Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 680: Chapter 679: The Standpoint of Human Morality

”Artificial humans...”

Squinting, Fang Zheng looked at the artificial human soaked in nutrient solution in front of him, reached out to touch his chin, and fell silent.

”Mr. Fang Zheng?”

Just then, a voice rang out, and soon, Fiore appeared in her wheelchair from the other side. Seeing Fang Zheng, she paused in surprise.

”What are you doing here?”

”Well, I’m thinking about some moral issues.”

”Moral issues...really?”

Fiore looked visibly astonished at Fang Zheng’s response. No wonder, as magicians in the Type Moon World seldom spoke about morality. Pursuing the Origin was their ideal, and anything else was meaningless to them.

”Yes, I’m considering the differences between artificial humans and robots.”

Indeed, that was why Fang Zheng was here. He already had his own ideas and judgments about robots and AI, but artificial humans were different. Honestly, although Fang Zheng had seen many movies about clones and artificial humans, there wasn’t a rationale he found convincing for why humans sought to create artificial humans and clones.

If it were a matter of needing organs, then cloning organs alone would suffice. Science and technology also indicate that cloning a whole person takes longer, is less efficient, and consumes more resources than cloning an organ.

Yet, if artificial humans were used as labor, they wouldn’t be as efficient as machines either; even if they were used as expendable soldiers, they wouldn’t be as secure as robots controlled by AI with fundamental permissions. After all, everyone understands the wars involving clones...

What Fang Zheng hadn’t expected was Fiore’s puzzled expression upon hearing his answer.

”Machines...robots? What are those?” freёNovelFire.com

”...”

At Fiore’s puzzled inquiry, Fang Zheng was momentarily at a loss for words. He knew many magicians weren’t well-versed or fond of modern technology, particularly remembering Tohsaka Rin from the Fifth War, who was quite the mechanical novice. However...Miss, you don’t even know what robots are?

Tohsaka Rin at least knew that phones could be used to make calls!

”They are man-made tools, similar to humans, created using machinery and can be manipulated by humans to perform various tasks. They don’t need to eat, drink, or rest and can work 24 hours a day—similar to autonomous humanoid dolls.”

Fang Zheng briefly explained to Fiore, whose eyes widened in surprise as she listened.

”Have the people outside already managed to create such alchemical devices?”

”No, it’s still a concept...well, there are some results, but they aren’t made in human form.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng further explained to Fiore what industrial robots were, and upon hearing his explanation, Fiore’s expression turned reflective.

”So that’s it... But then, how does this relate to the moral issue you are thinking about?”

”Well, I’m considering whether or not artificial humans should be treated as human beings on a moral level.”

This was the very issue Fang Zheng was contemplating. Robots definitely shouldn’t be regarded as humans, as he had thought before—their thought processes and sensory feedback were all controlled by human-designed computer programs. Believing that robots have souls and lives is merely an illusion brought on by human emotions.

However, artificial humans and clones were a different matter; their flesh and blood were indeed created by humans, but their ways of thinking were not. Yet, why do artificial humans exist? Are they here just to serve as human batteries?

Honestly, on that point—whether it’s humane—Fang Zheng found it difficult to judge. The World Tree of a Thousand Realms did not do as Ryuunosuke and CASTER in the Fourth War, which consumed others’ flesh and blood to gain magic power. Nor did it act like C-Mother in the Fifth War, which used the life force of the city’s residents to maintain her magic power.

Instead, they chose a more humane approach, ”creating artificial humans as magic batteries” to avoid involving ordinary people as much as possible. From a purely human perspective, this was already quite humane.

Morality has never been a fixed concept; nothing is ”very good” or ”very bad.” What matters is whose perspective you take and for whom you think. For instance, two great nations were at war for many years, with heavy casualties. Every year, countless parents lost their children, and countless children lost their parents. Then one day, both nations decided to settle their conflict differently: they created two armies of artificial humans to fight for them. These artificial humans would slaughter each other on the battlefield, and the outcome of the two nations was determined by the number of deaths.

The citizens of these two nations could then lead peaceful, beautiful lives. Parents could take their children out to play, and children could enjoy a happy, loving family. They could even watch the battles on TV and cheer for the slaughtering armies of artificial humans.

As a third party, one would definitely think this scene was both comical and wicked.

But what about the people involved in these two nations? Of course, a simple ”Why not just stop the war?” is easy to say, but what if the war cannot be stopped?

Should Artificial Humans be sent to die? Or should their children or parents go to the battlefield, never to return?

Just like this Holy Grail War, for outsiders, a simple ”Why not just avoid betraying the Mage’s Association?” or ”Why not just quietly conduct the Holy Grail War, why declare it openly?” or even ”Letting the World Tree of a Thousand Realms operate independently is fine since they are just second-rate magicians anyway” might suffice.

But what about the positions of those involved?

Can outsiders imagine the anger of ordinary magicians who, for hundreds of years, because of their background and shallow history, have been excluded from the core circle of magecraft, existing only as their ”spare tires” and ”slaves”?

Can outsiders understand the fury of the nobility, who for two thousand years have been high and mighty, suddenly getting slapped in the face by the very slaves they’ve oppressed rising up against them?

This is all impossible.

That’s why there is this Holy Grail War, one side seeking to leverage the Holy Grail to completely ignite a rebellion. The other side tries to contain this budding rebellion for their own dignity and at the same time seize that mythical Greater Holy Grail.

For this war, both ”nations” are using their own methods to do everything as best they can.

Morality is like this, varying based on different positions, and as a Paladin, Fang Zheng naturally has his own views on the moral dimensions and positions.

Of course, if Fang Zheng were just one person, then he would just need to support those he favored, without concerning himself with others. But Fang Zheng is the leader of the Heavenly Dao Palace, and every move he makes affects the safety of the Heavenly Dao Palace, so Fang Zheng must ensure that his position is always balanced and relatively correct.

”Ms. Fiore, what will happen to these Artificial Humans later?”

”This...”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s question, Fiore thought for a moment.

”After the Holy Grail War is over, if they are still alive, they will continue to serve as servants of the World Tree of a Thousand Realms...”

”Crack!”

While Fiore was speaking, suddenly, a glass vessel beside her abruptly shattered, and mixed with the shards, an Artificial Human fell out from the vessel and smashed down towards Fiore.

”Be careful.”

Seeing this, Fang Zheng quickly stepped forward, grabbed Fiore’s wheelchair, and pulled her behind him, while reaching out with his hand to strike the Artificial Human. With a ”thud,” the next moment, Fang Zheng directly sent the Artificial Human flying, slamming it hard into a corner of the wall where it tilted its head and fell silent.

What’s going on here? Are there fake magical tools?

Fang Zheng glanced at the shattered container, then turned to look at Fiore.

”Ms. Fiore, are you alright?”

”I’m fine, thank you, Mr. Fang Zheng...but are you...not hurt?”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s question, Fiore replied in a slightly blushed and low voice. Just now, when the glass vessel blew up, if Fang Zheng hadn’t shielded her, those glass fragments might have struck Fiore.

”I’m fine.”

Fang Zheng extended his hand to shake off his clothes, brushing the glass shards onto the floor. At this moment, hearing the noise, other Artificial Humans walked from around, beginning to quickly clean up the shards here. Meanwhile, Fang Zheng walked to the wall corner, looking at the Artificial Human.

He looked like a young boy, with white short hair and a thin body. Unfortunately, this Artificial Human was very unlucky; when Fang Zheng sent him flying, the fellow’s head apparently hit the wall, and then the entire cervical spine was broken...of course, he was already dead.

To which Fang Zheng could only say one thing...

”Truly unlucky...”

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.