I am a hero of the former civilization.

Chapter 41 Hua

The clouds thinned, and a harbor began to appear at the edge of the vast sea, followed by a magnificent night view that came into Ryan's view.

He looked down through the window and saw a huge and bustling city below him. The densely packed cars looked like fireflies, and the aviation obstruction lights on the high-rise buildings twinkled like stars. Even in the dead of night, the city had not fallen asleep.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain's announcement. The aircraft is entering the landing procedure. Please..."

The announcement came on, and a pretty flight attendant took away the blankets, while Ryan breathed a sigh of relief.

We've finally reached the ocean.

After reaching an agreement with Mebius, he immediately took off from Haneda Airport and headed straight for the largest city in China, without even saying goodbye to Kevin.

There's really no need for farewell. Although we're friends, we can't stay together forever. The Third Herrscher is about to descend; he doesn't have time for leisurely research. As for staying in Japan to grind monsters—

The worst thing for pioneers is to stagnate. This isn't a comic book; Japan doesn't have that many high-ranking Honkai Beasts waiting for you to kill.

"It's been a long time since I've been back. Canghai is still as prosperous as ever." Ryan estimated that it had been almost two years since he last returned, and then he remembered something else.

Why would the Third Herrscher be so bold as to descend directly into the most bustling city? It's like declaring war on all of humanity.

He couldn't guess the reason, but he knew that from then on, the battle between the Honkai and humanity became public and intense, and everything that the Fire Moth had been desperately trying to cover up was exposed.

Then, all sorts of monsters and demons will appear.

As soon as he felt the wheels touch the ground, Ryan completely relaxed. He never liked traveling by civilian plane; if there was a suicide soldier on board, and then he encountered Kiritsugu, that would be terrible.

I opened my phone, automatically ignored a bunch of unread messages, and simply tapped on a profile picture.

Senior, I'll be waiting for you at Exit 363.

As always, he was concise and to the point, which made Ryan grin. He thought that after seeing off a group of noisy guys, it would be nice to see this blockhead for a change of pace.

That's right, his junior sister is one of the Thirteen Heroes, the later generation's Crimson Falcon Immortal Fu Hua. To be precise, she is now Hua, but unlike his deliberate approach to Kevin, Hua was someone he met by chance during his travels in Shenzhou.

Since it was far from being a matter of overwhelming force, Ryan valued various techniques. Coincidentally, her family's Inch Heart Fist was quite famous, so he made a special trip to visit them.

With the added advantage of a favorable destiny and rich combat experience, Ryan quickly mastered the skills and was even regarded as Hua's successor by his father.

"If it weren't for the Honkai, I could have stayed in Shenzhou as a boxer, and maybe even snagged a junior sister, living a peaceful life." Ryan fantasized about another kind of life, but his fantasy came to an abrupt end when the passenger next to him got up.

What's the point of being a boxer? Why bother learning boxing if I'm not in a bad situation? Aren't yachts, beautiful women, and bikinis better?

Ryan took out his small suitcase, adjusted his glasses, and buttoned up his long black trench coat. He walked off the plane with the crowd, listening to the conversations around him about the attractions in Canghai City, but he didn't know how to persuade them.

If I remember correctly, apart from Hua Quanmie, Canghai City should also have the second branch of the Fire Moth in China located there, possessing a complete evacuation procedure.

He suddenly realized a blind spot: either the Third Honkai Impact was too sudden and too violent, or something had gone wrong with the Firemoth. Judging from the situation at the Far East branch, the Firemoth did indeed have some 'genius' high-ranking members, but morally and logically, they shouldn't have let over ten million people die. Moreover...

He glanced subconsciously at the numerous security cameras in the airport, feeling like he was being watched.

"Senior brother, I'm here."

Just then, Ryan heard a clear voice, stopped in his tracks, and looked up.

At the exit stood a simply dressed young woman in a plain T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers, radiating youthful energy. Her oval face was also quite pretty.

With her delicate, upturned nose, clear green eyes, and long, gray-blue hair tied in a ponytail with a rubber band, she possessed the quintessential beauty of a woman from the Jiangnan region of China—simple, refreshing, and captivating enough to calm the heart.

Ryan looked at the girl in front of him. Hua was three years younger than him, and she was rather dull and introverted. She dressed more like a straight-laced woman. When he stared at her, the girl subconsciously looked away.

"Senior brother, why are you staring at me?"

"It just feels like time flies. I still remember the first time I met you. You were just starting junior high school. Before I knew it, you had grown into a beautiful young woman." Ryan was genuinely quite emotional, because his relationship with Hua was very pure.

No matter how ruthless Ryan is, he wouldn't go so far as to rely on a middle school student, not to mention that Hua isn't as overpowered as Kevin and was considered relatively weak in the previous civilization.

I saw him just six months ago...

Hua moved her lips, but did not refute. Ryan's impression on her was too deep. She only managed a smile: "Senior brother, you are more composed than before."

"Do you remember when I helped you beat those guys to a pulp?" Ryan laughed immediately. He remembered that Hua was always isolated because of his personality, but he was also exceptionally strong.

Then the dramatic thing happened: after Hua fought back fiercely, some powerful people wanted to make her suffer, and Ryan knew the consequences and decisively took action.

He finally experienced the daily life of a transmigrator, from the principal to the mayor, and was thoroughly defeated. In terms of strength and family background, he could barely be a dragon king.

"Haha, it's embarrassing to think about it now. It's just a pity I didn't know how to give that wicked smile back then." Ryan scratched his face, and indeed felt a little embarrassed. "Forget it, let's not talk about that little thing."

"But I will remember it, I will never forget it for the rest of my life." Hua said very seriously, as her childhood memories were particularly vivid.

Ryan's smile froze, and he simply reached out and poked the girl's forehead: "Alright, you're always so serious, it's not cute at all. Smile more, you look like an old scholar."

Perhaps it was because of this simple relationship that he was able to relax completely when he returned to China. He turned his head and then noticed that there was a young girl standing next to Hua.

She had slightly dark skin, wore shorts and over-the-knee socks, and looked like a hot girl, completely opposite to the wooden-faced Hua.

"Who is this......"

Hua also came to his senses and quickly pulled the girl next to him in front of him: "This is Carol, my friend."

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Hua, be gentle! And why are you making such a formality? He's not your dad, and I'm not your boyfriend." The dark-skinned girl immediately cried out. She seemed quite lively. After being glared at by Hua, she scratched her short white hair and bowed weakly.

"Hello, I'm Carol. You must be Hua's senior brother. I often hear her mention you, saying things like, 'In this life...'"

Before she could finish speaking, Hua covered her mouth, and she struggled violently.

"Senior brother, don't listen to her nonsense. This guy never says anything serious."

"No, that's exactly what you said."

"No nonsense!"

Seeing the two beautiful young girls bickering, Ryan laughed even harder: "You've finally learned how to make friends. I was really worried you'd become withdrawn. Tell me, how did you two meet?"

Hua was still thinking when the dark-skinned girl suddenly jumped out.

"That was a few months ago. I encountered a strange person in an alley..." She stopped mid-sentence, noticing Hua Lingli's sharp gaze, and skipped over the rest: "Anyway, it was a classic beauty saves beauty story. From that day on, I've been clinging to her!"

Monster? Honkai Beast or Suicide Squad?

Ryan had already guessed that with his help in tutoring, Hua's strength would only increase, and defeating a death squad would be effortless. However, he also knew that this was to avoid making him worry, so he didn't ask any further questions.

"Have you rented the car yet?"

"Yes, it's in parking lot number 3." Hua tossed over a key, glanced at the girl next to him, and said, "Why don't we wait for you at the exit?"

"Meet me at Exit C of Terminal 5 minutes later."

Ryan, being quite shrewd, knew the two had something to say, so he nodded and left.

The man's figure quickly disappeared into the crowd. At this moment, Hua finally breathed a long sigh of relief, and the tension on his face vanished.

"Hehe, you have good taste. This senior is quite handsome. From your descriptions, I thought he was a muscle monster."

"Don't talk nonsense. Don't go around telling everyone what I tell you." Hua glared at the girl, almost giving herself away.

She gazed in the direction Ryan had left, muttering to herself, "He's someone I can never defeat, and also the person I respect most. Every time I see him, I tense up."

"Want to punch him in the face?"

"How could that be? I was just a little nervous. I was afraid of upsetting him and didn't know what to say. I practiced hard every day, hoping to get closer to him, but every time we met, I found that the gap between us was getting bigger and bigger."

Looking at her friend's expression, Carol really wanted to take a picture of her with her phone. This blockhead was hopeless no matter how she tried to teach her.

"Perhaps you should be more confident and more proactive."

"Nonsense, I don't have any ulterior motives. He's just my senior brother."

"I don't believe it. Which senior brother would send living expenses on time every month?"

"That is my elder brother, even if we are not related by blood."

"This is even better! Have you read the brother complex novel I gave you? It's so exciting!"

"Pah, you're asking for it!"

The two girls laughed and joked, and soon walked out of the terminal. A black minivan stopped there precisely at the last second. Ryan was looking down at the navigation system, entering the address Hua had given him.

In this technological age, martial arts schools have long since declined, so Hua's family was of modest means. Ryan then provided long-term financial support under the guise of apprenticeship fees, allowing her to rent a small courtyard outside the school.

In his view, it's okay if he can't learn it, but he can't let his boxing skills fall behind.

As Ryan zoomed out on the map, he saw that a place not far from Hua's residence was marked in red, with the map indicating traffic control. As he continued to zoom out, he discovered that the controlled area covered a large area of ​​the harbor.

Hearing the door close, Ryan turned his head and asked, "What happened?"

"I heard there was a hazardous chemical leak or something, and the government even relocated the residents."

It sounds like a moth drawn to a flame tactic, but this area is far too large.

Ryan lightly pressed the accelerator, glancing at the rearview mirror as he drove. The girl was indeed sitting upright, which made him chuckle.

"How long has it been?"

"One month and five days, do you see any problem with that, senior brother?"

"No problem, it's just that I suddenly feel you'd be perfect for the army, so disciplined," Ryan joked, glancing at the route on the navigation. "And your place is way too far away, won't you be late for school?"

This guy has already rented a place in the suburbs outside the Fifth Ring Road, so he should have enough money in his account by now.

“The rent in Canghai City is too expensive. I don’t want to waste the money you gave me.” Hua took a breath and simply recited his schedule: “I go to bed at nine o’clock every night and get up at four o’clock in the morning. After practicing boxing, I run ten kilometers. It just so happens that the subway is running, and I am also the first one to arrive at school every morning.”

Ryan and Carroll both covered their heads almost simultaneously, leaving Hua completely bewildered.

"What's wrong with you guys??"

"Nothing, I just suddenly realized a problem." Ryan shook his head, staring blankly at the headlights ahead.

Why is there not a single normal person around me?

Chapter 42 Senior Brother, May I Ambush You?

After dropping Carol off at school, Ryan drove to Hua's rented courtyard around 10 p.m. He was dumbfounded as soon as he got out of the car.

In front of me was a two-story building with a courtyard. The building was tiled, the gate was mottled, and half a red paper of a couplet remained.

This is a typical self-built rural house that can be seen everywhere in China, surrounded by farmland and vegetable fields. Across the road, there is a factory with a blue roof, and inside the locked door, a stray dog ​​is barking.

The other houses were dozens of meters away, with only a few lights on, and the only sounds were barking dogs and the chirping of cicadas in summer.

It's not just quiet, it's practically deserted.

"Aren't you afraid to live here all alone as a girl?"

“I’m not afraid. It’s not as noisy as the city. Anyway, I often go to the countryside back in my hometown, right?” Hua was opening the door and pointing to the dark houses around him. “There were actually a lot of people living there before last month. But then the government encouraged people to relocate, so they all moved away, which saved me more than two hundred yuan in rent.”