Xiadie, this name sounded in the game, like a ghost butterfly swaying in the cold mechanical world, gently fluttering the torn soul. Her fighting skills at the cost of her life can’t help but make people think deeply: behind this, what kind of spiritual distress do modern people have in this prosperous technological era? And what kind of cold and ruthless society is reflected?
Quantum, this is a mysterious symbol of science and a sign of the progress of the times, but in Xiadie’s world, this “quantum” is no longer the glory of hope, but a synonym for sacrifice and indifference. She used her own physical strength to exchange for the team’s victory, but like an alienated machine, she lost her individual dignity, as if the deprivation and control of people in modern society can be glimpsed through this.
The seemingly glorious “sacrifice” is actually a blasphemy against life. Whether in reality or virtuality, people are nothing more than a pile of numbers and indicators. In the game, Xiadie’s fighting skills that consume the lives of the entire team are just like individuals in reality who obey the so-called “big picture” and silently swing between the system and interests. The consumed individual loses the freedom and independence of the soul.
Under such cruel “quantum” calculations, Xiadie seems to have become a symbol, a puppet kidnapped by the rules. Her life no longer belongs to her, but a bargaining chip for others to sacrifice. Those “dark flowers” and “new stamens” sound mysterious, but they are nothing more than indifferent packaging of individual pain, and are the iron cage of modern people’s souls.
The cry in Lu Xun’s writings is a fierce resistance to this alienation. We cannot avoid that many “Xiadie” in real society silently endure the spiritual division and physical torture, just to maintain a false mask of harmony. The sacrifice in the game is nothing more than a reflection, a portrayal of our own heart.
In a sense, Xiadie’s fate is not a simple conception of the game designer, but a metaphor for the cruel reality of today’s society. The dead dragon summoned by her “finishing move” is nothing more than a struggle against the ruthless rules, but it is destined to be short-lived and will eventually dissipate. Just like countless people who survive in the cracks of the system, they are exhausted physically and mentally, and their lives are ruthlessly squeezed.
As spectators and participants, should we be silent and watch, or should we awaken and question like Lu Xun? While modern technology brings light to mankind, it also makes people fall into a deeper spiritual dilemma, and the isolation and alienation of individuals are becoming increasingly serious. Xiadie uses her own “quantum life” to tell us that if we are not vigilant, humans will eventually become butterflies swallowed by the times.
The study of Xiadie should not only stop at skills and values, but also go deep into the social symbols and spiritual metaphors behind it. Her story is a warning and an accusation of the distorted values of modern people. We must learn to see people behind numbers and the dignity of life behind sacrifice.
Only in this way can we not be swallowed by the coldness of this “quantum”, find back the warmth and freedom of being human, and reinterpret the meaning of life. Xiadie is a mirror in this profound dialogue about existence and value, reflecting the desolation and desire in each of our hearts.
This is the cruel truth of modern spiritual and social alienation glimpsed from Xiadie’s “quantum sacrifice”. May we no longer be enslaved by cold numbers, and may every butterfly have a sky to fly freely.