Undeterred, Todd asked, "Didn't Theodore reveal even a single piece of information about the necromancy to you?"

Eliard said, “You can imagine for yourself that Theodore was pursuing immortality, but he inadvertently combined the Sutherland legacy, the Resurrection Worm, and the Tyrant to create a monster that could spread and proliferate indefinitely. In that case, whether out of dignity or personal gain, he would never have told me about it.”

"I will not hide anything from you regarding the necromancy parasite. There is nothing like it in my research notes or the research materials I have preserved."

"I'm afraid I can't help with how to solve this problem, but there's one thing I can confirm."

“Creatures with a tyrant inside them, like you or Meredith, are immune to the venom of the undead parasite and will not be infected.”

Todd said with deep concern, "After all, beings like us are a minority. Once the undead parasites spread, the entire world, including the Council of Elders, will be destroyed."

Iliad stroked his beard and said, "The current necromancy is not invincible."

Todd asked, "What?"

“I dissected the parasites you brought and compared the time it took for those infected to become undead, and I discovered an interesting fact.” Iliad pointed to the parasites in the tank and said, “These worms that can turn living things into undead have an intergenerational effect.”

"Generational effect? ​​Are you sure?"

Elijah glanced at Todd: "The term 'generational effect' was coined by your Muxi University. It refers to the physiological structure of microorganisms, which becomes increasingly complex and alienated with each generation of reproduction and evolution."

"There are two inferences that can be proven about this effect. First, the biological structures within the bodies of the first batch of infected undead were the most primitive and pure. If we could find them as research samples, we might be able to deduce the most original structural formula, which would mean..."

Todd continued, "We can find the protozoa of the necromancy parasite in the first batch of infected people, and that will reveal the weakness of this creature."

Eliard said, "Theoretically, that's correct, but nobody knows what the protozoa of the necromancy parasite looks like. Perhaps it's different from what we imagine..."

Todd said, "But it's at least a direction."

Eliade waved his hand: "Let's put that aside for now. I'll talk about the second corollary of the intergenerational effect. That is, as the number of generations of parasite reproduction increases, the parasite becomes more adapted to the environment and begins to transmit genes between individuals."

Todd was somewhat surprised: "You even know these things?"

Elijah smiled and said, "Thanks to the textbooks from Muxi University, they really opened a new door for me."

Todd said, "That's what I'm most worried about. If the parasite goes through generations between different hosts, each time it goes through a generation, a portion of the host's genetic material is extracted into the parasite. This phenomenon is somewhat like..."

Iliad said, "Bees."

Todd nodded in agreement: "That's right. When bees collect nectar, they carry some pollen to another flower, unintentionally causing heterogeneous inheritance between flowers. The bees themselves also undergo phenotypic changes due to the different flowers they collect from."

"The same principle applies to parasites. They extract gene fragments from different hosts and retain them in their bodies. Tyrant viruses, on the other hand, have the effect of gene coding, which can remove bad gene fragments and retain good gene fragments, ultimately editing and defining them."

Eliard said with a headache, "This characteristic gives the undead endless room for evolution. They can absorb all kinds of supernatural abilities, change into different forms, and even evolve in a symbiotic way like a beehive, eventually becoming monsters that no one can predict."

Todd said in a deep voice, "It seems that our prospects are not optimistic."

Eliard tapped the table: "Find a way to find the first batch of infected people, or what you call Patient Zero in Twilight City. Only by finding them can we find the biological structure of the Necrophos and discover their weaknesses."

Todd said, “I will have my kingdom set out to search, but I also hope to get the help of the elders. The necromantic scourge threatens us all, and you should join the fight.”

Eliad didn't seem inclined to delve deeper into the topic: "We have our own troubles."

"trouble?"

"The Abbasid Caliph Saladin is terminally ill and will soon die. After his death, this vast empire will, without a doubt, collapse."

Todd asked, "What does this have to do with you?"

"When Saladin was alive, he suppressed the Elders. After his death, many members of the Elders believed that this was a good opportunity to seize power."

"Instigate, threaten, and divide the various factions within the empire, then use assassination, kidnapping, and bribery to eliminate dissidents, and finally step onto the imperial stage to make the Elders' Council the most powerful force in the south."

Eliard shook his head and said, "That's Eleanor's strategy."

Todd found it somewhat unbelievable: "Eleanor wants to control the Abbasid Empire? Will the Elders support him?"

Eliard said, "Revenge, power, nation-building—I must say, everything Eleanor says is incredibly tempting. More and more members of the Elder Council are siding with him. Everyone wants to step out of the darkness and into the light. With such a good opportunity, how many people would give it up?"

Todd stared into Iliad's eyes: "And what about you? What do you think of the Elders' control over the Abbasid Empire?"

Iliad smiled bitterly: "It is extremely difficult to let a mutant rule the secular world. Putting aside whether the people of the empire can accept the control of the elders, the balance of power within the elders is very fragile. No one can guarantee that a powerful mutant will not emerge in the future to overthrow everything. So you see, if a mutant is in power, they not only have to suppress the secular world, but also have to be wary of their own kind."

Todd asked curiously, "What would you do if Eleanor really brought the Elders into the power struggle in the South?"

“Leave this place, go as far away as possible, and find a peaceful place for all the aliens again.” Eliard sighed and said, “Aliens are different from ordinary people, which means we are destined to be unable to integrate into society. Living peacefully in the shadows is our best choice.”

Todd said, puzzled, "I don't understand. Neither you nor Eleanor are worried about the dangers of the undead. If the undead plague continues to spread, the Southern Empire will become a dead land, and there will no longer be a suitable place in the world for alien species to live in seclusion."

Elijah did not answer Todd's question directly, but simply said softly, "We have our own way of surviving."