Chapter 96

"So, none of you consider me a human being, right?" Li Daoran said helplessly.

"No, you are free to not consider us human beings," David replied, already busy tinkering with his computer.

"What are you doing?" Li Daoran leaned over to take a look.

"You'll see in a moment. Let's continue: our ultimate goal remains god-slaying, to strip you of your authority. In other words, our end game is still to defuse you—the ticking bomb. You don't mind, do you?" David said casually.

"I couldn't ask for anything better. Please, hurry up and defuse me. I've had enough. You have no idea what it's like to be watched every single day," Li Daoran responded.

"Really? Actually, it's not that you can't turn off the live stream in the Daoran World; you've just never done it. You only turn it off when you return. If there are times when it’s inconvenient for us to watch, you can simply switch it off," David said.

"Never tried it, wouldn't know." Li Daoran watched as David’s fingers flew across the keyboard, inputting commands onto a black screen. He had no idea what the man was doing.

"Are you afraid we'd overreact? Honestly, there's no need to suppress yourself so much. You are the only one of your kind now—be a little more reckless. You lack the drive of a young person; just watching you makes me feel stifled. Most young people from your Rabbit Country are just like you—boring. If I were you... never mind." David never missed a chance to sow discord.

"Keep going. If you were me, what would you do?" Li Daoran asked, curious.

"If I were you, Blue Star would be finished, so it’s fortunate that it’s you," David chuckled, as if something had just occurred to him.

"That grin is more than just a little sleazy," Li Daoran said, casting a look of disgust at David.

"Have you ever studied pantheons? I mean ancient mythology. I've been cramming a lot of it lately and discovered some very interesting things," David said.

"Can we please not talk about gods?" Li Daoran sighed helplessly.

"Let's chat about it. A nation's pantheon reflects its social mores. Norse mythology, with its complex interpersonal relationships, actually mirrors the centuries of royal intermarriage and the tangled ties between those countries. Mythology is, in effect, a weather vane guiding the direction of a society."

"The reason your Rabbit Country is so unified, with such prevalent patriotism, can actually be seen in your myths. All of your legends emphasize the importance of order. Even the gods must suppress their emotions; they cannot act recklessly and must behave according to the rules. That’s why your reverence for order is etched into your very bones."

"Norse mythology is different: chaotic, free, and championing individual heroism. The Western world is deeply influenced by it, which is why everyone harbors a certain resentment toward government and order. That’s why the executive power and public credibility of Western governments are far inferior to those of your Asian countries. Even your smaller nations are more unified than we are."

"Egyptian mythology is largely similar to the Norse, but with the major difference that it places a heavier emphasis on class—something absent in Norse myths. Because of this influence, the sense of class in the Middle East is particularly severe."

"And even heavier on class than the Egyptians are the Brahmin myths. They divide class so minutely that it almost applies to every individual, ensuring everyone can find their 'proper' place within the mythology. It’s a terrifying faith."

"As for Africa, because they lack the influence of cohesive mythological narratives—or rather, they lack a unified culture of their own, relying instead on various tribal totems—they never formed a centralized spiritual belief. That is why you see them as the most fearless people. And do you know what fearlessness represents? Ignorance." As David spoke, his hands never stopped moving.