MGSFV?! Chapter 398. Wisdom Is the Enemy of the God of Wisdom—Just Kidding
The players continued watching with great anticipation.
"Let us begin with one of your so-called 'rebellious' students."
The Will of the Stigma started talking to Theresa about Mei.
Hm?
From the sound of it, were they going to start from the beginning again?
Of course not.
The players already knew those events. Repeating it all would just be padding the story, wouldn't it?
So the game simply showed a line of text to gloss over it:
A fragment of Raiden Mei's memory quickly flashes through Theresa's mind from Kevin's perspective.
"This is…"
Theresa asked, puzzled.
The Will of the Stigma explained:
"The real Kevin initiated the Stigma Plan. Raiden Mei opposed him. So he let her leave—so she could pursue what she believed was right."
"Stigma Plan?!"
Hearing that name, Theresa snapped out of it.
She remembered clearly what happened in Skydome City...
"That's right. The Stigma Plan."
The Will of the Stigma nodded, then began explaining the current state of the plan.
After clarifying some points, he reassured her:
"The Stigma Plan now is no longer a mere replica of the experiment in Skydome."
"Let me give you some peace of mind—"
"—As of now, not a single person on Earth has truly lost their life because of the Stigma Plan."
"Because at the conclusion of this plan, the manifested Stigmata will replace humanity, and humanity will dissolve into a dream, merging with the past Stigma space."
[No lives lost, but if the Stigma Plan succeeds, it feels like something more important than life is lost.]
[Eh? You guys really see it that way?]
[So basically, the Stigma Plan now aims to have Stigmata take humanity's place to continue civilization. That's correct, right?]
[If our creations inherit everything from us—values, history, memories, emotions—then in a doomed world, I think it's acceptable.
Before the cold laws of the cosmos, every species is a moth to the flame.]
[Hmm… But here's my thought—don't we always say humanity never learns from history? Sci-fi is full of aliens who want to destroy humanity after understanding us.
Isn't expecting a completely different being to understand and accept humanity… kind of arrogant?]
[Actually, whether they understand or not isn't important. Civilization still continues. Do you recognize feudal times as legitimate?]
Clearly, the Stigma Plan isn't universally opposed—
Nor universally accepted.
Everyone has their own stance.
So if you had to pinpoint Kevin's actual mistake…
It might be this:
He didn't announce to the world before starting the Stigma Plan that the Herrscher of Finality was about to descend, the world was on the brink of destruction, and everyone was about to die.
Schicksal is corrupt. Anti-Entropy is useless. Only our World Serpent has a plan that might work.
Now choose—fight to the bitter end (but probably fail), or be absorbed into the Stigma and live a beautiful, fake-but-real dream (and hey, maybe awaken as a Stigma if you're lucky—one in several million chance).
Then…
Pro- and anti-Stigma factions would duke it out.
World Serpent wouldn't have to look like end-of-the-world villains—they could claim the moral high ground and step in after the dust settles.
Resistance would plummet.
But… did Kevin not know this?
The Will of the Stigma had already said: Kevin hoped Mei would pursue what she believed was right.
So perhaps Kevin did know—
He just hadn't given up.
Just like the question he asked Raven at the start of the interlude:
Why do birds fly?
Everyone has their answer.
And Kevin certainly had his.
...
Back to the point.
"The thoughts within the Stigmata will materialize and gradually descend into the outer world. They'll move toward us and replace humanity, now in quiet slumber."
Hearing this, Theresa was shocked.
"Stigmata… replacing humanity…?"
That was entirely different from what she understood.
Wasn't World Serpent's Stigma Plan about selecting elite awakeners like Seele and Durandal from among humanity, no matter the cost?
But now it sounded more like…
"I discovered humanity has limits—so I'm not human anymore"?
Actually, even more radical than that?
"Let me give you an example, Theresa."
Perhaps sensing Theresa hadn't grasped it fully,
The Will of the Stigma continued:
"If characters from books and stories descended into the world and built their own society—extending their infinite possibilities into the future—
What kind of world do you think that would be, compared to our current human world?"
[2D waifus becoming real (???)]
[As a neutral party, I suddenly feel like the Stigma Plan is kinda great.]
[This feels like the time Mei explained things to Kevin. Feels exactly the same.]
[Please, what the Will of the Stigma says is way easier to understand than Mei's stuff.]
Of course, aside from the joke posts, many players continued sharing their views in the chat.
[Am I the only one wondering what ordinary people will turn into in the end?]
[If we had concrete data, we could try deducing it. That would be better than just guessing randomly.]
[But the Stigma Plan is so complex... even if we had data, could any of us really figure it out? You're all so confident, huh?]
Some players were eager to theorize.
But it was clear their hopes wouldn't be realized.
[This makes me more certain—unless someone like Elysia comes out of the story, expecting any of those "chosen ones" to empathize with humanity is wishful thinking.]
[But isn't the Stigma Plan still the best plan we've got? At least it beats total annihilation by Finality.]
[You're not wrong. If there's no better choice, then I guess it's better than nothing.]
[Personally, I think the Stigma Plan should still be questioned, regardless of necessity.
Worst case, we have it as a backup. If we succeed, we win big. If we fail, only the foolish challengers suffer.]
[So Kevin already won? (lol) You guys might profit—but I'll never lose.]
Some debated whether humanity still counted as existing.
Some cared about whether Stigmata spirits could pass on civilization.
Some simply thought, "Eh, might as well go with it."
Clearly—
If so many couldn't agree on one answer,
Theresa couldn't be expected to deliver a perfect statement in just a few minutes either.
She shook her head.
"I don't know… But I don't think it's a bad thing either."
"What if I told you—those story characters don't suffer pain, aging, illness, or death? They're safe from the world's destruction."
"Would you still say it's merely 'not bad'?"
"…You mean…"
Theresa started to piece it together.
"If you've guessed it—then let me summarize it this way…"
The Will of the Stigma said:
"If Schicksal's goal is to find the right destiny,
If Anti-Entropy's goal is to defy the wrong destiny,
Then World Serpent's goal is to transcend destiny itself."
Although that summary only made things cloudier,
It was still clear enough:
The Stigma Plan's goal had never changed.
But its focus had shifted—from humans to civilization.
As long as civilization could pass through Finality—
In other words, transcend destiny itself—then all other costs could be ignored.
Moreover…
"The Stigma Plan now allows Stigmata to take humanity's place. They'll inherit all of human civilization—"
"From a planetary perspective, Earth will not have lost anything.
Rather, it will have reached a form of ascension."
Theresa frowned. "Earth… will ascend?"
[...]×n
Even with a few short lines between them, players in the stream chat reignited into fierce discussion.
But since it overlapped with earlier conversations, let's not repeat them.
In-game—
The Will of the Stigma must've realized he was explaining a very abstract concept.
So he reassured Theresa:
"Rather than trying to understand everything…"
[Will of the Stigma: Theresa, just let it go.]
[Theresa: Uh oh, he found out I'm lost.]
"…Perhaps this memory from 50,000 years ago will be more meaningful to you."
"It could be considered… one of the starting points of the Kaslana family."
With that,
The game returned to free-control mode.
Players were still wondering what memory the Will planned to show Theresa—
When they saw shadowy figures of Mobius and Kevin ahead.
Mobius and Kevin?
What did this have to do with the origin of the Kaslana family?
They were curious.
Controlling Theresa, they triggered the memory.
The time was just after the battle with Finality—
Mei had been confirmed dead. Everyone was preparing to enter cryo-sleep.
"Kevin."
Mobius looked at him and asked, meaningfully:
"What did you think when you saw your child for the first time?"
There was a nice little gameplay detail here.
Since Theresa didn't know Mobius, her name appeared as "???" in this scene.
Kevin looked at the child.
His cold face shifted slightly.
"…He has her eyes."
"Oh? That's odd. The eyes were modeled after your genes.
After all, his mother was born with nearsightedness."
Mobius said it so casually.
Players instantly caught on:
[So the child of Kevin and Mei was genetically engineered by Mobius herself!?]
[Hmm… not too surprising? Mobius was Mei's senior and brought her into the Flame-Chasers. They were close.]
[But 'his mom had bad eyesight so we used your genes'—what kind of joke is that? Is this Mobius-style humor?]
[Kevin, just after fighting Finality and barely standing, still said, "He has her eyes."
Was he trying to cling to her warmth? Bro, that's a knife…]
[...????]
[I always trust players to find the pain in anything.]
Kevin: "..."
As expected, Kevin went quiet after hearing Mobius's remark.
Seeing her "joke" backfire, Mobius changed the subject.
She even tried to lighten the mood—a rare thing for her.
"Forget it. It's no time for jokes.
Do you know what this child will bear in the future?"
Kevin replied coldly:
"He might have to kill me."
"Oh my."
Mobius feigned surprise. "Such a noble declaration."
Then her tone cooled.
"—I regret it. If that's all you can say,
You don't deserve to have her child."
Imposing such a cruel fate from the start…
Not even giving the child a blessing…
That was his and Mei's child…
Kevin remained expressionless.
"I'm just stating facts."
"Be whatever kind of father you want—"
Her tone made it clear Mobius was slightly angry.
"But let me give you a piece of advice."
"If you're still carrying out the Stigma Plan,
There's no need to involve Mei's child as well."
"After Finality, the world is vast—
Before the next cycle begins,
He has more than enough time to enjoy the freedom of being born human."
"You people always loved that kind of freedom, didn't you?"
All she wanted was for Kevin to treat his son kindly—
But the way she phrased it was, as always, barbed.
Turns out, the hardest substance outside of Elysium Realm… is Mobius's tongue.
Kevin: "..."
Clearly, Kevin caught the nuance in her words.
But he chose to say nothing.
Considering everything he had endured,
He couldn't afford to put it down.
Still—Mobius uncharacteristically said a lot this time.
She tried one more time to "persuade" him:
"Kevin, if we were just primitive humans living in a cave,
Backs to the entrance, bound at the hands and feet—
Only able to see the shadows cast by fire on the wall before us…"
"Occasionally, something would cast a shadow on that wall—
And we'd take those shadows as the entirety of the world."
[This is Plato's Allegory of the Cave!]
[Wait, historically speaking, Plato wasn't even born yet at this point (serious).]
[The shadows represent the world as humans perceive it?]
[Or… what if humans are the shadows?]
Mobius continued:
If someone broke free of the shackles and saw the vast, brilliant world outside—
Would they return to save their companions?
Kevin replied:
"His companions might not need saving.
But for him, some things are still necessary."
"Kevin."
Mobius looked deeply at him.
Then asked, softly but sharply:
"You don't… take yourself for that torch casting the shadows… do you?"
[Eden once said it well—Kevin could've been the fire that illuminated others.
But instead, he became the moth chasing it.]
[Is Mobius trying to tell Kevin to give it up?]
[Maybe Mobius believes everyone should just live their own lives.
Like her earlier "blessing" to Kevin's son—hoping he gets the freedom to just be human.]
[Is the process more important than the result?]
"..."
But—
Clearly, Mobius's "persuasion" didn't work.
Just like the story's repeating message:
A man's destiny… is his character.
This is salvation. (lol)
...
Back to the present.
Theresa felt her head aching after viewing the memory.
"I'm not sure how much I understood…
But it seems… for Kevin and the others…
The Stigma Plan represents more than just defeating the Honkai."
[Theresa, look at yourself. You didn't "not understand"—you totally didn't get it. (Eyes of Wisdom.jpg)]
[Caught a slanderer live on the scene.]
[Don't be ridiculous—I'm a proud Theresa fan!
Which is why I can't accept that our dear Principal's losing in the wisdom department!]
[??? I don't get it either, but I'm deeply moved.]
[Fake fan or fake hater? I can't even tell anymore.]
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium