Chapter 157: Hoodwinking the Black Panther

Killmonger’s eyes flickered slightly as he sighed, "Taking things slow and steady is certainly ideal, but I'm afraid Wakanda simply doesn't have that much time left."

"What do you mean?" T'Challa furrowed his brow and pressed further.

"Although I am merely a Wakandan who has just recently returned and dare not presume to critique the various conditions of our nation, I know one thing for certain: Wakanda's technology originates from Vibranium."

"The existence of Vibranium has allowed Wakanda's technology to far surpass the rest of the world, but precisely because of that, our technology has become overly reliant on its existence."

"While I am unaware of the exact volume of Vibranium Wakanda possesses, I believe such a resource cannot possibly be infinite."

"In ancient times, our technology was quite ordinary, and Vibranium seemed inexhaustible. But now, as our civilization has entered the space age, our capacity to mine it is thousands, if not millions, of times stronger."

"The mines are growing ever deeper, and the amount of Vibranium we mine and utilize increases by the day. Have you ever considered, my cousin, what we shall do when the day comes that the Vibranium is completely exhausted?"

Hearing this, T'Challa’s expression shifted subtly. As the prince of Wakanda, he was acutely aware that if the scenario Killmonger described were to actually occur, Wakanda would likely find itself on the brink of national ruin.

Seeing this, Killmonger poured more fuel on the fire and continued, "Once that day truly arrives, if Wakanda wishes to continue developing, it will have to bypass Vibranium and learn from the outside world to develop other technologies."

"Yet, if we wait until that very moment to start learning from the outside, it will be far too late."

"Putting aside what might happen once we lose Vibranium, consider how the outside world would react if they discovered that for all these years, we have monopolized the metal, possessing technology far superior to the global standard while stubbornly isolating ourselves and ignoring external development, only to open our borders once we have lost that transcendent status."

"Under the context of global unification, Wakanda would inevitably become a target for everyone, even viewed as a public enemy of the world."

"Therefore, integrating Wakanda into the world must never be left until the very end; we must proactively open up while our technology is still uniquely dominant."

"In that way, although the world may still harbor resentment over Wakanda's past seclusion, they would not dare to voice any complaints because our technology would be sufficient to suppress the entire globe."

"Afterwards, we can use Wakanda's technology to help the world develop, diffusing this hostility while simultaneously learning the external scientific systems, attempting to integrate and improve them with our own technology, and slowly weaning ourselves off our reliance on Vibranium."

"Today, global technology is gradually advancing and is on the verge of stepping into space; we no longer have the luxury of time to take things slow."

"My return this time is born from the hope that I can use what I have seen and heard to change Wakanda's attitude toward the outside world."

With that, Killmonger fixed his gaze on T'Challa and said solemnly, "But I know that I am an outsider prince who has only just returned, and the people of Wakanda do not trust me."

"Therefore, I can only place my hopes in you, my cousin. You have witnessed the changes in the outside world with your own eyes, and I believe that what I can see, you can see as well."

"You are the Black Panther of Wakanda, the future king. If you are willing, you can undoubtedly bring about change."

"Me? No, no, no, it's not that simple, the Five Tribes..." T'Challa waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing this.

Whether it was he or the elderly king, both harbored a desire for reform, but relatively speaking, they were far too moderate and only believed in taking things step by step.

In comparison, the attitudes of Killmonger and his father were far more hardline, but ultimately, the political inclinations of all four individuals were aligned.

"The Five Tribes? Do the Five Tribes even exist in their current form anymore?" Killmonger interrupted him.

Looking at T'Challa’s deeply furrowed brows, Killmonger sighed and spoke earnestly, "Cousin, have you not noticed that the problems within Wakanda are becoming increasingly severe?"

"As technology continues to advance, our existing social system is gradually becoming incapable of adapting to the new era."

"Why are the Jabari Tribe unwilling to obey the royal commands? Isn't it because technology has flourished, and while other tribes gradually enjoy the dividends of technological progress, they are confined to the deep mountains by ancestral precepts, living bitter, freezing lives just as they did thousands of years ago?"

"Not just them, but the Border Tribe as well. Despite possessing technology far superior to the global standard, they are forced to live primitive lives of herding and farming."

"Domestic dissatisfaction is growing more acute by the day, and sooner or later, it will erupt into chaos."

"We must cut through the knot swiftly; at this juncture, if we do not act, it will be too late."

These words struck T'Challa’s heart like a heavy hammer, causing his expression to change involuntarily.

Knowing that excess is as bad as deficiency, Killmonger offered this final piece of advice and refrained from pushing any further.

"I know I have just returned and should not be this radical, but I truly have Wakanda's best interests at heart."

"Think carefully on my words, cousin. If you feel what I say is right, that is for the best; if you feel there are flaws in my reasoning, please bear with me and treat my words as the ramblings of a madman."

"But no matter what, we are brothers, and I will support you just as my father supported your uncle."

"Thank you," T'Challa replied somewhat absentmindedly.

Just as Killmonger was persistently swaying the Black Panther, on the other side, Gu Chongyan's figure had appeared on the soil of Egypt, beginning his search for the whereabouts of the Darkhold.

Through the locator manufactured by Mister Fantastic, he tracked the presence of the Darkhold within this land.

However, the Darkhold seemed to be shielded and masked by another force, causing Mister Fantastic's instrument to only detect a general region rather than providing a pinpoint lock.

Fortunately, Gu Chongyan, who already possessed a copy of the Darkhold, held a natural affinity for darkness. Combined with his mastery of magic and the approximate range locked down by the locator, he was still able to trace certain clues.

Across the barren gobi desert, the Darkhold floated in his palm, flipping back and forth page by page.

An invisible force radiated outward from the Darkhold, sweeping across this ancient land like ocean waves.

Gu Chongyan could sense the aura of darkness emanating from this terrain. The other copy of the Darkhold seemed to have melted into this ancient earth, intertwining with another complex and mysterious power.

Under the joint influence of these two supernatural forces, the region was saturated with magical energy far exceeding other areas.

While it did not reach the level of a true magical nexus, it was considerably stronger than ordinary locations.

It seemed that the key to finding the Darkhold lay within that other supernatural force.

As Gu Chongyan turned the pages of the Darkhold, a tiny sapling swayed gently within his sea of consciousness, its pure energy acting like a sifter, dissecting that ancient power bit by bit.

He could feel that although this power was ancient, it was extremely mottled, resembling a mixture of various forces sharing similar attributes—seemingly powerful, yet easily decomposed.