaction with a lot of cutting-edge hardware the world is seeing these days. But that's not its main function.

Despite what you may have thought, the chip doesn't just rely on technology. It also has a runic inscription hidden deep underneath it. The kind that allows siphoning of life essence.

And yet, that's not the only thing the chip does."

Bruce said and hunched back in his chair. It was as if he was trying to sort his thoughts as he said those things.

"What other function does the chip have?"

Bruce nodded at Eren after the latter asked the question calmly. This was the sign that Eren was ready to face reality for what it was. This was no game of emotional fools. This defunct world was on the brink of destruction after the introduction of mana and technology, which required a cold-blooded calmness to survive.

Bruce took his time to answer Eren's question. Snapping his fingers, he took care of the nearly finished Dan Dan noodles first. The food was dispersed in the thin air along with the cutlery. Then he snapped his fingers again to summon two cups of Li-Cha into existence. It was one of his favorite teas.

He offered the first cup to Eren while he sipped from the other one. He only started talking about how he felt the taste of Li-Cha calming his mind.

"Do you know why MCP chips are called MCP chips? The mortals not living in Elysian cities have come up with various pseudo terms for that abbreviation these days. But that abbreviation only had one meaning in the beginning when the chip was named for the first time.

The chip was first named Mana Circuit Prevention Chip."

Eren had stopped being surprised. But that revelation did make him want to leave this place and wreck some shit up once again. But then that emotion gave way to curiosity shortly thereafter.

"Sir Bruce, why would they do that if siphoning life essence was all they were after? I mean… I'm not sure I got this right. But preventing mana circuits would mean that humans with the implant would remain mortals.

Even so, I have seen many Metas in non-Elysian cities. How can they exist if MCP chips are implanted in them?"

Bruce shrugged his shoulders before replying.

"Each human is different from the other. Sometimes the remedy for an ailment that works on one won't work on the other with the same ailment.

There can be many reasons for Bourgys to have Metahumans born within them. Although rare, the chip can malfunction. Or sometimes the chip alone isn't enough to stop some humans from walking on the path of rankers. Their bodies can form mana circuits despite the restrictions placed by the chip.

But even if there are Metas outside the Elysian cities, they don't know the path ahead. Therefore, they remain in Meta their whole life, never stepping into Rank 2 or beyond. That is unless the establishments don't approach them to live inside the Elysian cities after signing a mana-binding contract of confidentiality.

Why do you think most Metas from the non-Elysian cities just up and disappear all of a sudden? They are given completely different identities in Elysian cities, a new life that is not like the mortal life they had previously."

Bruce said and smirked before adding further.

People who can create their mana circuits despite facing resistance from the chip implants are considered incredibly talented. They can become exceptional warriors when they are made aware of these things and allowed to walk on the path of rankers.

When such gifted rankers enter the Elysian cities, their MCP chips are removed from them. Of course, they are made to enter the numbered Oasis to prove their worth."

"Numbered Oasis…" Eren mumbled to himself before raising another question he had.

"Sir Bruce, why are they controlling the population of rankers if they need such exceptional rankers?

Wouldn't it be better to allow humanity as a whole to pursue the path of rankers instead of it being limited to the citizens of the Elysian cities?"

Bruce looked at Eren with playful expressions as if he was expecting a question from him. He scratched his beardless jawline before answering.

"The uses of fire are many. Many of these uses are for the betterment of humanity. But the same fire can be used to burn down cities and cause havoc and mass genocide.

Do you trust the entire humanity to make wise use of the power that can cause mass panic, mass destruction, and mass killings in a short time? Especially after looking at humanity's history in the past?"

Eren shook his head in denial before trying to make his point.

"That's not what I'm saying. What is it about citizens of Elysian cities that makes them more qualified to walk on the path of rankers than those outsides?

As you have said, there could be exceptional rankers among the so-called Bourgys. Why kill their potential and restrict them to only live for 50 years?

Plus, rankers have extended lifespans. Wouldn't the extended lifespan mean more life essence? That should at least make the authorities reconsider the restrictions of 50 years of life they have put on mortals."

Bruce didn't take long to answer.

"Nobody is saying people living in Elysian cities are more qualified to walk on the path of rankers. It's just the consequence of choice. Prioritizing the greater good of humanity at the expense of subjugating mortals to their mortal standards.

The need to siphon the life essence of a large population is one reason behind that choice. The need to keep the large population from making ill use of their powers and causing mayhem everywhere is the other reason."

Bruce then snapped his fingers again and summoned a spectral screen in front of Eren. Eren watched footage of ruined cities, dead and mutilated bodies lying in the streets, and other such gory details that he couldn't help but stare at without blinking.

Bruce continued while looking at the video that looked to be shot a few centuries ago.

"It's not like this hadn't happened before. A few centuries ago, all of humanity was aware of the rankers' path. And it had sent humanity into a dark period of destruction, mayhem, and dissolution.

Yes. Even more than what you are experiencing right now. This video is only a small teaser trailer of that period. A grim reminder of heartless humans can be when they are equipped with powers with no accountability."

Bruce observed Eren's expressionless face and felt that he was preaching to the right audience. He took some time before continuing.

"Most people are benevolent individually. But they start turning into devils when they form groups. Mob mentality as they like to call it. Imagine what would happen when such mobs are laced with supernatural powers that they don't know or care to control?"

Bruce had a sardonic chuckle and looked at Eren's grim expressions before verbally marching forward.

"That turbulent period a few centuries ago almost made humanity face dark times. Yet, I would say the scale of that event was still nothing compared to what had happened before that.

Mortals had restarted civilization during another dark time due to the same reason-- exceptional individual power. We are talking millennium years. A different civilization existed at that time that was so advanced that mortals a few centuries ago couldn't comprehend their creations. Among them were the pyramids of bygone eras that no longer exist."

Eren narrowed his eyes when he heard Bruce say that humanity had faced two calamities because of weilding of mana. He had heard about the dark time that had come to pass a few centuries ago.

But he wasn't aware of the calamity that had struck the previous civilization. He didn't even know what pyramids were because they had not existed in his timeline.

Bruce knew Eren didn't know anything about the first calamity, pyramids, or anything that was related to the previous civilization of humans. He decided to wrap things up.

"We have learned that when given powers they cannot control, humans will inevitably cause destruction. Those sitting at the high tables would have to be very dense to forget what history has taught us time and time again.

It is for this reason that establishments from all over the world created this plan to create Elysian cities and implant MCP chips into mortals living outside them. And they did everything they could to keep the two groups separate. This was to assure each group could serve its purpose well without derailing from the establishments' objectives.

The Elysian cities gave the establishments a steady flow of ranker population that they could control. And the mandate and incorporation of chip implants enabled them to not worry about a larger population of people they couldn't control entirely.

This was a win-win situation for establishments. And for the most part, these restrictions allowed the establishments to concentrate their efforts on the other worlds, where the real profits lay."