It would be impossible to say that Russell did not anticipate it at all.

After all, what the monkey-faced eagle developed is a "technology", not a "talent". Since it is a technology, it also means that it will one day be copied, popularized, and optimized.

And the force that is most eager for this technology is the cyber church.

The scourge of twilight, called "Dream", is forever chasing after the world. Whether it is a human or an elf, as long as they have different personalities, have differences in personality, as long as they take care of themselves more than others, they will eventually be caught up by the twilight.

It's not a person, it's not an organization, it's not a country. Rather, the entire human civilization has been sentenced to death – with a suspended execution.

Among the many options that can escape from this nightmare and survive the pursuit of the swordsman, the most executable is to completely abandon the fight against the illusion, completely abandon the drive of flesh and blood, and let all consciousness reunite in the clean form of "data", and reconstruct the gods to embrace the ultimate sublimation of pure machinery.

- Let those androids never dream of electronic sheep again.

Everyone will lose a lot, but not everything. Man will no longer be human, civilization will no longer be civilized, but all "man" will still have the right to live because of it.

That is the essence of the "cyber eternal life" that the cyber church is seeking.

「… Now that you know about the catastrophe of the destruction of the world, it is easy to say."

Lycaon sighed, "You're right, I'm just a test subject.

"Because the monkey-faced eagle is in a very unstable state. But the Church couldn't be sure whether the destabilizing factor was the monkey-faced eagle or the technology itself. They need someone who is wise enough, has little desire, and has a spirit of dedication... At the same time, there is no 'pioneer' of moral purity to carve the way for them."

"A way to escape to the virtual world?"

"That's alive, too, Susu."

Lucaon replied earnestly.

"Of course, the Church knows that this kind of eternal life has many hidden dangers, and it can even be said that it is self-descending. We all know that the first person to execute Cyber Immortal will be transformed into a piece of data that can be modified and erased at will by external controllers. Well, it's like who I am now.

"But so what?

"If I can bring the news of victory, we will finally be able to escape from a ruined future. What makes civilization survive trumps anything – dreams, love, justice, ideals, freedom, and faith. "Seriously, Susu. All of this can be discarded, they are not a great thing, because as long as they die, there is nothing. And as long as we live, as long as existence can continue, we can create possibilities for the future, I mean, new possibilities."

「… I see."

Russell sighed, "Defeatist strategist."

He understood.

Even before the church became a cyber church, they were living the "way of survival." And after they learned the truth of history and became cyber churches, they never thought about how to defeat the dream for a moment, or even whether they could escape from the dream.

From the very beginning, everything in the church was prepared on the basis that "they could never escape".

Just as the church always takes believers to escape from the miserable reality and create a beautiful illusion. That's because they can't change reality and improve people's lives. All they can do is comfort.

But they can show others the way—but the church never teaches people what to do. It's not Alice's sobriety and compassion, it's that they don't intend to sell "superfluous hopes" that only lead to despair.

All they did was to heal the hearts of the believers and soothe their spirits so that they would not be tortured to death by life. All the church does is make people "hold on a little longer" and they do it from the heart, hoping that others will "live."

As long as you live, there is hope. And their own hope should be found by themselves – they do not give hope to anyone, because they do not have that power, and they do not have that obligation.

"Did you know that the church sets the healer as the lowest angel, not because the healer should be the lowest, but because we always need the healer. What we want is for anyone who needs it, who needs it, who can become a temporary healer."

Russell understood this.

It's like DND's priests, no matter what magic they prepare, they can turn it into healing power.

Because the foundation of the church is to heal suffering. Both physically and mentally.

- Let people live. This is the foundation of their religion.

So that more people can live. Keeping the greatest number of people alive.

Compared to the "external ideas" of virtue, justice, faith, and piety, which are used to deceive the congregation into attracting followers, the only belief of the cyber church is to "lead people to life".

"Now that you have become an information creature subordinate to the Church," Russell said slowly, after a moment of silence, "I have no intention of dictating your choices. But I must tell you that the last people who were loyal to the church and believed in the church were those mechanical angels.

"And now they are still asleep, and they are squeezed into juice. The church sells them to the mages... For a purpose."

"Ahh I know about it. It's better to say... In my current state, I am able to access the secrets that I have never known before."

Lucaon took a sip of tea and replied flatly, "Do you want to know the truth about this? You may not believe it... That's for the survival of humanity as a whole."

"What's that for? Do you save people by killing people?" Russell asked rhetorically.

"—you know what?"

Lycaon avoided answering, "The battle of the teachings a hundred years ago was to completely destroy the mage lineage.

"The mages look to the dream world for strength, and the church looks to 'God, for strength, but I'm going to tell you a secret.'"

"—If you're going to say that the power of dreams is also based on dreams. I've known this for a long time."

"Ah, that's easy to explain."

Lycaon sighed again, "'Dream tokens, do you know what that word is?'"

There was no hope in his thin countenance, but at the same time there was no sorrow. It's not so much numbness as indifference.

In some games, it's over five minutes into the game, but the base doesn't explode until twenty minutes — a Lycaon's expression at the moment is like the calm expression of a team at seventeen or eighteen minutes in that kind of game.

He should have been angry, but his mood did not fluctuate in the slightest.

"It's a demon, isn't it?" Russell replied.

"Your mentor told you?" For the first time, Lucaon's face showed an unexpected look other than "sadness" and "calm".

Obviously, he had no idea that Russell would know the answer, which should not have been known to anyone. "My chairman told me."

Russell pondered for a moment and replied.

"Then your chairman really trusts you."

Lycaon exclaimed, "That's wonderful..."

Ah, not really. Russell thought to himself.

At best, it can only be regarded as a good word for a person to die.....