"Is it him?"
With Coleman already gone, the room had returned to its quiet state. Carius crossed his legs and, after listening to the lengthy questioning, finally spoke.
"I don't know. His actions were perfect. No one can find fault with him unless... they forcibly capture and interrogate him."
"Enough with these time-wasting jokes. If it were possible, would the legislators still look like fools watching him break the rules?" The commander adjusted his sitting posture, his expression darkening.
His face had been slapped, and the assumption that strength could let one do whatever they wanted? Other high-level fusion warriors were starting to imitate him. What was the point of the Fire Council and this commander if that were the case?
Could they not just play the part of a weapon? With the mission of saving humanity, there was no need for thinking—just offering their flesh and blood for humanity.
"To be honest, I no longer understand what this doctor is trying to do," Carius said, sitting down in the seat that Coleman had previously occupied, appearing quite relaxed and crossing his legs. "He is still on the peninsula, just dealt with a slave trafficker, and now the peninsula branch people are trying to figure out how to reward him. Ridiculous."
"So, what do you think he wants?"
"A warning. To tell everyone that the matters he wants to investigate must be fully revealed, the people he wants dead must die. Even if that's the case, he's willing to stay within the Fire Moth for as long as he wants."
Carius' cheek twitched slightly, and after a long pause, he responded in a muffled voice, "That sounds pretty arrogant."
"I think it's more fitting to call it the pride of the strong. Dr. Ryan is far more normal than Miss Elysia." Carius smiled silently, shrugging his shoulders. "Too bad Miss Elysia is the only one. In a battle between the bigger picture and personal interests, most people will choose the latter."
"Also, this is another warning. No one knows how many hidden cards he's holding besides the few known ones. That's even more terrifying."
Now, Carius actually hoped that the black monster was Ryan. A person's strength was better than a group hiding in the shadows.
"So, we can't do anything about him?" The commander found it unbelievable. High-level fusion warriors weren't a dime a dozen. The council only created a few through inhuman experiments, so why was there a steady stream of them?
"There aren't many options, but I think strengthening our power is never wrong. At least, we need to be able to protect ourselves."
"Then increase the investment. After his rampant disturbance, the council will definitely allocate more funds. Tell Dr. Damian to go ahead and do whatever is necessary. I only want results."
This meant more terrifying death, but Carius didn't oppose it. At least, within the Fire Moth's upper echelons' interests, they needed to increase their own cards.
Whether this was to fight the Herrscher or Ryan, no one was willing to be swept into the trash heap of history.
"Understood. I'll lift the restrictions on him." Carius nodded gently. "And his staying on the peninsula is problematic. With his intelligence, why waste so much time searching for vague answers?"
"So you think he's hiding his true intentions?"
"Obviously. As for whether this advantage will work, it depends on your determination."
The room fell into a deathly silence. Various expressions alternated on the commander's face, making him appear conflicted and struggling. After a long while, his expression finally settled.
"Go ahead and do it. Be sure to keep it discreet."
Carius finally smiled, rising slowly and bowing gracefully.
"As you wish."
...
"So this is Sundown Alley?"
Ryan landed on a small mountain and looked up at a town nestled between mountains and the coastline. He noticed that it covered a vast area, filling several valleys.
It was exactly twilight, and golden sunlight poured down, illuminating the buildings, giving them an elegant and tranquil look. However, the architecture here lacked planning, with most being shanties and small buildings that looked somewhat chaotic.
Sundown Alley, or perhaps more aptly called the Crime City, had been notorious for lawlessness even before the appearance of the Herrscher, relying on its geographical environment.
It had gathered all sorts of criminals from around the world, running various illegal businesses. It was a major hub for human trafficking from Eastern Europe and an important node for flour exports to Western Europe.
After the third Collapse, business reached a peak, but now, as humanity's territory shrank, things were slowly declining.
"Truly a land of talented people, an upgraded version of Snow Prison Town. I think I can see the trajectory of an electromagnetic cannon shot."
Ryan didn't like such chaotic places, and the people here were too welcoming. After observing from the mountain for a while, several criminals had already fallen at his feet.
Each had their necks twisted. Ryan wasn't in the habit of showing mercy. If he did, it would mean the opponent was useful.
"The Fire Moth definitely has monitoring systems. Let's see if this is within the normal range." Ryan stroked his chin. The boundary between normal and abnormal was easy to judge—whether or not there were high-level fusion warriors.
"First, find out if they've made contact with the Herrscher. Without the power of Wind, I can't cross half the globe in a short time. Second, find the remaining three heroes and complete the puzzle."
Ryan goal was clear, and he had made ample preparations.
In the midst of a pile of corpses, he pulled out a silver briefcase. It had been brought from the M continent by Sakura, and the contents were simple.
Another set of Mirage System and Optical Disguise.
Ryan wasted no time. He immediately put the hood on his head, injected some Honkai energy, and activated the built-in chip, revealing a holographic panel.
"Start capturing data. Please continue to recall the appearance you want to change." Ryan was shocked, "Wait, it actually captures brainwaves to reshape the face?"
This technology was beyond his imagination. No wonder it was called the magician.
Science had indeed brought convenience, saving Ryan a lot of trouble. As for who he would transform into, he had already decided.
His black hair was extended to shoulder length, the strands became slightly curly, his pupils turned red, and his sharp facial features softened, his masculine appearance turned into something more androgynous. His body became thinner.
He picked up a shard of glass from the ground and looked at his simulated appearance, nodding in satisfaction.
"Not bad, it's somewhat similar."
This was the adult version of "Adam." Compared to his younger form, it had more of a neutral allure. His clothes didn't change much—just a white turtleneck sweater and gray jeans, still indistinguishable between male and female.
"This is definitely not cross-dressing, since Adam was originally a man."
Ryan had no particular perverted interests. He just felt that this way, he could instantly identify his enemies from their shock. After all, this appearance was only seen by a few, so it would naturally attract interest.
Imagine, a pseudo-Herrscher who was supposed to be dead suddenly revived and came to Sundown Alley. Any normal person would be curious enough to investigate.
"The death of the pseudo-Herrscher is known only to me, and he didn't have the Herrscher core. Even the real Herrscher couldn't detect him. Hmm? Why does it feel like my state is similar to that of the pseudo-Herrscher?"
Ryan paused, noticing a blind spot. He soon realized that, essentially, it was different.
"Good thing my virtual energy comes from fate, not Honkai."
He refocused, hesitating for a moment before starting to walk down the mountain, casually observing his surroundings.
The roads were bumpy, and the cramped little houses were dark, but from the shadows, Ryan could feel malicious eyes watching him, as if he was being observed by many.
The appearance he projected with the simulator didn't seem menacing at all, even a little weak. His clothes were neat, giving him the look of a pitiful lamb who had fallen into the lion's den.
Ryan was too lazy to play along. He simply walked forward, the feeling of being watched intensifying, pushing him to move faster.
"Come on, someone come take me down already. With this slaughter, it won't take long before it reaches certain ears."
He had already thought it through. He wasn't interested in using a ploy like pretending to be weak. As soon as someone made a move, he would slice them up with his shadows. This sudden "girl" would surely catch someone's attention.
Click.
The bumpy road was finally blocked, with several burly men wearing vests and handguns blocking his way. Their posture was like a wall, making Ryan, who stood a little over 1.6 meters, look fragile and helpless.
After observing for twenty minutes, the criminals of Sundown Alley were still cautious.
Ryan gave them a decent rating before coldly staring at them. "What's the matter?"
His voice, altered by a voice changer, sounded unusually crisp.
"Little girl, where did you come from? Where are your parents? We can take you to find them." The man with the pomPardour was cautious, as if afraid she was the lover of some important figure.
Such high-quality goods weren't seen often on the street.
"I'm here alone to handle some business in Sundown Alley. No need for you to trouble yourselves." Ryan tone remained steady.
Alone in Sundown Alley? Was she an outsider? But even if she were, there was no way she would tell the truth.
The men were more puzzled than displeased, thinking she seemed strange. Just as they were about to whisper to each other, they saw the little girl walk towards them and pass right by them.
"Hey, I didn't say you could go!"
The man turned around to grab her, but didn't see the shadow on the ground come to life, forming a thin and sharp black blade.
First, the hand was severed, then the body was split in two. In a single second, the men were taken care of.
Ryan had already mapped out their fates, but just then, the blade stopped because someone had jumped down from the nearby roof and landed in the middle of the two sides.
Her hair was brown, her body was petite, and perhaps unintentionally, her green-blue eyes looked a little surprised. She looked around, blinking rapidly.
Uh... Did I just ruin someone else's plan?
Due to her precise landing, it looked like she was stepping in to help.
The burly men drew machetes and pistols, staring at her coldly.
"Pardofelis, what's the meaning of this?"