Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1535 The Lunar War (Forty-Seven)

The Genetic Council is located in the center of the five settlements. Black Bolt, standing by the porthole on the upper level of the hall, can overlook the steel domes of each settlement. He sees black smoke and white ice crystals rising from the breach in the Chimera Clan's dome, and gray hardened foam from the emergency repair procedure being squeezed outwards by the internal and external air pressure, the fountain-like air leak gradually being brought under control. The steel domes of the other clans, and the structures connecting the different domes, are being relentlessly bombarded by the enemy. The technicians controlling the bridge provide Black Bolt with a report detailing the situation of each clan's settlement—including the Birdmen Clan—from oxygen supply, circulating water supply, power supply, and information gathered from other secondary control rooms. This information will help Black Bolt quickly grasp the situation at Attilan.

More importantly, the bridge can control the sublight engines of Attilan Fortress.

Not only Black Bolt, but also representatives of the Birdman clan have come here.

The leaders of the Ghost Clan, the Rogue Clan, the Centaurus Clan, and the Chimerian Clan will know this news. Black Bolt never expected the leaders of other clans to share his vision of considering the interests of the entire Inhuman race rather than acting independently. Even if those clan matriarchs were nominal queens, they wouldn't easily relinquish their power, especially command of the army, simply because of the Genetic Council's decision. Black Bolt's presence here was a statement—if the Clan Court didn't transfer authority to his chosen clan representatives, no one could activate the sublight and faster-than-light engines. If the human army wasn't driven out and relocated first, any political calculations of the Clan Court would be destroyed by the guns of the human army, and Attilan Fortress would cease to exist.

He had read the frontline damage reports.

Aside from performing reasonably well in defending their own clan territories, clan armies without unified command were generally abysmal in terms of troop deployment, logistics, and tactical planning. There were numerous instances where two different clan armies, attempting to retake the same passage, collided head-on due to a lack of communication and chaotic coordination, causing traffic jams and ultimately leading to their annihilation by arriving human forces. Even when a nominal joint command existed, the rulers of the various clan courts showed no intention of sending officers or communicating with it. This lack of unified command resulted in a host of problems, including confusion between friend and foe, logistical disruptions, and misjudgments of the enemy's situation. There was virtually no unity or trust between different clans; no clan trusted another to protect its rear from attack. Even in the event of a brief period of cooperation, the first reaction of any two armies facing a direct attack from human forces, upon suffering losses, was to retreat.

The fourth line of defense is now filled with almost all the clan armies, and the sanitary conditions there are now extremely poor.

The fourth line of defense wasn't far from the Gene Council, as it served as the last passage to the various clan settlements and a route for communication between different clans. Now, a large, noisy throng of soldiers and a large number of wounded soldiers requiring medical care had gathered there, but the congested traffic and makeshift defenses made the movement of supplies and personnel extremely difficult. Worse still, with the lower decks already captured, the Gene Council had to shut down all freight elevators in the core area and prohibit limited cargo transport between the upper and lower decks to prevent the human army from directly invading the core area from the lower decks. If the human army couldn't be repelled here, all clans would face division and annihilation; it was certain that no single clan could withstand the human army alone.

Black Bolt clenched his fists as he thought of the human king who radiated golden light.

Just as one would feel powerless before a star, anyone facing that human king would feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness. No Inhuman possessed the ability to confront and defeat him alone. Black Bolt recalled speaking to that human king, yet causing no destruction, as if his powers had vanished into thin air, leaving him powerless and without any weapon to face him.

The only thing that brought him comfort was the respect that human king showed to the Inhumans.

He believed the Inhumans deserved a memorable death, one that would serve as a warning to other humans not to forget the Kree Empire's genetic atrocities against humanity. Black Bolt felt no gratitude for this; regardless of the respect the Kree held, his resolve to destroy the Inhumans remained unwavering. He had carefully considered the words of the human king—humans viewed the Inhumans as aliens, and the Inhumans, in turn, viewed humans as inferior species. If humanity faced a life-or-death crisis, the Inhumans certainly wouldn't sacrifice everything for the continuation of humanity; they would be incredibly kind by not even taking advantage of the situation. Black Bolt had overheard whispers within the Genetic Council more than once, with many even suggesting joining the Black Order in exchange for survival.

Black Bolt didn't believe the Black Order's leader would let the Inhumans go. He advocated fighting the Black Order because he didn't want the Inhumans to become slaves to war again, not because he opposed their invasion of Earth. Therefore, unlike his warriors, Black Bolt didn't harbor the complex emotions of respect, worship, and hatred towards the human king. In his eyes, this was a war between two races for the right to survive, and he believed the human king shared the same view.

Survival is devoid of good and evil; both sides must stake everything—morality, civilization, law, intellect, wisdom, and power—to fight for limited power. Even in the vastness of the universe, there's not enough room for too many intelligent species rushing headlong into the future, let alone the historical entanglements and appallingly close proximity between the Inhumans of Attilan and humans. Conflict between the Inhumans and humans was inevitable. It's an undeniable fact that the vast majority of Inhumans yearn for the Kree Empire and discriminate against humans. Politically, this war was unavoidable; it's just that the Genetic Council didn't anticipate it would come so quickly.

"Tell all the clan courts," Black Bolt gestured, and silence fell over the bridge. "If they disagree with the Genetic Council's decision, if they still harbor thoughts of self-interest, then the Inhumans of Attiran will be history today. I will not give out the sublight engine activation key until they agree to the decision. Make sure they know this, Crystal. Prepare the military mobilization order. I want every Inhuman to have weapons and be under command. At this moment, no one can stand idly by."

Crystal was about to voice her opposition to the military mobilization decision when Black Bolt silenced her with a glare.

Regardless of the thoughts of the clan leaders at the front lines, Black Bolt had finally achieved a political alliance with the Inhumans of Attilan, accomplishing something no King of Attilan had ever done. Even though the agreement was reached under external pressure, it was a historic achievement that would ensure Black Bolt's place in the memories of all Inhumans—the true King of Attilan, even the respected King Argon, had never possessed such power—at this moment, no one could, and no one should, oppose any of Black Bolt's decisions, not even Crystal, a member of the Attilan royal family with some blood relation to Black Bolt. As for the Birdmen clan, they had always wanted to escape with Attilan and had no objection to Black Bolt's idea of ​​arming civilians.

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(End of this chapter)