I am a hero of the former civilization.

Ryan remained expressionless; he didn't want to become someone else's fodder for amusement, and he casually pulled Hua closer to him.

"Vilvie, let's get down to business."

"Shall we get straight to the point?"

"The sense of pleasure from using one's own invention must be very strong."

Vervi placed her hand to her lips, her gradient-colored eyes lost in thought, and after a moment she clapped her hands together.

"You're right, come and see my sample work."

She led the two deep into the workshop, where they could see a test bench with some robotic arms frozen around it. With a snap of her fingers, a spotlight shone in the center, illuminating a heavy suit of armor that was more than two meters tall.

The dark metal gleamed with a cold light, and without much decoration, it gave people a heavy sense of oppression. This drew on some features of plate armor from the Middle Ages, and adopted a large area of ​​curved design.

"MKII Honkai Energy Power Armor, see the backpack? It has a built-in Honkai energy engine inside, which can increase output and form a shield. The entire body is forged from a new type of metal to ensure strength."

Ryan discovered that 'Joy' Wilwy had one advantage: the name was finally normal and didn't ramble on like the Magician.

The reason why armor was rarely used before was because it was not only heavy, but also not very useful. For example, the power of thunder and the power of fire can penetrate it at the molecular level.

But haven't these two powers come to me?

It seemed like a coincidence, but more like an inevitability. Ryan smiled and stepped forward, only to see the solidified mechanical arms begin to move, dismantling the power armor.

"Wonderful, sci-fi." Ryan clapped his hands, feeling a bit like he had seen Iron Man. Without needing Wilvie's reminder, he stood in the center of the platform and then saw the mechanical arms stretching back in dense array.

Breastplate, arm armor, leg armor, gauntlets, helmet...

With pieces of equipment made of a mixture of fluid metal and soul steel on his body, Ryan felt himself suddenly become hardcore, and incidentally, he disabled the auxiliary detection and aiming functions built into his helmet.

These computer-controlled things weren't as useful as his eyesight. He lowered his head slightly, looking down at Hua in front of him.

Ryan suddenly became over two meters tall and was still not used to his height. He jumped a few times on the spot, then threw a series of punches and delivered two spinning kicks.

"The flexibility is a little low, but it's still acceptable." Ryan was quite satisfied. As a pragmatist, he valued combat power. If he had had this thing back then, he would have been much safer when delivering the final blow to the Herrscher of Flame.

As the old saying goes, without Honkai energy, the Herrscher is just like him, a being of flesh and blood, at most just with a strong regenerative ability.

"Hmm, it looks more like a killing weapon now. This is a prototype. You can help me collect some data, and then I'll add more Soul Steel to the finished product. You know this stuff is very expensive." Velvi was also very satisfied; the cold texture suited her taste better than the flashy appearance.

False pleasure is wearing cool clothes and showing off; the ultimate pleasure is wearing power armor, tearing apart everything in front of you, and roaring like a blood-stained demon.

"Unfortunately, the seventh divine key hasn't been forged yet. Just pick any heavy weapon."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw the steel giant raise his hand and grasp a heavy halberd with a chainsaw attached to it.

"This is just right."

My brother's 0th post: I want to be a hardcore man.

The heavy transport plane swept through the sea of ​​clouds at supersonic speed. Inside the cabin, all was silent. Fifty fusion warriors sat upright, their eyes constantly glancing at the front.

The steel giant sat there, his black power armor revealing not a sliver of skin, like a silent statue, the sealed helmet radiating an ominous aura.

Joyful Velvey is the best psychologist. The design of this armor was inspired by fear, at least the elite warriors in the cabin were both afraid and excited.

They never expected that a simple reconnaissance mission would attract the attention of the Commander-in-Chief, the strongest hero in humankind. Naturally, their morale was high as they fought alongside him, and they were determined to put on a great show.

Most veterans found it strange, because in their minds, a big shot like the commander-in-chief should be hiding behind the scenes, yet he actually came to the front line.

It's such a pity that we couldn't see the face of this strongest hero because of the helmet.

The two people on the outermost side of the transport plane had strange expressions, especially Hua, who had been looking at Ryan ever since leaving the workshop. He felt that his senior brother was unusually cold and even spoke less, as if he had entered some kind of state.

Inside the transport plane, Ryan's appearance wasn't particularly out of place, since ordinary fusion warriors were equipped with full-body powered exoskeletons. Only Hua and Freya, dressed only in combat suits, stood out with their graceful figures.

“Captain, didn’t you say the Commander was very approachable?” Freya chewed her gum, putting her hands behind her head. “This looks terrifying, and it’s different from what I imagined.”

She had also worked with Ryan during the Battle of Britain, and at the time, she felt that the title of 'Doctor' was quite intellectual.

"Well, maybe he's gotten serious, which is good for us too." Hua said dejectedly. He had said he would find a chance to hold his senior's hand, but he was like a tin can, always lifting weights by himself.

"Oh, you're even defending him." Freya nudged him with her elbow and laughed, "But in the game, the thicker the armor, the more you look like a grunt. Just like Miss Alicia said, you have to be more glamorous to look like the protagonist."

Is there such a thing?

Hua paused for a moment, carefully examining Ryan, who was encased in steel, and then looking at the dozens of fusion warriors with similar appearances. He thought that his senior brother really did look like an elite grunt.

"Next time you talk bad about me, remember to turn off team communication."

The indifferent words rang in their ears, making the two of them tremble. They quickly sat down obediently. Hua even glared at Freya, thinking to himself that this girl had gotten him into trouble.

Hmph, not hardcore enough at all.

Ryan snorted. He had actually seen Eden's initial design for the team uniform, which was indeed beautiful and artistic, but how to put it, the steel behemoth was more in line with his aesthetic.

Whether it looks good or not is another matter. At least Soul Steel has much higher defensive capabilities than Nano Fabric. Moreover, he was originally a tester, so this power armor was icing on the cake for him. But for ordinary soldiers, it could mean having an extra life. It was an iterative product of exoskeletons.

"It not only provides a strong sense of security, but it is also very convenient."

Ryan licked his lips. The helmet had a built-in tactical terminal, which prevented it from being damaged by being strapped to his forearm, and the projected tactical map was much more intuitive than a screen.

A world map appeared, a transport plane was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the destination was marked, and because he had the highest authority, the map was covered with various symbols.

Some are military bases of the Moths of Fire, some are patrolling ships, and some are moving hordes of Honkai beasts. There are rings of warning nets, and the air defense nets can even allow people to deploy various troops within a thousand kilometers.

The saying that science and technology are the primary productive forces is indeed true.

'A surprise attack on Saint Anna, and incidentally, a test of the Herrschers. They destroyed Dongon City; it wouldn't be right not to retaliate.'

Ryan's fingertips twitched slightly, and the battle plan was projected. Because of the thousand Herrschers, he did not mobilize ordinary troops. Fortunately, the current tactical freedom is extremely high, and he has an ace up his sleeve again.

Even if I don't come, the combat power of an entire squad is enough to deal with anything other than a Herrscher.

'Saint Anna is located at the mouth of the Amazon River, more than a thousand kilometers from Rio. Is May curious to see where the Herrscher usually stays?'

Several red lines appeared. Speed ​​is not the strength of the current Herrschers. It would take at least several hours to get here from a thousand kilometers away. The [Floating Life] squad only has about fifty people. If things go wrong, they can escape in the blink of an eye.

I now have the resources to wage guerrilla warfare, and you've taken in Kalis's gang, which has placed a burden on you. Let me see just how important their position is.

Ryan grinned. As expected, it was driven by a strong purpose. There was an impact delta outside the river mouth, and Skynet detected a strong Honkai energy reaction on it.

Because the entire South American continent had fallen, most people who wanted to escape went downstream into the sea.

It wasn't easy; we've finally found a strategic stronghold for you.

Ryan opened his mouth, and a straw was thrust in, filling his mouth with the rich aroma of coffee.

The Herrscher hates nothing more than being homeless, even hiding in human cities. And through his efforts, the Herrscher has become more and more professional and organized. Since that's the case, they can't just run around like bandits anymore.

"Beep beep beep, ten minutes to prepare."

A notification came through the headset: the earth had turned green. The soldiers who had been chatting quietly just moments before sat up straight and began to tense up.

This is the only continent in which humanity has completely lost control. This jungle obscures satellite surveillance, and no one knows what's inside. However, with the overlord in charge, there's no need to panic.

Click click click.

The hatch opened, and Hua was the first to jump out. As a high-ranking fusion warrior, she didn't need a jetpack. The Honkai energy she released countered the air resistance, and she finally landed steadily on the top of a tree.

She raised her head, her tail flames like stars, and more than fifty soldiers jumped down in turn, spreading out in battle formation around her, exactly as required by the battle plan.

These small units of a few dozen people have a destructive power that can even exceed that of a legion of tens of thousands of people, and they are also equipped with a lot of special equipment.

"The concentration of Honkai energy in the air is 15 HW, which is rated as extremely dangerous and cannot be survived by ordinary people."

"Soil crystallization hinders the detector from scanning deeper layers."

"Deploy into alert formation."

While the group was busy, Ryan landed in the center. Despite the heavy armor, he made no sound, only slowly turning his head.

This wasn't his first time in the occupied territories, but it felt much worse than northern Britain, almost indescribable. It felt like even through the thick armor, insects were crawling on his skin.

Every grain of soil, every breath of air, is filled with malice. No wonder Velvet wanted to turn the Fourth Divine Key into a repair satellite. Even if the Honkai is eradicated, this land will be unusable for thousands of years.

It's no exaggeration to say that this area is no longer suitable for human habitation. The chance of an ordinary person contracting Honkai disease upon entering is as high as 90%, and—

"It's too quiet, I haven't even seen a Honkai Beast."

The landscape was filled with jungle, and the towering trees had mutated, their bark covered with Honkai energy crystals. There were no animals, no insects, no signs of civilization; even Ryan couldn't quite describe it.

"The target is twenty kilometers away, where the Southern Research Institute was once located. Dr. Mei speculates that the monsters in Donggong City are related to it," Hua replied with a straight face. She wasn't afraid, but she was still quite nervous to be in the Herrscher's lair.

"You take charge of the operations; I'll just follow along. This continent has been lost for almost a year now, so be careful."

“I understand.” Hua’s face was tense. After being trapped for a year, who knows what monsters are here? He pressed his earpiece and said, “Search formation, first squad, scout ahead, the rest of the squads spread out and guard the surroundings. We’ll follow the coastline.”

"Yes."

As expected of elite veterans specially assigned here, even though the captain and vice-captain are a bit weak, their overall combat strength is still very strong. Ryan didn't interrupt and just silently followed at the back.

He watched the agile figures darting through the jungle while admiring the scenery that seemed like another world.

The river still flows, but there isn't a single fish in it; the jungle is lush, but not a single ant can be seen; everywhere exudes an eerie feeling of both vibrant life and deathly stillness.

The team moved slowly, stopping frequently to collect specimens, presumably at Möbius's request. After a year away, returning to South America, the continent felt strangely unfamiliar.

Ryan didn't ask any questions, but simply answered Hua's biology questions in the team chat.

"The ecology here is no longer that of Earth. Don't trust past experiences, and don't look at it with your eyes."

"Then what should we use?" Hua followed along listlessly, wanting to take Ryan's hand, only to find that the arm armor was thicker than his own thigh.

"Using your abilities to sense the fluctuations of Honkai energy is also the meaning of a Fusion Warrior."

"Oh." Hua stopped daydreaming and focused on the battle. He closed his eyes and carefully sensed the situation for a while, his slender eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"It seems the energy fluctuations are more intense than when we first arrived?"

She couldn't quite put her finger on this feeling, nor could she quantify it like a detector could. It was just a sensation, a sense of malice, as if this continent hated and rejected fusion warriors.

As he answered, Hua's eyebrows furrowed more and more, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

"Everyone, quickly occupy the coastal highlands and form a circular defensive formation!"

The order came suddenly, but fortunately, the members of the [Floating Life] detachment were all veterans who carried out the order without hesitation. In less than half a minute, a small hill on the coast was occupied, and various annihilation warfare equipment was deployed.

Ryan did not interfere with the command. He came up the mountain like a grunt and quietly looked at the boundless sea of ​​trees, thinking to himself that Mei's first request had been fulfilled.

"The Honkai's hostility towards the Fusion Warriors is the greatest, as if it were bestowing a favor upon them. Instead of pleasing them, humanity—"

boom! !

With a loud bang, countless bits of dirt flew everywhere. Ryan watched as the jungle went from silence to chaos in an instant, and his face darkened.