Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　"However, that power called magic is too strange, and we cannot fully understand its mysteries yet. We cannot act rashly before we find an effective way to counter it, otherwise we will only make things worse."

　Faced with Francis's concerns, Theodore, a powerful figure, frowned and retorted.

　"Then what do you suggest we do, Francis? Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"

　Theodore knew, of course, that traditional military methods were of limited effectiveness against necromancers who possessed supernatural abilities called magic.

　But he knew even better that if he continued to allow the necromancers to grow stronger, the situation would become even more difficult to manage in the future.

　Just as everyone fell silent again, an old voice suddenly rang out.

　"Perhaps we can consider that plan."

　The dignitaries present looked in the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit slowly stand up.

　"Wang, the plan you mentioned... it's not that, is it?"

　Frowning, Theo gazed at the old man's deep brown eyes with a mixture of disbelief and anticipation.

　"Yes, it's exactly what you've been thinking about, the [Fusion Warrior Project]."

　The elderly man surnamed Wang nodded slightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

　"Although the risks are extremely high, and it could even backfire on us, this is currently our only plan that can ensure an effective fight against the necromancer."

　These words immediately caused an uproar in the meeting room.

　Francis's face changed drastically, and he gasped in shock.

　"Are you crazy? Do you know how risky this is? How can you guarantee that the Fusion Warriors will ultimately side with us? What if they rebel? What will we do then?"

　Just as Francis feared, the risks of this plan were incalculable.

　Why did they choose to wage a secret war in an attempt to solve the problem of necromancers?

　It is because they are keenly aware of the inherent contradiction between extraordinary individuals and collective civilization.

　If we artificially create a group of extraordinary individuals in order to wash away temporary shame, how is that any different from digging our own grave?

　Moreover, what makes them so confident that these fusion warriors won't turn against them after gaining power, or pose a threat to their positions?

　As for the restrictions, they are nothing but empty talk.

　To fight against the necromancer who could easily defeat the Herrscher, the Fusion Warrior would need to possess immeasurable power.

　In this situation, wouldn't it seem utterly absurd to talk about any restrictive measures?

　Even if they were willing to set aside these concerns, the "Fusion Warrior Project," which Mebius had submitted to the Firemoth Council for approval, was still full of unknowns and uncertainties.

　Putting aside everything else, the ambiguous relationship between Dr. Mebius, the proposer of the "Fusion Warrior Project," and the necromancer was enough to make these powerful figures deeply suspicious and uneasy about the project.

Chapter 225 The Powerful's Petty Moves

　Given the enormous potential risks and the lack of sufficiently reliable countermeasures, the powerful figures at the pinnacle of human society, after a heated debate, ultimately chose to temporarily shelve the [Fusion Warrior Project].

　The shame brought by necromancers certainly needs to be washed away.

　But if such cleansing comes at the cost of sacrificing their power and status, then these people in power would rather silently endure the humiliation.

　After all, for these powerful figures who control the direction of human society, their power and status are their true bottom line.

　They are willing to pay any price to uphold this bottom line.

　However, the problem of necromancers remains and needs to be addressed.

　Although they may not yet have found a way to completely eliminate necromancers, these powerful figures still have some ideas if they just want to slow down their development.

　This is easy to understand.

　These powerful figures have accumulated a wealth of practical experience in creating trouble for each other and hindering one another.

　Based on this experience, and with everyone's collective wisdom, they actually found a solution that could effectively slow down the development of necromancers.

　This plan is indeed complex, but it's also quite simple.

　In short, it was about inciting the people of Australia and New Zealand to rise up against the rule of necromancers.

　These powerful figures at the pinnacle of human society firmly believe that under the banner of democracy and freedom, the people who have long been oppressed by bureaucrats loyal to necromancers will be inspired to resist and become powerful weapons in their hands.

　These rulers did not expect the rebellion to succeed in one fell swoop, but as long as they could effectively slow down the development of necromancers and buy them precious time, that would already be a victory.

　As for the lives of the common people they used as pawns in this process, these high-ranking rulers don't care at all.

　Perhaps in their eyes, being able to contribute to the noble people is already a great honor and blessing for those of humble origin.

　Fremantle Port, Australia.

　On the shimmering sea, a giant ship flying the flag of the Mu Continent slowly approached the shore of Fremantle Port, towed by tugboats.

　This is a container ship with a displacement of over 10,000 tons, carrying more than 500 standard containers.

　Although, in theory, cargo ships of this size are fully capable of berthing on their own.

　However, for efficiency reasons, the port usually dispatches specialized tugboats to assist.

　Of course, a small fee will be charged for this.

　Whether from an efficiency standpoint or considering certain unspoken factors, these costs are usually something that a ship owner of sound intelligence would be happy to pay.

　Getting back to the point, these containers are stacked together neatly like building blocks, making this cargo ship from the Mu continent look no different from an ordinary container ship.

　However, a secret lies hidden inside this giant ship.

　Although most of the containers on this massive container ship are filled with ordinary cargo, hidden beneath these seemingly ordinary containers are ten standard containers of contraband—weapons.

　These weapons are not old-fashioned equipment that hasn't been enhanced with Honkai energy; they are genuine, previous-generation individual Honkai energy weapons that are being phased out by the regular armies of various countries.

　Normally, contraband of this level would not be able to escape the strict inspection of port security.

　However, under the protection of monetary power, the inspection of this container ship has become a Schrödinger's cat situation.

　The port security check registration form shows a complete range of inspection items, each of which appears to be very formal and rigorous.

　But in reality, it's fair to say that those who know, know.

　To say that the rulers of Fremantle were completely unaware of this situation would be a tremendous insult to their intelligence.

　However, considering the banknotes that exude the fragrance of ink, the local elites generally turn a blind eye to such matters.

　Under the rule of necromancers, such unspoken rules have long been the norm in this port.

　The intertwining of money and power makes the order here complex and subtle.

　As long as someone is willing to pay a sufficient price, even contraband can find a way to pass through here.

　As the towering gantry crane slowly rotated, standard containers were unloaded from the cargo ship in an orderly manner.

　The ten containers loaded with contraband were quietly transported out of Fremantle Port by container trucks that were already prepared.

　As for where they went, they were nothing more than those resistance organizations scattered throughout the Australian continent.

　The powerful figures in Fremantle were well aware of this.

　Despite their apparent submission to the necromancer's rule, beneath the seemingly calm surface lie their own schemes and ambitions.

　As long as the resistance organizations don't use these things on their territory, these powerful figures are happy to turn a blind eye and ignore everything as long as they receive enough benefits.

　After all, in this unpredictable world, who can say for sure what will happen tomorrow?

　Western Australia.

　Beside a road with few cars, deep in the woods, a group of figures dressed in various styles secretly gathered in the dense forest.

　They would occasionally cast expectant glances into the distance along the highway, clearly waiting for something important.

　"Mr. Barry, will the aid you mentioned really come?"

　A middle-aged man with a weathered face asked the young man beside him with a hint of worry, speaking in a somewhat broken Mu Continent Common Language.

　The middle-aged man's name was Bridget, and he was the leader of a small resistance group in the area.

　"Don't worry, Bridget, we're friends."

　The young man, known as Mr. Barry, dressed in Mu Continent style clothing, smiled confidently and answered in a firm tone.

　"I will always keep my promises."

　After hearing Barry's words, Bridget's doubts lessened somewhat.

　Reason told him that Barry wouldn't deceive himself about this.

　After all, they were now in the same boat. If Barry went back on his word, he would have to face the desperate group he led.

　The misery of the road and the anger of the people.

　However, as time ticked by, Bridget couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

　Just as he was about to ask Barry again, an excited voice broke the silence.

　"Boss, look! It's a truck! Our aid has arrived!"

　As the man finished speaking, everyone's gaze turned to the distance along the highway.

　An ordinary-looking truck drove up through the dust, the agreed-upon logo on its body faintly visible.

　Bridget and Barry exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement and anticipation in each other's eyes.

Chapter 226 Resistance Organizations and Support from the United Nations

　It was a seemingly ordinary van.

　The mottled marks on the cargo box made it look no different from any other truck of the same model on any road.

　That makes sense.

　Unlike the powerful figures in Fremantle who received ample benefits, the bureaucrats loyal to the necromancers in this land did not receive much from the resistance.

　On the contrary, the bureaucrats here deeply resent the resistance organizations that cause them trouble every few days.

　In this situation, the bureaucrats' reaction upon discovering these transport vehicles delivering weapons, ammunition, and supplies to the resistance was entirely predictable.

　The gallows were their standard method of dealing with these "traitors" and "sinners".

　Getting back to the point, when the truck driver caught sight of resistance members waving by the roadside, he did not hesitate to drive the truck into the dense jungle.

　After the truck came to a smooth stop, under Bridget's deputy's command, a group of resistance members quickly surrounded it and began to meticulously disguise the truck.

　Just then, the car door slowly opened, and a burly man stepped out.

　His sharp gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Barry and Bridget.

　"Barry, Bridget, it's been a long time."

　"Eric, you've finally arrived!"

　Barry excitedly went to greet Eric and hugged him tightly.

　Eric was Barry's comrade-in-arms on Mu.

　They had experienced the smoke and fire of secret wars together, and were also chosen by the powerful figures of the Mu Continent to carry out this secret mission aimed at delaying the development of necromancers.

　However, Barry was mainly responsible for assisting the resistance in Bridget, while Eric was responsible for communicating with local bureaucrats to ensure that box after box of supplies could be safely delivered to the resistance organizations in various places.

　"How's everything going lately?"

　After a brief greeting, Eric released Barry and turned to Bridget.

　Although he had already obtained a great deal of information from the intelligence organization on the continent of Mu, Eric still hoped to hear more details directly from the leader of the resistance organization.

　"Sigh, the situation is not good."

　Bridget's face was somber, and her eyes gleamed with sorrow.

　"Under the siege of the necromancer's minions, many of us have died—starved, died of disease, or were killed. My team alone has lost 15% of its members."

　Taking a deep breath and recalling the information she had obtained from her conversations with another resistance group nearby, Bridget revealed a piece of information to Eric.

　"I don't know why, but recently those lackeys have intensified their crackdown on us. Just last month, more than fifty unfortunate soldiers were hanged at the Geraldton execution ground."

　Upon hearing this, Eric frowned.

　This was not the first time he had heard similar news from resistance leaders.

　During previous supply shipments, he had already heard similar intelligence from leaders of more than a dozen other resistance groups in Western Australia.

　Has something happened? Or is it an order from the necromancer? That shouldn't be the case; necromancers are usually indifferent to these kinds of matters…

　Eric's mind raced; he knew now was not the time to delve into the reasons behind the recent changes in the Australian continental bureaucracy.