I am a hero of the former civilization.

The intelligence department no longer dares to monitor him, and nobody knows where Ryan has gone.

After resting for so many days, it's time to get back to work.

Ryan rode his motorcycle away from the city, through the countryside filled with crops, and arrived at the coast. He took out his tactical terminal and glanced at it; the destination had been determined the night before.

The Nordic region has three sources of Honkai, and they are all located nearby.

Having received two pleasant surprises, Ryan was more cautious this time. He not only reviewed all the high-risk sources of corruption in Skynet over the past two weeks, but also selected the nearest area.

Even if there are any surprises, with Sakura and Alicia there, it's as safe as a rock.

Go quickly and come back quickly.

Amidst the crashing waves, he slowly floated up, ascended to a height of a thousand meters, and then gradually accelerated.

This time, Ryan used the power of wind, which is far less explosive than the power of lightning, but the advantage is that it consumes less energy and can travel a long distance. It's like being pushed, and you can float a long way.

Moreover, when it keeps accelerating, it's by no means slow, giving people a unique feeling.

Freedom, yes, that's freedom.

Ryan felt as if he had become a bird, soaring through the clouds, able to change his posture with just a little effort.

This wasn't a sudden stop and change of direction, but it was smoother and more unpredictable. He finally understood why the Herrscher of Wind was like an eel.

It has moderate instantaneous destructive power, extremely fast reaction speed, and also possesses detection capabilities and stealth abilities.

With the Roaring North Sea above him, Ryan didn't have to worry about damaging public property, so he practiced the use of his powers one by one.

The air distorts light, creating an effect similar to invisibility. An invisible wall of air stretches across the sky, causing migrating seagulls to crash into it and die. The sea seems to have a life of its own, being split apart or joined together. Sometimes the surface is calm, but the undercurrents are sharp as knives, and soon dead fish are scattered everywhere.

"It's easy to use. There are many ways to play with the power to create ideal fluids. It's an excellent tool."

Ryan gradually discovered some shortcomings, namely that the instantaneous damage was relatively low and the gathering speed was relatively slow. No wonder the Herrscher of Wind always liked to keep her distance.

But I'm different.

Ryan deftly changed direction in mid-air, swooped down, and raised his left hand, distorting the air. The falling snow was blocked by an invisible shield, and he gathered a lightning spear in his right hand, hurling it into the distance.

boom--

The coastal mountains disintegrated in the explosion, but even more strangely, the scattered debris and shockwaves were pressed back down by an invisible hand.

Hey.

Ryan landed in the snow, gently twisted his neck, and looked at the 'undamaged' mountain peak.

I cultivate both wind and thunder!

Chapter 159 This is the Abandoned Zone

It took several hours to cross the North Sea, which isn't considered slow. Northern Europe is still extremely cold, with snow more than a foot thick, and several capsized ships in the frozen sea.

The surrounding area was covered in silver, with occasional birds flying by, and the sound of waves crashing behind us created a natural wonder.

Ryan looked at the magnificent snowscape with a touch of nostalgia. He was born in Northern Europe and had a fairly pleasant childhood.

The family is very wealthy, owning a castle and an entire hunting ground. Even without inheritance rights, they can still receive a large share of the wealth.

'Back then, I really let myself go.'

Ryan glanced at the gray sky and felt a little self-deprecating. This was the typical start of a carefree prince, cursed to spend his whole life eating and waiting to die. Although he had no power during those days, he was especially happy.

In winter, I would stay in the castle, soak in the hot springs, lift the maids' skirts, grope them amidst their screams, and pray that the dragon would awaken soon so it could wreak havoc on all sides, until that day came.

It was probably during a winter like this that I saw a document on my desk with the stamp of the moth that chases the flame, and then painful memories came flooding back.

He suddenly realized where he was, and after being bewildered for a few days, he quickly adjusted his plans and inexplicably ended up where he is now.

I really don't know if this is lucky or unlucky.

Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose, and it took him a while to break free from his memories. As he left the coast, he studied the tactical map.

According to 'Skynet' observations, a Honkai source of approximately 1000 HW appeared three days ago. Based on the Honkai aggregation effect, it shouldn't have been too far away in that time, nor was there any artificial aggregation phenomenon like that of the Fourth Herrscher.

This is almost certainly a Judgment-class Honkai Beast. With a radius of 500 kilometers, there are three high-Honkai sources, which means there are two possibilities.

First, all of these are traces of this Honkai Beast's movement; second, there is more than one high-ranking Honkai Beast.

The Fire Moths have now ended their hunting activities, their resource pool is saturated, and they have also realized that hunting is meaningless. As long as the Honkai reaches the threshold, new monsters will be born, and each hunt will consume a huge amount of resources.

It's truly frustrating. The enemy is right there, yet we can't attack. We have increasingly scarce resources to supply billions of people, and then we have to leave behind vast abandoned areas.

However, the hunt yielded little in the Nordic region. The third squad stationed there, the Razor squad, spent a long time without managing to hunt down a single high-ranking Honkai Beast.

'It's like they're deliberately playing hide-and-seek, and being so close to the Herrscher of Wind and the others... there's probably something wrong.'

On the map, this is a large area marked in gray. If you zoom out on the map, you can also see red and blue areas.

According to the League of Nations rules and the proposal of the Firemoth, Earth is now divided into occupied zones, abandoned zones, and controlled zones.

Needless to say, the occupied areas have been taken over by Honkai Beasts, and the air is filled with deadly Honkai energy. A few humans can only survive in the cracks, and most of these survivors are infected with Honkai disease, so it doesn't matter where they die.

The controlled areas are like southern Britain, mostly centered around mega-cities, with good order and ample supplies. Apart from the occasional appearance of Honkai Beasts, they are no different from the peaceful old world.

"The abandoned area lies between the two. The Moths have retreated, but the Honkai has not yet invaded."

Ryan discovered that there were quite a few such areas, such as Africa, where 70% of the control was left to nature, with only coastal outposts under control.

These regions share some common characteristics, such as harsh natural environments, deep inland locations, lack of important resources and major cities, and useless strategic locations.

It's a perfectly normal approach. The Moths of Fire must concentrate their forces, and there's no need to waste so many resources. Maintaining order is much more difficult than hunting Honkai, and just transporting supplies would cost an astronomical sum.

"Then the rich and powerful all moved away, making Singapore even more prosperous, leaving ordinary people to fend for themselves. Even in the end times, there is still a distinction between the noble and the lowly among humankind."

Ryan's smile turned mocking, but he knew there was no other way. Human territory was shrinking, and if everyone were to be moved out fairly, the Fire Moths simply couldn't withstand it.

Like an underground shelter in a certain planet, not everyone can go in. I heard that residency in New York has even flown to the sky.

Humanity's last refuge; even if the world is destroyed, everyone wants to be the last one to die.

"I can't worry about that now, I need to get the information first." Ryan didn't think much of it and went straight into the snowstorm.

Just like the Battle of Britain, the key to breaking the deadlock lay in a survivor settlement. If it weren't for that intelligence, Ryan wouldn't have been able to seize the advantage of timing and location.

The satellites in the sky can never compare to the natives who live here. The third squad's failure to achieve its goal further illustrates the point. Ryan glanced at the map again and headed northeast.

The wind and snow intensified, turning the entire world into a vast expanse of white. All around were continuous mountain peaks and bays with gently rippling waves. There were no Honkai Beasts to be seen, nor any trace of human existence.

The nearest Firemoth stronghold is in Gothenburg, hundreds of kilometers away. All the original government offices have been evacuated. Ryan passed through several abandoned villages and saw no signs of destruction, only some houses buried in snow.

He gradually understood why the fire-chasing moths were shrinking; these godforsaken places were simply not worth guarding.

Some people enjoy order, while others return to chaos. It's unfair, but that's reality.

Ryan stopped briefly in a lumberjack's hut, lit a campfire, and finally warded off the cold.

"This place is freezing cold, and there's no cell phone signal."

He took out his phone and glanced at it, then wrapped his trench coat tighter around himself, thinking to himself that the Earth was too big, no wonder he hadn't found the Herrscher of Ice before.

"If we go another ten kilometers or so to the northeast, there should be a town. According to the intelligence department's analysis, there are still tens of thousands of people left in this area. They were unable to obtain residency in Gothenburg and had no choice but to stay here."

Residency is equivalent to a passport, and it is mostly decided by lottery. Without it, you cannot get asylum and can only do the lowest-paying jobs. It's better to be free in a deserted area.

This is the coldest form of rationality, and it seems to be working quite well now. At least those with residency rights are living quite comfortably, instead of everyone else starving and freezing.

Of course, the people here didn't give up. Like the shipwrecks in the bay, they tried their best to get to Britain, but clever people were always in the minority.

"Most people have to stay in this godforsaken place, fight against nature, break through the bottom line of being human, and struggle for survival. In essence, they are no different from Montpellier."

Ryan stared at the leaping flames and suddenly raised his right hand.

boom--

The door was suddenly kicked open, and a figure wrapped in a white cloak rushed in. He raised his automatic rifle, aimed it at Ryan's back, and pulled the trigger.

No bullets flew, because the rifle in his hand had become a pile of parts. Before he could react, an invisible hammer struck his chest.

Boom!

An entire wall collapsed, and the man, smashed to pieces, fell into the snow, rolled a few times, and then fell silent.

"I finally found a place to shelter from the snow, and you've come to welcome me so quickly." Ryan looked out through the hole and could see several snowmobiles, then snapped his fingers.

Tap tap tap tap...

A barrage of gunfire erupted immediately, shattering wooden walls, breaking glass, and tearing apart campfires, until a man raised his hand, at which point the gunfire ceased.

"Cease fire, move closer, and see if he's dead."

Several beams of flashlight pierced the darkness with practiced skill. The logging hut was a decoy, and it had already caught quite a few fish that wanted to go to Gothenburg.

The man squinted as he changed into a new magazine, glancing at the flashlight's beam. After a few seconds, he frowned.

What about people?

Soon, as the doubts lingered in his mind, the flashlights went out one by one, and there was no sound in the wind and snow. The eerie scene made him break out in a cold sweat.

No, this isn't human at all!

Without the slightest hesitation, he slung the rifle over his shoulder and strode toward the snowmobile. He stopped after only a few steps, as if pressed to the spot by the darkness.

A person sat on a motorcycle loaded with miscellaneous items. His gray trench coat looked extremely thin in the heavy snow, and his equally gray eyes stared casually at him, sending a chill down his spine.

Then, before he could pull the trigger, his body went out of control.

"What's your name?" Ryan brushed the snow off his shoulders and asked casually.

"Aubin".

What are you doing here?

“They would rob passersby, killing the men and stealing their supplies, while selling the women in town to raise money. Only after saving enough money could they buy residency.”

"Why do you do this?"

The man paused for a moment, then replied, "I want to live."

It seems I asked a pointless question.

Ryan grinned and nodded heavily. He had only been out for less than a day, but life in Lundum had already become unfamiliar, just like the song of Eden fading from his ears.

He asked a number of questions, such as where the nearest town was, how many people lived there, who its leader was, its connection to the Firemoth, and of course, most importantly, information about the higher-ranking Honkai Beasts.

After Aubin answered each question, Ryan gently moved his fingers, and a high-speed airflow sliced ​​across his neck like a knife, sending a head flying into the sky.