For so reason, Mobius seed increasingly unwilling to maintain appearances, as if discarding a mask, revealing her true nature.
Besides her constant lazy charm, her sarcasm was now unrestrained, making Ryan nostalgic for her Elysia imitation.
Back then, Mobius's friendliness had been artificial; caution had been necessary. Now, she was unrestrained, irritating him.
Ultimately, Ryan didn't stuff the socks into her mouth, but as punishnt, he used a smaller syringe.
"Stingy; a few hundred milliliters wouldn't kill you." Mobius pursed her lips, fiercely plunging the needle.
"Easy, don't make change my mind."
"Slowly. Even if you stopped now, I'd suck it out with my mouth."
Ryan's mouth twitched; Mobius was capable of anything. He watched the blood being drawn, propping his head up with his left hand, observing her intently.
Her gaze was focused; the desk lamp illuminated her pale face; her golden earrings gently swayed, adding a touch of vibrancy.
She was beautiful, unfortunately, with a sharp tongue; that mouth was loaded with sarcasm.
"Mobius, sotis I don't know which is the real you. At least, you seed quite normal last night."
"The Elysia 'true self' routine again?" She didn't look up; her tone was serious. "Adapting to the environnt is part of evolution. Adjusting one's personality based on the situation makes things easier; the core objective remains unchanged."
That was true, but Ryan wondered where the comfort was; considering it, he realized it was more comfortable than her Elysia imitation.
He was intelligent and treated people sincerely; he expected the sa in return. Mobius, though causing his blood pressure to fluctuate, had inadvertently earned his trust.
Without prolonged interaction and daily life experiences, Ryan wouldn't have given her any clues.
"Do you feel a certain level of trust has developed between us?" Mobius's sudden question revealed her high EQ; she simply didn't bother using it with ordinary people.
"Yes. You've helped ; I've helped you. Last night, if I didn't trust you, why would I sleep?"
"It feels like... friendship?"
"We've been friends for a long ti."
Ryan's response was imdiate; Mobius's eyes widened in surprise; a smile touched her lips.
"I like your honesty. Since we're friends, can I have another blood sample?"
"Don't push it. Friendship is friendship; business is business. From an assistance perspective, I've done more than enough."
Even Mobius couldn't argue; she hadn't gained Ryan's secrets, but the warrior fusion project had advanced significantly, accelerating her own evolution.
Even though she'd grown sowhat dismissive of fusing Honkai Beast genes, Ryan's willingness ant it was worthwhile.
"We should have results within six months; if your genes are truly powerful, it might be faster. When I'm free, I'll discuss it with i." Mobius removed the needle, pressing it against the puncture wound.
Her touch was light, surprisingly gentle, reminding Ryan of sothing.
"i's the director of the First Institute now."
"Yes. The First Institute focuses on Imaginary Space research; no one is better suited than her. And i is quite shrewd; the higher-ups trust her."
Ryan nodded in agreent; i was capable, talented, lacked a powerful backing, and had Kevin as a "hostage"—naturally trustworthy.
"She's the First; you're the Fifth; what do the Institutes in between do?"
Mobius, unusually attentive to Ryan's questions, answered seriously and carefully. "The Second Institute focuses on artificial intelligence and war machines; the Third on quantum physics; the Fourth on materials science and energy."
Anti-Entropy, Sea of Quanta, God Key.
Ryan understood instantly; research wasn't a single step; it built upon existing knowledge; i and the others had broken through barriers, much like the warrior fusion project; without Mobius's initial research, he would have taken years to find a breakthrough.
"If you and i collaborated, these research areas would see significant breakthroughs; you're both incredibly talented."
The flattery pleased Mobius; she even narrowed her eyes.
"You're good at this. It's annoying dealing with those petty bureaucrats and constant funding issues." Mobius complained, then shook her head rationally. "But the higher-ups won't allow it; they want to maintain a so-called balance; they lack the courage and determination to push forward."
The initial work on the warrior fusion project was complete; the results were buried.
That was typical; Mobius's previous work on physical enhancent rely explored human potential; warrior fusion aid to transform humans into sothing else.
"Before a life-or-death crisis, they lack the courage to cross that threshold; at least, publicly." Mobius's smile turned sarcastic; linking this to the data theft incident highlighted their foolishness.
"Politicians care about their reputations; transforming humanity requires imnse courage." Ryan understood; politics was about compromise and shifting bla.
If humanity defeated the Honkai, what would happen to these modified humans? Would everyone undergo the fusion procedure, becoming modified humans?
"Survival is paramount; unfortunately, that pressure can only be exerted by the Herrschers." Ryan sighed. His phone vibrated; he checked it, a smirk slowly forming on his lips. "But I have thods to accelerate this process."
Mobius didn't notice his subtle actions, only snorting in irritation. "Give it up. Killing them will only reveal that their replacents are even more foolish."
"No need to kill. I deal with people, not mindless Herrschers."
Ryan rotated his phone, showing it to Mobius; she looked up, her jade-green eyes filled with curiosity.
It was an anonymous email containing a series of numbers; given her intelligence, she quickly guessed what it was.
"Coordinates?"
"Clever. Just one coordinate. Rember Vill-V?"
"That 'magician'? I understand. Soone within Fire Moth revealed my location; this is your chance to deal with her?"
"Quite the opposite. Soone wants her silenced; soone wants to save her." Ryan smiled, opening a map on his notebook and entering the coordinates.
The longitude and latitude were input; the map zood in on Montpelier, a small town in southwestern Mu Continent.
Mobius understood; she rembered Vill-V was a skilled engineer; she frowned. "You still have ties to the Pureblood faction?"
"Possibly. In their eyes, I'm already a monster. The Pureblood faction wants her silenced; soone wants them to suffer; it aligns with my plans." Ryan's smile turned cold and sinister; he was rewriting the tiline; let the storm rage.
He coveted the Second and Fourth Institutes; he understood humanity's inability to waste ti; this was a chance to eliminate obstacles and accelerate the warrior fusion project.
Not for power, but for political maneuvering.
Mobius also grew sarcastic; she despised high-level politics; if Ryan was willing, sharing the spoils wouldn't be bad.
"The Third Herrscher was a warning; the Honkai is terrifying; clinging to one path is foolish; it's ti for so clarity."
"It's not that simple; using a righteous cause to eliminate rivals is, essentially, a power grab. Fire Moth is rife with opportunists; powerful individuals want to join, but the Council only has forty-six seats; positions must be secured."
Ryan saw through the situation. The Honkai was now public knowledge; Fire Moth was the primary organization combating it; its power had increased significantly. Securing control of certain regions and the resulting benefits were unimaginable.
Those idealistic elite soldiers were, essentially, no different from families; using "combating the Honkai" as a pretext to eliminate "undesirables" was a form of "blessing" for humanity.
These ideas were complex. Hua would likely be baffled; Mobius, however, understood the intricacies in monts, yawning.
"So tedious; there are better things to do with this energy."
"I don't want to do it, but I'm the only one who can."
"Who next?" Mobius was slightly surprised; if Ryan had ambitions, he'd eventually control Fire Moth.
"i."
"Ah, that reckless woman is indeed suitable for this." Mobius finally stopped fiddling with her hair. "This benefits , but be careful; don't get caught."
Ryan felt a strange sense of reluctance, seeing a human side of Mobius. He pulled up his sleeve.
"Don't worry; why do you think I've been staying underground with you? With you as a witness, I haven't left."
Mobius was stunned; the man before her seed different; he was not only a scholar and warrior but a strategist; he'd planned it all.
The words "extra paynt" lingered on her lips; she knew he'd said this out of trust; their bond had strengthened.
"The ergency exit is near the deepest lab. I'll cause a power outage in the Fifth Institute for a few minutes. Be quick; get in and out quickly."
Ryan was surprised; Mobius had beco unexpectedly straightforward; he'd expected trickery.
"I've changed my opinion of you; I appreciate this favor. We'll watch a movie next ti."
"Hmph. As I said, this benefits ; I don't want my research to be useless." Mobius turned; as he walked away, she called out. "Wait, one more thing."
Still not satisfied?
Ryan paused at the door, sighing inwardly. It was annoying, but it ant just a couple more blood samples.
He turned, seeing a dark object flying towards him; he caught it instinctively, his expression shifting.
It was a pair of black high socks; the scratches near the ankles were from their earlier struggle; he was bewildered.
"What... is this?"
Mobius tilted her head, her expression unreadable; her tone was calm.
"You're leaving; I didn't have a gift. Consider this a charm."
What kind of charm?!
Ryan wanted to dissect her brain to see what she was thinking; she was utterly unpredictable. And how was he supposed to use this as a charm? On his legs? Around his neck?
She's definitely playing with ; I must remain calm.
Ryan showed no confusion, simply pocketing the socks and heading for the door. As he closed the door, he said:
"Wash them next ti; you don't know foot fungus is contagious."
Thud.
The door closed with a loud bang; Mobius, exasperated, threw her high heels across the room, her face flushed, gasping for breath.
Just die out there!
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