No! I don't want to be a Super Necromancer!

In the war room deep beneath the central military compound of Beijing, the mood was heavy.

A long, oval table dominated the chamber, its surface projected with live magical readings of mana activity across the country. Mana flared on several borders. Signs of probing scouts, disrupted patrol routes, and ominous stillness in the forests. All signs pointed to one truth:

The beast tide was coming.

Seated at the head was President Jiang herself, expression grim, hands steepled under her chin, her sharp gaze surveying the room with quiet intensity.

Across from her sat Grand Marshal Li Qingshan, his presence steady and cold, like a mountain long used to bearing the weight of empires.

To his left and right were the battle-hardened legends of China's military might—the Eight Heavenly Generals.

General Riki, the Lightning Sovereign.

General Maru, Compression Master and battlefield terror.

General Hong Fei, the Inferno Brawler.

General Liang, Wind Spear and air commander.

General Xian Fei, the long-range Soul Guardian.

General Zhou Yu, defensive genius known as the Shield Warden.

General Fei Bao, Earth Reaver and siege-breaker.

General Qin Hui, God of Iron.

Flanking them were the eight rising stars of the Mana-Awakened military branch, elite younger generals from across the nation:

General Chen Hong Lei, of the Thunderclad Vanguard.

General Zhang Muyu, the brutal tactician of the Bloodsteel Regiment.

General Lin Kexin, known as the Silent Gale.

General Zhao Heng, pyromancer of the Celestial Flame division.

General Wang Ru, the immovable Stoneveil Bastion.

General Nie Tian, master of the Cryo Corps.

General Bai Yuan, of the Astral Guard.

General Luo Shanyu, mistress of the Psionic Dominion.

At the far end of the table sat the minds behind China's technological might—eight older generals of the Mecha and Tech Division, engineers, warriors, and living legends in their own right:

General Zhen, the man who designed the titan-class Oblivion Hammer.

General Kong Rui, pioneer of Hyper-Surge Reactors.

General Wu Baichen, master pilot of the Red Locust mecha line.

General Huo Fang, developer of autonomous blade drones.

General Mo Xian, armor enhancement savant.

General Xia Lei, mech-drop survivor from orbit.

General Fu Ming, designer of Mana Disruption Arrays.

General Tang Rui, founder of the eastern mechanized cavalry corps.

And standing tall beside them, eager to earn their place in legend, were eight of China's youngest tech-based command stars, fresh but already decorated with battlefield success:

General Ling Feiyan, pilot of the maneuver-class Aurora Harbinger.

General Du Heng, Pulseblade exosuit specialist.

General Yao Mei, AI-mana integration expert.

General Sun Jie, drone command and live-net coordinator.

General Hu Yin, mecha ordinance enhancement leader.

General Xun Ke, nicknamed "The Railgun Prince."

General Liao Chen, known for rebuilding his mech mid-battle.

General Cao Jin, stealth operative and creator of the Ghost Kite recon line.

All of them, old and new, had been summoned for the same reason.

The war could no longer be held at the gates.

It was coming.

President Jiang Meilin was the first to speak.

"Let's be honest," she said quietly. "We cannot protect every city."

There was a pause. Not a single general spoke. They all knew it was true.

"If they come in waves," President Jiang continued, "across multiple points along our borders, through mountains, rivers, forests… if they surge in through dozens of regions, then even with our current military strength, every single city in the interior becomes a vulnerable target."

General Liang finally broke the silence. "We can defend major capitals. Fortify key transportation nodes. But every rural town, every border village... we'd be bleeding men and mana before the war even truly begins."

"Collateral damage will be catastrophic," General Hong Fei added grimly. "We'll be fighting in our own backyards."

"We can't afford to let the war reach us," President Jiang said, standing slowly. Her voice was firm. "We need to bring the war to them."

She turned to the map, where red outlines glowed along the southern forests—the origin of the beast threat.

"The solution must be preemptive."

At that moment, Grand Marshal Li Qingshan spoke, his tone calm but piercing.

"Three fronts."

All eyes turned to him.

"First," Li said, "we fortify every major city. Not just walls, but internal mana shielding. Barrier nodes. Reserve battalions. I want arcane cannons installed on every rooftop, pulse mines laid beneath every bridge, and teleportation inhibitors deployed to prevent surprise incursions."

Several generals nodded solemnly. One of the older mecha-tech veterans muttered, "We'll need to tap into the national stockpile. No more holding back."

"Second," Li continued, his voice gaining momentum, "we prepare the armies. Every division. Every mecha battalion. All awakened forces. One month. No longer. Combat simulations begin tomorrow. Night raids, beast-type emulation, exhaustion training. No more luxuries. No more excuses."

The younger generals straightened, eyes burning with resolve. General Chen Hong Lei clenched his fist. "It's time."

"And the third?" asked President Jiang quietly.

Li Qingshan looked up. His eyes, usually distant, glinted with intent.

"We delay them."

"How?" President Jiang asked, though she already suspected the answer.

"The beasts need two months before they're fully mobilized. But we've hurt them. We've taken out six of their top generals. Their command structure is shaken. The Demon Fox is wounded in pride.

The forest is still recovering from the raid led by the Pearl-War God expedition." His eyes narrowed. "There's one who leads them all. One who coordinates their pace and movements. He is not the strongest but he is the center."

President Jiang's face tightened. "The Lion King."

Li Qingshan nodded once.

"If we kill him, we'll throw them into disarray. Delay their cohesion. Shatter their rally point."

A heavy silence fell. Even the proudest generals seemed to draw back at the implication.

President Jiang closed her eyes for a long second, then finally said, "If you go, you may not return."

Li Qingshan smiled faintly. "It's war. No one returns unchanged."

General Riki let out a sharp breath. "If you fall, we fall."

"No," Li replied simply. "If I fall, you hold."

The room was quiet again.

Then President Jiang gave a single, solemn nod.

"Approved. You'll have full authority and support."

The Grand Marshal stood. Every general in the room rose with him, heads bowed in respect.

"I'll leave tonight," Grand Marshal Li Qingshan said simply.