Todd downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and let out a satisfied sigh.

Sutherland looked at Todd and asked with a smile, "From planting to brewing, I did everything myself. How does it taste?"

Todd nodded and said, "Delicious... I know this is a soul space, where taste can be produced by consciousness alone, but this wine always gives me a feeling, a wonderful sense of reality."

Sutherland chuckled and said, "A wonderful sense of reality? Interesting... If consciousness is the only means by which humans understand the outside world, then what's the difference between sight, taste, touch, and so-called falsehood—these realities that can only be judged by the brain?"

Todd paused, then asked Sutherland, "So, in your view, what is reality?"

Sutherland: "To understand reality, you must first see if you can know yourself?"

Todd pondered for a moment, then smiled and shook his head: "Mr. Sutherland, are you telling a riddle?"

Sutherland said softly, "I'm talking about something you'll eventually remember."

Seeing Todd's puzzled expression, Sutherland smiled and said, "Stop worrying about that. Tell me what you're here to do."

Todd said to Sutherland, "I thought you could read anyone's mind."

Sutherland: "I can, but that doesn't mean I can understand everything."

Todd: "Understand...everything? I don't understand what you mean?"

Sutherland: "I know you want to take a part of my body to extract the antidote against the undead. But what I don't understand is, how can you possibly do all that?"

Todd: "The process was somewhat complicated, involving some academic and theoretical aspects."

Sutherland: "We don't lack time now, you can explain that to me."

Todd: "Okay, I'll try my best to explain. There's a necromantic parasite inside the undead. Their predecessor was the Resurrection Worm, which transformed into the former under the influence of the Tyrant Virus... This parasite carries the necromantic virus. If we want to eliminate this virus, we must extract antibodies from infected individuals..."

Todd spent a full hour explaining the origins and principles of the necromantic virus to Sutherland.

Sutherland listened attentively and occasionally asked a few questions.

When Todd finished explaining everything, he said to Sutherland, "So, that's why I came to you this time. By extracting a small piece of living tissue from your nervous system, we can cultivate an antidote to the necromantic virus, and the whole world will be saved as a result."

After listening to Todd's words, Sutherland asked, "Do you think I would agree to your proposal? To give you a part of my body so that you can create that antidote?"

Todd's heart tightened, and he said, "I already know you are a necromancer, and I know you are unlikely to agree to my request, but I still hope that for the sake of those other races, you will give them a way to survive..."

Sutherland smiled and said, "Starting to play the emotional card... Not bad, but not good enough."

Todd gritted his teeth: "If you really refuse my request, I will do anything to get what I want."

Sutherland squinted and said, “Very good. As a leader, you must always consider the possibility of failure in verbal negotiations. Force is sometimes the last resort, but it is also the most effective one... But unfortunately, before resorting to violence, you must carefully select your opponents.”

Todd asked in a deep voice, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Sutherland: "You cannot defeat me... Of course, that's not what I want to emphasize. I think the antidote you mentioned is meaningless now. The undead plague has infected every corner of the world, and the decline of this world and the extinction of surviving creatures are only a matter of time."

Todd: "I don't think so. There's always a way out, and hope always exists."

Sutherland shook his head and waved his arms, and the scene around him suddenly changed.

In the bottomless, enormous trench, billions of undead parasites, like vines, intertwined and twisted, growing larger and filling every corner of the seabed, turning the once azure ocean into pitch black.

In the deep, quiet underground caves, countless undead parasites dart through the rocks and soil, connecting with each other to form a web, creating ever-growing insect nests deep within the earth.

Sutherland waved his hand to pull Todd back into the soul space and said to the pale-faced Todd, "The scenes you just saw are the current reality... While you were still fighting those insignificant undead on the ground, the undead plague had already infected the ocean and the land. The whole world has become their nest, and there is no way to stop them anymore."

Todd closed his eyes in anguish, but said firmly, "There must be a way. If we can develop an antibody against the virus, then we still have a chance..."

Sutherland said helplessly, "You still won't give up that almost impossible hope?"

Todd looked up into Sutherland's eyes: "Even the faintest hope is a ray of light leading to the exit. I need your help... no, I beg for your help. Just a little bit of your living tissue will give any living being a glimmer of hope to fight against this force of death."

Sutherland sighed and remained silent.

Todd took a step forward and continued, "I can offer an equal price if you're willing to help."

Sutherland pondered for a moment, then said, “Then let’s make a deal. I will give a part of my body to your people for them to use in researching the antidote… although I don’t think it will be of any use.”

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