I am a hero of the former civilization.

Ryan answered almost without pause, and Mebius instantly looked up, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes before a smile appeared on his lips.

"I appreciate your honesty, so as a friend, may I exchange blood bags?"

"Don't push your luck. Friends are friends, and business is business. From the perspective of helping others, I've already helped more than enough."

Even with Mebius's thick skin, she couldn't refute this statement. Although she didn't get Ryan's secret, the Fusion Warrior Project took a big step forward, which directly accelerated her evolution.

Even though she was already somewhat disapproving of fusing Honkai Beast genes, since Ryan was willing to do it, it must be the right thing to do.

"We should have results within six months. If your genes are strong enough, it might be even faster. I'll talk to Mei about it when I have some free time." Möbius pulled out the needle and pressed it against the wound.

She used very light force, finally letting Ryan experience gentleness, and incidentally, she remembered something else.

"Is Mei the director of the First Research Institute now?"

"Yes, the First Research Institute focuses on exploring imaginary numbers, and no one is more suitable than her. Moreover, Mei Ting is good at interpersonal relationships, so the higher-ups are more at ease with her."

Ryan nodded in agreement. May was a very resourceful person, and her abilities were undeniable. Plus, she had no powerful connections and Kevin as a 'hostage,' so of course he felt at ease.

"She's first, you're fifth, what are the three research institutes in between for?"

It was rare for Mebius to hear Ryan ask a question, so he answered seriously, like a teacher: "The Second Institute is in charge of artificial intelligence and war machines, the Third Institute is in charge of quantum mechanics, and the Fourth Institute is mainly in materials science and energy science."

Anti-entropy, the quantum sea, the key of God.

Ryan immediately understood. Research is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It requires accumulating to a certain level before May and others break through the bottleneck. Just like the Fusion Warrior project, without May's preliminary research, it would have taken him several years to get any clues.

“If you and Mei join forces, these studies will make substantial breakthroughs. After all, you two are both geniuses and all-rounders.”

Mebius was so pleased by the flattery that he even squinted his eyes.

“You’re quite the talker, aren’t you? Yes, it’s annoying to see those mediocre people dragging their feet, while I’m always getting my funding cut.” Möbius cursed a couple of times, then shook his head rationally: “But the higher-ups won’t allow it. They want to maintain the so-called balance, and they don’t have the courage or determination to push open that door.”

The preliminary work on the fusion warriors has been completed, but the results have been submitted and have been ignored.

This is normal. The physical modification project that Mebius was in charge of before was just about tapping into the potential of humans, while the Fusion Warriors are about turning humans into something else.

"Faced with life and death, they didn't have the courage to push open that door, at least not outwardly." Möbius's smile grew increasingly mocking, and considering the previous data theft, it was simply indescribably foolish.

“Politicians need to consider their own reputation, and it takes extraordinary courage to turn humanity into something else.” Lane, however, understands this approach well; politics is all about bickering and shifting blame.

If humanity can defeat the Honkai, then what should be done with these aliens? Should all of humanity undergo fusion surgery and become aliens themselves?

“Survival is the first instinct, but unfortunately this kind of pressure can only be imposed by the Herrscher.” Ryan sighed. Just then, his phone vibrated, so he unlocked it and looked at it. Then, a smile slowly spread across his face. “But I can also use some tricks to speed up this process.”

Mebius didn't notice the little gesture and just snorted irritably, "Come on, you'll find that the people you replace them with are even more stupid once you've killed them all."

"There's no need to kill. I'm dealing with people, not mindless Herrschers."

Ryan flipped the phone over and handed it to Mebius, who looked up and his emerald eyes were filled with confusion.

It was a message from an unknown email address, consisting of only a string of numbers. With her intelligence, she quickly guessed what it meant.

"Map coordinates?"

"Intelligence is a key indicator. Do you remember Velvi?"

"That 'magician'? I see, the one who leaked my whereabouts was indeed an insider from Moth of Flames. So, you're sent to take her out?"

"On the contrary, some people want to shut her up, while others want me to save her life." Ryan chuckled, dragging his laptop over from the table and starting to open a map and input coordinates.

With the latitude and longitude entered, the map quickly focused on Montpellier, a small city in the southwest of the Mu continent.

Mebius suddenly realized, remembering that Velvi was quite skilled at making machines, and frowned, saying, "You still have connections with the Purebloods?"

"How could that be? In their eyes, I've long since become a monster. The person who silenced her is a pureblood. Some people want to see them suffer, which happens to coincide with my plan." Ryan's smile turned cold. Now that the timeline has been altered, let the storm rage even more fiercely.

He coveted the Second and Fourth Research Institutes, and understood that humans had no right to waste time. He wanted to take this opportunity to clear obstacles and promote the Fusion Warrior Project.

Is it not out of a desire to retain talent, but merely a power struggle?

Mebius also became somewhat sarcastic. She disdained getting involved in high-level matters, but since Ryan was willing to take action, it wouldn't hurt to share some of the benefits.

"The Third Herrscher served as a wake-up call. The Honkai is so terrifying, yet people are still clinging to one path and refusing to let go. They really should wake up."

"Things aren't that simple. Using the guise of righteousness to eliminate rivals is essentially just for those seats. The Fire Moths are now highly sought after, and big shots everywhere want to get involved, but the council only has forty-six seats, so some seats need to be made available."

Ryan has seen through the essence of things. Now that the Honkai has been exposed to the world, the Fire Moth, as the only organization against the Honkai, has greatly increased its power. Not to mention anything else, just turning a certain area into a key defense area would bring unimaginable benefits.

Those elite warriors full of ideals are essentially no different from servants. With the premise of 'fighting the Honkai,' letting some 'unsuitable' people step down is a kind of 'blessing' for humanity.

These words were quite mind-bending; if it were Hua, he would probably be completely dumbfounded on the spot. However, Mebius only pondered for a moment before figuring out the key points and then yawned.

"How boring. Why not do something else with that energy?"

"I don't want to do it either, but at this stage, it's the only thing I can do."

"Who else will follow?" Mebius asked with some surprise. If Ryan had any ambition, he would eventually take control of the Fire Moth.

"plum."

“Alright, with that woman’s ruthlessness, she’s certainly suited for this kind of thing.” Möbius finally put the cotton swab away and cautioned, “What you’re doing is to my advantage, but be careful not to get yourself into trouble.”

Ryan felt a pang of reluctance and, finding it rare to see Mebius acting like a normal person, pulled down the sleeve of his shirt.

"Don't worry, why do you think I'd stay underground with you? You're my witness, I've never left."

Mebius was taken aback, feeling that the man in front of him had become a stranger. He was not only a scholar and a warrior, but also a schemer who had planned everything long ago.

Her lips moved slightly, but she couldn't bring herself to say "add more money." She knew Ryan was saying this out of trust, and their relationship had grown much closer without her even realizing it.

"The emergency escape exit is right next to the deep laboratory. I'll make the experiment fail and cut the power to the entire Fifth Research Institute for a few minutes. You'd better hurry up and come back quickly."

Ryan was somewhat surprised, not expecting Mebius to become so agreeable; he had been prepared to be ripped off.

"My impression of you has changed. I really like this kind of warmth. Let's watch a movie together again next time."

"Hmph, I've already said it, what you're doing is in my interest. I don't want the things I've worked so hard to research to be useless." Möbius turned his head away, listening to the footsteps fade into the distance, and couldn't help but call out, "Wait, there's one more thing."

So you're still not satisfied?

Ryan paused at the door, sighing inwardly. Although he was a little annoyed, it was just a matter of having two more vials of blood drawn.

He turned around indifferently and saw a dark object flying towards him. He instinctively grabbed it, and his expression became quite interesting.

These are black stockings, and judging from the scratches on the thighs, they are the ones that were damaged during the 'fight' in the car. I was completely baffled.

"What... do you mean by this?"

Mebius tilted his head, obscuring his face, but his voice remained steady.

"Since you're leaving and I have nothing to give you, just take this as a talisman."

What kind of talisman is this?!

Ryan really wanted to cut the woman's head open to see what she was thinking. Her ideas were completely out of the ordinary. And how was he supposed to use this thing as a talisman? Should he wear it on his feet or around his neck?

They're definitely trying to mess with me again. I need to stay calm right now.

Ryan didn't show any panic. He just sniffed it lightly, stuffed it into his pocket, and walked towards the door, saying something just as he closed it.

"Remember to wash it before giving it away next time. Don't you know athlete's foot is contagious?"

thump.

The door closed, followed by a muffled thud. Mebius used all her strength to throw away her high heels, then, her face slightly flushed, she leaned on the table, panting heavily.

Get out there and die right now!

Chapter Seventy-Four: The Dark Side of the World

Mebius was furious, but Ryan derives a twisted sense of pleasure from it. It's a pity we didn't get to see the expression on her face in the end, but we have important things to do now and no time to amplify that pleasure.

That night, the Fifth Research Institute experienced an emergency power outage, which was restored a few minutes later. The security department called to inquire briefly but didn't take it seriously. Möbius was always causing trouble.

For those few minutes, they weren't even thinking about protecting anyone; they were just staring intently at the entrance, aiming all sorts of guns and cannons, afraid that a monster might escape.

It was by taking advantage of the peculiar characteristics of the Fifth Research Institute that Ryan quietly emerged from underground and saw the sky again after more than a month.

The Gobi Desert was vast and desolate. He took a deep breath of the dry air, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were filled with a coldness, as if he had switched from a scholar to an assassin.

Mebius's lair is a good training ground. During this time, he has gained a preliminary grasp of the Lawyer's authority, and now it is time to put it to use.

"500 kilometers, you can get some exercise while traveling."

The electromagnetic force spread, causing his entire body to float up, and then, like a maglev train, the speed increased, gradually 'flying' across the dark Gobi Desert.

The night wind tousled his hair, and Ryan's expression grew increasingly excited. He felt as if he had stepped on the gas, his heart pounding and his speed increasing.

Boulders and cacti kept passing by on both sides. In order not to leave a trace, he did not rush recklessly, but just barely passed by these obstacles.

He really took off, stopping suddenly, changing direction, and accelerating again. His skills were becoming more and more proficient, which made Ryan increasingly satisfied.

'Previously, I could only condense Honkai energy into a pedal to pause briefly, which inevitably left me vulnerable to being attacked by highly mobile targets. This new ability alone represents a qualitative leap.'

The same energy, under the influence of authority, can produce even more wondrous effects, and can also be combined with previous abilities.

Ryan slowed down, opened his right hand, and purple lightning radiated out like the mournful cry of a thousand birds, but the leaping sparks quickly stabilized and transformed into a longsword.

Without a sound, the boulder in front of him was instantly split in two. Before the half-rock even hit the ground, it was pierced by the elongated lightning spear, which then exploded, turning the boulder into nothingness.

"It consumes a lot of resources, but the results are also very good. I don't just use instinct to manipulate power; I also have theoretical knowledge and skills. Combining them is enough to explore a new path."

The feeling of becoming stronger is exhilarating, and the process is also enjoyable. Putting aside the Honkai, this pre-civilization is really suitable for me.

"If I have the chance to touch the core of the Herrscher of Reason and the Herrscher of Void, and if I can gain something from it, wouldn't I be another End?"

By gathering all the authority of the Herrschers into one person, the only difference lies in the amount of effort put in. Given enough time, it might truly be possible to change the fate of the world.

But only time...

Ryan sighed, feeling he shouldn't be so optimistic. Besides, he had a vague premonition that his 'wings' were bigger than he had imagined, and the Third Herrscher's dying words, 'a person from beyond the heavens,' were like a thorn that he couldn't pull out.

We still need to take it one step at a time and try our best.

He raised his head and looked through the morning and evening sandstorms. He could see the city in the distance. There were no tall buildings there. The city was just spread out on the dark red Gobi Desert. He could vaguely see the taillights of cars on a few roads.

This place was once famous for its iron and coal mines, and at its peak, it was dotted with steel mills. Later, when the resources were depleted, it turned into a flour transfer station.

A rusty iron sign stands by the roadside, with the following words painted in white:

Welcome to Montpellier.

This place is really desolate. Is that guy, Vilvi, hiding here?

Even if the girl is a magician, she can't escape the all-pervasive intelligence network of the Fire-Chasing Moths, so the coordinates should be correct.