I am a hero of the former civilization.

"You want me to fight you with my fists?" Sakura frowned immediately. All her skills were in swordsmanship, and her fist techniques were only at the level of self-defense.

She had barely finished speaking when she saw Ryan go to the balcony, carrying a metal briefcase. Before she could ask, Ryan explained:

"These are what I retrieved today, the latest 'Soul Steel' research prototype, specially delivered by Mebius. Damn it, she actually paid me five times my wages! That woman is taking advantage of my misfortune!"

Sakura ignored the rambling that followed and asked in confusion, "How did she deliver it?"

"Of course it's the courier service. That lazy woman probably wouldn't bother making the special trip."

The delivery guy... those two are really careless.

Sakura almost laughed, but she managed to hold it in because it was a serious mission time. She watched with some anticipation as Ryan opened the briefcase.

Inside lay two weapons: a pale blue katana and a crimson straight sword, both gleaming with a metallic sheen.

Ryan gently brushed it with his hand. In Mebius's words, this was a prototype of Soul Steel, but it was not complete and its development was not finished.

"The most cutting-edge technology of the Third Research Institute, forged from Soul Steel, possesses excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance, and is essentially a self-healing nanorobot."

"Because it can fully contain Honkai energy, in addition to weapon strength, they also developed some interesting programs that mimic the core of a high-ranking Honkai Beast to mobilize Honkai energy."

This was also the prototype suggested by Ryan. Apart from not being strong enough and lacking a Herrscher core, the Soul Steel weapon was still a good platform for conducting many experiments, which is why May turned a blind eye to it.

Ryan can mobilize energy without weapons, but Sakura couldn't do that before becoming a Fusion Warrior, so her experimental data is very meaningful.

Sakura was confused but impressed. She wasn't very educated and couldn't understand what Ryan threw at her. She simply caught the knife, pulled it out a few inches, and saw that the blade was as thin as a cicada's wing and extremely light. If you looked closely, you could vaguely see a faint, cold mist.

"A fine sword, it seems to contain Honkai energy?"

"The built-in program can manipulate Honkai energy. The manual says it was inspired by an ice-type mutated Honkai emperor, but it's not fully developed yet. Your physical form isn't particularly powerful, so your strength won't be too great." Ryan tossed over another thin booklet and explained:

"It includes instructions on how to use it and precautions. They've really developed an amazing thing."

That's truly remarkable. He even considered delving deeper into this point, wondering if replacing the weapon with a human body could allow him to research a certain Void Sword Qi.

Sakura carefully examined the booklet filled with small print and charts, and couldn't help but think of the stories she had read as a child: magic, internal energy, and cultivation.

However, it would be a grave mistake to call this a martial arts manual, as it contains no fantastical descriptions whatsoever. Instead, it presents rigorous questions and answers, along with 24 usage suggestions.

"Is it precious?" Sakura didn't care about any prototypes; controlling Honkai energy was a fundamental breakthrough.

“Soul Steel can never be mass-produced, and it has very strict requirements for users. If you are not adaptable to Honkai energy, using it is tantamount to suicide.” Ryan also picked up a straight sword, which had a style reminiscent of ancient China, appearing square and robust.

He didn't bother to study the programs included with the weapon; for Ryan, as long as the weapon was durable enough and had good energy conductivity, that was enough.

"Winter Cherry Blossom".

"Ok?"

“I’ve named it Cold Cherry Blossom.” Cherry held the long sword to her chest, clearly very pleased with it, and gave a slight bow: “Thank you for your gift.”

"If you like it, that's good. As you become stronger, the weapon can be continuously optimized. Anyway, this sword wasn't forged by a blacksmith. All divine weapons are the result of advancements in materials science."

Ryan's words lacked some of the romantic fantasy and had more of the rigor of science. Sakura also looked on with longing, thinking that if she became a fusion warrior, then this sword would also be strengthened.

Her little scheme couldn't escape Ryan's notice, or rather, Ryan also recognized this fundamental breakthrough.

The weapon is a good weapon; it all depends on who wields it. But at least it has significantly boosted humanity's overall combat power. If it were a divine scepter forged from Soul Steel, with some interesting features added, perhaps even the Herrscher of Thunder wouldn't be able to stop it.

"And what's the name of your sword?"

This question surprised Ryan. He didn't like naming weapons because his previous weapons were consumables that would break down after a short time.

As the world's first Soul Steel weapon, it should have some prestige.

He examined the straight sword closely; it was heavy and imposing, somewhat like a Han dynasty sword, and exuded a sense of majesty.

It's probably the work of Velvi; the craftsmanship is quite exquisite. The hilt is covered with a lot of meaningless reliefs that look like menacing lightning bolts. Add to that the pure red scabbard made of fluid metal, and I wonder if Mei was spitting blood at this waste of resources.

"Let's name the sword 'Crimson Sky'."

"Great name, it sounds impressive."

“It’s the people who are powerful, not the sword.” Ryan chuckled and waved his hand. “Let’s go, before the Fire Moths alert the enemy.”

“Okay, I’ll go get the car first.” Sakura nodded gently, her steps quick and steady, without the slightest hesitation.

She walked straight through the living room she had tidied up, past the kitchen that had been busy these past few days, across the hallway, and past her sister's bedroom without even glancing at it.

Are you afraid that if you stop, you'll never be able to leave again?

Ryan smiled and shook his head. This coldness was precisely Sakura's unique gentleness. In fact, he could let Sakura stay, just as he had treated Hua and Kevin.

He never presumptuously interferes with other people's choices, because some good intentions may lead to tragedy in the future.

Ryan followed, but paused as he passed the bedroom. He saw the slightly ajar door and a pair of deep blue eyes peeking through the crack.

Ling stood at the door, less than five meters away from Sakura outside the gate. She didn't run out crying to hug her sister's waist. She simply remained silent and watched the two leave.

He's so sensible. He knows that what Sakura is doing is not simple. If he has any worries, he will be in danger. So he suppresses his emotions and endures his reluctance. For a ten-year-old child, you can't ask for more.

Ryan, with his keen insight, stared at the eyes behind the door, tapped his chest lightly, and then walked out as if he hadn't noticed anything.

Click.

The door closed, the footsteps faded into the distance, and Ling slowly sat down against the wall, hugging her knees. She found that this time she didn't shed tears as before, but the coded message Ryan had given her remained in her mind.

The gesture was very simple in the story, and it was imprinted in his mind in just a few days.

Don't worry, Mr. Rabbit will handle everything.

"I trust Mr. Rabbit, and I will do my job well."

Ling slowly got up, her expression as cool and resolute as Ying's. She climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, listened to the sound of cars starting outside the window, and gave a faint smile.

The night was quiet, and she slept soundly.

Chapter 105 This World is Too Chaotic

Singapore is far less bustling than York. By night, it is mostly quiet, with only flashing police lights and patrols around.

A car sped towards the port, Sakura gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her mind seemingly lost in thought.

With Sakura's keen observation skills, she always knew what Rin was doing every time she left, and could even hear her suppressed sobs.

The sound of her crying cut into her heart like a knife, but Sakura never looked back. She knew that to save Rin's life, she had to be heartless.

As for those regrets, let's wait until everything is over and life returns to normal before we apologize.

But this time is different.

She glanced furtively at the man feigning sleep in the passenger seat, and licked her lips: "Ryan, you're a good person."

Ryan opened his eyes and was inexplicably given a "friend zone" card, but he knew why.

"No need to thank me. Rin is mature and strong, and she deserves my treatment. Even if you die, I will continue to protect her."

Sakura's gaze froze for a moment, then calmed down like still water. This was an unexpected gain, and the past few days felt like an unbelievable dream.

At first, she took Ryan to see Ling, just to show her gratitude and fulfill her vows, like a necessary formality. Little did she expect that Ryan would stay for several days and even become friends with Ling.

Ryan didn't need to act, so these words came from the heart.

Beyond the shared interests, she found common ground and even felt she could entrust the bell to the other party.

“If you die, I will protect Dr. Möbius with all my might.”

Why are you protecting her?

Ryan chuckled, too lazy to explain, and closed his eyes again, pretending to sleep.

"Then I have to live, I can't be a burden to you."

"me too."

The car sped into the dock, where a yacht was already prepared. According to Ying, she bought it from the black market and it was absolutely reliable. She could also drive this small boat of several tens of tons by herself.

Ryan didn't say much. Using his authority to move required physical strength, and he wasn't into showing off, so saving some energy was good.

The yacht set off quickly, and once it left the port, Ryan discovered that there were quite a few boats floating in the open sea, most of them with flashing lights, which puzzled him.

Even the moths chasing the flame couldn't drive these people back.

His doubts were quickly answered when he passed by a yacht that had just anchored, and his eyes widened slightly.

An open-air silver party was taking place on the deck, with heavy metal music and unrestrained laughter from men and women echoing in the night sky. The boundless sea and sky became the best place to let loose.

The sights of walking the dog, chanting to the air, taking turns, and wielding swords were an eye-opener for Ryan.

"The open sea is not subject to legal control, and the Fire Moths don't want to offend anyone. As long as there's no Honkai reaction, they don't want to get involved." Sakura gripped the rudder, staring straight ahead, ignoring the fierce battle beside her.

Ryan thought about it and instantly understood: the world always amplifies the evil in human nature; what they vent is both desire and fear.

Since we're going to die anyway, why leave any regrets?

If Sakura hadn't been there, Ryan would have really picked up his binoculars to appreciate—no, to criticize—the ugliness of human nature. Now he had to give up and watch the ship sail into the dark sea.

There were boats here, but no one was on them. They drifted with the current like ghosts. But this wasn't strange, because Ryan had seen a man and a woman embrace and jump into the sea.

Oh, so it was a mass suicide.

Should we go over and rescue them?

“Respect other people’s fate and put aside your desire to help others.” Ryan looked ahead coldly and said indifferently, “No one can stop someone who wants to die. You’ve seen a lot of messy things these days, haven’t you?”

"Well, before I assassinated Velvet, I was carrying out an assassination mission for a cult leader who was spreading the idea that embracing a Honkai Beast would lead to heaven, and they were even selling indulgences."

"Haha, the world is never short of geniuses." Ryan couldn't help but laugh. He had read the report; the Honkai was inherently religious in nature.

The Herrschers are apostles, the Honkai is a test, and rebels will go to hell. The Moths are overwhelmed with problems and have already executed many leaders who called on believers to besiege military bases. Throwing silver parties and jumping into the sea seem harmless.

"When faced with despair, humans always have to look for the reasons, especially those who suffer from Honkai disease. If they see the illness as a blessing, it can be somewhat helpful."

"What does it do?"

"It's psychological. It makes death seem less scary. You know, every Honkai outbreak is a selection process. The law of the jungle never changes. Only the strong survive to the end." Ryan yawned as he watched the two disappear into the waves.

"I'm going to rest for a while. Call me when we're almost there."

Ryan left the cockpit as he spoke. He didn't go to his room, but found a secluded corner at the bow of the ship and lay down fully clothed. The sea wind was howling, making it hardly a place to sleep.

Actually, he couldn't sleep at all. Ryan's purpose in running away this time was very clear: finding materials was secondary, the key was to obtain Honkai energy.

He is progressing, and the world is not stagnating either. Just like the battle against the Thousand Calamities, even heroes are not necessarily friends, let alone the fusion warriors in the hands of the Fire Moth.

“Even the development of Soul Steel is not a good thing for me personally, since the power is still in the hands of the Fire Chasing Council.”