But that was all.
Although the sea race suffered heavy casualties, it was not truly crippled. The viruses spread by humans were only effective against sea creatures that humans were familiar with, or those that had not mutated significantly, or ordinary mutated sea creatures without special abilities. These could be fatal.
However, many sea creatures who had developed special abilities were not infected by the virus at all, or could survive even if infected. Therefore, although the sea race appeared to have suffered heavy losses, they were not truly crippled. Most of those who died were from the lower ranks, the less intelligent sea creatures.
This was unavoidable.
To ensure the virus's infectivity, its lethality and toxicity were naturally weakened. Furthermore, human understanding of the sea race was not very deep.
Their understanding of special abilities was also not very deep.
As a result, the viruses developed by humans had a weaker effect on those with special abilities and deeply mutated life forms. This was an unavoidable outcome.
Therefore, this wave of human viral dispersion.
Ultimately only temporarily halted the sea race's offensive.
...
Human Alliance
Sea Race Genetic Virus Research Symposium
"Esteemed colleagues, this viral attack has brought both good news and bad news. The good news is that the viral attack has initially yielded results, not only wiping out a large number of lower-level marine life and weakening the sea race's strength, but also slowing down their offensive by deploying viruses in major coastal areas.
However, the virus's potency was lower than expected.
This is a significant piece of bad news.
Once the sea race recovers, we will face an even more ferocious counterattack. Therefore, the focus of our symposium is whether to continue in-depth research on sea race genetic viruses, leveraging our advantage in this field to continue attempting to exterminate the sea race through viral warfare. Large Wind Fiction Network.
Gentlemen, you are all leading figures in virology.
We are also aware of some of your concerns, but you must understand that you are human first, and human interests and survival are paramount. All other thoughts and morals are unimportant when facing the existential threat to our race.
Therefore, I hope you will cast aside all previous moral constraints and show no mercy. Do not hesitate to act just because they are also intelligent beings.
Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.
We must fight this viral war.
And we must win!"
The person chairing the meeting concluded his remarks and sat down, signaling the experts to speak.
"Based on the dissection and analysis of sea race corpses and some mildly infected sea creatures, the virus has mutated after three rounds of transmission. The direction of mutation is towards increased infectivity and decreased toxicity.
This is an inevitable biological characteristic and instinct. Even viruses seek survival and reproduction. Therefore, the future mutation direction of these genetic viruses will inevitably be to further increase infectivity and decrease toxicity, possibly even coexisting with the sea race in the end.
I believe this aspect can be temporarily left as is.
Because we can develop a new virus that specifically targets the sea race genetic viruses with reduced toxicity and increased infectivity. This new virus, when fused with the existing ones, would immediately mutate towards lethality, or could induce the existing viruses to mutate towards lethality.
This way, once a majority of the sea race is infected with the future, less deadly virus.
Then, by spreading the new virus that induces mutation, I estimate we can eliminate at least eighty to ninety percent of the sea race's fighting force.
However, we must ensure that humans are not infected by this virus with increased infectivity and reduced toxicity, otherwise, it could lead to mutual annihilation."
A virology expert soon presented his ideas and his planned future research direction.
Following that, someone naturally chimed in:
"Charles's idea is good, but I'm concerned that while the sea race genetic virus continues to increase in infectivity and decrease in toxicity, if the sea race is no longer hindered by the low mortality rate and begins a large-scale, or even a frantic, offensive against humans.
What shall we do then?
Therefore, my suggestion is that we continue to use the sea race genetic virus as a template, constantly modifying certain segments of the sea race genetic virus, artificially promoting its gradual enhancement, preferably to a perfect virus with both high infectivity and high toxicity.
As long as the sea race maintains a high mortality rate, we can continuously hinder them and eliminate them in a 'boiling frog' fashion. Crucially, with their current technological means, they should have no ability to resist."
"I disagree. Abilities and our current technological system are almost diametrically opposed.
Even though we are continuously improving our technological system and striving to align it with abilities, there is still a deep gap between the two. Therefore, if we continue to research and improve viruses along our current path, it will likely still be difficult to affect or even kill sea creatures who have activated their abilities.
So, my idea is, should we explore researching viruses specifically targeting sea creatures with abilities, or directly research viruses that can damage the brain and the sea race's intelligence?
The viruses we are currently spreading have little impact on highly intelligent marine life. Most of the deaths are among less intelligent marine organisms. If we compare the entire ocean civilization to a tree, we are merely plucking leaves; we have no effect on their roots.
No matter how many leaves you pluck, they will grow back in the spring.
Therefore, specifically researching lethal viruses targeting highly intelligent marine life, the rulers of ocean civilization, is the true way to uproot them, whether by directly killing them or turning them into fools.
Both should be excellent options."
Another expert soon analyzed from a different perspective. His theory was based on the idea that the ocean civilization attacked humans as a united front, and the core of their attack lay in their intelligence. If their intelligence were destroyed, they would inevitably become a scattered force.
Then they would no longer be a threat.
"No, that is even less acceptable!
The marine life has abilities, and so do we humans. The marine life has intelligence, and our intelligence far surpasses theirs. In these two aspects, humans have a higher similarity to marine life than they do genetically. If there are any accidents, related viruses could easily sweep through human society while also sweeping through the entire ocean life civilization.
This is far too dangerous.
Viruses cannot be controlled one hundred percent by us!"
Some might find this suggestion good, but others immediately vociferously opposed it. When considering the harm of viruses to marine life, one cannot ignore the impact of loss of control on humanity, as everyone lives in the same environment, and no one can escape if the virus gets out of control.
...
After a period of discussion and debate, several dozen new virus research institutes were established by various countries. Research directions that were verified to have minimal harm to humans were placed in relatively safe areas not easily attacked by the sea race.
As for those that could potentially affect humans.
They were moved to space research stations for study.
After all, the current times were not peaceful, and researching on land was not safe. However, not researching was also not an option. Some methods could be avoided, but they could not be absent.
Total destruction, mutual annihilation.
It was better than being exterminated.
Furthermore, they had space stations and human gene banks. Even if mutual annihilation occurred, it would only be the humans on the planet perishing with the sea creatures.
At least the few space stations could preserve the human spark.
It could be said that at this conference, humanity had prepared for the worst-case scenario. In fact, after the conference, the Human Alliance held several more meetings on space development, discussing plans for establishing space survival bases on the moon and terraforming Mars.
Humans were not incapable of destroying most life on a planet, but because they had to continue living on the planet, they had always exercised restraint.
But if they were pushed into a corner.
Some things could be done.