I am a hero of the former civilization.

It turned out she was also a participant, but her "working class" mentality prevented her from saying it, so she silently followed along.

Ryan didn't mean to use Velvi as an excuse; he genuinely wanted to do something for this genius inventor, the most important thing being to hand over the Herrscher Core of the Herrscher of Flame to her and customize the Divine Key.

Given the intensity of future battles, every ordinary Soul Steel weapon they build will break, wasting resources and reducing Ryan's efficiency.

Besides that, I need to find time to visit Su. The trio from our student days have finally reunited. If there are any Lawbringers in the future, Su will be of great use to us.

Ryan was preoccupied until he entered Velvi's workshop. Since joining the Fire Moth, the 'Magician' had undergone a complete transformation, and after Ryan took over, he gained almost unlimited funds.

"Just how much money did this guy waste?" Ryan couldn't laugh.

Inside a huge workshop, there are robotic arms of varying thicknesses everywhere, and the sparks from welding are dazzling, just like the light of civilization, but in the corners, piles and piles of products are stacked up.

Most of them are obviously unrelated to combat; they were probably just things that Vilvie came up with on a whim, and then, finding them useless, she just left them to gather dust.

He walked over and picked up a clown mask, but found he couldn't peel it off. He finally managed to remove it by using Honkai energy. He then picked up a spray bottle, but the paint stuck to his hands and he found that even Honkai energy couldn't wash it off.

"What the hell is this thing?"

“The stubborn pigment, supposedly for spray painting, is supposed to make the powered exoskeleton less prone to scratches.” Sakura had obviously done her research, and coughed lightly as she said, “But after calculating the costs, we found that the spray painting was more expensive than the exoskeleton itself, so it was rejected.”

Ryan's lips twitched. You might say this thing is useless, but it's definitely a high-tech product. Yet, it's useful, but its cost-effectiveness is shockingly low.

"Isn't Mei going to do something about her?"

“I’ve taken care of it, but you said that Velvi’s research funding comes from a special account, and May is getting annoyed by her. By the way, this special account is mainly the chief executive’s personal account, which used to be used to bypass the Fire Chaser Council to conduct classified experiments.”

Personal account? I was wondering why I hadn't received a single penny of salary after being the chief of staff for so long.

Ryan's cheeks twitched as he suddenly realized something: "This special account won't merge my previous funds, will it? Those are my private assets."

"The re-declaration of private property was an order you signed, therefore..."

"When did I ever sign this damned order!" Ryan's pupils shrank sharply, vaguely recalling that there was such a thing. It was originally to deal with the corrupt elements in the organization, and Prometheus was asked to do the audit.

"So, you're a little bit poor right now," Sakura said, suppressing a laugh.

Okay, so on top of taking out loans to work, you also take out loans to become a leader, right? I control the entire Moth Chaser organization, wield the highest power, but I've ended up in abject poverty myself?

Is there no justice left? Is there no law left?!

Ryan was furious, but before he could even curse, he heard a loud 'bang'.

Colorful ribbons fell from all directions. These things seemed to be made of a special material, floating around in the air and never landing on the ground. With a 'thump thump' sound, a large group of robots of various shapes and sizes jumped out and danced a strange dance.

call--

A large amount of white smoke rose, and with the heavy sound of gears, a spotlight shone on the top of a giant mech. In the reflected dark metallic light, a girl rode in on a flying disc.

"Steam and gears roar, witnessing the highest engineering art; applause and inspiration intertwine, and the light of civilization emerges in the palm of your hand."

"Cheer up, scream, amidst the sparks of hammering, the most talented magician has entered the stage!"

The entrance ceremony was full of special effects. Wilvi gently patted her high chest and raised her head in the steam. She had known that Ryan was back for a long time. She had been slacking off in all her free time for the past two weeks just to create this atmosphere.

She maintained her most elegant posture, waited for several seconds without any response, and then quietly opened one eye.

Ryan was indeed shocked, but he didn't cheer at all. The two were frozen in place until he bent down and picked up the clown mask.

At first, Wilvi was a little confused, but then she was overjoyed and her voice became even louder.

"Of course a magician will be accompanied by a clown, sir. Do you perhaps intend to... oh dear!"

Before he could finish speaking, the mask hit him on the head, and he fell backward.

“This is all my money!”

Chapter 323 Because, I want them all!

What are you doing?

Wilvi rubbed her reddened forehead and stood very obediently. Ryan was a big spender, and she couldn't afford to offend him. Besides, looking back, it was a complete waste.

Especially recently, with Ryan away and May busy with the tempering plan, she seems to be letting loose.

During the day, I'm building fortresses, and at night I'm working on small inventions. I haven't slept much for a full two weeks.

The Magician Personality.

Ryan glanced at her and sighed. The Magician was the most frequently appearing personality, characterized by being disobedient. Reprimands and such would be forgotten within a lunch break, and then the cycle would repeat endlessly.

"I heard you've been having a 'pleasant' personality lately?"

"She prefers watching plays. Should I call her out?"

Ryan paused for a moment, then nodded, showing great interest in this personality that didn't exist in the original timeline, and glanced at the time.

"Sakura, go pick Rin up from school. I'll go home after I've finished explaining things to Wilvie."

Oh, I was planning to wait until you finished your business before picking you up together.

Sakura took a light breath, nodded, and left. Anyway, there would be plenty of opportunities, so there was no rush.

Ryan turned his head and found that Velvi was already sitting in the swivel chair, with her full, long legs crossed, her right hand supporting her tilted head, a faint smile on her lips, and her gradient-colored eyes looking very strange.

She seemed to be smiling, yet also filled with desire and curiosity about the world.

"You are the delightful Velvi?" Ryan frowned slightly. This was the most peculiar thing about Velvi: despite having the exact same appearance, her inner self was completely different.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's our first meeting, but this is the first time we've talked face-to-face like this." She leaned forward slightly, her chest protruding more due to gravity, revealing her cleavage to Ryan, which made him instinctively glance at her.

She clearly noticed the gaze, raised her hand and squeezed the cleavage inwards, making it appear even deeper.

"Very large, isn't it? As expected, you are filled with desire for women, but what's amazing is your ability to restrain yourself. You are truly a wise man who considers the big picture."

cough cough.

Ryan, who was drinking coffee, trembled and stared intently at the man, thinking to himself, "Could you please not use such a serious tone to say something so flippant?" He then narrowed his eyes.

"What did you say?"

"This is a compliment to you. With your strength and power, you could attract any woman and make her swoon with tenderness. There are countless similar examples in history books. But you have been able to maintain your restraint for the sake of your career. Not everyone can do that. And you are also very gentle. If you were to develop too deep a relationship with someone, you would be afraid of hurting others."

The flattery came out of nowhere, making one instinctively straighten their back and hold their head high, but Ryan saw a hint of pleasure in those peculiar eyes and immediately realized what it meant.

You little punk, trying to mess with me, huh?

Ryan is not a weak person. If he had a thousand faces, he would not laugh and joke with the magician after discovering that this cheerful Velvey had a terrible personality.

He put down his coffee cup, straightened his back slightly, sat with an air of authority, and his tone became cold.

"Don't get me wrong, Velvi. This has absolutely nothing to do with temperance, gentleness, morality, fear, or anything like that."

"Oh? Then please enlighten me."

"Do you think that if I confirmed my relationship with Möbius, Hua or anyone else would be heartbroken, which is why I've been hesitant and restrained?"

"if not?"

"First, I respect other people's ideas. Some people haven't even made up their minds yet, and I have no intention of interfering, but my actions lack a clear purpose. Second, no matter how you answer a multiple-choice question, it can never be perfect. Once the answer is determined, someone will always be hurt."

"So you're not making a choice, and waiting for time to bring the answer?" Velvi raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat disappointed.

“Wrong again. If I absolutely have to choose,” Ryan leaned forward slightly, clenching his fist, “I choose to have it all!”

It was rather shameless, yet it brought a look of amazement to Wilvi's face. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she couldn't hide her smile.

"You are truly a person full of desires."

"What, are you disappointed?"

“No, no, no, this is more interesting. It excites me too. Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Wilvi, Wilvi who seeks pleasure.” She bowed again, but this time she appeared elegant, without the previous deliberate seduction.

Hmm, it would be better to have a magician do it.

Ryan's eyes twitched; he was somewhat at a loss with this strange woman, but fortunately, he had already roughly analyzed her personality spectrum.

It's strange, a bit wicked, but also pleasurable. Her personality can switch back and forth between masochism and sadism. Hmm, you have to use your power to suppress her and make her become a masochist before she'll obey.

Ryan is quite shrewd, so he can get along with everyone, from the artistic young woman Eden to the illiterate Pado, from the gentle Aponia to the irritable Qianjie. His ability to get along with everyone is based on his ability to be different with everyone.

This doesn't need to be learned or acted out; it's an instinct ingrained in our bones.

So he placed his hand on his lower abdomen, and the overflowing collapse caused the air to begin to distort.

“Your interests are not within my consideration, and you don’t represent the other Velvies, so don’t put on airs in front of me.” Ryan warned as he took out the fiery red 'gem'.

"I entrust the core of the Seventh Herrscher to you. You will be the key to God. The requirement is simple: do your best to ensure its destructive power."

“I lack the magician’s whimsical ideas.” Wilvi spread her hands, and saw Ryan lean forward, almost touching her forehead, which made her teasing action pause.

"But you know how to make the Herrscher suffer more and the enemy more fearful."

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to freeze. After several seconds, Virvi finally revealed a knowing smile.

"Okay, I'll take care of this. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"Hurry up. Don't let the magician bother us lately. I also need a piece of armor that can be modified with a powered exoskeleton. The defense must be strong." Ryan silently stood up and reached out his hand towards Velvi's face. The latter was taken aback and closed her eyes, seemingly reluctant.

As a result, Ryan produced a miniature recorder, which vanished amidst the flickering arcs of electricity.

"And don't try anything funny in the future. I don't want to be your source of amusement."

Ryan left after saying that, walking through the mountains of large machinery, leaving Wilvi stunned in her swivel chair.

After a long while, a joyful smile reappeared on her face, her lips stretched to their limit. She gently stroked her face, again and again.

"Sorry, you already are!"

Phew, she's not even as good as a magician. This Velvet is mentally unstable except for her 'id'. She's really difficult to deal with.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief as he left the workshop, feeling somewhat exhausted. Anyone who wanted to win over Velvi was a brave soul, because it was like dating several people with completely different personalities—it would drive anyone crazy.

Luckily, I have high enough emotional intelligence to barely handle her. Enjoyable, right? Maybe I can even create a 'Slaanesh' Velvi in ​​the future?

Ryan didn't know, but suddenly found the magician cute; at least she seemed like a mischievous child with a strong desire to perform, and not dangerous at all.

The underground space reflected a dim, golden 'sunlight'. He checked his watch and realized it was already past six o'clock, but he wasn't in a hurry to go home. He stopped on a pedestrian bridge, held onto the railing, and began to admire the scenery.

As the number of urban residents gradually increased, civilian vehicles began to appear on the roads, in addition to military vehicles that chased moths to a flame. Air poured in from thousands of ventilation vents formed airflow under the device, like wind brushing through hair, and rustling the genetically modified plants.

Ryan squinted his eyes contentedly. He had never considered himself a savior, or rather, he had always been quite self-aware.

There's nothing that can be done about the destruction of cities like Donggong, so Ryan doesn't care. Whether it's the city in front of him or the whole earth, all he can do is within his 'power'.

That's enough. He's just a traveler on a path of destiny, not a star god incarnate. To keep some things, he must give up others. Just like right now, all he can see is the scenery before him.