I am a hero of the former civilization.

"What's the reason?"

Coleman didn't mention Ryan's ambiguous attitude when he left, only shaking his head and saying, "There's no reason. It was just an intelligence officer's intuition. Besides, Dr. Ryan didn't leave any evidence. Intuition can't be used to convict someone."

What a powerful intuition that cannot lead to conviction.

Kalis shook his head with a wry smile and said with a sigh, "Yes, someone like him needs irrefutable evidence to be brought to trial. Even though the Peninsula branch just cried to me, there's nothing they can do about him."

He tossed the report in his hand. How could he possibly question Ryan based solely on the lightning strike? Otherwise, with so many people around the world dying from lightning strikes, wouldn't he have become a murderous monster?

Even colluding with the rebels was useless; a simple "Nobody told me she was a rebel" was enough to perfectly deflect blame. Now, the Peninsula branch can only observe from afar.

Coleman looked back and forth, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction.

Even such high-ranking figures can suffer setbacks.

Chapter 218 Padofelis

"is it him?"

Coleman had left, and in the quiet room, Karius crossed his legs and finally spoke for the first time after listening to the lengthy questions.

“I don’t know. He did it too perfectly. No one could find fault with it, unless… he was forcibly arrested and tortured.”

"Don't make such time-wasting jokes. If it were really possible to do that, would those councilors be idiots and watch him break the rules?" The chief of staff adjusted his posture, and his face darkened.

His face was slapped hard. Does having power mean you can do whatever you want? If other high-ranking fusion warriors follow suit, what's the point of having the Fire Chaser Council and him as the commander-in-chief?

Can't you just be a knife and do your job honestly? Your mission is to save humanity, you don't have to think about anything else, just offer your flesh and blood to humanity.

“To be honest, I have no idea what this doctor is trying to do.” Kalis sat down in Coleman’s seat, completely uninhibited, and crossed his legs as well. “He’s still on the peninsula. He just took care of a slave trader, and the peninsula branch is trying to figure out how to give him a bounty. It’s ridiculous.”

"So what do you think he wants to do?"

"A warning, telling everyone that what he wants to investigate must be revealed, and whoever he wants to kill must die. Even if he does that, he can stay within the Firemoth as long as he wants."

Karius's cheek twitched almost imperceptibly, and after a long pause, he replied in a muffled voice, "That sounds arrogant."

“I think the pride of the strong is more appropriate. Dr. Ryan is much more normal than Miss Alicia.” Kalis smiled silently and spread his hands: “It’s a pity there is only one Miss Alicia. Between the greater good and personal interests, most people will choose the latter.”

"Furthermore, this is also a warning. No one knows how many trump cards he holds besides those he's known for, which is even more terrifying."

He now actually hoped that the black monster was Ryan; one person's strength was better than a group of people hiding in the shadows.

"So we can't do anything about him?" The commander also found it unbelievable. These high-ranking fusion warriors weren't like cabbages. The council had to rely on inhumane experiments to produce a batch of them, so how come they kept coming in?

"There aren't many options, but I think it's always good to strengthen our capabilities, at least to be able to protect ourselves."

“Then increase the investment. After his unbridled disturbance, the parliament will definitely increase the budget. Tell Dr. Damian to go all out and do it. I just want results.”

This meant even more horrific deaths, yet Kalis did not object. At least from the perspective of the Firemoth's leadership, they also needed to increase their hand.

Whether it's fighting against the Herrscher or against Ryan, neither side is willing to be swept into the dustbin of history.

“Understood, I will lift the restrictions on him right away.” Kalis nodded slightly and said, “Besides, his stay on the peninsula is very problematic. With his intelligence, why would he waste so much time chasing after vague answers?”

"So you think he's hiding his true intentions?"

"It is obvious that whether this advantage will work depends on your determination."

The lounge fell into a deathly silence. Various expressions appeared on the chief's face, making him look conflicted and struggling. After a long while, his expression finally calmed down.

"Go ahead and do it, but remember to be discreet."

Kalis finally smiled, slowly rose, and gave an elegant bow.

"As you wish."

......

"This is Twilight Street?"

Ryan landed on a small hill and looked up at a town nestled between mountains and the sea, discovering that it covered a large area, filling several valleys.

It was dusk, and the golden sunlight shone down, bathing the buildings in a sense of elegance and tranquility. However, the buildings here were unplanned, mostly shantytowns and small buildings, making them look somewhat chaotic.

Dusk City, or perhaps more accurately, Vice City, was known for its lawlessness even before the Herrscher appeared, thanks to its geographical location.

This place is a gathering place for villains from all over the world. They conduct all kinds of business in this lawless land. It is a transit point for human trafficking in Eastern Europe and an important node for flour exports to Western Europe.

After the third collapse, business reached a peak, but now that humanity's territory is shrinking, it has begun to slowly decline again.

"As expected, this is a place of outstanding people and abundant resources. It's like a more powerful version of Snow Prison Town. I think I can see the trajectory of the electromagnetic cannon firing."

Ryan didn't like this chaotic place, and the people here were too hospitable. After observing from the hilltop for a while, more than a dozen thugs lay dead beside him.

Each neck was snapped. Ryan had no habit of showing mercy; if he did, it only meant the other person was very useful.

“The Fire Moths must be monitoring this; let’s see if this is within the normal range.” Ryan stroked his chin. The line between normal and abnormal is easy to judge: it’s whether there are any high-ranking fusion warriors.

"First, find out if they have made contact with the Herrscher. Without the power of the wind, I cannot cross half the earth in a short time. Second, find the remaining three heroes and complete the puzzle."

Ryan's goal was clear, and he had made ample preparations for it.

Amidst a pile of corpses, he pulled out a silver-white briefcase, which Sakura had brought from the Mu Continent; the contents inside were quite simple.

Another mirage system and optical container.

Ryan didn't waste any time. He put the hood on his head and injected Honkai to make the built-in chip work. Then he saw a holographic panel.

"Start capturing data. Please keep recalling the appearance you want to change. Wow, it's actually capturing brainwaves to shape the face?" Ryan was immediately shocked. This technology had exceeded his imagination. No wonder he was called a magician.

Science has indeed brought convenience, saving Ryan a lot of trouble. As for who to smear, he already has an idea.

His black hair was stretched to his shoulders and became slightly curly. His pupils turned red, and his sharp facial features softened, giving him a more feminine look. His figure also became thinner.

He picked up the broken glass from the ground, examined his simulated appearance, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad, they do look somewhat similar."

This is the adult version of 'Adam', with a more androgynous charm than his little girl appearance. His clothing hasn't changed much, with a white turtleneck sweater and gray jeans, still making it difficult to tell if he's male or female.

'This certainly doesn't count as cross-dressing, because Adam was originally a man.'

Ryan didn't have any malicious intent; he just felt that this way, he could instantly identify the enemy from their shock, since only a very few people had ever seen this appearance, making it easier to pique their interest.

Imagine a pseudo-Herrscher who should have died suddenly coming back to life and even appearing in Twilight Street. Wouldn't a normal person test him out?

'Only I know about the pseudo-Herrscher's death, and he didn't have a Herrscher core; even a true Herrscher couldn't tell. Hmm? It feels like my current state is that of a pseudo-Herrscher.'

Ryan paused, realizing a blind spot, but quickly realized that the essence was different.

Fortunately, my imaginary energy comes from destiny and has nothing to do with the Honkai.

He refocused his attention, hesitated for a moment, and began to walk down the mountain, taking in the surroundings as he went.

The road was full of potholes, and the cramped little house was pitch black, yet one could sense malevolent gazes emanating from that darkness, as if being spied upon by many.

Ryan's appearance, as projected by the simulator, was indeed not very dangerous, even somewhat frail. His clothes were also quite clean, making him look like a poor sheep that had accidentally fallen into the cage of a wild beast.

Ryan was too lazy to act and just kept walking forward. He felt that there were more and more of these gazes on him, which made him urge him on.

"Hurry up and deal with me! If you keep going on this killing spree, word will soon reach some people's ears."

He had already made up his mind. He wasn't interested in self-inflicted injury or pretending to be weak to take advantage of others. As long as these people made a move, he would cut them to pieces with his shadow. Such a contrasting 'girl' would definitely attract the interest of some people.

Hey.

The bumpy road was finally blocked by several burly men wearing vests and carrying pistols, who stood in front of him like a wall, making Ryan, who was just over 1.6 meters tall, look even weaker and more helpless.

After observing for a full twenty minutes, the thugs on Dusk Street were quite cautious.

Ryan gave a good assessment, only staring indifferently at the other party: "What is it?"

The voice sounded exceptionally clear and crisp thanks to the voice changer.

"Little sister, where are you from? Where are your family? We can take you to find them." The man with the pompadour was very cautious, as if he was afraid that the other party was the mistress of some important person.

Such high-quality goods are rarely seen on the street.

“I’m just here on Twilight Street to take care of some business, so there’s no need to trouble you.” Ryan’s tone remained unchanged.

A lone person on Dusk Street? Is this a novice from out of town? But even a novice wouldn't tell the truth, would they?

The men were not pleased but rather stunned, feeling that the other party was strange. Just as they were about to exchange a few words in hushed tones, they saw the little girl walk over and brush past them.

"Hey, did I say you could leave?"

The man turned to grab it, but he didn't see the dark shadow at his feet come to life and move, forming a thin and sharp black knife.

First, cut off their hands, then cut them in half at the waist; finish them off in a second.

Ryan had already planned the fate of the group, but at that moment, the raised blade suddenly stopped, because a person jumped down from the roof next to them and landed right in the middle of the two sides.

She had brown hair and a petite figure. Perhaps unintentionally, her green-blue eyes showed some surprise as she looked around and blinked repeatedly.

Uh... I think I accidentally ruined someone's good time?

Because the girl landed so precisely, it looked like she was making a righteous intervention.

The burly men pulled out machetes and pistols, staring coldly at each other.

"Padofelis, what do you mean by this?"

Chapter 219 Pado's European and African Duality

A gentle breeze stirred up dust, and on the bumpy road, the two sides seemed to be in a standoff. Inside the shanty, those who had been spying had quietly hidden behind cover.

To survive in Twilight Street, one must learn to be greedy and restrained. When it's time to be greedy, one must risk one's life; when it's time to be careful, one must honestly hide oneself.

The girl named Padofelis crouched on the ground, turned her head to look at the slender back, then at the men who had drawn their guns, and cold sweat broke out on her back.

Did I mess up someone else's business?

She knew these burly men and understood what they did: not only trafficked people, but also harvested human organs, and incidentally acted as intelligence brokers.

"I was just passing by. I was sleeping too soundly during my afternoon nap, and my head was still foggy. I didn't see anyone here when I landed."

The girl cried out that she was wronged, saying that she should not have stayed up all night to scout the location yesterday. But if she told the truth, would he believe her?

Padofelis's mouth moved slightly, and the thug released the safety on his pistol.

"Your shipments shouldn't include people, right? What, planning to change careers?"

I don't know her at all, okay? Goods, right?