Eleven

What he said seemed to hit the mark.

The artifact spirit elaborated, "For any civilization, its population forms the bedrock. As long as that foundation stands, generations will arise, ensuring its continuation. In the future, there will undoubtedly emerge skilled individuals.

"So, you grasp the repercussions of destabilizing a major power's foundation, right?"

The artifact spirit laid out the pros and cons for Braydon Neal.

Braydon naturally grasped the concept.

He was, after all, safeguarding the one billion members of Hansworth.

A nation's populace served as the bedrock of its civilization.

Without its people, what was there to preserve?

With no inhabitants, civilizations crumbled. 

Millennia later, all that remained were ruins and enigmas.

It mirrored the outside world, where numerous nations boasted their legacies.

Each left behind boundless mysteries.