I am a hero of the former civilization.

The two walked outside laughing and joking, the previous gloom dissipating. Ryan grasped the doorknob, smiled, and looked to the side: "Then I'll close the door."

Kevin nodded, showing only a hint of nostalgia.

"Alright, let's come back and take a look after we've resolved the Honkai. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal by then."

Ryan didn't scold him for making a rash promise; he simply gently closed the door. The gradually closing door was like sealing away a beautiful memory, until it clicked shut completely.

He and Kevin exchanged a glance, opened their palms, swapped keys, and put them in their innermost pockets before dragging their luggage into the corridor.

"Let's walk back to the branch and grab some late-night snacks on the way."

"Noodles again? Can't we order something else?"

"That ramen shop is closing down, can you eat there with me one last time?"

"Then you're treating."

"Tsk, you're such a cheapskate."

......

York, on the continent of Mu.

As one of the world's most bustling cities, it remains vibrant even late at night. Looking down from the high-rise buildings adorned with moth-shaped patterns, one can take in the full splendor of human life.

The densely packed taillights formed a strip of light, and the buildings remained brightly lit. Overworked office workers hurried along the road, and occasionally the sound of gunfire from free shopping sprees could be heard.

On the giant projection is a stunningly beautiful young woman whose perfect singing voice makes hurried passersby stop and catch their breath. Then the green light comes on, and the busy day continues.

"Human beings are so rich, and civilizations are so brilliant. No matter what trials they have to go through, they are like moths drawn to a flame, never stopping. So, will the moth burn out first, or will the flame be extinguished first?"

An old man was reciting poetry in front of the French windows. His thin face was reflected in the glass. He had a goatee, gray hair that was neatly combed back, and a brooch depicting a moth chasing a flame was pinned to the chest of his crisp suit.

"If there are moths drawn to fire, the flame will naturally be extinguished first."

The old man's blue eyes darted around, and he saw the door open, with a blond middle-aged man standing in front of his table.

"Kalis, are you so sure?"

“Yes, Commander-in-Chief, we have recruited all the talents and dealt with the two Herrschers.” The handsome man named Kalis bowed gracefully. He had to be so sure because the person in front of him was the Commander-in-Chief of the Moth Chaser, who could also be called the Commander or the Speaker, in any case, the person in charge of this supranational organization.

Even if there are occasional shortcomings, at least everything is still under control for now.

Occasionally, there are shortcomings?

The old man glanced at the documents on his desk. Every single one of them was top secret. The top one was a file containing a photo of a girl with a ponytail.

"The U.S. Congress rejected additional investment, citing the financial crisis. Russia also refused to deploy nuclear weapons in combat. They still don't understand. They're afraid that we'll become too powerful after we resolve the Honkai, but they don't even know that we don't understand what the Honkai is."

“Each country has its own position. They only came together reluctantly because their survival crisis outweighed their immediate interests, but they also have to consider the future.” Kalis smiled, took a bottle of wine from the cabinet, and poured himself a glass. “So we should thank the Herrscher for appearing.”

"Yes, without them, the League of Nations would probably have passed the partition proposal long ago. After all, anything below the Emperor-level Honkai Beast is no match for them, so there's no need to keep the Fire-Chasing Moth."

"Then we must toast the Herrscher." The middle-aged man raised his glass from afar, took a small sip, and said, "Seven divisions and 35 branches, the Moths have indeed exceeded our control. No wonder they are unwilling to continue investing in the Herrscher after witnessing his terror."

"This only shows that the Herrschers are not terrifying enough!" The Chief of Staff tapped the table lightly, leaned forward, and his thin body exuded a powerful aura. "The Far East Branch sent a report that we found a talent, but we also encountered a lot of trouble. His identity has been exposed, and I can already guess what the meeting will be about later."

Kalis glanced at it, then shook his head with a smile: "Hand over the Blood Demons, and then dig up those old scumbags, right? There's no way around it. The Fire Moth is a coalition of powerful departments from various countries. Although I've already had many people die heroically, some will inevitably remain."

"It's been two years since the Second Herrscher. That's just how people are; they always forget the pain once the wound heals." The old man said with a sneer. Just like in those blockbuster movies, when aliens invade, humanity unites to defeat the enemy, only to fight over the spoils.

"Don't worry, they're not leaving."

"That kid's family doesn't have that much power. Even if he's a member of the Fire Chasing Council, he can only represent one voice in Europe."

“It’s none of their business.” The blond man took a document out of his briefcase and placed it on the table. It was filled with dense data and charts. The old man only glanced at it before holding his breath.

"The Third Honkai Impact is approaching."

Chapter Twenty-Five: Far East Branch

Huhuhu......

As dawn broke, Ryan and Kevin ran straight from Qianyu Academy to the outskirts of Changkong City. In front of them was a high wall reinforced with barbed wire, and helicopters kept roaring overhead. Armed soldiers sat on the side of the cabin, looking at the two figures below with bewilderment.

The Far East branch of the Fire Moth was located in this suburb, originally an air force base covering thousands of acres. It had two runways capable of handling heavy transport aircraft, and the underground had been excavated, making it sufficient to maintain security throughout the Far East.

"Ryan, you can really run." Kevin said, panting, his hand on his knee. He had run dozens of kilometers in one go, and even he was a little tired.

"You're still far from being a sports student. Actually, my physical fitness isn't that much better than yours." Ryan was completely at ease, barely even breaking a sweat.

"Why?"

"you guess."

Damn it, that bastard is so arrogant.

Kevin gritted his teeth and quickly followed. The two underwent pupil scanning at the gate to confirm their identities before the gate slowly opened. Once inside, Ryan saw a bustling scene.

Tanks and armored vehicles were parked on both sides of the road, and rows of cannons were pointing to the sky at a 45-degree angle. Fighter jets loaded with missiles took off and landed on the runway, while on the other side of the runway was a training ground where a group of new recruits were carrying logs to exercise their physical fitness.

With thousands of members, sophisticated heavy weaponry, and special forces composed of groundbreaking weaponry, this is the power of the Moth of Fire, and there are more than 30 similar branches.

'No wonder there are so many internal conflicts. This kind of power is enough to overthrow a regime; no wonder the League of Nations seeks trouble at the slightest opportunity.'

Leaving aside military strength and high technology, the maintenance costs of these weapons alone are astronomical, and this money is not earned by the Moth of Fire on its own.

"Isn't that amazing? Just like in the movies." Kevin leaned in, looking completely shocked. "Look, there's a fleet of heavy aircraft taking off over there. Looks like they're heading north?"

Ryan turned his head and saw several transport planes loaded with infantry fighting vehicles taxiing, while several fighter jets circled overhead.

“For Honkai of intermediate or higher level, this level of firepower is more than enough to deal with lower-level Honkai Beasts.” Ryan withdrew his gaze; he never underestimated human technology.

Those Honkai Beasts have no 'mystery' protection. If they can't be killed, it only proves that the firepower is not strong enough. Even the Honkai Emperor can't withstand a 2,000-kilogram laser-guided bomb.

But it's different for the Heralds; it's not a difference in strength, but a difference in authority.

"Let's go, I've seen far more big scenes than you have."

"Tell me about the big event."

"A few years ago in China, an Emperor-class Honkai Beast appeared. That thing could interfere with signals, and it was only taken down with an 18-inch cannon. Let me tell you, those cannonballs were really powerful."

The two walked and talked, ignoring the passing soldiers. The Moths had a high casualty rate, especially these loud and boisterous recruits. Out of self-preservation, no one wanted to make friends.

Chatting and laughing, they soon arrived at a four-story building. The roof was covered with satellite antennas, and there was a silver Moth of Fire badge on the wall.

"I've arrived. Go and rest. You'll be training in a few hours." Ryan saw a short-haired girl standing by the door; it was Lieutenant Rose, whom he had met before.

"Damn it, why do I have to sleep in a tent? By the way, Ryan, can I ask you for a favor?" Kevin scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "If you have time, could you teach me some skills? After all, you're pretty good too."

“No problem, I’ll come find you as soon as I’m done here. After all, he’s your senior.” Ryan smiled, then saw Kevin gritting his teeth but unable to retaliate, and could only turn away sullenly. Ryan then smiled even more broadly.

However, Kevin's suggestion was quite good. On the one hand, it could help him increase his combat power to protect himself, and on the other hand, Ryan also wanted to find a way to escape from Mebius.

Mebius, you think you've won? You're in for a world of hurt.

Just as his mood was rapidly souring, the lieutenant arrived beside him, deftly taking his luggage. Ryan glanced at the young-looking girl and frowned, saying, "Lieutenant, have you also undergone physical modifications?"

This physical modification is Mebius's main project, which has now gone through several generations, from the simplest bioelectric stimulation to experiments on Honkai energy application on suitable individuals, which can be considered an early attempt at the Fusion Warrior Project.

Science is always done step by step. Even something as simple as a light bulb requires a lot of preliminary technology.

“Hmm, moderate modification. I’m not an office staff member.” The girl’s expression was indifferent as she pointed to Kevin’s back. “He has good potential. The instructors gave him all A’s. He might be able to carry out combat missions next month. If he survives, he’ll become a veteran.”

“Kevin will definitely survive.” Ryan didn’t even hesitate.

The girl's thin lips moved slightly, her exposed left eye flashing with envy and disdain, before she finally said, "I hope so, Dr. Ryan. Please come with me."

The two entered the building, which had an even more futuristic feel inside. The corridors and ceilings were made of alloy, and the sides were lined with pipes. When the gates were closed, they even blocked out the roar of airplanes outside.

Ryan looked around. It was his first time visiting the Far East Branch, and he found the facilities there to be quite good.

Some screens scrolled through mission maps, with red dots of different colors appearing in various parts of the Far East. It was obvious that the Honkai was happening, but unfortunately, their fate had to be hidden. Otherwise, Ryan would have been willing to accompany the Firemoth on its hunts.

The sound of military boots striking the ground echoed continuously as fully armed soldiers ran past. The troops stationed here were all 'special countermeasures units,' and helicopters were presumably already prepared outside.

"They're deployed quite frequently."

“The collapses have been happening more and more frequently lately. The Mu Continent is preparing to send reinforcements, but please rest assured, we have made various contingency plans.” Rose didn’t turn her head. After a pupil scan, the elevator in front of her unlocked and opened. “Dr. Ryan, let’s go to the thirty-fifth basement level.”

Ryan then noticed that the girl in front of him was still wearing a tight-fitting combat suit, so he nodded slightly and stepped into the elevator.

The lieutenant was silent, or rather, even the most extroverted person would become like this in the face of endless killing; the Honkai was, in a sense, quite boring.

Suddenly appearing, destroying everything around it, the fire-chasing moths, alerted by the warning, rush to deal with it, eliminate it, and then return to rest, and then repeat this process endlessly. The only change is that the corpses pile up more and more.

buzzing...

The elevator plummeted rapidly, the floor numbers flashing incessantly. That silent half-minute was suffocating. Ryan didn't presume to be a spiritual mentor; he was a smart man, and it was good enough that he could keep his friends.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened, and Ryan immediately saw a Moth of Fire logo on the metal wall in front of him, with a circle of smaller text below it.

Ignite your own spirit to illuminate the future for humanity.

This is the motto of every Moth Warrior, except that here most of them are researchers wearing white coats.

"Welcome to the Far East Research Department. Access here requires C-level or higher, and it's very safe." Rose put down her luggage and pointed to the left passage: "Dr. Ryan, this is the dormitory area. You can ask Dr. Mebius for specific accommodations. I need to prepare for the sortie, so please excuse me."

"Lieutenant."

"Is there anything else?"

Ryan looked at the girl, who was no more than eighteen years old, and pressed the close button for her: "Live well for yourself."

Through the closed door, he saw the girl's eyes slowly widen, and then disappear completely.

Ryan sighed softly. This was one of the reasons why he was reluctant to join the Firemoth. People he had finally gotten to know might die tomorrow. If he was lucky, he could leave with a whole body and be buried deep in a metal coffin. Even the tombstone might be wrong.

Having been here for so long, he knew that this world was not only dirty and complicated, but also never a place for a few young boys and girls to show off. At the feet of every hero lay mountains of corpses.

He took a deep breath and put those thoughts aside. Maintaining his sense of self in despair had almost become an instinct. He turned around and saw a beautiful woman with milky white hair coming towards him.

She had a voluptuous figure, like a ripe peach, exuding the aura of a mature woman.

“Dr. Ryan, I am Blanca, Dr. Möbius’s assistant. Please give me your luggage. The room is ready. Please go to the doctor’s room immediately. She has been waiting for a long time.”

“Okay, I’ll go find her right now.” Ryan was still furious, but as he handed the luggage to her, he added, “Don’t put any weird things in my room.”

Blanca's face immediately turned bitter: "Don't worry, not everyone is as persistent as the Doctor. I often have headaches because of her willful ways."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Ryan started to walk away, but stopped after a few steps. "Where's May? Is she here?"

"Dr. Mei is looking for information in the document room. Should I have someone from the physics department inform her?"