I am a hero of the former civilization.

"Forget it, I want to save my first time for the person I love." Yun's face flushed red, and the flirtatious air from before vanished without a trace.

"Please, you're already thirty years old. Are you planning to become a Grand Magus? And if you're so eager to find someone you love, why don't you go on blind dates?"

"Uh, I get speechless when I see girls, I'm more relaxed talking to guys."

"But you're not gay!"

Coleman made an exaggerated expression, about to say something, but found that he couldn't make a sound when he opened his mouth, so he instinctively gripped his gun.

"Keep your voice down at headquarters, and don't forget the confidentiality agreement."

A serious, deep voice, like that of a headmaster, entered his ears. He turned his head and saw a tall figure with a square face and a black trench coat walking towards him. His full head of silver hair was neatly combed, and with his tidy beard, he looked like the 'K' in a deck of cards.

Coleman felt annoyed just seeing him and glanced at him coldly: "Sure, using your abilities on your comrades, that's the rule, isn't it?"

“According to Article 315, Section 2 of the Organizational Code, I am stopping your illegal activities. Also, Major, I hope you will add the word ‘senior’ after your name.” The visitor replied seriously, much like a teacher who had caught a slacker.

Bah! You're just number 007, what are you pretending to be a veteran for? That soldier number 009 also died in Australia. Do you really think this thing is invulnerable to bullets and blades?

Coleman cursed inwardly, but muttered aloud, "Alright, alright, Senior, please come in. The Commander is waiting for you."

He hadn't left yet, but he took a deep look at the two of them. As a veteran of the old Allied Forces and the most senior soldier, he felt that the recent changes of the Fire Moth were very illogical, but how to put it...

Firstly, humanity cannot afford too much internal strife; secondly, the Fire Moth now has twenty-two high-ranking fusion warriors, and excluding the two who died in battle and the two who went missing, more than half of them are his people, so who can question that?

"Sigh, let's put the bigger picture first. You all better take care of yourselves." He sighed and walked away with heavy steps.

After he walked away, Coleman spat on the ground.

"What is it that thinks it is always right?"

"Forget it, that's just his personality. He'll learn something from his experience in the simulator and then he'll understand that the commander-in-chief's rise to power was never due to any conspiracy." Andevich, who was also a senior figure, shrugged. He was quite convinced, anyway.

"Yes, they've become more obedient after suffering. Who else on the list hasn't shown up yet?"

“CM018 Lyudchina, my compatriot.”

Just then, a gyroplane slowly descended overhead. Coleman, who had been indignant just moments before, straightened his collar, put on a gentlemanly smile, and went to greet it. But after taking only two steps, Andevich grabbed his neck with her large hand, as if he were picking up a chick.

"You are not allowed to approach her, do you understand?"

Coleman saw the hatch open and a girl with long, slightly wavy white hair, a youthful appearance, and a somewhat timid demeanor emerge. He gave a disgruntled snort.

"alright."

.......

To date, the ranks of the high-ranking soldiers have been numbered from 001 Mebius to CM022 Kosmo. Two of them have been killed in action: number 9 Levy, who died in Australia, and number 12 John, who died in Donggon.

"The two high-ranking fusion warriors who died were both killed by the Seventh Herrscher. As expected, their strength has increased dramatically. Even without 'Overweight Transformation', John can fight the top three Herrschers to a standstill."

Ryan sat in his swivel chair, flipping through the documents. Even though he had seen them before, he had treated them more as potential enemies back then.

"Two more are missing, number five and number sixteen. We can consider them defectors for now. Hmm, the situation I took over is neither good nor bad." He chuckled. Subtracting four people, there are still eighteen left. However, Sue and Eden will soon undergo fusion surgery, which will almost complete the combat force. And don't forget, there are also Mei and others who don't have numbers.

CM001-CM022, the earlier the number, the earlier the surgery was performed, but this does not represent absolute strength. For example, Qian Jie is CM021, and there are several people with numbers before him who can beat him.

No, they'll have to deduct my number. I'm just standing there with the number 002, receiving a salary without working. But it doesn't matter, I'll soon become a real fusion warrior anyway.

"Ryan, are you ready? Everyone's here." May came over and urged him. She didn't think Ryan would be nervous because he saw familiar faces everywhere he looked.

Nine of the residents of the Golden Courtyard are already there, including people like Hen, Coleman, and Andevich who have been working together for a long time. This is one of the reasons why she dared to push forward with the project.

They're all my people, how can the rest cause any trouble?

"That's about enough. These people are all seasoned veterans, so I don't need to give any speeches." Ryan stood up and straightened his black uniform with gold trim. It was his first time wearing a military uniform, except that the epaulettes on his shoulders were gold and he didn't have any rank insignia.

Looking into the mirror, the crisp military uniform clung to his slightly muscular body, the leather boots and several medals gleaming, exuding an aura of steely resolve. Coupled with his expressionless face, he radiated an oppressive presence.

Very handsome.

He turned around and strode out, listening to the 'thump-thump' of his leather boots. Sakura, who had been waiting at the door, pressed her long sword and quietly lowered her head, clearly having forgotten the unpleasantness of waiting last night.

Today's venue is the very same council hall from back then. There is a podium at the front, and a huge emblem of the Fire Moth hangs on the wall, like a totem, silently watching over the guardians of humanity.

The original circular seating arrangement for the forty-six councilors had been changed. In addition to the eighteen senior warriors, there were more than a dozen elite warriors such as Werner, Himiko, and Desdobia, making the venue seem less empty.

These people had very different personalities. Some were nervously looking around, some were whispering, and some were simply walking around, greeting everyone as if they were socially anxious.

But all of this stopped when the man with the gold epaulettes walked up to the platform from the side. Even those who were running around in the lower ranks quickly went back. Except for Alicia, who quietly waved to greet them, most people looked solemn.

They saw the 'Forget-Me-Not' with her hands stained with blood, and Dr. Mei, whose intelligence was immeasurable and who managed the organization with great efficiency. In front of them, a man who was not tall walked to the emblem of the Moth of Flames, pressed down on the podium, and his gaze swept across the venue like a knife.

Everyone, including Velvi and Mebius, stared at the man in complete silence. Some of them were seeing Ryan for the first time, but his imposing presence forced them to admit that...

He didn't rise to that position through exchanges of favors, nor did he employ many schemes or tricks. Aside from intelligence and connections, the most fundamental factor was simply this:

strength!!

Chapter 330 The Thirteenth Squad of Chasing Fire

Because of Kalis's defection, true believers, or those who cling to the democratic parliament, would no longer be present here.

Everyone knows that Ryan's rise to power was fraught with shady dealings; those selfish and self-serving bigwigs would never relinquish power so easily. But one thing seems quite certain:

Ryan earned his position through hard work.

Even with the mobilization of a large force by the parliament, they couldn't stop him. What's there to say? It's all about the victor taking all. Besides, those members of parliament aren't dead yet; they've just gone from having the power to decide to having the power to participate.

"Not bad, they all look very capable."

Ryan nodded in satisfaction. He wasn't deliberately showing off; that glance was meant for warriors like Joshua, Zheng, and Lyudzina, whom he had never met before.

They were also staring at him; some nodded slightly, while others looked at him with scrutiny, but none of them showed any resistance.

Very clever. Looks like we don't need to close the door and release Aponia anymore, saving a lot of trouble.

Ryan pursed his lips. Of course, he wasn't just calling a meeting. Aponia was right there, and if anyone dared to cause trouble, he would have a good talk with them later.

However, as long as there is no resistance, it is fine. But the precepts still have side effects and can cause unexpected things to happen. It is especially easy to do bad things with good intentions.

Silence, a long silence. Ryan did not step onto the podium to give a passionate appeal. Instead, he scrutinized the crowd with indifferent eyes, looking like a machine.

He wasn't wearing his glasses today, which made him look less intellectual and more aggressive.

'Why isn't Ryan saying anything? Does he get nervous too?' Alicia tilted her head slightly, saw Hua's serious expression beside her, and stopped herself from jumping up and waving.

"His imposing presence is so strong, it's made my muscles tense. Alicia's proposed battle plan is completely impossible to implement, and Aponia was right last night, he's first and foremost the commander-in-chief, and only secondly my senior brother." Hua felt a little strange. Super Alicia had given her a lot of advice, but when faced with Ryan's gaze, she forgot it all. She was still very afraid of this senior brother.

'Hmph, this guy is using psychological tactics to scare people, isn't he?' Mebius became slightly more serious; she had noticed that the white-haired girl in the front row had swallowed several times and had quietly unbuttoned her top button.

'Fear can be created with just a look, and the taste of fear is truly delightful.' Wilvi licked her lips, finding it amusing.

Ryan is usually mild-mannered and easygoing, but he can be quite intimidating when he gets serious.

The lives of five Herrschers—the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth—along with the corpses of thousands of Honkai Beasts, combined to form a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, were enough to make one's soul tremble and one's instincts tremble with fear. Only someone like Qian Jie would feel excited about it.

Once that carefree and lazy demeanor is shed, the oppressive aura is like a mountain peak, reminding one that he once slayed the Moths of Fire, sitting in that position like a demon king.

At that moment, at this moment.

Even though the people present have changed from Fire Chaser Councilors to Fusion Warriors, nothing has changed in essence. Ryan still possesses the power to crush all enemies, and those who can pose a threat to him are his friends.

"Everyone."

In the midst of this terrifying silence, Ryan finally spoke. As a PhD in psychology, he knew that appropriate silence was far more effective than bringing an iron throne onto the stage and having Kevin and the others line up behind it.

“Some of us are friends, some have worked together, and some are meeting for the first time. If you understand the value of this meeting room, you should understand why I chose to gather you here.”

No one answered, and Ryan didn't need their answer; he simply snapped his fingers lightly.

"That's right, the Firemoth has entered a new era. The Council is no longer suited for this war. Those high-ranking, behind-the-scenes bigwigs have been completely replaced by you. The fate of humanity and the continuation of civilization will be entirely in the hands of the warriors!"

It was a resounding statement, even outrageous, but it was met with applause.

Needless to say, Alicia and the other extras also applauded. Even Joshua and Coleman, who had participated in secret operations to varying degrees in the past, did things against their will in the name of 'orders'.

However, they couldn't defeat the Firemoth as a whole, and no matter how annoyed they were, they could only endure it. Ryan's solo breakthrough actually helped them.

"Warriors are the cornerstone of the continuation of human civilization. Just as Miss Eden and I have done, we want to transform fusion warriors from monsters into heroes, making them pioneers and role models for ordinary people!"

Clap clap clap.

The applause grew even louder, which was exactly what they wanted, because everyone present had some aftereffects of the super-transformation surgery and was used to pretending.

I saved someone and I'm still being disliked; I did a good deed and I'm still being called a monster. Why?!

Do you know the mortality rate of hyperplasia surgery? Do you know that you can hide in the city and enjoy life while we are fighting in the ocean and jungle?

We are the strong; we can kill a hundred ordinary people with a single finger. We don't expect to enjoy special privileges, but at least we deserve respect, right?

The resentment was released with the applause. This benefit was real and more attractive than high-ranking positions and generous salaries. Fighting against the Honkai was risking one's life, especially now that there was still a choice.

Boom!

Ryan slammed his fist on the podium, leaning forward like a tiger: "Gentlemen, what unites us is our sense of mission, so our enemy is the Honkai, and can only be the Honkai. Forget the unpleasant past. At least for this moment, the Firemoth will be centered on the warriors. Our interests are the interests of the Firemoth, and the interests of the Firemoth are the interests of humanity!"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Everyone stood up in unison, and most of them stood at attention and saluted. When Mei heard this, she applauded in her heart.

Wow, all those rousing speeches are just nonsense, and there's no need to do anything pointless.

First, intimidate the crowd with strength and momentum, then find common interests and become the core representative of those interests, thus solving the question of 'why fight'.

Yes, Ryan is creating gods, making fusion warriors a higher existence among humans, instead of them becoming dogs of the Herrschers like Kalis. This will certainly spark the debate between 'new and old humans', but at this point, such debate is irrelevant.

The truth is that ordinary people have limited influence; they are bystanders and burdens in this war. Mei even felt that the definition of 'human' was too broad, and it didn't matter if civilization was passed down by the Fusion Warriors.

Extreme rationality brings no trouble, and those who are slightly more emotional at least don't object. Everyone has had enough of this nonsense, but they are simply bound by human emotions.

They were once ordinary people. The strong should protect the weak, but that doesn't mean they have to be condemned while risking their lives.

So Ryan wasn't creating a god. He needed to find a new way to win over others after the Firemoth's order collapsed, transforming the Fusion Warriors from monsters and outcasts into representatives of civilization and heroes of humanity.

"With great power comes great responsibility. We are not fighting for others, but for ourselves." Ryan pointed to the Flame Moth emblem above his head, his tone heavy. "We fight for the civilization that gave birth to our lives, we fight for our own lives."

He nodded slightly, which marked the end of his speech. He didn't raise his voice at all; it was more like a casual chat, making everyone feel like "one of us."

Without needing any prompting, Mei decisively stepped forward and had her assistant turn on the large screen, which displayed today's theme—

Fire Chasing Thirteenth Detachment.

"It's a rare opportunity for everyone to gather together, so I will read out Headquarters' first order."

Mei used no embellishments whatsoever. After a brief opening statement, she calmly, concisely, and efficiently conveyed her orders. Every sentence was logically connected, and even soldiers with little education could understand her.