I am a hero of the former civilization.

“Don’t worry, we have this.” Ryan nodded, a sly smile on his face. “There are several ‘me’s’ operating around the world right now, and they won’t be so easy to identify.”

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she had asked a pointless question. With his and Dr. Mei's intelligence, how could they have left any loopholes?

"Then I'll be back as soon as possible, Master Fu. Ling, let's go."

"Let's keep in touch. I feel like this is an opportunity." Ryan put his hands in his pockets, smiled, and looked relaxed. Then he pulled out one hand and waved.

He watched as Ling walked away, turning back every few steps. The girl's deep blue eyes were filled with respect, even a hint of fanaticism.

It's like a scene from an animated film has come true, and more importantly, Ryan didn't lie to her; he really is a great hero who saves the world.

Ryan's smile vanished suddenly as they walked away. He glanced at the ripped-off roof, then at the burning old locust tree, and stopped waving his hand, slowly clenching it into a fist.

Even though I've long been used to all sorts of surprises, this courtyard where I've lived for several years has suddenly become like this, and the quiet Jiangnan town is now filled with screams and sirens.

He closed his eyes, breathing in the scorching air. In an instant, his gray eyes turned deep and dark, every bloodshot vein filled with murderous intent.

"We've only been settled for less than a month, and you've already given me another big gift, haven't you?"

"Okay, I'll grant your wish right now!"

......

Boom——

Off the coast of China, a 10,000-ton destroyer is exploding. Fireballs burst forth, and debris is thrown into the air. Several small boats speed away, only able to watch helplessly as their comrades are pulled into the deep sea by the whirlpool.

The soldiers on the small boat were all stunned, still reeling from the dramatic turn of events.

Twenty minutes ago, a missile was suddenly launched from the VLS at the bow of the ship. Before the bewildered operators could react, the entire warship exploded and sank. No one, including the captain, escaped from the bridge.

Why was it launched? Where was the missile aimed? Why did the ship suddenly explode?

No one can answer that question; all we can do is help those injured in the explosion before rescue arrives.

Several people covered in blood and oil lay groaning in the corner of the small boat. Many of them were missing limbs, and the worst-hit one was charred black and had already fallen into a coma due to burns, but the people guarding him were full of respect.

If the first mate hadn't risked his life to cut the engine circuit, everyone would have died. But they didn't notice that the heroic first mate had squinted his eyes, his gaze devoid of pain, only coldness.

"Target number three has completed the probing and has been added to the suspect list. Target number 178 is preparing to go into hiding. There is no need to worry about safety."

"Anyone who dares to doubt the hero who sacrificed himself to save others, I will take this opportunity to lead the sailors in a mutiny."

"Humanity is still full of flaws."

Chapter 304 A Thousand Lawbreakers?

Like a mental network, information is transmitted to the whole world without delay.

Peddlers, merchants, newspaper editors, and even fusion warriors in training paused for a moment before continuing their work.

These are like pawns buried in human society. It can also be said that the Honkai took advantage of Ryan's idea of ​​preserving human civilization as much as possible, because the more people there are, the easier it is for this Herrscher to hide, and the greater the destructive power.

These are countless individuals from different social classes and regions, who are lying in wait and learning, pushing the limits of human civilization's strategies, and devising a series of plans for each individual's subsequent encounters.

Take the Lafayette for example. The Fire Moth would definitely investigate every survivor, but the Herrscher cleverly packaged herself as a hero, even if there were clues, it was intentional.

Once someone is imprisoned, a new plan will begin. An editor-in-chief will make an 'indignant' accusation, and a prestigious officer will lead an entire fleet in a rebellion. Even if a high-ranking fusion warrior is sent, they can't be killed all of them.

Even if it's suppressed, the Herrscher only loses a body, but the suspicion, anger, and hatred created will take who knows how long to make up for.

"If only you had arrived sooner, you could have controlled those senators, concentrated all your efforts on killing him, and we could have just watched the show."

On the rooftop, Death Law sat by the railing, her slender bare feet swinging back and forth; she loved the view before her.

The building is dilapidated, its exterior walls are covered with vines, and the roars of Honkai Beasts can be heard from time to time.

Calling it hell isn't quite accurate; aside from the complete absence of civilization and prosperity, countless towering trees crowd the city, giving it a natural beauty.

"It can only be said that the human got there first; perhaps this is fate's arrangement." A blonde woman with a stunning figure, dressed in a red evening gown, stood behind them. If the British branch took a look, they would immediately recognize her as the mistress of a media tycoon, a criminal on the wanted list as a suspect.

"The results were not as good as expected. Several media storms were suppressed, three 'selves' died, and humanity is also on high alert."

"That's terrifying. It's like they were prepared all along. It's not just a matter of quick reflexes." Death Law slowed his leg swings and propped his head up. "You're not invincible either. There are only a thousand individuals. Every one that dies is one less. Sigh, if only we could multiply indefinitely."

"Then this is none of your business." The blonde woman said calmly, without any sarcasm. "A full-scale attack is not effective; the damage it causes is not as great as the losses. I'm going to change direction."

"Exposed?"

"That's impossible. I calculated every move I made, and everything seemed very natural. Plus, with those human traitors around, I can stay hidden behind the scenes even better."

Each Herrscher is a master strategist, and the dozens of clones did indeed create quite a stir, but with Prometheus and Aponia as two trump cards, this disruptive move was only moderately effective, and He has decided to raise the rating.

"This is your problem. Do you need my or His help?"

“Of course it is necessary. Paying ten times the price will yield a hundred times the benefit. Some humans must be eliminated so that I can carry out my work better.” The woman snapped her fingers, the air distorted, and a series of photos appeared on the rooftop like an art exhibition.

There were men and women, old and young, and the first few in line had all seen the Death Law.

Aponia, May, Coleman, and others are all on the list, and it is they who have caused a huge obstacle.

Death Law carefully examined each avatar. She knew that this fellow being was not good at direct combat, but was adept at gathering intelligence, setting the pace of events, and devising all sorts of plans that harmed others for personal gain.

But humans are really hard to deal with. These are practically bug-like skills, yet they can still hold on and even get ahead of the game.

“They’re not easy to kill, this one is simpler.” Death Law pointed to a girl with wine-red hair. “You should have found out about her.”

"Yes, we have a close relationship with him, and we can develop many plans together."

"But similarly, this cunning human will also wonder, want to try dying once?" Death Law seemed to be mocking them. They were almost traumatized. Ryan was more slippery than an eel, and every time he tried to steal a chicken, he lost the rice instead.

“This time it’s different. The Fire Moth is drawing troops back to headquarters. I’ve already entered the command center. It’s true. I’ve even got the plans. If we let them complete the reorganization, it will be even more difficult to do things in the future.”

Death Law narrowed his eyes. The biggest advantage this fellow had was intelligence. Even without hacking into the central database, May's orders were hardly secret.

Could this really be an opportunity?

She hesitated, then asked with some curiosity, "A copy of the proposal has been sent over; I want to see what they're up to."

boom--

No sooner had she finished speaking than the rooftop door was kicked open, and a woman with fiery red hair walked in, making the air feel even hotter.

Dragging her greatsword, she glanced at the image projected by Honkai energy and said decisively, "No need to wait. We will complete our mission ourselves. Without killing him, everything will remain a distant dream."

"Since you're so certain, it seems we need to rethink our plans. I have an idea." Qianlu didn't object, as she wasn't very familiar with Ryan to begin with. "How about controlling one of these key targets first? If we could hide a pawn near him, wouldn't the success rate increase significantly?"

That's interesting. Honkai energy resistance will hinder her dominance, but just like poison resistance, you can just increase the dosage.

The Law of Death and the Law of Fire exchanged a glance, instinctively stirring with desire. The two missions—to kill Ryan first or to destroy civilization first—were already intertwined. As long as that man lived, civilization would be hard to annihilate.

"You can try it. Which one do you think is the easiest?"

The Herrscher's eyes swept over the portraits, finally settling on the face of the girl with burgundy hair.

"Just her."

.......

"He really is a rhythm master; I can't even recognize him."

Ryan sat on a chair by the roadside in Donggon, looking through accident reports on his information terminal.

It turns out that the missile was launched from the Lafayette, and then destroyed at the speed of light. The enemy may be dead, or they may be hiding among the surviving crew members.

The Inspectorate and Intelligence Departments have begun a joint investigation, but this investigation is destined to be futile because even Ryan cannot confirm anything.

Including that heroic vice-captain, no one could be completely cleared of suspicion. Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose.

"This Herrscher is trying to make us suspicious, which is essentially exploiting human instincts."

"Are you sure this is a Herrscher? I've searched all the abnormal events, and the range of suspects is quite large. Some of them are also connected to Kalis, and they seem more like spies or saboteurs." Mei was extremely busy, holding the phone in one hand, instructing the simulator in the other, and signing her name repeatedly with a pen.

"I am sure."

"Alright, then I'll arrange things according to the principles of fighting against Herrschers."

There were no questions asked, and Ryan's judgment was completely trusted, which was one of the benefits of having the Firemoth under control.

In the past, any decision would have been based on evidence, and even Karius wouldn't have acted recklessly. If a few more senators were controlled, the consequences would be enough to make the Moth of Fire fall apart on the spot.

Therefore, Mei was glad that Ryan acted quickly enough. Even if it had been delayed for another half month, this Herrscher would have penetrated deep into the bone marrow like a virus, requiring drastic treatment.

"If we use authority as the basis for our thinking, then one interesting point is that this Herrscher's clones are spread across every level, even among the Fusion Warriors. Why doesn't she control all the Fusion Warriors?"

“There are limits to authority, limits to quantity, limits to ability. I speculate that Honkai energy adaptability is the main obstacle,” Ryan replied calmly. He himself was a 'Herrscher' and knew these monsters all too well.

“That logic makes some sense. I’ll add it to the clues and have Prometheus calculate it later.” Mei’s signature was so blurry it appeared as she scanned it quickly. “So you think He will control Eden?”

"The threat is greater, either to kill or to control. After all, the people around me are in 'Spring Cherry Blossom Courtyard,' and if He dares to go there, He will surely die. If Eden is controlled, the trouble will be huge."

Mei couldn't deny this. Putting aside Eden's reputation, judging from the previous underground attacks, it would be very difficult to discover the person being manipulated. If Eden became one of them, it would be more than just trouble; Alicia would be the first to be in danger.

This also corroborates Ryan's thinking about authority; Eden's resistance to Honkai energy is quite strong.

"Then I won't hold you responsible. Go ahead and do it. Hopefully, it's not too late."

“It’s not too late. I probably got the talisman first, but you never know. You know what to do.” Ryan’s eyes were cold. As for paranoia, the Herrscher had already succeeded.

It's possible that Fu has already been taken into custody, and the subsequent missile attack was just part of a script, a setup to deliver a bomb to his side. If that's the case...

Click.

A piece of the bench was pinched off and turned into powder in my hand.

Mei remained silent for a moment, but offered no words of comfort. Instead, she said directly, "Eden might also be controlled. You're walking into a trap."

“We have to try. If you want my life so badly, then come and take it yourself. I’m better at reasoning with you face to face.” Ryan also fell silent. This master of manipulating people’s minds was truly terrifying. If we follow the original timeline, the Eighth Herrscher would be Him.

Including May and Mebius, none of them can escape, not to mention that this is a mutated version. But then again, even without him, the Eighth Herrscher should still be the Herrscher of Knowledge.

The scope of the questions is getting further and further out of control.

He glanced at the gray sky and brought his thoughts back: "No matter how difficult the problem is, we have to find a way to solve it. By the way, how's the execution going on your end?"

The Eighth Herald is far from finished; it's impossible to abandon everything to deal with Him.

"It went very smoothly. I even used a simulator to probe the deepest part of the participants' consciousness. Maybe they haven't penetrated to that point yet, or maybe I'm not capable of discovering it."

"What about Mebius? I heard she was in the first batch?"

"Her?" Mei looked up and saw the woman who had climbed out of the silver 'coffin' through the thick glass. She was covered in sweat, her long hair was plastered to her face, and her expression was somewhat dazed.

"She's suffering right now, and I bet she's given you another hard scolding."