Apocalypse - Evil Shelter System

Alex also noticed the expression on Prophet Field's face. Judging from the actions of the prophet, there seemed to be something unusual, which surprised Alex a little. The elderly man with silver hair, who moved with a slight tremor, did not appear as ignorant as Alex had initially thought. In his cloudy eyes, a glimmer of wisdom seemed to flicker.

"Captain Connor, you all can leave first. I have something to discuss with our hero," Prophet Field suddenly stood up and waved his hand toward Connor and the others.

Connor and the others seemed to hold the prophet in high regard. Soon, they respectfully withdrew. Alex smiled faintly, quietly observing Field who had fallen into contemplation, waiting for him to speak.

After a while, Field turned shakily, his expression solemn, "Sir, I know you're not a messenger sent by the gods. Comparing you to the messengers of the gods, I am more inclined to believe that you are the deity of our human race. Although I have always used the gods to encourage the people in the resistance, deep down, I am well aware that there are no gods in our world.

If there were, our human race wouldn't be in the situation we are today... Moreover, the gods can't save us. The only ones who can save our human race are ourselves."

Field's words seemed to carry deep meaning, but Alex didn't want to delve into it. "Mr. Field, whether I'm a messenger of the gods or a deity myself, I bear no ill will toward you, and I don't mind helping you break free from the vampire enslavement. After all, I am also a member of the human race."

Prophet Field nodded, his gaze turning towards the darkness, becoming somewhat profound as if recalling certain past events. "I'm over a hundred years old. Since I was born, the world has been like this. But from the mouth of my grandfather, I learned about how the world used to be..."

"This place was originally a beautiful world. Although there were occasional conflicts between several countries, overall, people lived happily. At that time, there were no vampires, and our human race dominated this world. Until one day, there was an explosive development in technology in this world.

Artificial intelligence began to spread extensively, and the wealth of this world gradually shifted into the hands of those who possessed cutting-edge knowledge and technology. The wealth gap between people also gradually widened."

"With the emergence of artificial intelligence, it completely changed the situation between various countries. The original law enforcement agencies gradually transformed into unmanned drones..."

"Those rich people who hadn't had enough of a luxurious life, after gaining the vast majority of resources and wealth in this world, began to pursue immortality. Many biotech companies were born at that time, and then, in an accident, the progenitor of the vampires was born..."

Field roughly recounted the stories his grandfather had told him, narrating the past of this world with a painful expression. However, due to the passage of time, he could no longer describe it as vividly. Nevertheless, a story his grandfather told him when he was a child remained etched in his memory.

Prophet Field picked up a worn-out teapot, poured a glass of water for Alex, then took a sip from his own dilapidated cup, trembling slightly, and continued, "I can't remember the events of those years. Even my grandfather didn't experience that period. We only learned some things through oral transmission. As for why the human race has come to this today, I don't know the reasons behind it."

Field lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and continued, "Let me tell you a story that my grandfather told me about that time, a story about a poor man and a rich man. I've been thinking about this story and reflecting on that period of history for many years. I don't know if you're interested in hearing it."

After listening to what Field had said earlier, Alex suddenly became very interested in the history of three hundred years ago.

"I'd love to hear it," Alex said, taking a sip from the cup. It turned out to be tea, but the taste wasn't something Alex could compliment.

"My grandfather once told me about the era when humans ruled this world. At that time, although the distribution of wealth in the world was uneven, it still maintained a certain balance. There were not too many poor people or rich people; most people belonged to the middle class."

"People at that time generally believed that with the progress of society, the wealth gap would further narrow, and everyone looked forward to an era without poverty, where everyone was equal."

"But soon, people realized that the envisioned era was much more complicated and difficult than they had imagined. Even the last bit of balance was quickly shattered!"

"Shattered by what?" Alex couldn't help asking. He was very curious about what had broken the balance, as the world described by Field was remarkably similar to the one where Alex had lived before—an Earth that suddenly faced a cataclysm, turning into a post-apocalyptic world. Without the apocalypse, Alex thought these two worlds might have developed in a similar direction.

"Education!" Field's expression suddenly became serious. "My grandfather told me that in such an era, knowledge and skills were the only way for the lower classes to enter the upper class.

If society is like layers of water separated by social rules, education is like a pipe running from bottom to top, connecting the various water layers, making the water flow alive, preventing it from becoming stagnant."

"So you mean... that poor people can't afford to go to college anymore?" Alex couldn't help interrupting. This situation was happening on Earth before the apocalypse, and as a university student, Alex deeply experienced this issue. While his own country managed relatively well, other countries faced severe challenges.

Alex quickly guessed the reason behind this, but upon closer thought, he realized it might not have such dire consequences.

Field nodded and continued, "Yes, the cost of higher education has become increasingly expensive, gradually becoming a privilege for the elite children. In fact, many countries have adopted a practice of hierarchical education.

Elite children enjoy the best educational resources and receive top-notch education, while ordinary civilian children undergo a 'bread and circuses' education, filled with brain-dead dramas, brain-dead culture, and motivational nonsense, to brainwash these children of the common people."

"But in traditional trade, even considering market considerations, the price still has certain limits. It shouldn't completely cut off the flow between upper and lower classes, right?" Alex couldn't help but interject. Based on what Alex observed in his own world, it shouldn't have evolved into a situation of complete isolation.

Field nodded without arguing with Alex and continued, "According to my grandfather, at that time, the situation was probably as you said. The cost of traditional education actually had certain limits. Most people could still afford basic education. Therefore, that pipeline connecting every class could still flow. It had become as fine as a thread, but after all, the pipeline still existed. However..."

Field paused, his expression becoming extremely solemn. "However, one day, education underwent a fundamental change. The world's technology began to experience explosive development, and the method of education also underwent the most fundamental change!"

"What was it?" Alex asked in surprise. A fundamental change in education—what would that be like? This made Alex very curious!

"It was the ability to directly implant knowledge into the human brain using special data! Moreover, the cost of this process was extremely high!"

Field was well aware of this point because much of the knowledge in his mind had been infused by his grandfather and father. This technology was still widely used, but in recent years, there hadn't been any new developments; instead, it had gradually regressed.

"I see!" Alex nodded. If that's the case, the thread-like pipeline of education would indeed be blocked.

"But this is actually just one of the reasons," Field shook his head and continued, "Later, with the development of technology, a chip could be implanted into the human brain. This chip could be directly connected to a supercomputer through 7G network technology, and its capacity could even be limitless!

The knowledge stored in the supercomputer could become the clear memory of the person with the implanted chip."

"But this is just a secondary function. It is an intellectual amplifier, a thought amplifier that can elevate human thinking to a new level."

"At this point, knowledge, intelligence, profound thoughts, even perfect psychology and personality, artistic aesthetic abilities, and so on, all became commodities. They could be obtained through unbelievably expensive prices!"

"It must be very expensive, right?" Alex listened, somewhat stunned. Initially, what Field said was understandable, but now it was becoming more and more like science fiction, making Alex somewhat unable to comprehend.

"Yes, it was indeed very expensive. If we make a comparison with the currency value system at that time, the cost of a person receiving superior education was similar to buying two 180-square-meter detached houses in the central area of a major city."