I am a hero of the former civilization.

The shelter stored a huge amount of supplies, essentially serving as humanity's central warehouse. After Andevich's disappearance, the Firemoth naturally wanted to change its management, but this time the shelter refused.

Normally, the parliamentary signature can be placed later, which is equivalent to colleagues doing each other a favor, but this time they insisted on seeing the signature first.

Gradual pressure—that's the role of Andevich. If that doesn't work, the Far East Branch will start to go wrong, creating a sense of panic on the other side that the moth drawn to the flame is about to split apart.

The two went to a lounge, where Sakura quickly made a cup of tea and then took out some documents.

"Kevin was transferred to South Africa, Hen and Hua were transferred to the Middle East branch, and Vilvi was also transferred to Northern Europe. Everyone had different reasons."

"Yes, it's normal procedure. By the way, you've already contacted them, haven't you?"

“I’ve already tried to persuade them. Except for Kevin, who is a bit difficult, the others have all agreed not to act rashly. This is a rare opportunity, and we can’t scare them away.”

“That’s right, I spent several months getting this opportunity, and I can’t let it go to waste because of a moment of passion.” Ryan took a sip of tea, his expression remaining indifferent.

He understood Kevin's anxiety and Hua's worries, but at this moment, he had to remain calm and not act impulsively, because Ryan's plan was actually quite simple:

To get those secretive councilors together, or at least most of them, and then control them with Aponia's 'commandments,' once this highest authority is secured, the rest will be much easier.

Moths that chase fire will not split or fight amongst themselves; none of them will rebel.

This simple plan was difficult to execute, but fortunately, no one but him could guess it, not even Mei. Who knew that a nun possessed such earth-shattering abilities?

The door opened, and Ryan turned his head to see Mebius walking in with his hands in his pockets.

"Where's Alicia?"

"She went to chat with that group of people. What, want to talk to her?"

Ryan really wanted to have a chat with Alicia, at least to find out why she had come all this way, but seeing Mebius's expression, he shook his head in disapproval.

"What to talk to her about? Now is not the time to discuss these things."

"That's more like it. I thought you'd forgotten about the important matter."

“I always prioritize business. Since you and Sakura are both here, I’ll give you a brief overview.” Ryan picked up his teacup, remained silent for a while, considering his words, and finally spoke after several minutes:

"The objective of this operation is very simple. Once all the councilors are present, I will make my move, go directly to the main venue, and have tea and a chat with them."

As soon as she finished speaking, Sakura and Mebius both looked dazed, as if they hadn't understood.

"Wait a minute! Everyone's prepared to die for you, risking eternal infamy, and you're just... this trivial matter?"

"What do you mean by 'this trivial matter'? Just getting into the main venue is difficult enough, okay? The enemy will definitely be on guard. Don't rush me, let me finish." Ryan waved her hand to quiet her down, and then continued:

"Talking big won't work, threats of force won't work either, and there's no such thing as integrity."

"Then why are you still going to chat?"

“It’s not just me, Aponia has to go in too. As long as she’s human, no one will refuse her request.”

Aponia? That nun?

Mebius immediately thought of Aponia; just moments ago, she had compared their figures, and the result had astonished and amazed her.

She wasn't completely out of her mind; she felt there must be some truth to what Ryan was saying.

Are you sure you want to bet on her?

“There is no better way than this. It would be too troublesome to find those members of parliament one by one. I don’t have time to play hide-and-seek with them.”

"Alright, since you're so sure, I won't ask any more questions. Let's just assume that Aponia can turn the tables. What do you need me to do?"

"I will arrange a super transformation surgery for her. Her current power is not enough. She must become fully transformed before I can be confident."

"Wait a minute, you should know that the success rate of the super-transformation surgery is not high, right? What if she dies during the surgery?"

That's why I came here specifically to find you.

Mebius was speechless, and his eyes showed a hint of doubt. How could something happen at the last minute without fulfilling the prerequisites?

However, seeing Ryan's determined look, she didn't want to discourage him.

"Okay, I'll prioritize the option with the highest success rate, and then what?"

"Then Sakura helped bring Aponia inside."

“That’s no problem, but the headquarters has gathered a large number of troops, making it extremely difficult.” The fox-eared girl replied quietly. According to the recent decline, most of the high-ranking fusion warriors have gone to the headquarters, along with an unknown number of poisonous pupae.

"I'll act as bait to deal with their attack. I've already come up with an excuse. We'll let our strength speak for itself."

"Should we ask Alicia and that Thousand Calamity for help?"

“It depends on Alicia’s personal opinion. As for Qianjie, he doesn’t know how to control his strength. We need to find him a worthy opponent to kill.”

In other words, you're going to try to conquer the challenge alone?

Sakura's pupils contracted, and she blurted out, "Ryan, that's impossible! Don't forget the Herrscher is also watching us!"

She knew Ryan was strong, but two fists can't fight four hands; it was too arrogant for him to take on nearly half of the Fire Moths by himself.

“Yes, there are at least ten high-level fusion warriors, as well as a large number of defensive facilities and troops. Do you really think you’re made of iron?” Mebius frowned, without a trace of sarcasm. “No, absolutely not. You’re gambling.”

"Dealing with Honkai is a gamble, an all-in every time, and you can't afford to lose even once. We can only do our best. For example, if Aponia dies in surgery, I lose out immediately."

Ryan looked at the two of them with a cold, confident gaze.

"But even so, I'm willing to risk my life to take this gamble."

Chapter 263 said no more lewdness!

Ryan is heading towards becoming an idealist; in the current situation, probability is of little use, and even the slightest mistake can lead to total defeat.

Screw science, forget about everything, just gamble.

"Hey, Ryan's become a fool too, that's really comforting."

Alicia stood outside the lab and saw Aponia being wheeled into the operating room, where Mebius, wearing a mask, was examining cells and adjusting machines.

Without hesitation, they quickly ate dinner and began the surgery. Aponia's compliance was surprising; she did not refuse or hesitate before agreeing to go to the operating table.

"What do you mean I've become an idiot? If I wasn't confident, would I dare send Aponia to her death?" Ryan said with dissatisfaction, and what was with the "gratified" part?

With Mebius personally performing the procedure, the success rate was naturally much higher than injecting the super-mutant factor. Even so, he was still uneasy and specifically reminded everyone to prioritize the success rate over the intensity.

Aponia's abilities are not inherited from Honkai Beasts at all. According to Ryan's speculation, Discipline and Foresight are bound to Honkai Energy.

“But Ryan, you’re really popular with girls! Aponia didn’t hesitate to take the risk!” Alicia’s eyes sparkled.

"It's somewhat related. She's not as stubborn as some people; she'll just say what she wants directly."

"Wow, you confessed so quickly?"

"It has nothing to do with that, they just want to get something from me." Ryan gritted his teeth, feeling that continuing this topic would give him high blood pressure, so he simply changed the subject, "And what's up with you? Why did you suddenly show up here?"

"I missed you, of course I had to come see you!"

Ryan wouldn't have believed a single punctuation mark of this answer from anyone else, but with Ellie, he believed it without hesitation.

Ellie is a girl who can't read the room, but that's fine too. She turned a terrible rebellion into a lighthearted comedy, which is quite a skill, I must say.

Despite her lack of social awareness, Alicia wasn't stupid. She smiled and asked, "Aren't you touched? You can just say thank you!"

"It's not so much about being moved, the key is what you're going to do."

"Hmph, what does Ryan want me to do?"

This really stumped him, so he turned his head to look at Alicia's stunning profile, and was momentarily dazed.

What do I want Alicia to do?

He hasn't even thought about this question yet: how about starting a revolution together and changing the world?

Perhaps if I asked her, Alicia would actually agree, but Ryan asked himself honestly, and it seemed like he never had that expectation. So why was he so happy when she came?

Ryan had no answer, and seemed pleased with the sense of recognition. So what am I expecting?

His thoughts wandered, and after a long pause, he finally uttered, "I hope you do what you want to do."

It was a bit of a mouthful, but the meaning was conveyed. Alicia continued to look ahead, a beautiful smile curving her lips.

"Ryan, you're so kind. But I haven't decided what I want to do yet. Do you have any suggestions?"

She didn't know why she came; she just wanted to come, so she came. From beginning to end, she never asked Ryan what his plans were or what goals he wanted to achieve.

"Perhaps it's because I believe in your decisions, that I'm sure they will create a better future."

"It's that simple?"

"Hmm, do you perhaps think I'm a complicated person?"

"Of course not, you're more naive than I've ever seen."

"Fine, you dare call me stupid!" Alicia turned her head angrily, looked at Ryan's faint smile, and then 'pfft' laughed first.

"Me too, Ryan. Just do what you want to do, I'll support you. Even if it ends up being a terrible result, if it ends up being a good one, I can grant you one request~~"

The way you're saying this makes it sound like if I fail and become a traitor, you'll rebel along with me.

Ryan considered the worst-case scenario and thought that Alicia was really determined, but he didn't ask. He just took it as a small expectation. At least he had her intention, and he didn't have many worries.

As for what kind of reward, he hadn't even thought about it.

No one spoke; they enjoyed the tranquility of the moment.

Ryan tilted his head, admiring the girl's profile, and gradually, his pupils froze slightly.

Forgetting all those unpleasant things, he then noticed that Alicia's ears had changed; they were now pointed, like those of an elf, and he couldn't help but reach out to touch them.

Alicia watched the operating room with great interest, wondering why Ryan hadn't spoken, when suddenly—

"ah!!"

Her ears twitched, and then the sensation spread all over her body, as if every hair on her body stood on end. The pink fairy instantly jumped several meters away, then looked at Ryan with a flushed face.

Huh? Such a strong reaction?

Ryan maintained his outstretched hand gesture, gazing at the embarrassed and angry girl. In that instant, he ended the debate from his previous life about whether Alicia had undergone super-transformation surgery.

These ears are real; they react even more strongly than Sakura's.

"Uh, I was just curious." He withdrew his right hand and casually wiped his hair.

"You need to give me some time to prepare before you're curious, that's not very gentlemanly of you." Alicia lectured, wagging her index finger, a blush still lingering on her face, before giving her a strange look.

"What are you looking at me for?"