Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　Upon hearing this, Dr. Mei gently raised her hand, her fingertips delicately tracing the exquisite glasses on the bridge of her nose, her purple eyes flashing with complex emotions.

　It expresses both gratitude for Kevin's deep concern and unwavering belief in the future.

　She looked tenderly at her knight.

　“Kevin, this is the least costly solution we can find in the current situation.”

　Dr. Mei is so smart!

　She saw right through the facade and discerned what the necromancer truly wanted behind his journey.

　This was quite different from the previous incident where, after the main fleet of the Firemoth was destroyed, Moros only made his inquiries through Representative William's relay.

　This time, the necromancer chose to descend in person, appearing before her and Kevin.

　This sudden confrontation undoubtedly brought a huge psychological shock and heavy pressure to the two of them.

　However, it was precisely this direct and intense interaction that revealed a corner of Moros's heart.

　He was not seeking material compensation, but rather, out of deep concern and a desire to protect Eden, he demanded a clear explanation from the Moths of Fire.

　"Therefore, I believe that as long as we can accurately grasp Moros's core needs and demonstrate our sincerity and remorse with concrete actions, this incident can be resolved in a relatively peaceful manner."

　Looking into Kevin's blue eyes, Dr. May continued.

　"Compared to the potential for greater conflict and sacrifice, this choice is undoubtedly wiser."

　Of course, she also knew that achieving this goal would not be easy.

　After all, not all those in power have the magnanimity to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good, and are willing to set aside their personal pride and interests.

　It could even be argued that if the Moth Council had been led by Senators Eugene, Vincent, and Wang during a similar period, they would likely have chosen to let the Moths endure the necromancers' fierce attacks rather than make the significant compromises and sacrifices they have made.

　After the necromancer and Dr. May reached a consensus, the Firemoth underwent a series of personnel changes that seemed quite perplexing to outsiders.

　All the members who were responsible for security at the Eden Kuala Lumpur concert suffered a significant blow to their careers, and all of them were demoted one level.

　The high-ranking executive of the Moth Chaser organization who meticulously planned the Eden World Tour was ordered to leave the organization.

　This was, of course, an unexpected disaster for the person involved.

　But behind these layers of mystery surrounding the personnel reshuffle lies Dr. Mei's far-sighted wisdom.

　With careful consideration and weighing of options.

　As she explained to Kevin, these seemingly unfair adjustments were actually the least costly solution that Moths could find in the current situation.

　Dr. Mei's efforts were not in vain.

　She personally stepped forward to sincerely apologize to Eden and successfully won his understanding and forgiveness.

　Subsequently, Congressman William acted as a bridge, conveying the necromancer's satisfaction with the outcome of the incident.

　The powerful spellcaster stated that he was willing to leave the assassination attempt behind and not pursue it further.

　After learning that the necromancers were willing to let the matter drop, the Firemoth gradually returned to its former tranquility.

　But beneath this calm lies an even stronger determination and a deep reflection on the future.

　Dr. May and Kevin were keenly aware that although the incident had come to an end, it served as a mirror, reflecting the hidden dangers and shortcomings within the organization.

　The most pressing issue is that the number of Fusion Warriors that the Firemoth can currently utilize is far too small.

　If the Fusion Warriors had been there to protect him at the Eden Kuala Lumpur concert, Philip's assassination attempt might not have escalated to this point.

　In response, Dr. Mei demonstrated exceptional leadership and forward-thinking, proposing a solution to accelerate research on novel metamorphic factors [META-MORPH].

　Besides the pressing issue of the scarcity of fusion warriors, there are other hidden concerns within the Firemoth that cannot be ignored.

　Among these issues, the weakness and lag of the intelligence system is another major problem.

　In the Kuala Lumpur incident, the intelligence agencies failed to effectively warn of the assassins' infiltration, let alone anticipate the arrival of the necromancer in person, which clearly exposed the huge flaws in the Moth Chaser intelligence system.

　The latter can be attributed to Moros's power and the unpredictability of his magic.

　However, the former represents a serious dereliction of duty in intelligence work, which is completely intolerable.

　Imagine, if an assassin can attempt to kill Eden today, then who can guarantee that tomorrow, an even more deadly killer won't target other key members of the Firemoth?

　In this era where information is power and intelligence is life, any lack or delay in information can become the trigger for disaster, plunging an organization into passivity and crisis.

　In light of this, and given the less-than-ideal performance of the intelligence department during the last major collapse, Dr. May realized that she might need to make some necessary optimizations and reforms to the agency.

　Just as Dr. May was examining the hidden dangers within the Firemoth, Moros returned to his magic guild in the demiplane.

　Hidden in the upper levels of the guild is a tranquil room adorned with ancient runes and exotic flowers.

　Just as Moros pushed open the door and stepped into this secluded place, two breathtaking figures were already quietly waiting.

　Eden, dressed in a dazzling and gorgeous gown, sat quietly at the round table like a goddess who had stepped out of a dream.

　Meanwhile, Vilvie was dressed in a high-tech outfit, playing with an exquisite mechanical device in her hand.

　"Moros, you're back."

　Eden's voice was soft and charming.

　Their eyes met in an instant; no words were needed, for the deep emotion they shared transcended a thousand words.

　Meanwhile, Vilvie was busy at work, her fingers deftly dancing among the mechanical devices, as if weaving a symphony of technology and magic.

　"Look, I've prepared some novel gadgets for you."

　A smug gleam shone in Vervi's eyes.

　"These mechanical devices may not directly enhance your combat capabilities, but they will certainly help you manage your territory more efficiently and make your decisions more precise and effective."

　Upon hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on Moros's lips.

　He held Virvi's hand, feeling the warmth and support from his lover, and his heart was filled with strength.

　"Thank you, my dearest ones. With you by my side, I will be fearless no matter how difficult the road ahead may be."

Chapter 533 Hua's Mission

　Six months after the end of the tenth Great Collapse.

　Cairo, Egypt.

　"Buzzing..."

　With the hum of propellers churning the air, a military transport plane with moths drawn to a flame etched on its fuselage broke through layers of rain clouds and appeared prominently on the horizon of this abandoned city.

　After the Seventh Herrscher, the Herrscher of Flame, unleashed endless flames, turning this land into a barren wasteland, it faded from the stage of human civilization and was completely abandoned.

　The task of rebuilding the city was undoubtedly an unbearable burden for the Egyptian government at the time.

　At that time, most of Egypt's vast territory had been burned down by the Herrscher of Flame, an incarnation of Himiko, and the road to reconstruction was long and full of unknowns.

　Under the faint glow of international aid, the Egyptian government has barely managed to stand firm, attempting to find a glimmer of hope in despair.

　Unfortunately, the shadow of the Eighth Great Collapse loomed once more, and the [Sleep] woven by the Herrscher of Knowledge...

　The disease, like an invisible plague, indiscriminately invaded every corner of human civilization, further exacerbating the already precarious situation of the Egyptian government.

　Then came the catastrophe of the Ninth Great Collapse, which dealt a fatal blow to the Egyptian government.

　The pseudo-black hole created by the Ninth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Rock, in the final moments of her life not only swallowed the continent of Mu, but also completely severed international aid from the United Nations.

　Without the support of international aid, this country, which was already on the verge of collapse, ultimately could not hold on until the day when the moths of fire fully took over human civilization.

　Without the coordination of the Egyptian government, cities like Cairo, burned down by the Herrscher of Flame, can only lie quietly in ruins, forgotten and neglected.

　By the time Dr. May reached a consensus with the rulers of the various traditional powers, and the Moths completely replaced the old-era nations in controlling human civilization on this blue planet, it was already after the end of the Tenth Great Collapse.

　However, the world was already mired in collapse, and its onslaught not only did not slow down, but intensified.

　Despite their grand ambition to rebuild their home, the moths drawn to the flame are forced to make difficult choices in the face of extreme resource scarcity.

　After all, in this era shrouded in the shadow of collapse, there are so many ruined cities like Cairo that even moths drawn to a flame cannot keep up.

　They lie quietly in the dust of history, becoming a tragic testament to the struggle of human civilization against decay in this era.

　Getting back to the main point, this military transport plane carried an elite special operations team of the Fire Moths.

　They were sent to the outskirts of Cairo to carry out a mission to capture resource points.

　This was originally an ordinary mission, with a difficulty level assessed as B-rank, meaning there was no possibility of an Emperor-level Honkai Beast appearing.

　The soldiers who participated in this operation were also temporarily assembled, and most of them came from different squads.

　Hua, a former member of the fifth squad with the serial number MSA-209, was among them.

　During the Seventh Great Collapse, Himeko, the former captain of the Fifth Squad, was corrupted by the Honkai and became the Seventh Herrscher.

　As the sole survivor of the fifth squad, Hua was ostracized by the other warriors as a "witch's ally."

　Even so, she chose to refuse to retire and remained on the battlefield.

　When the warriors saw that the weapons for this mission were the tenth Divine Keys that had been distributed uniformly, they all showed expressions of joy.

　Practical test of the tenth Divine Key.

　Without a doubt, this is the significance of this mission.

　Therefore, when they were asked to inject the mysterious potion distributed by headquarters, no one suspected anything.

　At that time, they did not understand the true purpose of this battle.

　Thanks to the addition of Vervier, Moth Chaser's military equipment field has ushered in a vigorous upgrade.

　The military transport plane carrying the elite special operations team, including Hua, is a direct beneficiary of this equipment upgrade.

　In just a few minutes, the transport plane efficiently deployed the special operations team to their mission location.

　"Assault team calling headquarters, has reached target location, requesting instructions."

　"Received. Intelligence indicates there are three small Honkai Beast hordes near your area. Please proceed immediately and eliminate them. Headquarters, all."

　A cool female voice came from the communicator, but to the commander of the special operations team's surprise, the speaker was not the officer who usually liaised with them through the command system, but an assistant from Dr. Mei's research team.

　However, considering the series of reforms recently carried out within the Firemoth, the squad commander didn't think it was a big deal.

　As long as the liaison personnel can perform their duties diligently and ensure that the frontline combat troops can obtain battlefield dynamics in a timely manner and accurately convey every instruction from headquarters, then the specific identity of the individual undertaking this communication responsibility is not so important.

　"Assault team received, en route to carry out mission. Assault team complete."

　Having ended communication with headquarters, the special operations team commander turned her attention to her team members.

　When that scrutinizing gaze inadvertently swept across Hua's face, she involuntarily paused slightly.

　She knew a little about the name "the witch's companion" that circulated within the Moth of Fire organization, even though she hadn't experienced it firsthand.

　However, the current situation is clearly not suitable for dwelling on this matter.

　So the commander quickly adjusted his mindset, casually shifting his gaze as if nothing had happened.

　However, even though the commander acted so naturally, Hua Na's keen insight, honed through years of martial arts training, still caught the barely perceptible scrutiny of his temporary superior.

　This extraordinary perception caused Hua a pang of indescribable pain, but she chose to respond with silence.

　This is not only because she has experienced too much since the seventh Great Collapse and has learned to take the scrutiny and discussion from the outside world as normal.

　More importantly, the moment he jumped off the transport plane and his legs touched the ground, a feeling of unease began to creep in.

　It lingered in her heart.

　Furthermore, as time went by, this feeling of unease gradually intensified, as if something ominous was waiting for them ahead.

　However, Hua didn't say much.

　After all, it was just her intuition, without any solid evidence to support it.

　Moreover, Hua was keenly aware of his delicate and awkward position within the team and was unwilling to further exacerbate his predicament based on this unfounded intuition.

　Therefore, she could only keep her eyes open, be more vigilant, and pay attention to any potential dangers around her.

　To Hua's surprise, they did not encounter any significant attacks until they successfully reached their destination.

　The occasional appearance of a small number of Assault-class or Knight-class Honkai Beasts is hardly a crisis for this well-trained elite squad, whose members are all equipped with the Tenth Divine Key.

　No, such an enemy could never evoke such a strong sense of crisis in me. What have I overlooked...?

　As Hua gripped the tenth divine key, which was in the form of a longsword, his unease grew stronger.

Chapter 534 The Primal Wings, Part 1

　Just as Hua's special operations team was advancing toward the designated target location, at the headquarters of the Fire Moth, the assistant, who had finished communicating with the assault team, turned around and reported expressionlessly to Dr. Mei, who stood in the center of the command room with her arms crossed.