I am a hero of the former civilization.

"It's still a long way off. Strategy can only make the losses less severe and the war simpler. The key is still strength. At least make the Honkai feel that they have the advantage, so that they won't overturn the table."

Ryan smiled. Everything he did was to prevent the difficulty from increasing too suddenly and to allow enough time for development. Otherwise, the next one would definitely be the Herrscher of Binding.

The longer the game goes on, the higher his win rate becomes. He's afraid of collapsing and flipping the table, so he figured out the characteristics that He likes to target.

"The Honkai is not a god, it has no self-awareness or emotions, and destruction is just a means rather than an end. It will only adjust according to the current situation." Ryan stood up and paced in the center of the large office.

“Mei, have you noticed that their acceptance by the Herrschers might not be just based on their combat strength?”

“There are indeed questions. Do you think this involves the goal of the Honkai?” Mei stroked her chin. She had long felt that simple destruction made no sense.

"Yes, perhaps the fundamental purpose of the Honkai is not to destroy civilization. Even if it is constrained by the development of civilization, it would not last long enough to destroy humanity in our time."

"But could it also be a game played by the gods?"

"It's possible, but it doesn't matter anymore. Whatever His purpose may be, whether it's good or bad, we've come this far."

The automatic door opened, and Ryan stood in the doorway, turning around to clench his fist tightly.

"We have no choice but to cross over Him!"

Mei stood there, stunned, with a desire to get Ryan to clarify the matter. Understanding the nature of Honkai had always been her most important research topic.

A moment later, she turned her head and glanced at the thick stack of documents on the table.

That bastard is slacking off again!

Chapter 279 Now I am the rule!

Ryan stood with his hands in his pockets, staring indifferently ahead. When he saw a pretty clerk passing by standing at attention and saluting, he gave her a slight nod as a greeting, and then walked away with longing in his eyes.

Putting aside other factors, just in terms of appearance, he is much more handsome than Karius. If it weren't for his terrifying strength and the influence of Aponia's discipline, someone like him who is still a 'young man' would be at most a branch combat director.

But it doesn't matter now. He took office legally and legitimately, entirely through 'democracy'. After May calmed down the aftermath and no member of parliament turned against him, his position became more and more secure.

"But if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to sit in this position. Being a thorn in someone's side is a terrible feeling."

Ryan moved faster and faster, and aside from the title, he really didn't want to take on the role of commander-in-chief.

The high-EQ approach emphasizes pioneering spirit, suggesting that one shouldn't spend every day surrounded by documents and remain stagnant; while the low-EQ approach has a more straightforward approach:

Signing documents and attending meetings every day is so boring. He might as well work as Mebius's assistant; at least he could at least entertain that woman.

'And I don't want to become too rational, like a robot deciding the life and death of millions.'

Ryan sighed. He had originally intended for May to be the commander-in-chief, but changed his mind after what happened with Kalis.

Mei couldn't use her power to suppress the thousands of employees of the Fire Moth, nor could she achieve her goal of 'provocative'. With me around, she was indeed not qualified.

"Didn't you come here to kill me? I am now the banner of humanity's resistance against the Honkai. Your killing intent must be even stronger now. Killing me is equivalent to destroying human civilization. Under this premise, your plans will change."

Ryan suddenly felt great, having incurred the hatred of all humanity. He could say that all the cities in the world combined were no match for this underground fortress, so there was no need for him to go to such lengths to destroy everything around.

As for what the Honkai wants to do, Ryan isn't entirely sure. He only vaguely remembers that it wants to guide humanity to embrace the Honkai. As far as this is concerned, the plan to solidify seems to have already begun.

Previously, humanity was not united, but was irreconcilably opposed to the Honkai. Now, isn't there a group of people choosing to embrace it?

"So, you've gained quite a bit?" Ryan glanced at the ceiling above his head, then smiled irritably.

It didn't matter what the Honkai wanted to do; they were a thorn in his side anyway. So, Ryan had a selfish idea for this operation that he didn't tell anyone:

He feared he posed too great a threat, so the Honkai adopted a more conciliatory approach. After all, not everyone is so fixated on the concept of 'humanity.' Take the Stigmata Project, for example. If there's really no hope, becoming another kind of life form might not be so bad, right?

That would be very awkward for me. Humans can live, but I will die. I might as well tie everyone to the war chariot beforehand.

Ding--

The elevator doors opened, and a white-haired young man stood at the elevator entrance, looking surprised when he saw Ryan.

"Kevin, aren't you going to give a salute?"

"Go to hell, who wants to salute you?" Kevin rolled his eyes, then said resentfully, "Look at the mess you've made, you bastard! May has spent more time with you than with me!"

His words stunned Ryan, who, as a warrior of pure love, felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh, well, just consider this revenge for the dog food I ate back in school."

"Get lost! Who told you to eat dog food? Besides, I'm the one who's envious of you right now, okay?"

"What do I have to envy?"

You fucking...

I have a beautiful flower, but you have a garden. How can I not be envious?

Kevin hesitated to speak, realizing that all the flowers had thorns and were more difficult to handle than the last, which made him less envious.

As Ryan watched his old classmate's expressions change, he suddenly felt guilty, as if he were some kind of heartless capitalist who made a young girl screw in screws in a factory every day, tearing a couple apart.

"How about... I give Mei a day off?"

"At least you have some conscience. But let it go. Mei is getting closer and closer to her ideal, and she's in high spirits every day. I'm happy for her too. I can't let everyone's interests be harmed because of my personal resentment."

“I’m going to make sure everyone in the Firemoth learns this awareness.” Ryan immediately gave a thumbs up. Kevin’s life hasn’t been particularly bitter or tragic, but some things will never change.

"Get lost, stop flattering me. But Ryan." Kevin stepped into the elevator, turned his head slightly, revealing only a serious profile. "Your appearance this time has given me some hope. I hope it will have a good outcome in the end."

Ding.

Before he could answer, the elevator doors closed, leaving Ryan standing there speechless for a long time before finally shrugging.

This paramecium has grown up too, and actually saw through the essence of the whole incident.

Putting aside Ryan's ulterior motives, the significance of his doing this was for only one thing:

If we can't win by creating the best platform to fight against the Honkai, then the extinction of humanity is inevitable.

Well, it's all about human effort.

Ryan didn't think too much about it. Anyway, he had plenty of backup plans. If all else failed, he could stay with the Honkai for another 50,000 years. After traveling for tens of thousands of years, he would either die or become a Star God.

He continued deeper into the corridor, which was empty. Occasionally, he could see a few of May's assistants. Due to the combat capabilities, the administrative district no longer needed heavy guards. If someone could kill Ryan, no amount of manpower would be of any use.

The quietness actually made Ryan very comfortable. As a seasoned schemer, he didn't like being watched all the time, and he disliked being surrounded by people.

As he walked past the corner, he paused, bumping right into Sakura.

The girl hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should bow, but fortunately Ryan resolved the problem for her.

"Alright, the chief commander is only responsible for external affairs; the relationship between us hasn't changed."

"Like a small group?"

"Yes, I can't handle the Honkai alone. Just like this time, without you guys, the plan wouldn't even be possible."

Ryan wasn't exactly being modest; he was just stating the facts. He was strong, but not strong enough to crush everything, whether it was Kevin who blocked the Herrscher, or Sakura who fought her way into the council, or of course, Aponia who launched the decisive blow.

It took the combined efforts of everyone to get him to this position.

"Then I'm relieved." Sakura smiled gently, then asked with a hint of doubt, "But the Commander-in-Chief must be very busy, right? Why are you wandering around like this?"

Ryan's eyes twitched, and he waved his hand casually: "Who said you're busy? The so-called chief of staff is just a mascot; he doesn't have to do any work himself."

Sakura didn't quite understand, but she was greatly shocked: "So that's how it is! No wonder everyone wants to be the chief of staff. It's a position with a lot of power, and you don't have to do anything."

"Power? Do I look like someone who has been corrupted by power?"

“Alice said that’s not necessarily true. Many important people will assign themselves female secretaries as soon as they take office.”

"That pink-haired fat woman dares to slander me!"

The two chuckled softly as they walked side by side down the empty, spacious corridor. Sakura was, of course, joking. If this man were truly obsessed with power, he would have already reached the pinnacle of humanity. Why would he care about some kind of moth chasing a flame?

Power, like strength, will only be held tightly in one's hands if it is useful.

Along the way, Ryan asked a few questions and learned that many fusion warriors had been sent to various places to take over, and the branches were frequently being reorganized. The reconstruction of New York had also begun under the leadership of Wilvie.

This time, not only underground, but also above ground will be transformed into a super fortress, and Ryan's demolition activities have actually been a great help.

"May intended to make this place her last stronghold, and the cities she voluntarily relinquished were thus spared destruction."

"Well, if there's no one around, the Honkai Beasts won't be interested in those cities. If they defeat the Honkai in the future, they won't bother rebuilding them."

“That depends on the destructive power of the Herrscher of the End.” Ryan muttered, then asked, “What about Alicia and Mebius? I hope they’re not bored out of their minds these days.”

"No, they're both busy. Dr. Mebius has restarted the research department and is currently dissecting the corpses of the poisonous pupae to figure out why these people are working with the Herrschers," Sakura replied confidently, proving to be reliable.

"Ellie locked herself in her room and said she had an inspiration and was going to come up with a good suggestion."

Alicia's inspiration?

Ryan immediately sensed something was wrong. This fairy had already created the Thirteen Heroes of Fire in the original timeline, and now she clearly had even more room to maneuver. Who knew what she was going to do next?

She seems to have a particular fondness for things like superhero teams.

"Let her be. Alicia must be in a good mood lately."

"why?"

"After all, she deeply loves humanity. That ambiguous relationship between enemies and friends was the most painful for her."

Ryan quickened his pace, while Sakura watched his retreating figure and nodded thoughtfully.

“Ryan, I’d like to take the bell when I have some free time.”

"Sure, if the timing is right, I'll go with you. I promised last time."

Hey.

Sakura stopped abruptly, looking at Ryan with disbelief. She had assumed that Ryan, as the commander-in-chief, would be extremely busy, or even if he had nothing to do, he wouldn't be running around everywhere.

Then she realized that Ryan's statement that things were the same as before was not meant to comfort her.

"I am not the kind of person who stands still. I hate being stuck in one place. If it means building a cage for myself for the sake of humanity, I would never even consider taking on that responsibility."

Ryan turned around and explained calmly that his words were not as virtuous and righteous as the propaganda portrayed, but they were true.

"But can you really get away with slacking off like this?" Sakura asked in a low voice, her eyes still filled with doubt. "Don't force yourself. It's against the rules."

“Who said we’re slacking off? This is called reconnaissance or leading the charge. As for the rules?” Ryan glanced at the quiet corridor.

The steel landscape is somewhat monotonous, but the murals on the walls are all treasures, 'borrowed' from major museums by the Moths of the Flame in the name of preserving human cultural heritage.

Regardless of who they belonged to before, in the future—

"Sakura, I am the rule now."