Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　If Qianjie were to actually charge up there, the demonstration would escalate into a war.

　By then, the situation will be completely out of control.

Chapter 686 The Thirteenth Herrscher

　As the silhouette of the Paris-class heavy corvette finally disappeared on the horizon, the sky above the headquarters of the Firemoth regained its former tranquility.

　Only the faint specks of light left by the aftershocks of the electromagnetic pulse in the void, and the lingering tension in the air, silently recounted the dramatic changes that had just taken place.

　"Everyone, we..."

　Kevin was interrupted by Hua's slightly tired but unusually firm voice before he could finish speaking.

　"Kevin, I'm tired. Let's leave it at that for today."

　Having said that, the gray-haired girl, without waiting for Kevin's response, gracefully descended to the ground, using...

　Her actions silently conveyed her dissatisfaction with Dr. May's decision to expel Alicia and Eden from the Firemoth.

　Following Hua, Aponia also expressed her position in a gentle yet resolute manner.

　"Kevin, it's time for me to go back to where I belong."

　After speaking, the nun descended gracefully from the sky like a light butterfly.

　A faint sadness lingered on her face, as if she were regretting Dr. Mei's decision and expressing her dissatisfaction and protest in this way.

　Qianjie, true to his straightforward and bold nature, directly challenged Kevin.

　"Kevin, let's have a match sometime later."

　After saying that, Qianjie landed steadily.

　This warrior, who bears the name "Non-Heaven," has always disliked the complex entanglements within the Fire Moth, but even he harbors deep dissatisfaction with Dr. Mei's series of decisions.

　As the three heroes who had a close relationship with Alicia and Eden departed one after another, Kevin exchanged a glance with Sue and Kosmo, and then returned to their respective posts.

　Kevin's figure was like a streak of light cutting through the night sky, swiftly traversing the futuristic corridors of the Moth of Fire headquarters, heading straight for Dr. May's research lab.

　When he stepped into Dr. Mei’s lab, he found Dr. Mei standing in front of a holographic projection, gazing intently at the scene of the headquarters after the EMP missile attack.

　Her face did not show much surprise or anger, but only deep worry and contemplation of the future situation.

　"Kevin, you're here."

　Dr. May's voice was calm and firm, as if she had already anticipated Kevin's arrival.

　"Yes, Mei."

　Kevin responded calmly.

　He then walked over to Dr. Mei and looked at the somewhat messy scene with her.

　What are your thoughts on Moros's actions?

　Dr. May turned to look at Kevin, her tone inquiring.

　With a slight frown, Kevin pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

　"Although Morlos's move appears to be just a demonstration on the surface, the underlying meaning should not be underestimated. He is showing us his strength and determination, while also testing our bottom line and reaction."

　Dr. May nodded, indicating her agreement with Kevin's point of view.

　“I think so too. But more importantly, his actions may be related to Alicia and Eden’s departure. He seems to be conveying some kind of dissatisfaction and protest to me on their behalf in his own way.”

　Dr. Mei's words carried a hint of helplessness and emotion.

　Upon hearing this, Kevin felt an indescribable surge of anger.

　Although he could understand Morales's actions, as May's beloved, he could not tolerate any behavior that might pose a threat to May.

　Seemingly noticing Kevin's subtle emotional change, a hint of emotion and tenderness flashed in May's pale purple eyes, but this expression was quickly hidden behind more calculation and thought.

　She parted her lips slightly, steer the conversation in another direction.

　"Let's not talk about this anymore, Kevin."

　Upon hearing Mei's call, the white-haired warrior immediately responded.

　"I'm here, Mei, I've always been here."

　His voice was firm yet warm, as if telling Mei that no matter when or where, he would always be her strongest support.

　With a soft sigh, Mei's gaze remained fixed on the holographic projection in front of her.

　The sight of the Moth of Fire headquarters being ravaged by EMP missiles only strengthened her resolve once again.

　"The Moth Chaser is currently at a delicate balance. We must maintain morale and prepare for the upcoming Honkai challenge, while also ensuring internal stability to prevent external enemies from taking advantage of the situation..."

　Dr. Mei's words poured out like a machine gun, each word containing her profound insight and meticulous consideration of the future of the moths that chase fire.

　Finally, she turned her head, stared intently into Kevin's blue eyes, and revealed her plan.

　“Revealing Alicia’s Herrscher identity and then blaming the necromancer will maximize the unity of the people.”

　After understanding Dr. May's plan, Kevin offered his opinion.

　“Mei, I understand your considerations. At this critical moment, we must maintain the unity and morale of the Moths of Fire in order to face the final moment that is about to come.”

　Seeing that Kevin continued to support her as always, May smiled with relief.

　"I know this is truly unfair to Alicia. But for the greater good, we must make some sacrifices."

　Under Dr. May's decision, a shocking piece of news swept through the entire Moth of Flames like a storm—Alicia, the girl known for her gentleness and kindness, was actually the Thirteenth Herrscher hiding among them.

　Even more shockingly, the Fire Moth had successfully defeated her using its own power.

　This exhilarating news of victory was like a warm and powerful current.

　It instantly stirred up deep emotional waves in the hearts of every soldier.

　When the news first spread within the Firemoth organization, the entire organization was in an uproar.

　The eyes of those warriors who lost loved ones in the Honkai were filled with complex and profound emotions.

　Hatred for the Herrscher is like a fire buried deep underground; once ignited, it burns fiercely like a raging inferno, impossible to extinguish.

　Although Alicia usually wins many friends with her innocence and smile, at this moment, all the past warmth seems to be overshadowed by this sudden truth.

　"We have finally defeated another Herrscher!"

　A soldier clenched his fists, his eyes filled with both the joy of victory and an indescribable sorrow.

　"Hopefully this time, we can truly avenge our lost loved ones."

　“That’s right, Herrschers. No matter what form they take when they appear before us, they are our common enemy.”

　Another soldier echoed, his words revealing his firm support and trust in Dr. Mei's decision.

　Inside the headquarters of the Flame Chaser, the joy of victory and hatred for the Herrschers intertwined, creating an atmosphere that was both peculiar and resolute.

　People gathered together to share the joy of victory and to express their admiration for Dr. May's outstanding leadership.

Chapter 687 The Gains, Losses, and Consequences of Decision-Making

　Dr. May's decision did indeed work as she wished, successfully uniting the members of the Firefly Moth.

　But this doesn't come without a cost.

　The information she revealed to the lower-ranking members of the Fire-Chasing Moths, who were completely unaware of the truth, cleverly wove a story together—

　After the Firemoth defeated the long-hidden Thirteenth Herrscher, Alicia, the necromancer suddenly intervened and rescued the defeated Herrscher.

　This news quickly sparked widespread hatred towards necromancers among the lower and middle-ranking members of the Firemoth.

　Although this sentiment has not yet led to direct conflict, Dr. May is well aware that, over time, this widespread hatred could very well become the fuse for conflict between the Firemoths and the Necromancers.

　Dr. Mei was fully aware of this, but she was willing to bear the consequences.

　After a series of tests, Dr. Mei has figured out the necromancer's true thoughts—

　He hoped that the Fire-Chasing Moths would join hands with him to deal with the threat of the Herrscher of the End.

　In other words, the necromancer will not completely break with the Firemoth before the arrival of the Herrscher of the End.

　That was enough for Dr. Mei.

　With Dr. Mei's wisdom, she couldn't possibly fail to see that if human civilization could defeat the Herrscher of the End and survive the Honkai Judgment, then a conflict with the necromancers would be inevitable.

　In that case, exchanging deepening the antagonism between the two sides for unity within the Moth of Fire is, in her view, an extremely worthwhile trade.

　However, Dr. Mei also felt a slight regret—

　That was the reaction of Hua, Aponia, and Qianjie, the three Heroic-level Fusion Warriors.

　Although they are only expressing dissatisfaction at present, Dr. May keenly sensed that the three of them had already wavered in their stance.

　It's hard to predict what choices the Firemoth will make if it ever encounters Alicia and Eden on the battlefield at some point in the future.

　However, compared to the threat posed by the upcoming Herrscher of the End, these issues were nothing more than trivial incidents in Dr. Mei's eyes.

　After all, even if Hua, Aponia, and Qianjie are dissatisfied with her decisions, they will still fight with all their might when facing the Herrscher of the End.

　For Dr. Mei, that was enough.

　Just as she had told Hua before, she would do anything to defeat the Honkai and to continue human civilization...

　Naturally, they are also willing to accept all anger and hatred.

　Moros could not possibly be unaware of the changes within the Fire-Chasing Moth.

　Admittedly, Senator William's unfortunate death in the Twelfth Great Collapse plunged his intelligence network within the Firemoth into chaos and turmoil.

　But as time passed, the turmoil triggered by the death of Congressman William gradually subsided under the overt or covert influence of many ambitious high-ranking members of the Moth of Fire.

　The necromancer naturally wouldn't remain silent about the Firemoth's senior management who extended a helping hand and showed goodwill during the turmoil.

　He expressed his gratitude to them in a subtle way—by gifting them some [Vampire Conversion Daggers] that could be transformed into mid-level vampires.

　Although mid-level vampires may not be the most powerful in this increasingly crumbling world, their unique spell-like abilities give them an advantage in stealth operations that is far beyond what ordinary fusion warriors can match.

　For ambitious individuals in the upper echelons of the Firemoth, this ability to operate covertly is undoubtedly more valuable and practical than the ability to engage in direct combat.

　Of course, as a legitimate necromancer of the Necropolis faction,

　Morros's actions were by no means motivated by simple goodwill.

　In his eyes, those ambitious high-ranking members of the Firemoth were nothing more than cannon fodder who would eventually turn to dust in the end of the world, and were not worth his time and effort to specially refine a batch of [Vampire Transformation Daggers].

　However, if Moros had planned to forge these daggers in the first place, then it would be reasonable for him to make use of the already completed [Vampire Transformation Dagger].

　Getting back to the main point, thanks to these information channels, Moros was able to easily obtain firsthand information about the internal changes within the Firemoth.

　Then, he conveyed the complete story of "The Thirteenth Herrscher," a tale woven by Dr. Mei and other high-ranking members of the Firemoth, to Alicia and Eden.

　After listening to Moros's detailed account, Alicia and Eden's faces were filled with complex and unreadable emotions.

　Miss Pink Fairy, the former holder of the "True Self" inscription, is now a character who is "defeated" and "rescued" in the story.

　She gently smoothed the strands of hair that fell beside her cheek, her tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of bitterness and helplessness.

　"Oh dear, Miss Fairy, although I understand their predicament, I still feel a little sad."

　A subtle glint of self-mockery flickered in Alicia's azure eyes.

　"Ellie..."

　Looking down at the pink fairy with a forlorn expression, Eden's golden eyes revealed a deep sense of worry and tenderness.

　Approaching slowly, she gently placed her hand on Alicia's shoulder with a tender yet firm gesture.

　“Ellie, whatever their purpose or how they wove this story, your existence and your value cannot be summarized or defined by a single character.”

　Eden's words, like warm sunshine, tried to dispel the gloom in Alicia's heart.

　"Moreover, the truth will eventually come to light, and all misunderstandings and prejudices will disappear. Please remember, you are never alone. I am here, we are here, and we will always be by your side to face the storms together."

　Looking up at Eden, a hint of emotion flashed in Alicia's eyes.

　"Thank you, Eden."

　Her voice was soft and sincere, filled with gratitude for Eden.

　Seeing this, Moros, who had been silently observing the scene, couldn't help but feel a subtle emotional fluctuation.

　He coughed lightly to get their attention.

　"I... although I'm not good at expressing my emotions, I want to say that no matter the outcome, I will stand firmly on your side and offer all the help I can. In this increasingly crumbling world, it is my good fortune to have met you."