I am a hero of the former civilization.

Ryan's lips twitched. What he said made sense. It was just like when Kevin treated her to dinner before. It seemed no different. Moreover, judging from Alicia's appearance, she didn't look like she was going to hold some secret meeting or plot a rebellion.

Or rather, throughout history and across the world, rebellions are never so high-profile. A group of people going to a resort to eat and drink, who do they think they are?

"Why do I get the feeling you're enjoying this? Are you setting a trap for me to fall into?"

“It’s already great to make everyone friends!” Alicia clapped her hands, a sly glint in her eyes. “It’s decided then, and I’ve already come up with a reason to celebrate.”

"What reason?"

"Your birthday party? Wasn't it a wonderful surprise?!"

Ryan was startled and subconsciously glanced at the calendar. Today was November 8th. In two days, he would be twenty years old. But so much had happened this year that he hadn't even realized it.

After a moment of bewilderment, she was genuinely pleasantly surprised and chuckled, "I never celebrate my birthday."

"But I have to live, I'm a day younger than you."

"What? Your birthday is November 11th? How old are you then??"

"You can't ask a girl's age, okay? If you're really curious, I'll be 17 forever!" Alicia wagged her finger and quickly snatched back the plan. "Then Alicia's birthday celebration operation begins now. You'd better follow orders carefully."

"Wait......"

Ryan raised his hand, but the girl had already happily jumped up the stairs and gone back to her room, leaving him speechless.

He's acting all high and mighty because he's using my name to celebrate his own birthday.

He was highly suspicious of Alicia's true motives, but from a rational perspective, he couldn't find any fault with them.

Since he has decided to confront the Honkai head-on, he should unite the strong around him as soon as possible. And what is the way to unite them besides ideals and emotions?

Starting with mutual benefit and then building a bond through emotional connection is the most efficient and cost-effective approach, but...

Kevin's birthday party has become mine; some things never change.

"Miss Alicia, you're really quite unpredictable." Sakura quietly approached, revealing a faint smile.

"Who knows what she's thinking? But there are some things that only she can do. At least when it comes to dealing with humans, even I am no match for her."

"Perhaps she's just worried about you."

Sakura's words made Ryan glance at her slightly. He wasn't angry because he was being looked down upon. In fact, he was under a lot of pressure. If it were someone who liked to overthink things, they would have thought that they had dragged humanity down with them.

Well, since we've entered a new chapter, it's not bad to start with laughter.

"Sakura, how about we have a barbecue party?"

"Not bad. I'll go buy ingredients tomorrow and make a few more shelves. In these chaotic times, it's good to know a few friends you can rely on, especially Dr. Mebius. I'm very curious about her."

Don't be curious, wait a minute, Alicia's look just now, was she preparing to watch the show?

Ryan suddenly regretted it, but thinking that Alicia must have already made a hurried call, he could only grit his teeth and nod.

"Then let's get ready. We can take this opportunity to discuss some things."

He thought of several advantages; the prospect of this outstanding young man could be created under his own hands, which gave him a sense of honor.

I clung to powerful figures, clung to powerful figures, and eventually I became a core member, and I had to become a core member.

It was somewhat ironic, yet upon reflection, there was no mistake whatsoever. If this was fate, then he accepted it with equanimity.

For the next two days, Ryan became very busy and didn't even have time to think about who should become a fusion warrior first. He spent his days either preparing food, blowing up balloons, or preparing gifts.

Moth of Fire received the news quickly. After all, Alicia had no intention of hiding anything. The intelligence department analyzed the situation overnight and found that although there weren't many people invited, they were all very influential.

The research committee director, Mei; the fourth research institute director, Vervi; the fifth research institute director, Mebius; the two most outstanding recruits this year, Kevin and Hua; the South China branch combat team director, Hen, and his wife and daughter; the Far East branch combat team leader, Himiko; and the most inconspicuous of all, Su, the medical research institute's trainee.

Further investigation reveals that there is not much danger, because these people are not high-ranking officials or have military power, and they all share a common characteristic:

They were all Dr. Lane's friends, or friends of friends, and some of them had no connection with each other.

It was definitely a private gathering. There's no rule against holding birthday parties, and besides, if there were a conspiracy, they wouldn't be so high-profile.

But the intelligence department was still not at ease, so they sent agents to approach them under various identities, and then nothing happened.

Of course, Ryan couldn't possibly kill them. All the agents had been conscripted by Alicia and were left bewildered as they joined the event setup.

"Yes, yes, hang the banner higher, and there are balloons too. Who wants to blow them up?"

"Put up some paper-cut window decorations, huh? These are things we only do during the Chinese New Year? It's okay, just consider it a little early celebration."

"I've poured everyone some juice. Take a break after you're done."

The pink fairy lady ran around, directing everyone, while people dressed as either repairmen or tourists busied themselves, making the villa lively.

"Ryan, is this really okay?" Sakura was making ribbons with scissors when she realized she couldn't keep up with Alicia's train of thought.

As an assassin, the intelligence department was her nemesis. She never imagined that one day she would be setting up a venue with them. It can be said that a single day overturned her assassination career.

"This is Alicia, you'll get used to it." Ryan had lost count of how many times he'd said this, and looking at the girl running around, he couldn't find any more things to complain about.

This guy was even more excited than when he was fighting the Third Herrscher. He was clearly enjoying it, and this dedication affected him. He no longer had any resistance.

I've been too busy lately, so it's a good opportunity to clear my head.

"Don't worry, I can disable all those listening devices and hidden cameras they installed at any time. I've also prepared an emergency escape tunnel. As long as the Fourth Herrscher dares to come, she won't be able to leave."

Ryan wasn't just thinking about having fun; he also wanted to use the opportunity to fish. Hawaii was an important base for the Fire Moth, and with the garrison there, plus his and Alicia's power, any Herrscher coming to their door would be courting death.

"Alicia might be angry if she knew."

"Hmph, I'm already being lenient by agreeing to her recklessness, and you still dare to get angry." Ryan snorted, then softened up again: "You should relax a bit too. Even if tomorrow is the end of the world, you should still make the most of today. Time is precious, but making yourself happy is not a waste."

That's true. Some people always get stuck on things, feeling like they haven't done their best, and then they become increasingly obsessed with it. But Ryan, having gone through many scientific research experiences, deeply understands one thing:

Even if you prepare everything perfectly, there is still a chance that the experiment will fail. That chance cannot be controlled by humans, so why bother worrying about it?

Sakura pondered for a moment, nodded emphatically, and then showed a hint of regret.

"It's a pity that Rin can't come."

"The fewer people who know her identity, the better. Don't worry, there will be opportunities in the future. It's not like I only celebrate my birthday once."

"I am looking forward."

Sakura revealed a hint of tenderness. She was genuinely looking forward to it and vaguely knew what Ryan's 'opportunity' meant. Once the Fire Moth was cleansed, Rin would be free.

Just then, she heard the sound of propellers and turned to see a helicopter approaching.

"That identification mark belongs to the research committee; Dr. Mei and the others have arrived."

Even without her reminder, Ryan, with his enhanced senses, had already seen that a green-haired woman was sitting by the window, her snake-like eyes fixed on him.

She actually came?

May's arrival was somewhat unexpected for Ryan. How could that busy woman have found the time to come? After thinking for a moment, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to greet her.

Since Mebius is here, then Möbius will inevitably come...

Alicia's birthday celebration was quite intense, and I couldn't help but turn around to glance at the pink fairy girl who was thoroughly enjoying herself. I had a vague premonition:

His twentieth birthday party was incredibly lively, more so than his two lifetimes combined.

Chapter 116 Mebius... Auntie!

As dusk settles and the lights of Hawaii's main island twinkle, a helicopter belonging to the research committee slowly descends, gradually approaching the resort villas on the beach.

Mebius sat by the window, vaguely seeing the lights of the two-story building, and propped his head up with a blank expression.

It's so noisy.

Kevin was unusually excited from the start of takeoff, saying he was going to do something surprising. Sue was a little better; she seemed to have a good temper and plenty of patience, making her a potential target for exploitation and someone who could be tricked into becoming an assistant.

But how come the two of them are so familiar with that wooden stake, even though they've only eaten one meal together?

That's really superficial.

She glanced at the three people playing cards. Hua was extremely unlucky, his face was covered with notes, and she added another definition of 'childish' to her mind.

“We’re almost there.” Mei closed her book and glanced out the window. “You let Kevin and the others make a racket without saying anything sarcastic, which, to be honest, surprised me.”

“What do I have to argue with a bunch of idiots? But you, Mebius, with your usual sarcastic smile, said in a low voice, “I never thought that a smart woman like you would become lovers with that paramecium. Is he really that valuable?”

"You think I'm taking advantage of Kevin?"

"Isn't that right? You and he are from completely different worlds. Whether it's personality or intelligence, I never imagined that the two of you would be together."

"Therefore, emotions are something that cannot be understood through reason."

"You want to tell him you love him?"

"of course."

The unwavering answer startled Möbius, who racked his brains to find a loophole in Möbius's words.

"Stop overthinking, you won't get the answer. It's like—" Mei smiled faintly and said calmly, "Stopping all your research to come to Ryan's birthday party, can you give me a reasonable explanation?"

This question stunned Mebius, and his eyes began to dart around.

"I just don't want to get entangled with that woman, Alicia."

"Heh, you'll only get entangled once you arrive."

"That's because I've been working too hard lately and want to take a break."

"Given our work ethic, we'll never get tired, and we certainly won't travel a thousand kilometers to go on vacation."

Möbius's mouth moved several times, but he couldn't come up with a reason for a long time. He could only ask angrily, "Then why do you ask?"

"Since I had some free time recently, and Kevin wanted to come over, I accompanied him."

The answer was extremely simple, so simple that Mebius wanted to say something sarcastic, but she swallowed the words back. If she said anything more, it would only make her seem less confident.

"Let me tell you why, Dr. Mebius." Mebius pointed to the girl whose face was covered with notes, and then to the two pink-haired girls inside the villa.

"Because of her, and of them, isn't it?"

How can it be!

Mebius's pupils contracted, but she didn't try to be stubborn. In terms of eloquence, she really couldn't win against Mebius. Just then, she saw Ryan blowing up balloons next to Sakura, and her eyes suddenly sharpened.

It's all your fault; you made me look foolish.

This resentment felt so real that it made Ryan look up. Their eyes met in the air, and the man paused for a moment before decisively putting down the balloon, leaving Sakura, and coming out to greet her.

Hmph, that's more like it.