Dinner was served quickly.
Lumine and Paimon immediately devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the battle against food.
Alhaitham glanced at them briefly, then withdrew his gaze.
Sumeru had no custom of "no talking while eating," so discussing matters at the table posed no issue.
After organizing his thoughts, he spoke calmly.
"Most matters have been settled. One final issue remains."
"Whether the Akasha Terminal should continue to operate requires Lesser Lord Kusanali's personal decision."
At this, Naphis and the other scholars looked toward Nahida.
The Akasha Terminal undeniably had tremendous advantages.
For mobilizing knowledge and assisting academic research, it was an unparalleled tool.
Yet that very strength fostered overreliance, causing people to forget the original spirit of seeking knowledge.
Azar was the prime example.
By the end, it was unclear whether he had been using the Akasha, or whether the Akasha had been using him.
From Naphis's perspective, he both wished to retain it and hesitated to continue its large-scale promotion.
Nahida fell silent, pondering carefully.
"The Akasha is the crystallization of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's wisdom," she said softly. "We have no right to dismiss it outright."
"The Akasha itself is neither good nor evil. It depends on how it is used."
Tighnari nodded.
"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's intention was pure."
"It was human greed and laziness that distorted its application."
"The fault lies not with the Akasha, but with its users."
"In my view, we should not treat it as a scourge because some misused it."
"Preserve its strengths. Remove its excesses."
"Used properly, it increases research efficiency and improves daily life."
"Moreover, it has existed too long. To abolish it overnight would shock the populace."
Nahida looked troubled, and turned toward Ryen.
He wiped his mouth leisurely and spoke.
"In my former world, there was something much like the Akasha. It was called a smartphone."
"In that world, smartphones connected everything."
"With one device, nearly all global information was accessible."
"Events thousands of miles away could be known instantly."
"Life, entertainment, food, clothing, housing, communication, everything became intertwined with the smartphone."
"Gradually, it ceased to be merely a convenience. It became an external limb of humanity."
"This was inevitable, the progression of technology and the era."
"Many said dependence on smartphones would turn people into useless beings."
"Yet that did not prevent them from becoming indispensable."
"No one willingly returns to inconvenience."
He paused, smiling faintly.
"Like smartphones, the Akasha is a tool."
"It has no inherent morality."
"Some are ruled by it. Others master it."
"It is the eternal struggle between will and desire."
"But no one argued smartphones should be destroyed entirely."
"Because progress cannot be reversed."
"Human nature seeks greater convenience."
"To abolish the Akasha outright would not only regress the era, it would provoke every rainforest citizen who benefits from it."
"A single sweeping ban would plunge Sumeru into chaos."
"Ask yourselves honestly, would you truly give up such a convenient tool?"
Naphis imagined conducting experiments without the Akasha.
Days searching archives manually.
Research slowed to a crawl.
The thought alone was intolerable.
Ryen observed their expressions and spread his hands.
"Exactly."
Dehya frowned slightly.
"But the Akasha Terminal… its risks…"
Ryen waved lightly.
"I understand."
"Azar attempted to use it to harvest the minds of Sumeru's citizens."
"You fear its potential for abuse."
"You fear overdependence erodes autonomy."
"People default to the Akasha rather than think."
"In time, scholars become vessels, not thinkers."
Heads nodded around the table.
Ryen chuckled.
"Every technology is a double-edged sword."
"Consider the Dragon Riders."
"Dragons grant ordinary humans power rivaling gods' attendants."
"But if someone malicious controlled one, the devastation would be immense."
"Yet Ningguang, do you intend to limit Dragon Rider expansion?"
"Of course not," Ningguang replied without hesitation.
"They are central to resisting Celestia."
"If possible, I would make every Qianyan soldier a Dragon Rider."
Ryen asked, "Then why aren't you afraid?"
"Because I trust the Qianyan Army," she answered confidently.
"To doubt their loyalty would be to insult their character."
Ryen nodded.
"The issue is not technology, it is human agency."
"A gun does not choose its target."
"Yes, the Akasha's authority is excessive."
"That must change."
"But modifying the system without reforming its users solves nothing."
"Technology does not act on its own."
"People do."
Alhaitham's eyes sharpened.
"I understand."
"The Akasha Terminal's permissions must be restricted."
"Its ability to access citizens' minds must be revoked."
"Its functions simplified, no more forced knowledge infusion."
"The essence of learning lies in struggling toward understanding."
"The Akasha may provide reference, but synthesis must remain human."
"And administrative control must belong solely to Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"No one else may access its core."
"Scholars, too, must change."
"Knowledge requires effort."
Ryen nodded approvingly.
"Good."
"Humanity becomes human through the pursuit of learning."
"To inject knowledge directly is to distort that essence."
"Humans must be masters and creators of knowledge, not storage devices."
He blinked, then suddenly grinned.
"By the way, would you like me to introduce smartphone features?"
"You could add new functions to the Akasha."
"For example, live-streaming and short-video platforms. We called one TikTok."
"Or perhaps a massive virtual-reality online game."
"I know some excellent titles, Tears of the Kingdom, GTA V, Hogwarts Legacy…"
"Or an online marketplace, Five-Nation Resource Shopping."
"The Akasha has enormous potential. Don't just weaken it, expand it!"
"Maybe start with short videos and livestreaming."
"Not that I want to watch long-legged girls dancing. My tastes transcend such vulgarities."
The room fell silent.
How did his train of thought leap so abruptly?
Ganyu quietly pinched him, cheeks slightly puffed.
This man was greedy.
She had worn black silk stockings and danced for him more than once.
If he wanted to watch dancing, she would learn.
Why invent an entire app to watch other girls?
Was she not better?
True, dancing was not her strength.
But her figure,
Could those "long-legged girls" let him grab them mid-performance?
Could they respond the way she did?
Ganyu stared at him resentfully.
Perhaps she should go learn the Dance of Sabzeruz from Nilou.
She was not alone in that thought.
Ningguang and the others were calculating quietly.
Across the table, Alhaitham and the scholars exchanged awkward glances.
Under Ryen's eager stare, they forced polite smiles.
"We… will consider it."
"Consider it seriously!" Ryen insisted. "This is sincere user feedback. Maybe launch a beta version first?"
"…"