I am a hero of the former civilization.

After an unusual silence, Velvi and Aponia exchanged a glance and gave each other a strange smile: "We were just discussing an interesting topic, and before we knew it, it was dawn."

She's acting strangely, and this Vilvie is really odd; it's like I've never seen her before.

Just as he was about to ask, Alicia next to him raised her hand: "I didn't sleep well either, Ryan, why don't you care about me?"

"You have the nerve to say that? I'm ashamed to even ask you." Ryan glared at her fiercely. Who would get up in the middle of the night to eavesdrop? Then he turned his fierce gaze to Padofelis.

Pado bristled like a cat, lowered her head to poke at the fried egg, and dared not look up again.

He vaguely sensed that last night had been quite lively, but Ryan's brain was too cluttered with thoughts of the Herrscher and the Moths of Flame. He simply didn't have the energy to outwit them, and besides, he had other things to do today.

"Kevin hasn't come back?"

"Yes, I asked last night, and he said he was resting at headquarters to prepare for today's challenge." Sakura acted like a head butler, monitoring everyone's movements at all times.

"Heh, looks like he still values ​​it quite a bit." Ryan stood up, his gaze deepening, and his previous languid demeanor vanished.

Staying up all night a few times is no problem for him, but he's been living too comfortably lately and his body has become a bit sluggish, so it's good for him to get some exercise.

At the same time, he also felt a kind of longing, as if he were being infected by Qian Jie. Before, when he was in Japan, he was bullying people, but now it was different.

Even though Kevin is neither obsessed nor sad, and has not yet reached the level of saving the world, he is still one of the strongest fusion warriors, enough to fight Ryan.

"Then I'll go first. Sakura, keep an eye on Mei's side for me. The Honkai energy retrieval results should be available soon." Ryan knew that Mei was secretly checking everyone's Honkai energy reactions.

There are only so many registered fusion warriors, while ordinary people, even if they suppress their energy, cannot escape close-range detection. Of course, the amount of data is too large to be filtered by manpower alone.

But now that we have Prometheus, the computing power of the central database shouldn't take too long.

"What about us? Can we go watch the game and cheer you on? Won't Kevin be sad?" Alicia licked the milk from the corner of her mouth.

"Uh, Daisy Dobia and I can cheer for Kevin," Kosmo said weakly, raising his hand.

Go for it? You think this is an exhibition match?

Ryan was furious and said in a low voice, "Those who are interested can help out, and those who are not interested can stay. Hmph, anyway, you don't have much time to slack off. Once the grouping work is completed, you'll all have to work hard for me!"

After saying that, he turned and left. He was quite fair in separating public and private matters, believing that while he could play, he could not be careless about work. He couldn't let these slackers have it easy for too long.

Holding high the banner of fighting for humanity and making heroes work honestly is secretly quite satisfying.

"I hope Ryan isn't angry."

“Ha, he’s a respectable man, and he bears the pressure of humanity’s survival.” Möbius slowly spread butter on the bread, his tone slightly sarcastic: “This is to remind you that comfortable life is always short-lived, and you can’t neglect any of the things that need to be done.”

Kosmo, Padofelis, and Huadu all lowered their heads guiltily. They hadn't really done anything productive lately, and last night's attack had somewhat calmed them down. In addition to their shame, they also felt a strong hatred for having their plans ruined.

Ryan wasn't wrong; the only one who was wrong was the Honkai. Why couldn't they just live a comfortable life? Why destroy civilization and disturb their peaceful existence?

"I'm going to practice my boxing. Don't wait for me for lunch." Hua clenched his fist, suddenly realizing that his enemy wasn't Mebius at all; it was all because of those annoying Herrschers.

"I'll go with you too, I hope you can give me some pointers."

"And me too, you guys better go easy on me."

Kosmo and Pado went along, while Aponia and Himiko also quietly got up, seemingly preparing to patrol the town.

The once bustling restaurant was now almost empty, and even Blanca had gone to the lab to report for duty, ready to start working today.

"Sakura, you go too. I'll take Gretchen with me," Alicia said softly. Sakura nodded gently, gripped her knife, and vanished from the restaurant in an instant.

"You're trying to slack off again?" Mebius glanced at her, first distancing himself: "I'll go to work after breakfast. Wilvie also has to go oversee the renovation work, so don't compare us to you."

"Oh dear Möbius, do I really look like a lazy person?"

"Like, very similar."

"This kind of misunderstanding is really hurtful." Alicia wasn't angry, and stretched lazily. "Lately, I seem to be playing, but I'm actually secretly thinking about information. Some important things keep popping into my head, and I can only remember them at times like this."

What important information can be derived through thought?

Mebius looked at her suspiciously. She couldn't see anything wrong on that smiling face, but she knew this fat woman well. She definitely wasn't making excuses or joking just now.

"what?"

"I'm not entirely sure either, but it's very important." Alicia remained relaxed, comfortably drinking her milk, and turned around like an elf. "I'll go daydream now. Just throw the plate in the sink. By the way, I didn't do it on purpose last night. It wouldn't have done me any good. Maybe one day, Ryan's happy life will have to be handed over to you guys."

Mebius nodded blankly, watching the cheerful figure walk away. He felt something was off, so he looked at the unusually silent Vervière.

What's wrong with her?

“Aili disdains pretense; this is her ‘true self.’” Velvi’s gradient-colored eyes were deep, like an observer from a higher dimension. “Have you noticed that she’s been acting a little strange lately?”

After being reminded of this, Mebius did indeed notice something unusual. Although the fat woman was usually cheerful and carefree, her enthusiasm had become even more intense recently.

I couldn't wait to meet new friends and have a great time with everyone, just like frantically pushing forward on a wish list.

“Alicia’s origins are unknown, and I have a bad feeling about this.”

"Yeah, Ryan really likes her, and if Alicia just nods in agreement, you're all losers, but why is she keeping her distance?"

Vervi's sharp words immediately displeased Mebius. "How did I, a genius, become a loser?"

"It's because this fat woman is too loving."

"Yes and no, I can sense a hint of fear deep within the happiness, which is quite interesting."

fear?

Mebius hadn't really noticed, but the woman in front of him, who resembled a great teacher, was incredibly convincing.

"Then...should we find a chance to tell Ryan? Don't overthink it. This fat woman may be annoying, but if something really happens, I don't want to see a bunch of dejected people."

Vilvi grinned. This platypus was really interesting. She propped her head up with her hand, revealing an indescribable expression.

"Do you think he would be completely unaware?"

Chapter 296 Just thinking about that knife hurts!

Ryan was certainly not completely unaware. In fact, when his request was coincidentally ignored and he received no response for several days, he had a vague idea of ​​Alicia's condition.

This fairy who fell from the sky is a gift from 'God' to mankind, but at this point in time, only he knows what Alicia's true nature is.

A herald, an enemy of humanity, a cruel joke played by fate. But there was no need for a prophet; none of the original heroes believed she was a traitor, that her fiery passion was an act.

'Alicia probably has a cognitive impairment; she herself isn't clear about her identity. But as more and more Herrschers arrive, those obstacles will gradually be corrected.'

She is a Herrscher, the enemy of these dearest friends. Even with Ryan's strong mentality, he would simply shut down. But cute Lysia couldn't see it at all; she still loved everything passionately and desperately.

That's why it's so heartbreaking.

The Last Ball...

Ryan touched his left chest, feeling the stinging pain of the blade cutting through it. The more he thought about it, the more intense the stinging sensation became.

Because Alicia committed suicide in the original timeline, if she hadn't died, would she have been gradually replaced by the Honkai will like those pseudo-Herrschers and become a true executioner?

The thought of drawing his blade against Alicia, plunging his spear into her chest with a scream, and then Alicia regaining consciousness, wiping her face with her blood-soaked hand...

Grass!

With a swift punch, the stone pillar in front of him turned to dust. Luckily, no one was around, or they would have thought Ryan had gone mad.

The man didn't care; he just covered his face, and the gray eyes peeking through his fingers looked exceptionally terrifying.

I can't think about it, or I'll go crazy. This knife is too sharp; just thinking about it could deliver a fatal blow.

However, this problem persists, and all signs indicate that Alicia has begun to regain her senses, so we must find a way to solve it.

Ryan became unusually agitated, but he knew that agitation alone wouldn't solve anything; there was only one belief:

Kill, whether it's restraint or the end, kill them all; this is what he excels at.

However, once he reached the rectangular entrance to the headquarters, he reverted to his usual cold demeanor, his excellent composure concealing everything.

"Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Mei sent me here to wait for you."

"Your name is Erwin?" Ryan turned his head and recognized the unassuming man at a glance. He remembered that he was the victim of one of Möbius's rampages.

A casual remark made Erwin puff out his chest, thinking to himself that he had more material to brag about today.

"Yes, I am currently assigned to the research department's garrison and am responsible for maintaining the training grounds deep within the territory..."

He seemed very talkative, and while riding the elevator, he rambled on and on about how the deepest modifications were complete and that the collected data would be input into the latest simulator for the soldiers to practice with.

This simulator is somewhat similar to the virtual reality technology in 'Sword Art Online', and it even has pain feedback, so even though people know they won't die, they still don't dare to act recklessly.

Therefore, it needs data from powerful individuals, especially powerful individuals like Ryan who wield authority, since true Herrschers wouldn't obediently allow others to collect data.

To increase the fun, the research department also introduced a challenge mode, with rewards ranging from monetary prizes to family residency rights, as well as various Soul Steel weapons, all designed to unleash combat power beyond what is usually available to participants.

“No wonder May is so supportive; she wants me to be the boss.” Ryan nodded slightly, agreeing with this idea.

Even a skilled simulator player is better than a clueless recruit. Real combat training results in too many casualties, while enemies that require coordinated teamwork are rare and hard to come by, not to mention the ability to learn from mistakes and start over after being 'killed'.

"Uh, everyone's still suffering from Lieutenant Colonel Andevich's simulation data. Your data will probably require a whole group of Fusion Warriors to process." Erwin grimaced. Being smashed into a pulp by the Fist of Ice was really painful. Many people went straight to the counseling room.

"That's better than death. The lieutenant colonel's combat strength is basically equivalent to that of a pseudo-Herrscher. You're very likely to encounter this kind of enemy in the future."

The elevator doors opened, and Ryan stepped into the dark steel corridor, where cables stretched along both sides, extending towards the end of the light strip.

The deepest part was originally intended to be a prison. First of all, it is deep, located at the lowest level of this underground fortress, more than a thousand meters below the ground, and connected only by a large freight elevator. Secondly, it is extremely sturdy, with all the rooms and corridors made of triple-standard alloy and using Honkai energy decomposition technology.

When Honkai energy strikes it, it is converted into other forms of energy and then injected into the core engine, thus creating a cycle. This means that the more it is attacked, the stronger it becomes, and the only way to escape is to exceed the design limits.

'This is a prerequisite technology for the Moon Throne system, but it falls under the category of passive defense.'

After listening to Erwin's explanation, Ryan roughly understood the principle. After walking a little further in, he saw a group of researchers in white coats standing there fiddling with various instruments. The one listening to the report in the middle was none other than Mei.

"He's truly omnipresent, handling all kinds of tasks with ease. He can manage administrative affairs and conduct scientific research at the same time. He's like a monster."

“So sometimes, I really want to thank your whole family.” A resentful voice came from the side. Kevin walked out of the small room, his eyes filled with tangible resentment.

He was the only unlucky one. May was extremely capable, but time was not unlimited, so Kevin had to be the one to suffer.

“I never forced her.”

That's why I hate it so much.

The two old friends looked at each other. Ryan spread his hands, finally understanding where Kevin's fighting spirit came from. He was clearly holding back a lot of anger and wanted to find a place to vent it.

It's my fault, isn't it?

He ignored Kevin and walked straight to the control room, whereupon the researchers quickly withdrew.

"So that's why you were so eager, you just wanted to get something for free." Ryan said in a low voice.