I am a hero of the former civilization.

Mei Ruili's gaze softened slightly. She stared intently at Ryan and nodded silently: "Okay, I believe you."

Ryan never confessed anything, and for a genius like May, there was no need to confess; all the possibilities of his origins had already been in the realm of countless assumptions.

"Suddenly you have a fighting spirit?"

“No, even if you don’t say anything, I will find the answer sooner or later, but I believe you, which will save me some energy.” Mei rolled her eyes at Ryan, slowly stood up, and gestured for Ryan to follow.

They were in the basement of the Firemoth headquarters. The area had long been hollowed out and was larger and more solid than any of the underground bunkers Ryan had ever seen. After the incident with the Fourth Herrscher, Firemoth had further expanded and reinforced it.

With a 100-meter-high rock layer overhead and fifteen alloy armor plates, it is said to be able to withstand even a Herrscher for 24 hours.

Ryan looked around with great interest. Powerful and influential people are all afraid of death, so they built such a solid underground fortress as their headquarters, as well as some special departments.

The research committee is here, and so is the deepest part of it, with the buzzing of machinery all around.

Is this part of a plan to expand an underground city?

"Yes, the top level will be opened up to form a huge underground cavern, which can be used as a refuge for civilians. At that time, the places you see will just become entrances." Mei explained as she walked, with only the 'clack-clack' of her high heels audible. She stomped her heels heavily a few more times.

"They will continue to excavate down here, and the final depth may reach 800 meters. At that time, various departments will be relocated to a deeper area. Well, just look at the pictures yourself."

Mei suddenly felt that explaining was a bit troublesome, so she simply threw the tablet over. As part of the 'Human Shelter Project', the Firemoth had poured a huge amount of money into it, and after San Diego was destroyed, it received an epic buff.

Ryan glanced at the design drawings and discovered that the underground had been excavated into an inverted triangular structure, with a cavity that could accommodate nearly a million people. Above it were 'fiber optic cables' that reflected sunlight into the ground, enough to allow humans to survive for a long time.

Then, the ground forces added various weapons to support the fleet and build a super fortress.

The third or fourth New Tokyo City?

Ryan had been wondering why he felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Upon closer inspection of the various leaders, he realized that most of them were from Wilvi. No wonder they disappeared excitedly upon returning to headquarters.

This guy really loves building houses.

The more he flipped through the pages, the more alarmed he became. This Fire-Chasing Moth was planning to stay underground for a long time. There were hundreds of sub-sections, such as food cultivation areas and identity recognition plans, which were so densely packed that Ryan couldn't possibly see them all.

"Didn't you object to this pointless investment? Herrschers do more than just physical attacks; the further they go, the more their authority becomes inexplicable by science."

"Then what should we use?" Mei asked earnestly.

“Metaphysics or theology.” Ryan spread his hands. Some Herrschers really can’t be explained by science, like Alicia.

Mei pondered for a moment, nodded, took off her glasses, and the iris detector on the wall scanned the door. As the hydraulic latch was released, the heavy door slowly opened.

"So, where are you taking me?" Ryan asked, frowning.

Mei turned around and raised her long eyebrows.

"Didn't you want to see the most precious trophies of the Fire Moth?"

The most precious loot?

Ryan hesitated for a moment, his pupils contracting slightly; he already knew what was inside.

The Herrscher's corpse and the core of his authority!

Chapter 127 The Herrscher's Core!

For years, the Fire Moths have been hunting down the First, Second, and Third Herrschers, and their corpses and cores are preserved deep underground.

Ryan hadn't expected his application to be approved; he only understood what May had meant.

The Herrscher Core is such a precious item that it should be stored in the safest place, so building a strong fortress is not a bad idea.

A steel corridor, multiple layers of half-meter-thick blast doors, and cameras all around—this is the heart of the Moth of Fire's headquarters, the safest place in the world.

He followed behind Mei, passing through one blast door after another, until they arrived at a large hall. On both sides were combat robots in a dormant state, and next to the innermost door stood several figures completely covered in heavy armor.

Fusion warriors? They've been sent to guard the gate so quickly.

Ryan sensed the presence of Honkai energy. There weren't many lower-level fusion warriors left, so only a few were sent to guard the place, which clearly indicated its importance.

May produced the documents, and the soldiers were confirming them using the wired phone on the wall, while Ryan watched coldly.

Their strength is still unknown, but their actions were decisive, clearly indicating that they were veterans carefully selected by the Fire Moth, whose combat experience is undoubtedly top-notch.

"Dr. May, Dr. Lane, you have thirty minutes to collect data. Please come in."

A soldier pressed his helmet to expose his eyes for an iris scan.

puff.

A hissing sound came as the door, several times thicker than a bank vault, slowly opened, and guards stood on either side like iron towers.

May led Ryan into a long, narrow corridor and asked casually, "What do you think of these fusion warriors?"

“They are much weaker than me, but if there are enough of them, they can still pose a threat.” Ryan had just observed carefully and came to the conclusion easily: “After they stop being human, they can be used in many ways. It’s like laying a foundation on which you can build whatever you want.”

"For example, even Sakura can't use that armor. If you can't control Honkai energy, the human body simply can't withstand the acceleration. And that large-caliber electromagnetic cannon, if I'm not mistaken, should require Honkai energy as its power source."

The combination of human evolution and technology is far more complex than a simple addition; it's akin to a mass-produced version of Ryan, of course, before acquiring authority.

Mei nodded slightly. The ability to control Honkai energy is the essential difference between living beings. In a sense, they are no longer human.

Faster, stronger, self-charging, and you can also enjoy the convenience brought by another technology tree.

"So how many can you take on?" she couldn't help but ask, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

“I’ve never tried this kind of novelty before, and combat isn’t as simple as looking at stats on paper. But under normal circumstances…” Ryan pondered for a moment and gave an answer: “Dozens shouldn’t be a problem.”

Dozens?

Mei's lips twitched slightly. She realized she had underestimated Ryan, who was the pinnacle of human biology and engineering, but she didn't argue.

Human beings are so different that even among lower-level fusion warriors, some may mutate or go insane. Those who can fuse with higher-level Honkai Beast factors are extremely rare.

Fate is just so unfair.

She silently opened the innermost door. The room was not large, like Möbius's laboratory, with several glass jars containing three corpses floating inside.

The Herald's corpse.

He had seen the white-haired girl, the Herrscher of Thunder, before. The other two were a man and a woman. The man looked like a refined young man with short black hair, and information could be found on the information terminal next to him.

"Damino, a third-year student in the Faculty of Arts at Jianbei University, disappeared in 94 and later became the First Herrscher, officially named the Herrscher of Reason..."

Ryan read it aloud softly. What followed was an introduction to his abilities and his 'great achievements': he had destroyed more than a dozen towns, and the Fire Moth had used thousands of lives to kill him.

"The Honkai energy limit reaction is 1500hw, which is not weak as a test subject."

The previous civilization wasn't so lucky. This Damino didn't join the human camp like Walter, who liked doing sit-ups. Without saying a word, he simply spread destruction in the most calm way.

“His ability to construct understanding is very taxing. The Fire Moth learned tactics from him, trying to exhaust the Herrscher's Honkai energy in order to inflict substantial damage.” Mei quietly walked over.

"Heh, and now the Herrscher can escape. Aside from the Fusion Warrior, no one can hold her back, and besides, the Herrscher of Reason is a liberal arts student." Ryan shrugged, his hand pausing as he scrolled the screen. "Wait, is this guy Damian's older brother?"

“Damian? Oh, you mean him.” May remembered that unassuming colleague and casually said, “He has now joined the Firemoth and is in charge of special research for the council, reporting directly to the Chief of Staff.”

This guy actually survived the sea?

Ryan was somewhat surprised, but after hearing May's words, he came to his senses: "So it was him who performed those fusion surgeries. No wonder a Punishment Sword squad suddenly appeared."

“It’s just copying Möbius’s research report. Take a look at this.” Möbius didn’t take it to heart and walked to the second glass jar.

Ryan glanced at the information again, feeling that it was somewhat coincidental, but lacking evidence, he couldn't doubt anything, so he followed.

Inside the glass jar is a blonde little girl who looks to be in her early teens, but according to the records, she is much more destructive.

"Lin, whose vessel is an orphan, appeared in a villa in the northern snowfields in 96, and has been confirmed as the Herrscher of the Void..."

Behind her lay a vast number of destroyed towns, and several defensive perimeters of the Fire Moth were breached. If it weren't for Alicia, she would have already stormed into the densely populated areas of Shenzhou.

Compared to the First Herrscher, the Fire Moth could only barely defeat her, and the intelligence department also obtained some clues.

"The Herrscher is filled with hatred for humanity, which is in stark contrast to the indifference of the First Herrscher. According to the subsequent investigation, it is speculated that this was caused by the experience of the Herrscher's vessel."

Ryan scrolled down and saw some explicit and violent photos in the luxury villa, and his eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.

"This villa..."

"In the materials, it's called 'Paradise.' Would you like to see the related videos?" Mei asked expressionlessly.

"Forget it, I've always known how low the human limit is." Ryan waved his hand, appearing somewhat silent.

If he were to switch places with this girl, perhaps his position would change. It is because he enjoys the pleasures of being human that he has the desire to live. If he were to become the girl in the photo, his fate would only be destruction.

Having personally dealt with the Third Herrscher, Ryan lost interest in watching. He glanced at Mei, who nodded slightly and walked to the cone-shaped cabinet on the other side. After entering the password, several small boxes popped out.

Three gems of different colors lay quietly inside. Mei glanced at the man beside her and caught a fleeting glimpse of desire in him.

"The Divine Key project has entered the trial phase. The council has approved my use of it. Could you please retrieve it for me?"

"Okay." With the food already at his lips, Ryan put on his gloves and immediately reached for it. Upon touching it, his eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.

There was no change; it was truly like a stone, impossible to analyze.

Ryan pursed his lips and increased the pressure, but still received no response.

That's strange. I didn't see that strange scene, nor did I dream about it.

His heart sank, and his brain started working rapidly.

First, I can only obtain one kind of authority.

Secondly, touching the bell only has an effect before the Herrscher dies.

Within ten seconds, he had analyzed all the conditions and clues one by one and felt that the second possibility was the most likely.

'The cores of Herrschers from previous civilizations cannot be transplanted because they lose their activity upon the death of a Herrscher and can only be used to make weapons. This is equivalent to the account being completely frozen, meaning it cannot be logged in from a different location.'

"How is it?" Mei suddenly asked, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"It's just an inanimate object; turning it into a Divine Key is the best way to make use of it."

"Really?"

"What did I lie to you for?"

May's face darkened slightly, and she could see some disappointment. Although Ryan had never admitted it, she had guessed some clues.

It doesn't seem like a cover-up. It's a pity that all five major plans and 127 adjustments have been wasted.

"Sigh, there really is no shortcut. The Fire Moth has also studied these things, and there are some secrets that even I don't know. Some people inside have an extraordinary obsession with the Herrscher."

Those people inside probably refer to the faith faction, a bunch of lunatics and daredevils. I wonder what they can possibly research into these things.

“Keep an eye on those people; they’re even more troublesome than the surrender faction.”