I am a hero of the former civilization.

Indeed, there is no difference.

For the first time, the bearded man smiled. Ryan, this monster who could take on Herrschers one-on-one, was indeed just like him in essence, doing only what he was capable of.

“My name is Pino.” The man extended his right hand and shook hands firmly with Ryan.

Ignoring reputation and power, everyone is just a survivor in this apocalypse, with no distinction of high or low status. When Ryan held his hand, he understood why this man had changed his attitude.

All he wanted was equal respect. Being treated as a human being sounds simple, but it's incredibly difficult to achieve.

What are your plans for the future?

"Let's stay here and drag things out one day at a time."

"Waiting to die?"

“Everyone will die eventually. At least dying here would be a bit more liberating. Dr. Ryan, I know you have the authority to fight for special treatment, but we’ve had enough of being monitored.”

These words came from the bottom of his heart, which made Ryan give up any thought of gratitude. He couldn't even control his own orders, so why should he be presumptuous? Given the condition of most people here, they wouldn't last long until the drug was developed.

"I respect your choice. The nearby Honkai Beasts have all been cleared out. You have plenty of time to gather supplies. It's better to die comfortably."

"Heh, I understand now why that lady said you were gentle." Pino gave a wry smile; this doctor was indeed quite special.

He wanted to say something more, but then Sakura jumped onto the cave floor, her expression not looking good.

"What happened?"

“A small team was attacked and has lost contact with Raven.” Sakura’s words remained concise.

Ryan raised an eyebrow and blurted out, "A Herrscher??"

“No images were transmitted back, but based on Raven’s assessment.” Sakura paused, a hint of seriousness in her eyes.

"It is a Judgment-class Honkai Beast."

Chapter 139 The Herald has arrived!

The night rain drizzled down, turning the valley into a muddy mess and extinguishing the remaining flames.

The cliffs on both sides of the valley were blasted to pieces, and mudslides blocked the road. The mud was mixed with countless fragments of Honkai Beasts, making it look like a giant centipede.

Raindrops pattered on the blonde woman's face. Her dull blue eyes gazed at the dark night sky, reflecting the image of a gray-gold girl.

The girl's innocent face was expressionless as she carefully examined the powerful warrior. After a long while, she gently tilted her head.

"Why, so foolish?"

Following the girl's gaze, one could see 'Razor,' whose body was reduced to half, with his lower body missing. He was still tightly gripping a heavy cleaver in his hand.

Centered on her, hundreds and thousands of corpses were piled up together. The blood of the assassins and mutated beasts was washed away by the rain, forming a crimson lake in the valley. In the blood lake, there were also many warriors wearing black armor.

"Well done, Varuna."

A huge, dragon-like head stretched out, its body covered in wounds and still burning embers. The girl gently stroked it, then glanced at the corpse on the ground, her doubt turning into contempt.

With such a simple lure, they rushed forward, only to be exhausted by the herd and eventually die at the hands of Varuna. Throughout it all, she watched quietly from the sidelines.

However, humans have also become more powerful; a mere dozen or so people were able to cause such destruction.

Her slender eyebrows furrowed slightly. She felt that the memories of this body were no longer applicable. According to Rose's memories, it would take a legion of several thousand people to fight to the death to wipe out a Honkai of this scale.

But such a large troop movement could not be kept secret from her. On the contrary, it was the infiltration teams of a dozen or so people that were able to penetrate more than 100 kilometers.

The Herald closed his eyes, the night wind howled as if echoing, and after a moment, he opened his eyes.

"There is more than one group of rats."

She bent down and picked up the information terminal from the muddy water, but after glancing at it, she threw it back into the mud.

This thing is encrypted, and even a Herrscher without electronic authority cannot unlock it. Facing the wind and rain, he gently parted his lips.

"The plan has changed. The Firemoth has sent out Fusion Warriors, who have infiltrated from the north."

Wow...

The rain continued, but the Herrscher heard a cold male voice, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees.

"As expected, has 'he' arrived?"

"It is unknown, but if there are enough of these fusion warriors, they will pose a threat. If either of us is discovered, humanity will fight with all its might."

"Give it their all? Is it even too late for them now?"

"It's too late, but the lives of thirty million people are not enough to cause the fall of any one of us."

The sound paused for a moment, only the rain and winter thunder remained, and a map of Britain unfolded in their minds, leading to a conclusion within seconds:

This number is far from enough, but if we can add 'him', it will be barely enough.

The absolute rationality of the Herrschers is a great advantage; for the sake of their goals, their own lives are also a condition. The question now is whether 'he' has actually come.

"The rats must be eliminated eventually. The original plan remains unchanged. Let Varuna try first. If 'he' is really there, then you and I will do everything in our power to keep him here." The cold voice, coupled with rationality, made him sound like a robot.

“That’s feasible, but before that, I’ll have the beasts that take over launch attacks in various locations,” the Herrscher of Wind replied slowly.

"What's the point?"

"Humans are creatures that love to overthink, and what I need to do is make them think even more. Don't worry, the beasts will keep coming down, and once this batch is exhausted, I'll take over again."

Hearing her companion's agreement, the Herrscher of Wind raised her right hand and released the mixed Honkai energy as another horde of beasts arrived.

Cutting through the wind and rain, it soars into the distance.

......

"The entire third squad was wiped out?"

Inside the cave, Ryan was stunned. He remembered the carefree blonde woman. They hadn't even met yet, and she was already dead?

“It’s presumed they were all wiped out. At least we haven’t been able to contact ‘Raven’ yet. We’ve only marked their last known location and provided an operational report.” Sakura held down the little girl clinging to her leg while handing her the tactical terminal.

So that's how it is. They just wiped out a large Honkai source composed of thousands of enemies, and then they were ambushed by a Judgment-class Honkai Beast. I knew the Fusion Warrior couldn't be that weak.

Ryan glanced at the log and roughly got an idea. The high-energy source created by using the Honkai energy accumulation effect was undoubtedly bait. It was just that the third squad was too unlucky and ran into a fisherman.

In a head-on confrontation, a small squad of Fusion Warriors would be enough to hold off a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.

'The losses are heavy. I told them long ago not to be so overconfident and to use their experience to deal with the Honkai.' Ryan rubbed his throbbing head. A dozen or so fusion warriors would require at least five times the number of failed attempts.

After thinking for a moment, she was about to press the call button when 'Raven' called first. As soon as the connection was established, she saw Kalis's handsome face.

"Doctor, you've received bad news, haven't you?" The man's face was calm; there wasn't a trace of hysteria, nor even a hint of anger.

This level of shrewdness is beyond ordinary people. Ryan waved his hand and said, "Stop talking nonsense and tell me what to do. I suggest we bring all the fusion warriors and the forces from the European branch here. If the other side is using a trick, then the Herrscher must be here."

He was absolutely certain: Honkai Beasts are all stupid, how could they know how to fish? There must be a Herrscher behind this.

"I think so too, but I'm sorry, I can't do it."

"Why?" Ryan's face darkened, but he showed no anger whatsoever.

"Because something also happened to Mu Dalu, you'll know the details once you see it."

The scene shifted, and a tactical map appeared on the terminal. The moving red dot made Ryan frown.

There were more than a dozen attacks on the Mu continent at the same time. York, San Diego, and the Fifth Research Institute were all in the midst of battle, and the defensive line in central Britain was also covered with a dense array of red dots.

This is clearly an abnormal situation; the Honkai Beasts scattered in various places are gathering together and launching attacks in a regular pattern.

Seeing this, Ryan immediately understood why Carlisle couldn't do it.

If he moves his troops to northern Britain to besiege the city, what if problems arise on other fronts, especially York? The underground fortress is not yet completed. If the Herrscher suddenly appears, the command center of the Fire Moth will be finished.

"This could be a feint."

“I know, but the worst-case scenario involves more than one Herrscher. Every feint must be treated with caution. In fact, I have already rejected the council’s order to transfer you.” Kalis looked somewhat helpless and said slowly, “Even if the central defense line is breached, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

Outside the defensive line, the dense array of Honkai foci was terrifying. In fact, the reserve force had already been deployed to provide support, and orders to terminate the operation were flying in like snowflakes.

"But you still want to continue with the plan?"

"Yes, I also believe that the Herrscher is behind all this. There is no point in passively defending without attacking her. You should know that lower-rank Honkai Beasts are not even cannon fodder."

This guy is interesting.

Ryan smiled. This Kalis had seen through the true nature of things and was willing to take the gamble.

"Then we'll find a way to decapitate him, or at least determine where the Herrscher is."

“I agree. Raven will monitor the Honkai source with all its might, and will immediately gather forces to subdue it once the Herrscher appears.”

While saying this, the troops have actually been mobilized. If the Herrscher suddenly appears, they will not be able to send reinforcements in a short time, especially Alicia, whom the council will not let go under any circumstances.

Actually, Ryan didn't dare let Alicia leave either. It didn't matter if the old guys from the Fire Moths died, but things couldn't go wrong with May and Velvey.

"Okay, I'll figure it out."

Before Kalis could say goodbye, Ryan hung up the call immediately. He had a feeling that the man was hiding something, but now was not the time to dig deeper.

He looked up and glanced at Sakura, who was rubbing the girl's head: "Go to Vinar's squad. If nothing unexpected happens, they will be the next target."

“They should be on guard now.” Sakura paused slightly, her expression turning serious again.

“Preparing is useless. War is not a boxing ring. There is no fairness in it. As for retreating—” Ryan spread his hands, his tone helpless: “Besides, it’s ridiculous. We are fighting on someone else’s turf right now.”

There's no home-field advantage in an abandoned area; no helicopter can get in if the other side wants to.

“Okay, I’ll go right away.” Sakura already understood what he meant; she and the Sword of Punishment were bait to lure out the Herrscher.

As soon as she turned around, her clothes were tugged. Sakura hesitated for a moment, then turned around and squatted down.

"Liss, I'll be back soon. Take good care of Mom." As she said this, Sakura turned her head away, avoiding eye contact with the girl.

"Um, the teddy bear is almost finished. Could you please sew on the ears for me?" the girl asked, mustering her courage.

Sakura moved her lips, hesitated slightly before getting up, then decisively turned her head and disappeared into thin air.

Ryan didn't interrupt until Sakura left, at which point he glanced at the bearded man. The latter gestured, and there he saw a emaciated woman in a corner, severely infected with Honkai, barely breathing, and unlikely to live past tomorrow night.

His breath hitched for a moment, then he silently shook his head.

Ryan wasn't a god and couldn't save a life with a wave of his hand. He just looked at Pino and said, "Take the child out. Honkai isn't incurable. At least their infestation rate isn't high. Maybe they can hold out until the day a cure is developed."

“If you’re willing to help, I have no reason to refuse.” Pino nodded immediately, relieved to hand the child over to the two men.

Ryan made a decision on a whim without thinking about the follow-up, and just slowly flipped through his notes. He did it so fast that all you could hear was the rustling sound of the pages turning.