Really? Those people have already become "urgent kings" so quickly, using a ballistic missile to silence someone? That's quite extravagant.
In Snow Prison Town, Ryan put away his phone and smiled mockingly. They had really gone all out, not only with that missile but also with the fact that the unit that launched it was 100% dead, leaving no survivors.
Your actions really piss me off.
Even though he knew Mei had already made arrangements, the idea of messing with her stirred intense killing intent in Ryan. In his eyes, the entire Fire Moth Council and the tangled webs of high-ranking officials weren't worth as much as that girl's pinky finger.
"Keep investigating. You'll definitely find at least one councilor."
"But I can guarantee that you won't find any live ones. It's not just one person."
"Then it's a perfect opportunity to get to the bottom of the identities of the 46 councilors. This kind of struggle has its winners, and there will be opportunities."
Mei was silent for a moment before nodding lightly. "Alright."
Ryan hung up the phone. The issues in Northern Europe were just the beginning. He was preparing for what was to come. In reality, the existence of the Fire Moth was valuable not just because of their power, but because these people were incredibly difficult to kill.
Each councilor's identity was a top secret. Even within the same faction, no one knew each other's identities. This was done to avoid decapitation operations.
If it were so easy to replace or kill them, Mei wouldn't have waited until the endgame to act. That woman is scarier than Mobius, not concerned with emotions or loyalty.
Ryan stretched his neck. Now that he was in the picture, not only was there the guarantee of force, but the Fire Moth's elite force was already taking shape. Mei could fully trust people like Vil-V and Mobius. It was certainly better than handling things on her own.
Forget it, let Mei worry about this troublesome stuff. With me helping, I'm far more useful than that slime.
Ryan pushed open the door to the bar, surprised by how quiet it was inside. Aside from the bartender, there were hardly any customers. In Snow Prison Town, there were no set working hours.
He scanned the room, ignoring the bartender's disdainful look, and spotted a burly man in the corner. His pupils contracted slightly.
In a moment, his expression returned to normal, and he walked over casually.
"A glass of Black Label whiskey, and a lemon soda."
Ryan didn't feel any need to be discreet as he picked up two glasses and placed them on the table in the corner.
"Out drinking this early?"
"My desk is here," the man, Rust, slowly looked up, slightly irritated. "But thanks to someone, even the girls are gone, so I'm stuck here doing nothing."
"Sorry, it's part of my job." Ryan sat down and slid the whiskey toward him, getting straight to the point. "I want to know about Father Gremiel's background, including what he did before the Honkai."
"I knew you'd come find me, Agent." Rust took a sip of his drink, satisfied. "By the way, don't trust Boss Waxi?"
"The communication system being down so conveniently prevented me from calling for backup. Large-scale military operations require evidence." Ryan gave him a cold glance, not hiding his thoughts.
"You suspect Snow Prison Town is linked to that monster?"
"Of course."
"So, what will the Fire Moth do?"
"Send in the extermination unit to thoroughly search Northern Europe, wipe out all the settlements. You'll be monitored, experimented on, or killed. No threats will be allowed to remain."
Ryan tone was icy, almost devoid of any emotion, lowering the temperature in the bar to below freezing, causing the bartender to subtly grip the shotgun under the bar.
But Ryan was telling the truth. The Fire Moth wouldn't let any threat slide.
Rust's expression shifted slightly, a hint of fear creeping across his face. He pulled a file from his bag and tossed it across to Ryan.
"You monsters really are brutal. This is the stuff you wanted. No need to pay, the information you just got is worth enough." Rust stood up, calling to the bartender with a cruel smile. "Chris, make sure you clean those glasses well."
The bartender, Chris, glanced at the man flipping through the files, swallowed nervously, and quickly scampered off.
The Fire Moth definitely collects lives. You can't survive in the snowfields. You'll have to go to Gothenburg in the end.
Ryan didn't say anything as he flipped through the file. Father Gremiel, aside from his record in a mental hospital, had an otherwise mundane background, with no connections to the Fire Moth.
Just a regular man who, in the era of despair, suddenly became a fanatic and then gained inhuman strength from his obsessive worship of the Honkai...
"If I didn't know what was coming, I might have been tricked by you."
Honkai was just energy. At least in this world, it didn't grant divine powers based on faith. The Honkai wasn't a god.
These people acted convincingly, and they might even deceive high-ranking officials into abandoning science for theology, but they couldn't fool him.
They were good actors, far better than the dumb, clueless Herrschers.
Ryan looked up and saw Rust's back disappear. As soon as he had entered, Ryan had already sensed that Rust was no longer human. The aura around him was no different from Father Gremiel.
I saw him just the other night, and today, he's become a Herrscher. There's a bit of the Herrscher of Control in his aura, but it's definitely not him.
Ryan had observed Rust's every micro-expression earlier. He had truly perfected his disguise. If he didn't have two forms of authority, he would've been completely fooled.
Too bad I'm also a "Herrscher," and I've got two forms of authority.
He placed his hand on his abdomen, gazing in Rust's direction. The small door was swaying back and forth in the wind, creaking. Ryan watched him, a few thoughts bubbling up in his mind.
One, he hadn't noticed my true nature. He seemed a little more clumsy than the other Herrschers. It might be linked to the secret appearance.
Two, confirm his authority is neither of the Thirteen Herrschers, and he won't leave this snowfield.
Three, they don't have the power to control Herrschers. Otherwise, Mei would have been exposed, and it wouldn't have been possible to meet him.
Four, even with Mei's cover, my identity will soon be revealed.
With all this in mind, I should act, but it's a shame. I didn't catch the big fish.
Ryan put on his hat, pushed open the wooden door, and slipped into the small alley behind the bar. He followed Rust closely from a few hundred meters behind.
Rust, oblivious, weaved through the alley, quickly opening an iron door. His figure disappeared inside, and the soft snow winds blew into the room.
Downstairs, another mirage system. The hidden walls led deep underground. It looked like an air raid shelter. Was this the discovery?
Ryan glanced at the small boy stepping out from the alley corner, wearing a sky-blue down jacket and looking quite healthy. He seemed to be the child of someone important.
The boy looked at Ryan with fear in his eyes, quickly retreating.
Everything seemed natural, but Ryan knew the boy was also a "Herrscher," raising the threat level a notch.
Not just one—this was more like mind control. It had to be dealt with here.
Ryan wasn't sure about the exact nature of this authority, but he knew if this thing infiltrated a city, it would be terrifying. He had to confirm it with his own eyes. Maybe Elysia could do it too; other than that, there was no other way.
The detectors only caught weak increases in Honkai energy—almost negligible. If it really got into New York, it would be nearly invincible. Who could identify all the Herrschers among millions of people?
Ryan couldn't help but marvel at his luck. No matter what the enemy was, it had to stay here. He ignored the fact that his identity had already been exposed and followed quietly, then carefully pulled out his phone.
"Elysia, prepare Sakura for an attack."
"Ah? You really ran into the Herrscher of Ice?" Elysia voice squeaked as she covered her mouth, sitting up in the bathtub, water dripping down her collarbone.
She blinked, thinking to herself, I must have brought bad luck.
"No, it's something more interesting. Don't worry, I have—" Ryan suddenly put the phone down, turned, and drew his handgun.
Bang, bang!
The boy, who had stealthily approached, had his head blown off completely. He flew backward several meters, then bounced back.
His hands turned black, like they were coated in ink, and with a ruined head, he charged forward, making the hairs on Ryan neck stand on end.
Another round of bullets was fired, but they sparked off his arm like they were hitting steel. Ryan sidestepped the attack, whipping his leg to smash the dangling iron door.
Crash—
The half-inch-thick iron plate was pierced as if it were paper, torn into pieces. The figure shot forward.
It wasn't physical enhancement—it was shadow manipulation?
Despite it being daylight, Ryan noticed the boy cast no shadow at all. Instead, the blackness of his body stood out like a shadow. With his keen eyesight, Ryan even saw that the boy's legs weren't touching the ground. The projection of his boots was what lifted him up.
He was charging directly at Ryan face, palms outstretched. But Ryan was faster, and the dark hands barely grazed his hair.
Ryan quickly ducked, then shot up like lightning.
Dragon Rising.
Boom!!
His fist connected with the boy's abdomen, and the burst of Honkai energy shattered the defense. Before the shadows turned into blades, Ryan injected it into the boy's body, causing the over-meter-tall body to swell above his head.
With a whoosh, the body exploded into chunks of meat scattered across the alley, turning the snow red.
Ryan scanned the area. The body parts were scattered all over, and in the daylight—
There were no shadows.
As expected, it was shadow manipulation. Was this some form of possession?
Ryan suspected as much because their behavior was too natural. There was no performance. But this touched on another core issue:
Herrschers shouldn't have emotions.
Or rather, it seemed like the Herrscher of Control had taken over the original vessel. Because the vessel was shattered, the shadow dissipated. So, the question arose:
Why use such a sneaky skill and leave it here? And how was it connected to some people in the Fire Moth?
"Hey, hey, hey?"
Elysia voice came through, snapping Ryan back to reality. He picked up the phone.
"I've finished handling things here."
"Are you okay? Should I come help now?" Elysia had already climbed out of the bathtub, wiping her hair quickly, completely naked.
"No need. It's still under control. And these issues..."
Ryan closed his eyes, feeling a surge of excitement from deep within. The thrill of peeling back layers, continually exploring the truth.
That's encouraging.