21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 876 - 870 Failed Attempt

Chapter 876 -870 Failed Attempt

“Life—who wouldn’t cherish it, or think they didn’t need it?” The Female Supreme Leader of the Freemasons chuckled self-deprecatingly, yet admitted without hesitation, “If one could live for a few more years, I imagine there’s no one in this world who could resist such a temptation.”

Chen Yu wasn’t surprised by her answer. In truth, if she weren’t interested in purchasing life from him, there was no way the lofty leader of the Freemasons would have gone out of her way to Tokyo to meet him in person—even if he was a demigod.

This thought made Chen Yu smile faintly. As with the Skull and Bones, he reached out and placed two jars before the Female Supreme Leader.

“I assume, with the intelligence capabilities of the Freemasons, you’ve already deduced what these are. No need for me to elaborate. The prices remain unchanged: one hundred million U.S. dollars per year for the unrefined version, two hundred million U.S. dollars per year for the refined version. Payment is not in cash,” Chen Yu said, quoting the same price he had given to the Skull and Bones without increasing it for the Freemasons. He even added, “Incidentally, the Skull and Bones offered to modify two old World War II aircraft carriers in exchange for thirty years of life. What can the Freemasons offer me?”

The transaction between Chen Yu and the Skull and Bones was something the Freemasons had been privy to for a long time. Naturally, the Female Supreme Leader was well informed of the details before coming here. Thus, she wasn’t surprised by the price Chen Yu named. However, his question of what the Freemasons could provide him caused her brows to furrow slightly, plunging her into deep thought.

Modifying warships was not a problem for the Freemasons. However, it was clear that the Skull and Bones had beaten them to the punch. If the Freemasons also offered warship modifications as payment, while feasible, it would undoubtedly make them look inferior to the Skull and Bones.

Moreover, offering the same type of value would make the Freemasons less competitive, even if the military technology possessed by their industrial enterprises was more advanced.

After all, when it came to warships, advanced technology doesn’t necessarily equate to superiority.

Take the United States Navy’s most advanced Zumwalt-class destroyers, for instance. From hull design, electric propulsion, command and intelligence systems, network communications, detection and navigation, to weaponry systems, every feature represents cutting-edge technological innovation, crystallizing the peak of American strength as the world’s foremost power.

Yet, despite being such an advanced warship, the Zumwalt-class was decommissioned after only two years of service, and the original construction plan for 32 ships was reduced to just three.

Ultimately, it was its very advancement that proved its undoing—not only were the construction costs exorbitant, but the high failure rates associated with cutting-edge technology made the United States Navy reluctant to continue using it.

Thus, while the Freemasons possessed sufficiently advanced technology, until that technology was thoroughly tested and matured, they couldn’t recklessly stack too many advanced features onto a single warship.

Moreover, Chen Yu was asking for modifications to World War II-era ships. The Female Supreme Leader was well aware that Chen Yu had a way to transform old warships into new demigods. Clearly, these modifications were intended for those demigod entities summoned from the ships.

If everything proceeded smoothly, of course all parties would rejoice. But if there were any mishaps during the modifications that rendered the warships impractical…

There’d be no need for Chen Yu to intervene—the demigods represented by those warships would come knocking on their door directly.

After serious consideration, the Female Supreme Leader offered something from the supernatural side—the Freemasons’ unique capability: “I wonder, Your Excellency the Demigod, what are your thoughts on Divine Enthronement? If you aspire to become a deity, we Freemasons can establish a global framework for your worship, construct faith systems, gather devout belief, ignite Divine Flame, and elevate you to the Divine Throne.”

Upon hearing the proposal, Jounouchi Hiromi, who had been silently listening nearby, couldn’t help but gasp lightly. But Chen Yu remained utterly unperturbed.

Jounouchi Hiromi was fully aware of Chen Yu’s aspirations for Divinity. She also understood the distinction between faith-based deification and rule-driven deification. Nevertheless, the terms offered were undeniably tempting.

Yet Chen Yu merely shook his head, a faint curiosity flashing across his gaze as he questioned the Female Supreme Leader, “The Freemasons understand the process of faith-based deification. Yet why haven’t you created your own deity? From the 18th Century to now, with the resources at your disposal, crafting a deity shouldn’t be difficult for the Freemasons, should it?”

Faced with Chen Yu’s questioning, the Female Supreme Leader offered a bitter smile. She sighed before regaining composure and replied with a trace of lament, “In truth, we’ve made the attempt. Not just once—but… they all perished.”

“They all perished…” Chen Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing her words. “Faith-based deification is a process of sculpting saints or fostering idol-based personal worship. In the past, compared to now, the most direct way to garner adoration was to create heroes. With the resources the Freemasons possess… how many attempts did you make?”

“You’ve already guessed, haven’t you? Once in France, once in Russia, and twice in Germany. Unfortunately, we failed every time.” Speaking of their past endeavors, a trace of grief and regret shadowed the Female Supreme Leader’s face. Her tone, filled with emotion, betrayed no fabrication—especially when she bitterly remarked, “The most recent attempt in Germany saw the Freemasons brutally suppressed by Little Mustache. Approximately 80,000 to 200,000 Freemasons were killed under his regime. The Gestapo even used red inverted triangles to identify Freemasons, treating them on par with Jewish people.”

“Who was Russia’s candidate? As for Germany, aside from Little Mustache, was the other person Frederick the Great?” Chen Yu didn’t ask about France—the answer was too self-evident. After all, Napoleon’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte, served as the Grand Master of the French Freemasons at the time.

As for Frederick the Great, he too had joined the Freemasons and served as the Grand Master of the German Freemasons at that time.

“Russia’s candidate was Empress Catherine. We helped her ascend to the throne of the Tsarist Empire, carried out reforms, expanded the nation… But regrettably, despite all these efforts, Empress Catherine ultimately failed to achieve deification.” The Female Supreme Leader clearly held the empress in high esteem. When speaking of her, a tone of deep veneration naturally surfaced within her words.

Hearing the name of Empress Catherine, Jounouchi Hiromi’s expression shifted noticeably—her own Demigod Armor, currently being modified by Chen Yu, happened to belong to the very same Empress Catherine.

“Faith-based deification isn’t so easily achieved. You’ve attempted it multiple times, surely by now you understand where the issues lie? Such an endeavor is not one I’d engage in for trade. While deification is indeed my aspiration, I’d never resort to faith-based methods—that path is nothing but a trap,” Chen Yu remarked with a faint shake of his head, outright rejecting the Female Supreme Leader’s proposal.