Magic has been present on Earth for about three years.

Over the past three years, countries around the world have been gradually increasing their investment in magic.

America's budget for magic-related research alone in 2024 has already exceeded 100 billion US dollars, not including investments in high-end research and development fields such as aerospace and quantum accelerators.

In order to take the lead over all countries on this new track, America has even adopted a certain degree of strategic contraction.

Perhaps they were going to shrink back anyway, but the appearance of magic gave them a better excuse.

Other countries are similar, investing heavily in research and development of magic.

"I mean maybe, maybe Merlin's curse is caused by the combined effects of cellular organ defects and the soul level, which makes people unable to feel any positive emotions."

This might not be possible at the biological level alone.

"If that's the case, I believe that the already desperate feelings of the big shots will become even more desperate."

Biological problems can still be solved, but the problems of the soul, it's unknown when they will be resolved.

When it comes to illnesses that prevent people from feeling positive emotions, the first thing that usually comes to mind is depression.

Moreover, depression has become widely known in recent years.

The causes of depression are varied, including physical factors, environmental factors, and more.

For a detailed introduction to depression, please refer to Dr. Aaront Beck's book from over forty years ago, "Depression: Causes and Symptoms".

treat".

After Merlin's curse occurred, scientists naturally linked it to depression.

However, even people with depression cannot be completely immune to positive emotions.

The American government had previously engaged Martin Seligman in the treatment.

This psychologist, hailed by the media as the father of modern positive psychology, was helpless against Merlin's curse.

Cognitive therapy and cognitive psychology are ineffective.

Merlin's curse healing had no effect whatsoever, and the Americans never figured out how Merlin had managed to curse all the important figures from afar.

Martin stated frankly, "I'm sorry, this goes beyond the scope of medicine. Perhaps Merlin could offer a solution if I could consult him in person."

"But in the current situation, I have tried every possible method I can think of, but to no avail."

After witnessing Bill's condition, Martin felt a deep sense of awe towards Merlin; only by seeing it firsthand could one truly understand the extent of his suffering.

Martin also knew why America had been so eager to bring him here; Bill's suffering was something those pampered big shots couldn't bear.

However, Martin was indeed helpless against Merlin's curse, and the American side did not make things difficult for him.

If magic were so easy to break, they wouldn't still be unable to confirm Merlin's true identity.

When science fails to explain something, the American people turn to metaphysics:

"Merlin may have launched a direct attack on their souls through methods we don't know about."

After this idea was proposed, America's wariness of Merlin deepened.

Meanwhile, in Merlin's bounty missions, questions about souls can be uploaded multiple times.

One magoin means one opportunity to upload an answer.

That's why England has always wanted to trick Japan and Australia out of the remaining magoin.

Unfortunately, after Merlin appeared, the level of attention paid to magoin by various countries rose to a new level.

England tried everything but failed to get their hands on the other magoin.

Official speculation from different countries suggests that the uploaded content will vary, and that a substantial breakthrough compared to the first uploaded answer is needed to gain more magoin.

Different answers to the same question require a breakthrough to satisfy the questioner; this is the basic logic of a reward mechanism.

......

The Alcor Life Extension Foundation and cryonics facilities are now under the unified management of the American government.

Researchers from other countries or those who are not trusted in Alcor have all "graduated".

"Will Professor Bedford wake up in the distant future?"

"To be frank, Professor Bedford would have had a hard time coming back to life, not only because his soul might have been damaged by prolonged freezing."

Furthermore, his entire blood supply had previously been replaced with dimethyl sulfoxide, which can cause certain harm to the human body.

"No wonder Alker has been reluctant to thaw Bedford; they are afraid that the myth of human hibernation technology will be shattered."

James Bedford is a psychologist and the first person on Earth to choose to be cryogenically frozen.

People have long dreamed of cryogenically freezing human bodies and then reviving them in the future using more advanced technology.

This is also a kind of time travel, except that this kind of time travel is irreversible.

Back in 1967, Bedford chose to cryogenically freeze himself, hoping that future humans would thaw him.

Some say he died before being frozen, but in reality he was only on the verge of death before being frozen, which is why this method was chosen.

His body is being held at the Alcor Foundation, and Bedford himself hopes to have it unsealed 50 years later, in 2017.

Undoubtedly, this timeline was delayed, and he remained in frozen state until 2024 when the American government took over all research projects from the Alcor Foundation.

"So our mission is to research cryopreservation technology to help important people enter a frozen state, and then thaw them when humanity can cure Merlin's curse."

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