I am a hero of the former civilization.

Alicia landed silently on the ground, twirled gracefully, lifted her skirt, and curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander-in-Chief."

Ryan's gaze instinctively followed the movement, and when he saw the sly smile and the pretentious curtsy, he couldn't help but look away slightly.

"Stop making fun of me, Alicia, and you seem quite happy?"

"Of course I'm happy. I feel so relaxed right away. There are so many things I couldn't do before that I don't have to anymore."

"Even without the Fire Chasing Council, there's still Mei. She won't allow you to act recklessly."

Alicia pouted, then confidently put her hands on her hips: "Hmph, no one can stop Super Alicia's persistent pleading!"

"Alright, Mei can't do anything with you, she just keeps passing the buck to me."

Alicia lunged forward in an instant, gently taking Ryan's hand and blinking repeatedly.

"Will my dearest Mr. Ryan stop me?"

Ryan was speechless. Alicia was truly irresistible, so he nodded sullenly.

"Okay, come with me quickly, there's something I need to discuss with you."

Ryan was dragged into the air and realized something: even if he really wanted to act like a big shot, Alicia could break his defenses in no time.

Given her personality, how could she possibly be swayed by status?

The two leaped out of the building, flew over the still-under-construction urban area, and faced the reflected golden sunlight, creating a scene with a touch of romance.

"Wait a minute, how did you know I was awake?"

"Hehe, Ryan and I are on the same page, we've been waiting for you for a long time."

Ryan was stunned. He turned his head and saw that the girl's eyes were full of enthusiasm. She was obviously in high spirits. Just then, a voice came from behind him.

"Ellie, didn't you tell me to text you whenever I saw Ryan? What do you mean by being on the same wavelength?"

"Oh, Sakura, don't worry about such trivial matters." Alicia wasn't ashamed at being exposed; she stuck out her tongue and got away with it cutely.

She flew over the great lake with Ryan. The soldiers on the warship stared blankly at the sky and immediately recognized Miss Alicia. The person she was holding seemed to be the Commander-in-Chief.

The officers exchanged bewildered glances. The Moth of Fire was a hierarchical organization, and they were more accustomed to the imposing presence of their superiors. Now, they truly felt that something had changed.

But having a commander who isn't too serious but can still lead the charge seems like a good thing.

Ryan, on the other hand, never cared what others thought and despised management theories; all his interpersonal relationships had only one core principle:

What can you offer them, and what can they offer you?

At the edge of the woodland, there are several two- or three-story cabins. Unlike the welded steel structures, these are wooden buildings that look like holiday villas.

"You live here?"

“Yes, Mei said Qianjie is too dangerous and doesn’t want us to live in the city. Besides, I got the landlord’s permission for this house.” Alicia landed on the lawn in front of the house, looking like she was very reliable.

Who is the landlord?

“Eden, she donated a lot of money to the underground fortress expansion project. This house was a gift to her from the former commander.”

It's that rich young woman, so it's not surprising.

Ryan knew that these materials and supplies did not appear out of thin air, and that the funds came from various social strata. He just didn't expect the Fire Moth to be so clever, still doing real estate business in the midst of the apocalypse.

That's normal, though. They've already amassed a lot of funds just through the lottery; they're old capitalists.

"Come on in, this will be our home from now on. There are plenty of empty rooms anyway, and I'm even planning to have everyone move in." Alicia walked ahead like the lady of the house, her steps light and she seemed very excited.

Ryan and Sakura exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat helpless, but upon reflection, they realized that having someone to look out for them was a good thing.

"Let's go, it's rare to have a place to relax." Ryan wasn't an ascetic; when the storm hit Changkong City, he also stayed in a five-star hotel.

"With Airi around, we always forget a lot of troubles, and even the era we live in." Sakura sighed, used to convincing herself.

"It's always good to live a happier life, and this is exactly what she wanted."

Ryan had long since given up arguing. He stepped across the lawn, which was clearly the result of human intervention, and saw Alicia make a 'shh' gesture when she opened the door. He then quietly followed her inside.

The house sold by the "Moth to the Flame" company didn't include any renovations. The house was simply decorated, and the sound of nailing wood could be heard. Turning the corner, Ryan saw a group of people busy in the living room.

Hua squatted in the corner, her hair tied in a neat ponytail, making a stool with a hammer. Not far away, Aponia sat in a chair, intently weaving a wall decoration, while a couple sat on the sofa.

Kosmo and Desdobia are here too. Ryan recognized them. The two were clumsily wiping the floor. On the windowsill next to them, Padofelis was curled up lazily, hugging a cushion, looking out of place.

"Sister Hua, Sister Nia, it's too much trouble to do it yourself. We see a lot of unwanted furniture on the ground. Why don't we just go and move some back?"

“It is indeed convenient, but Alicia is right. This villa will be our home from now on, so we need to put more effort into it.”

"How long will it take to finish that?"

Instead of just standing there doing nothing, why don't you come and help?

"Hehe, I don't know how to do it, how about I help Kosmo mop the floor?"

Upon hearing this, the green-haired boy nervously hugged the rag tightly: "Please don't come here, or you'll kick over the bucket and I'll be busy for a long time."

It looks harmonious, doesn't it? And this lazy cat, it takes every chance to slack off.

Ryan secretly observed, his eyes full of smiles, feeling that things around him were getting more and more lively. It was clear that in just a few days, this group of people with different personalities had become familiar with each other.

He glanced at Alicia and noticed that the girl's happiness was so intense that it was impossible to hide. This was undoubtedly the life Alicia loved most; it felt like a dream come true.

'No wonder she didn't pester me for a gift; she'd already received it.'

Ryan lifted his foot, ready to teach Pado a lesson, when he heard a creak and the door was quickly pulled open. He turned around and raised an eyebrow.

A masked man with a "keep away" attitude stood at the door, carrying a dusty sofa on his shoulder, which he had obviously picked up from the ruins. He was also taken aback when he saw Ryan.

"What are you here for?"

"Qianjie, I thought you were secretly training to prepare for the duel. I didn't expect you to be so proactive."

Hearing Ryan's slightly teasing voice, Qianjie really wanted to smash the sofa directly into Ryan's face, but in the end, he gently put it down and just stuck his head out.

"Hmph, none of your business! I'm just exercising!"

I really want to see who has a tougher tongue, you or Mebius.

Ryan glanced at the disturbed living room, but didn't provoke the other party. He simply spread his hands and gestured for them to come in.

"Welcome home, Thousand Calamities."

Chapter 282 This is a bit too peaceful

Welcome home.

In the end, Ryan acquired the Fire Moth, May gained power, Alicia was no longer restrained, Kevin was finally able to stay by his lover's side, and even Thousand Tribulations gained a 'home'.

Considering that a new path has been opened for the Honkai, the traitors of humanity have finally gotten what they wanted.

This operation resulted in a complete victory for everyone involved; it's truly a cause for celebration!

Qianjie neither admitted nor refuted; he simply gave Ryan a deep look and roared.

"Padofelis, grab the bucket and come out to help!"

"Brother Jie, we're here! Don't rush us!" Pado eagerly ran out carrying the bucket of water, sticking out her tongue as she passed Ryan.

She clearly knew her slacking off had been discovered, so she had to behave herself. She'd already heard Hua complain about the power of Ryan's lecturing, and she didn't want to become a blockhead!

This little rascal.

Seeing that she had dodged away, Ryan didn't say anything more. He glanced at the living room, which only had a television, and felt something was off.

It's not about tension, but rather that it's a miracle that this group of oddballs haven't blown up the house while they're together.

Ryan's silence immediately made Kosmo nervous. The girl next to him tugged at his sleeve, and he stood up with a stiff upper lip.

“Lai, no, Commander-in-Chief, we’re here to help.” He said, glancing at Alicia, the one who had called him over and then inexplicably ended up staying there.

"Don't look at Ellie, this was my idea. Have you forgotten what you said before?"

Kosmo hadn't forgotten. He thought it would be a promotion and a raise after being noticed, but he never expected to be directly joined this clique. After thinking about it, he still didn't know what qualifications he had.

Aside from fusing the super-mutant factor of a special Honkai Beast, he didn't display any terrifying power. Even Desdobia, who fused with the Honkai Emperor, was stronger than him, at least standing on the threshold of top-tier combat power.

In an instant, his mind was full of thoughts, but his silence gave off a cold feeling.

Ryan nestled comfortably on the sofa, looking somewhat lazy. He had read the information; Kosmo was indeed the material for another experimental project.

The Fire Moth captured a Honkai Beast called "Vishnu". Due to the timeline, this Honkai Beast was far from reaching the Judgment level, but it had a special ability.

Devouring allows it to devour its own kind to grow stronger, which is commonly known as growth potential. This change has turned a misfortune into a blessing for Kosmo.

He wasn't strong, but he didn't have many physical mutations either, so Ryan initially thought he had been affected by the butterfly effect like Hua.

"Don't overthink it. There must be a reason for inviting you to join. Or is it that you hate this feeling?"

"How could I hate it? I just feel a little unworthy." Kosmo clenched his fist slightly. After spending a few days with them, he found that everyone here was stronger than the last, and Qian Jie in particular made him tremble.

This is strange. If Ryan wanted to win over someone, why didn't he go to a higher-ranking fusion warrior? It can't be that they just seemed to get along well.

"Then work hard to become stronger, so you won't have any psychological burden."

"Okay." Kosmo quickly sat down. Although he still couldn't figure it out, it was a happy kind of trouble.

After calming Kosmo down, Ryan rested his chin on his hand, realizing that he had been somewhat prejudiced and had placed too much emphasis on the Thirteen Heroes of Fire. In terms of combat strength, Coleman, Andevich, and the others were clearly stronger.

But how should I put it, seeing an 'old friend' alive and well always makes me feel more at ease.

Alicia had turned on the TV at some point, and it was showing Eden's world tour concert. This was also arranged by May to use entertainment to soothe the doubts brought about by the dramatic changes.

The melodious singing calmed Ryan's heart completely, and he casually glanced around.

Hua was still doing carpentry work, Aponia smiled and gently wielded her paintbrush, while Alicia sat on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring blankly at the television like a child.

Kosmo and Desdobia were getting restless, so they took buckets of water and went to help Qianjie wipe the furniture. As the sound of cursing came, Himiko, who had just finished a meeting, yawned and went straight to the kitchen to get a beer.

A little while later, a dirty-looking Vervi returned, and as soon as she entered the house, Sakura dragged her to the bathhouse.

Well, this is a bit too peaceful.

Ryan yawned, feeling that he had completely lost his last bit of sharpness. For a moment, he forgot about the Honkai and the Herrscher, and was reminded of another Golden Garden.

Without fighting, everyone is just like ordinary people, going home when it's time to leave work.

"Ryan, you look so happy!"