I am a hero of the former civilization.

"The truth is meaningless to you, and I'm too lazy to waste my time explaining."

“But you’ll be in trouble. To be honest, I guarantee that there’s a 50% chance that Vilvie won’t die.”

“I don’t want to gamble on my other half. In terms of value, all those people combined can’t compare to her. As for me, you don’t need to worry about me at all.” Ryan adjusted his glasses and looked at the helicopter flying in the distance.

"I'm an expert at dealing with Honkai, but when it comes to killing—"

"I'm an expert."

Chapter Twenty-Two: Is this a ploy to make me sell my male beauty?

A large amount of seawater flooded the ship's hold, and the oil tanker, weighing tens of thousands of tons, was slowly capsizing and soon ran aground on its berth.

Ryan arrived on the deck ahead of everyone else and looked with great interest at the machines left behind by Velvet.

The designs are all bizarre and varied. Some are simply giant pistols that move on two wheels. Some armor is full of welds and rivets, making them look crudely made. But considering that they were all handcrafted by Wilvi, what more could you ask for?

The girl herself has no combat ability, but the war machines she designed are enough to deal with medium-sized Honkai.

Ryan patted the cold wreckage; these things had finally become scrap metal.

"He really is a genius, and he's quite clever. After he ran away, all the control chips self-destructed."

It's comfortable to work with smart people. He calculated that as the butterfly effect deepened, it roughly changed two major trends.

First, May and Kevin joined the Firemoths ahead of time; second, Wilvi was not arrested.

These two changes are not so big, as the extra time is not enough for the three of them to solve too many problems; but they are not insignificant either, as they are like a chain reaction that will change the world line exponentially.

To get better, or to get worse?

Ryan couldn't see the future, but he knew that exploration was always accompanied by the unknown. All he could do was keep moving forward, and every step came at a price.

“Mebius’s interests don’t matter, but I’m becoming more and more entangled with this world, and more and more people will notice me.”

Just like a stinking stick, stirring up Lao Ba will make you smelly too, and it will always attract flies.

Fortunately, Ryan never regretted it. Danger is also an opportunity. He was determined to keep moving forward and never stop.

buzzing...

The propellers whipped up a gust of wind, and Ryan snapped out of his daze. He turned around and saw helicopters painted with the Firemoth design circling overhead. Well-trained soldiers quickly took up high ground, and under their cover, one of the helicopters slowly landed.

The cabin door opened, and Ryan immediately saw a middle-aged man in a black uniform. He pulled down his wide-brimmed hat and nimbly jumped off the plane, followed by a dozen or so soldiers in black armor.

"Why wasn't the special countermeasures unit deployed during the Chiba Academy incident?"

Ryan glanced at the soldiers. They were wearing black bodysuits and their armor had a metallic feel. These were combat exoskeletons. The weapons they carried were not only futuristic in design but also had a large caliber. They were electromagnetic rifles, which were rarely issued.

The technology in this world is far more advanced than that of Earth before Ryan's transmigration, and the Fire-Chasing Moths are even more advanced than average; otherwise, the constant collapses and disasters would have caused the collapse of human order long ago.

Each branch is equipped with several special countermeasures units, each composed of adaptors whose bodies have undergone minor modifications and are equipped with advanced weaponry, making them capable of fighting Honkai Beasts below the Temple level. Before the Fusion Warrior Project was completed, they were the elite of humanity, and in fact, most of the 'materials' for the Fusion Warriors were selected from these individuals.

'Most of these are the results of Mebius's research. If the Honkai is only at the level of the first two Herrschers, it should be enough to handle it.'

Ryan shook his head slightly. This was the limit that human technology could achieve at this stage. Essentially, it was still humans controlling machines. Unfortunately, Möbius had already predicted the outcome:

Humans cannot fight against the Honkai, unless they cease to be human.

Back in front of him, more than ten soldiers spread out, subtly surrounding Ryan in the center. Although their guns were lowered, they could fire hundreds of deadly 'steel needles' per second with the help of AI in their helmets should the target make any unusual movements.

Ryan glanced at the soldiers and sensed a slight threat. He was not invincible; even with hundreds of elite soldiers and heavy firepower, he would still be wiped out.

So she turned her gaze to the man in front of her and nodded slightly: "Branch Chief Edwin, it's been a long time."

The man stopped three meters away, took off his wide-brimmed hat, revealing a angular face and black and white hair, making him look somewhat like a distressed old farmer.

He didn't smile or greet Ryan; he simply looked around and waved lightly.

"Send a transport plane over and move all these things away."

"Yes."

A group of people immediately got to work, and with the help of exoskeletons, they managed to lift the machine, which weighed several tons, by hand.

Ryan didn't help; he just stood there with his hands in his pockets, watching the show: "MK.II exoskeleton, the latest integrated helmet, paired with an electromagnetic rifle, oh, and bioelectric physical enhancement—how wonderful it would be if these technologies were widely adopted."

"Don't reveal classified information casually, Dr. Ryan." The man finally turned around and warned in a deep voice, "Oversized weaponry must be controlled, otherwise the damage it causes will be more terrible than that of Honkai Beasts."

“Yes, electromagnetic rifles are much more efficient at killing than Honkai Beasts. Just pull the trigger and you can turn hundreds of people into sieves. With space-based weapons, even the First Herrscher can be defeated. No wonder the organization trusts me so much.” Ryan smiled, which was also the reason why he dared to step forward.

As long as Ryan doesn't tear the Herrscher apart, they'll remain under control, at least that's what they believe.

"It's good that you know this. It's precisely this rationality that prevented the organization from seeing you as a monster." Edwin nodded, slowly opening his triangular eyes. "That wanted criminal escaped?"

"Yes, they prepared a submarine before disengaging from me and hid it in the sea."

Do you know her source of information?

"Without contact, how would I know?"

Edwin stared intently at Ryan, but found no clue whatsoever. He only looked away half a minute later.

"I never thought the legendary 'blood demon' would fail."

"She's in the shadows, I'm in the light. And please don't use that shameful title; I'm just a powerless researcher." Ryan adjusted his glasses, appearing refined. "I'd like to know, when did the Far East Branch's reaction speed become so slow? Is Dr. Mebius not valuable enough?"

This statement is full of sarcasm. Mebius is invaluable; he could easily reduce pain by 50% with some experimental results. Moths aren't stupid; why would they throw billions of euros at a fool?

“It’s been investigated. The communications officer from the liaison department provided false information, making us think it was just a terrorist attack. The Changkong City Police Department also infiltrated and suppressed the truth.” The branch chief paused, then spread his hands helplessly. “In addition, Dr. Mebius always likes to break free from our protection.”

Protection? More surveillance, perhaps.

Ryan saw through it but didn't say anything, only asking, "Have you found out who did it?"

“All the parties involved chose to commit suicide out of fear of punishment, without giving us the opportunity to investigate.”

Was it suicide by being shot five times in the back?

Ryan couldn't help but show a mocking expression. He knew there was a lot more to this than met the eye, while the seemingly innocent and adorable one was actually quite naive.

Destruction and annihilation are at least done in a dignified manner.

"Then please report this to headquarters and have the intelligence department take charge of this matter. I'll be going now."

"Wait, you can't leave yet."

Ryan paused, instinctively glancing around. Finding no one pointing a gun at his head, he turned halfway around and asked, "Is there anything else?"

“It has nothing to do with me.” Edwin tapped the information terminal on his arm, his sorrowful face turning strange. “Orders have come from above. They’re taking tonight’s attack very seriously and want you to…”

"You want me to hunt down that Velvi?"

"No, Dr. Mebius has submitted a request to headquarters requesting your protection during his leave, and the Fire Chaser Council has just granted it."

Ryan turned around abruptly with a 'you're kidding me' look on his face, then a smile clearly appeared on his farmer-like face. After seeing Ryan's unpleasant expression, he coughed lightly.

“Dr. Mebius is a very valuable talent. It’s not good for her to keep skipping work. Besides, you know she’s very stubborn, and I can’t persuade her.”

"So you sold me out?"

"It's all conditional except for protection. Just be careful yourself. She'll go back when she's had her fill of fun."

Have you had enough fun?

Ryan gritted his teeth, his brain racing. He couldn't possibly force a researcher like Möbius to his head. Tonight's events seemed like a hero saving a damsel in distress, and the Moth of Fire wouldn't mind helping out. If Möbius could be more obedient, the organization would also benefit.

This woman is truly a born schemer.

Ryan even had the feeling that Möbius was playing a self-inflicted injury ploy, but after thinking it over, he realized that he had no reason to refuse.

Before, when I was at school, I was researching Honkai. Well, here's an expert for you. How thoughtful of us Firemoths!

"Okay, but before that, have a helicopter take me back to Chiba Academy. I have something to pick up."

"That's no problem. By the way, you've agreed?"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't defect over something so trivial." Ryan frowned and casually asked, "But what kind of deal did she make with the higher-ups?"

Edwin didn't answer or shake his head. He pressed the information terminal on his hand again, and a clear, cold female voice came out. If you listened carefully, you could hear a hint of pleasure in it.

"Take a guess."

Chapter Twenty-Three: You Are Special Too

This woman is indeed like a snake; once she coils around someone, she will never let go.

On the helicopter, Ryan kept shaking his leg, making the accompanying soldiers afraid to look at him, as if they knew that the mysterious warrior was in a bad mood.

Mebius was clearly a threat, yet there was no way to physically eliminate him. He was on guard against him, but couldn't shake him off either. This conflicting emotion weighed heavily on his mind, making him feel depressed.

'But thinking about it carefully, she didn't actually harm me. She was quite reliable when dealing with Velvi; she didn't use someone else to do her dirty work.'

Ryan consoled himself, saying that this was exactly what bothered Möbius the most. Being caught between rival and friend made it impossible for him to be ruthless, and the fact that Möbius was a man of many faces made him unpredictable.

Knowing full well that Mebius had ill intentions, he did nothing in fact, but instead wholeheartedly assisted him.

If I didn't know her true colors, things would be much easier.

The thought popped into Ryan's head, but he quickly dismissed it. With such a naive idea, he would wake up one day to find himself lying on an operating table, with a kind and gentle green-haired older sister staring at him with an elegant smile.

Mebius, I won't let you get away with this either.

Countless plans to break through the defenses were brewing in my mind. You want to compete with your IQ? Who isn't a genius?

"Mr. Ryan, we've arrived at the academy."

Just then, the squad leader's voice came from beside him. The helicopter had landed on the ground, and several soldiers pushed open the cabin door.

"I'm sorry to have made you take a detour."

"No, I'm happy to escort such a powerful warrior as you." The squad leader pointed to the academy in the distance and saluted. "If it weren't for you last time, many of my brothers would have died. With powerful beings like you and Miss Alicia, humanity will surely overcome the disaster."

Through the mask, Ryan saw deep gratitude and understood why Alicia had such a high reputation.

Every time she intervened, she saved many lives. How could others not be grateful? The lower-ranking soldiers didn't think too much about it; they just wanted to survive, protect their families, and earn a considerable salary along the way.

These people are so small that they are almost invisible, and in the future they will only be cold statistics. But when you actually face them, you will realize that they are living, breathing people.

"Then live well and become an equally powerful being."

“I don’t have that talent; I can’t even do the simplest physical modifications.” The squad leader sighed, patted the rifle in his arms, and said with a determined look, “But if those monsters want to kill my wife and daughter, I will stop them with my life!”

Ryan glanced at the other people in the cabin. These front-line soldiers realized how terrifying the Honkai was. They had seen their comrades being smashed into mincemeat by Honkai beasts, and they had also seen the way humans suffered a fate worse than death after being corrupted by energy.