Just as a glint of coldness began to surface in Chen Mo's eyes, Eric Killmonger, oblivious, continued to speak.
"By eliminating all the warlords in this world, we can save those innocent civilians who have suffered from the chaos of war and free them from its threats."
"At the same time, we will provide them with humanitarian aid, help them rebuild their homes, and allow them to live stable and happy lives!"
As he spoke, Eric Killmonger's face was full of yearning, as though this were the highest pursuit and purpose of his life.
Eliminate war, eradicate poverty, and let all people on earth live in peace.
It seemed HYDRA's brainwashing had not failed. After all, what Eric Killmonger had undergone was not the kind of forced brainwashing that roughly erases memories, instills new content, and directly alters a person's consciousness. Rather, it was a subtle, more than twenty-year process of influence and cultivation.
This perhaps shouldn't even be called brainwashing, because they did not "erase" his original consciousness. Instead, they slowly instilled and implanted new ideas and concepts aligned with HYDRA's philosophy into his young and simple mind, shaping him into the form they desired.
However, Eric Killmonger had not been trained since infancy—he was not a pure blank slate.
When HYDRA recruited him, he was already a teenager. Though still young and relatively simple, his mind was highly malleable, yet he already possessed some of his own thoughts and concepts. This was particularly true under the guidance and personal influence of his father, Prince N'Jobu, which had left a mark on him.
This had already been demonstrated before. Whether in the special forces or later as a mercenary, Eric Killmonger had always been extremely ruthless toward his enemies in battle. Although HYDRA's teachings emphasized mercy toward the weak and never harming civilians, he remained unwaveringly brutal, with thousands of enemies slain by his hand. It was this that earned him the nickname "Killmonger." His murderous nature made all who heard his name tremble with fear.
Before the god he believed in, Eric Killmonger hid nothing. His ruthlessness toward warlords and his compassion for civilians were both plainly written on his face.
Seeing his sincere expression, Chen Mo couldn't help but smile. These two diametrically opposed attitudes coexisted in him, yet did not seem contradictory in the least. Ruthless toward the wicked, compassionate toward the weak—wasn't this exactly the kind of warrior HYDRA needed?
In truth, Chen Mo was no different. He had slain countless enemies—mutinous soldiers, rebellious HYDRA legions, savage werewolves, hostile knights. Over the years of his underworld existence, tens of thousands of werewolves had fallen by his hand, not to mention the innumerable soldiers who had died under his sword in the countless battles fought to conquer Europe.
But he had saved even more. He completely eradicated the werewolf plague, ended the chaos and darkness of the Middle Ages, unified Europe, and brought prosperity to its people, leaving them with a unified, powerful empire and a stable, thriving life.
This was why the people of the empire revered him so deeply. Even after centuries of his absence, their faith in him remained unshaken.
Having confirmed that Eric Killmonger was not simply a cold-blooded killer, Chen Mo did not consider his ideas too radical.
Drastic times called for drastic measures. Implementing slow, conservative reforms would clearly be time-consuming, costing even more civilian lives, and might still fail to achieve the desired outcome.
Eric Killmonger's idea was a good solution—a swift and decisive move to take the firewood out from under the cauldron!
However, it was clear his considerations were not thorough enough. Could simply eliminating all warlords and providing aid truly solve the problem? His thinking was too simplistic and crude, lacking in depth.
After all, Eric Killmonger had spent most of the past twenty years fighting on the battlefield and had only recently become the King of Wakanda. Though highly educated and intelligent, his vision on a global scale remained limited.
Chen Mo was different. Not only had he personally unified the entire European continent in the underworld and become the God-Emperor of a vast empire, but in this world, he also wielded immense power and authority. Both HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. were under his control—two superpowers capable of influencing the global situation, with enough strength to shake the entire Earth!
"Do you think killing these warlords will completely liberate the people of Africa?"
"This…"
Eric Killmonger was momentarily speechless. He knew that even if he eliminated all the warlords, it would only be a temporary fix, not a fundamental solution. Without the threat of war, the lower classes, with his assistance, might enjoy a period of peace. But sooner or later, new warlords would emerge, fighting each other for profit and territory. War would once again descend upon Africa, and everything would revert to its former state.
But what else could he do? Aside from continuing to assassinate these warlords and prevent them from growing too powerful, there seemed to be no better solution.
Then, Eric Killmonger's eyes lit up. Since Chen Mo had asked, there must be a better way.
Thinking of this, Eric quickly dropped to one knee before Chen Mo. Even kneeling, his beastly physique made him only slightly shorter than the towering Chen Mo. Lifting his head, Eric gazed up at Chen Mo's face, his tone reverent and expectant.
"My God! Eric awaits your guidance!"
Eliminating war and saving the impoverished had always been his dream. He knew it was difficult, even as the King of Wakanda. So, at this moment, he desperately hoped that their omnipotent God could help him realize this wish.
"If we're going to do it, we must do it thoroughly. There's only one way to solve Africa's problems once and for all."
"Unify Africa!"
"What?!"
Eric Killmonger's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at these words. If anyone else had said this, he would have thought them insane for even considering unifying Africa.
This wasn't several decades or even a century ago. Unifying dozens of countries across Africa was one thing, but even a large-scale war between just two nations would draw the attention of the entire world, inviting interference and intervention from major powers, some even sending troops directly into the conflict!