The wail of police sirens drifted from the street, proving Nagazora City's police weren't blind or deaf. In a small room on the side street, Ryan gently lowered a corner of the curtain.
The police were deployed, but to no avail. Fire Moth's absence confird his suspicions.
The Far East branch was compromised; approaching them would be dangerous. He could easily evade them, but they weren't targeting him.
Ryan turned; the ceiling light flickered, illuminating the room filled with takeout containers. A disheveled man lay in the corner.
Minutes ago, Ryan had broken in, knocking the shut-in unconscious with a single punch. In another corner, Mobius sat on the floor, quietly eating instant ran.
She opened her mouth slightly, inhaling, then savoring the noodles, her eyes closed.
"Ah, my favorite spicy flavor."
"You seem to lack a sense of urgency." Ryan approached impassively, finding this woman perplexing.
Sotis graceful, sotis rational, sotis obsessed, sotis ruthless; a thousand faces.
"With you here, why should I worry? You'll die first; then it'll be my turn."
Ryan didn't know how to respond, finally sighing.
"Aren't you afraid I'll abandon you?"
"Why should I be? Leaving things unfinished... wouldn't you be wasting your efforts?" Mobius glanced at him, calm and collected.
You...
Ryan took a deep breath; Mobius couldn't die; she was the leading expert on Honkai, and the 'soldier fusion' project was crucial.
"Enough chatter. Are you sure it's Vill-V?"
"Absolutely. Only that 'magician' could create sothing so advanced yet crude." Mobius sipped her soup. "Of course, it's not just her."
Vill-V.
Ryan rubbed his head. Vill-V was one of the thirteen Fla-Chasers, a God Key designer, with the bizarre ability to manipulate energy with her hands.
Essentially, because Fire Moth's Honkai handling was secretive, and they hadn't cleaned up their ss, she believed she'd found the truth and was constantly opposing them, becoming a wanted criminal.
Ah, I think Elysia recruited her.
"Where's Elysia?"
"Her? She went to Shenzhou for the food. Unbelievable." Mobius hugged her ran container, expressing resentnt. "She'll beco a fat woman soon."
Typical of her. Elysia wasn't reliable.
Ryan wasn't surprised; Elysia was impulsive. He narrowed his eyes. "You know why we shouldn't contact the Far East branch."
"You're trying to probe ? That wanted criminal must have soone providing intel. Let see..." Mobius bit her thumb. "It's probably not the League; the World Governnt and major powers are the most likely suspects."
"Why?"
"If the higher-ups want to get rid of ; cutting funding is enough. They wouldn't need to kill ."
"Makes sense."
Ryan also fell into contemplation. The real world was about politics, unlike the seemingly omnipotent Schicksal in the future. Fire Moth was an international organization, but its power had grown significantly due to the increasing Honkai threat.
It prioritized resource allocation, recruited top scientists, and its combat forces operated above the law; if necessary, it could even deploy military forces.
Without Honkai, such an organization couldn't exist. World leaders weren't fools; they wouldn't relinquish their power so easily.
And there was another factor: for several years, he'd worked as an assassin, eliminating political opponents for Fire Moth. While securing his own value, he'd also inadvertently united his opponents, increasing their power.
A butterfly effect...
Ryan frowned, his voice cold. "The second Honkai incident wasn't significant enough to make them realize the situation's gravity."
"Ah, humans are always short-sighted when it cos to profit; their ugliness is sickening. You know the current situation is delicate." Mobius's smile beca sarcastic; she tilted her head. "Fire Moth consus too many resources; countries have to cut welfare; Europe is constantly on strike; those leaders are under imnse pressure."
Ryan couldn't smile. Putting himself in their shoes, if he were a pri minister, diverting large sums to an organization, constantly dealing with crises, he wouldn't be happy either.
Money, people, weapons, and advanced technology—wasn't this a burgeoning military junta?
"That's why the Fire Moth Council is composed of national elites. They fostered the organization's growth, but also created conflicts."
"They swallow most of the benefits; others would be fools to be happy with that. Who knows if they're embezzling funds? Like my research budget..."
Mobius spread her hands in frustration. Ryan glared, equally frustrated.
He wasn't a filmmaker; showing the world the apocalyptic future wouldn't convince anyone. Humanity believed only what it wanted to believe.
Even facing the apocalypse, humanity struggled to unite. Now, while celebrating peace, they refused to believe Honkai could destroy them. Their ignorance bred arrogance.
Intrigue, infiltration, betrayal, alliances, and conflict—daily occurrences. This was one reason Ryan didn't want to join Fire Moth.
So short-sighted, so foolish.
"Let's drop this depressing topic. I'm just getting you out of here."
"It's frustrating. Humanity is so short-sighted; saving the world isn't enough; humanity itself must evolve, beco more beautiful. And this path of evolution is the most magnificent epic."
"I know. I understand. From apes to upright walkers, from primitive society to modern civilization, humanity has always evolved." Ryan replied casually; he was on an infinite path of evolution; his goal was to beco an Aeon.
He moved quickly to the window, looking outside, then opening the door, frowning slightly.
"What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up."
Mobius, hugging her ran, watched Ryan, a hint of sothing else in her clear, cold eyes.
"That statent... changed my impression of you."
"Changed how?"
Mobius crouched, her black stockings concealing her legs; her expression was both cold and alluring.
"You understand this, proving we share common ground."
For years, from the short-sighted higher-ups to the crude soldiers, no one understood my efforts towards human evolution.
They didn't understand; they considered the products of those dissections monsters. No, they were rely cocoons, destined to beco beautiful butterflies.
Common ground? There's so truth to that.
Ryan mused, then set off.
"Faster, stronger, smarter—humanity's pursuit. Go, eat your ran. I'm leaving."
He left the room, ignoring the call for collaboration.
It was nearly dawn. The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds. Police sirens wailed in the distance. Occasionally, a drunken man stumbled through the alley; Ryan swiftly rendered them unconscious.
Fire Moth was still absent; sothing must be hindering them. Ryan leaned against a doorway, observing the empty street.
No one was visible, yet caras moved constantly.
They'd hacked into the city's network; firewalls were useless against Vill-V; the caras on the patrolling officers were her eyes.
'Just find the approximate coordinates; then use overwhelming force.'
Ryan fell silent, then made a decision.
He turned to see Mobius hidden in the shadows, only half her face visible. "I need your help."
"No problem."
"Your willingness is unsettling."
Mobius glared. "I just suddenly realized your life is more valuable than I thought. Picking up a corpse would have been fine. Tell what you need."
That introduction needed revision; she was still strange.
Ryan didn't bother with pleasantries, putting on his headphones. "First, get a distress beacon. Second, hack into the network and locate Vill-V's terminal. Can you do that?"
"Of course. I'm a full-stack expert; hacking is trivial." Mobius tilted her head. "You really don't want my help? Your life is extrely valuable."
Ryan glanced at her, dropping to his knees, then leaping onto a rooftop.
"No need. Carrying you around is more dangerous."
"You!"
He didn't give her a chance to retort; he vanished. A cold night wind blew past; her eyes twitched involuntarily.
The scientist stamped her foot, then suppressed herself.
Ouch...
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