The unknown was gradually becoming clearer through the mist, causing Ryan heartbeat to quicken.
This news not only indicated the severance of the clues but also made him realize that the other party had the ability to gather the energy of collapse, and this was very scientific.
The Fire Moth had long mastered some usage of Honkai Energy, like the collapse warheads used against the Herrschers or the ever-increasing energy weapons now being used. All it took was adjusting the intensity, and it could be applied to scientific research.
Prisons, secret research labs, tens of thousands of corpses, human traffickers...
Ryan stopped and stood before an iron bridge.
The wind whistled ahead, producing a soft hum. It was a giant hollow, extending from the surface and seemingly deep to the bottomless depths, with the faint sound of water flowing. A three-meter-wide iron bridge spanned the middle, leading to the other side.
There were also many small holes around the hollow, presumably for dumping wastewater.
'The research lab is on the other side. Such a complex underground passage must have hidden many things. I'm sure it cost a lot to build, and yet, it was just abandoned like this.'
Ryan didn't dare fully release his authority. One, he was afraid of scaring off the other party, and two, he lacked the Herrscher's data processing ability, fearing his brain might fry.
Fortunately, he wouldn't need to hide for much longer.
He raised his head, and through the mist, he could vaguely see figures climbing onto the iron bridge. Behind him, footsteps could also be heard, accompanied by the sounds of insects and rats.
'Leading me here, trying to surround me with a pincer attack? Seems they have some intelligence.'
Ryan decisively raised his gun, once again confirming that this Herrscher didn't want to leave, so they wanted to minimize the damage caused by the fight. He stood motionless, looking almost stunned by the sight in front of him, because the scene before him was truly terrifying.
Light beams from above illuminated the area, and Ryan could see the iron bridge covered in people—at least a hundred of them. On the walls, some people or animals clung to the surface, crawling like geckos.
Turning to look behind him, hundreds of rats and cockroaches had already emerged from the shadows, squealing as they gazed at Ryan.
Although it wasn't exactly an impenetrable net, they had surrounded him, and Ryan knew just how troublesome these creatures could be.
Speed, defense, agility—all far beyond human limits. They could still attack without breaking into pieces, and what was most troublesome was that each of them had self-awareness. There was no need to waste energy controlling them like puppets.
"One-man army, indeed impressive," Ryan raised his head and looked at the first man to reveal his true form on the iron bridge: Copper Rust.
The informant showed a dry smile, just like the first time they met: "Direct combat is actually mediocre; it's better for intelligence gathering and infiltration. An enemy you can't see is the truly scary one."
"Professional, you immediately saw the thing I feared the most. If these things enter the city, there's no place that could hold up, right?"
"Better if it can't be held, everyone can be happy like in Snow Prison Town, wouldn't that be better?"
"Happy?"
"Yeah, each relying on their own skills, fair and reasonable," Copper Rust raised his head, a sarcastic smile appearing: "You don't think those big shots are pure, do you? The vice mayor of Gothenburg came to Snow Prison Town because of too much pressure. I got him ten people, gave him a knife, and let him chop their heads off one by one."
"Pah, just because of power, those whose heads he chopped off—any one of them could beat that old man into the ground."
"You're saying the old order has collapsed, and we should establish a new one?" Ryan tilted his head slightly.
"Order? That's just an excuse to plunder the weak. We don't need order; everything should be done by instinct. Chaos is the best thing!"
Oh, so he's a chaos warrior, huh.
Ryan sneered. The words were persuasive, but he was long past his rebellious teenage years, too lazy to think further. Instead, he turned his gaze to another person.
A thin body, worn-out trench coat, a timid expression.
"Christina?"
"Sir, please come to our side, there's really no need to continue fighting," the girl folded her arms across her chest, her eyes shining. "I don't feel hunger or cold anymore. I'm no longer afraid of being humiliated or infected by the Honkai Disease, and I don't have to exchange my body for food."
"If everyone could be like me, how great would that be? Do you know? Death gives birth to new life. Only now do I truly understand the meaning of that phrase."
Her voice was clear, but the joy in it was something Ryan had never heard before, and it filled him with sarcasm.
Living a life full of suffering, and turning into something like that... was that redemption?
Ryan didn't elevate the conversation to philosophical heights, nor did he debate right or wrong. In this crazy world, there was no such thing as right or wrong.
"Copper Rust, you were right earlier—everything should be done by instinct, following the deepest desires of the heart."
"So?" The man smiled.
"I will sever the source of pollution, no matter how they speak, no matter how they try to deceive, I will—" Ryan suddenly raised his gun and decisively pulled the trigger.
""Kill Honkai once and for all!!"!!"
Rat-a-tat-tat.
The crisp sound of gunfire echoed in the underground, and Copper Rust's expression froze. His head exploded, and he fell backward, instantly causing chaos.
Though they had banter, everyone was ready for battle.
Shadows filled the area. There was no need to take a running start—within seconds, they accelerated to an incredible speed, making Ryan rifle feel useless, like a burning stick. A burst of fire only sparked a few flames.
Soon, the attacks came fast and strong.
Ryan leapt into the air, hanging upside down from the ceiling, and saw that the spot where he had just stood was already covered by 'shadow blades,' and the alloy floor was riddled with holes.
He swung his arm backward with force, slicing through the floor. Then, he gathered Honkai Energy and threw a punch forward.
Boom!!
The wind from his punch vibrated the air, and a large number of 'black needles' disintegrated—those were the flying cockroaches. Small in size, but with tremendous piercing power; even steel couldn't stop them.
Ryan didn't float away with the wind, nor did he use electromagnetic levitation. Instead, he stomped on the air as if stepping on invisible stairs, leaping into the pit below and throwing a grenade into the crowd.
Boom—
Several bursts of flames erupted, accompanied by the sound of twisting steel. Below, enemies with blackened arms were waiting. As Ryan descended, their arms thrust forward.
The sharp blades cut through the Honkai Energy, but before they could reach his body, Ryan stomped down hard on one of them.
Extreme Force: Thousand-pound Drop!
Boom!
The impact was so heavy that it twisted the iron bridge, causing hundreds of people to fall into the deep pit. But in the air, countless black lines formed, like nails driven into the rock wall, leaving the people floating in mid-air.
Endless changes?
Ryan sprinted up the slanted iron bridge, raising his fists against the crowd blocking his way.
Extreme Force: Iron Mountain Crash.
He slammed into the crowd, his eyes scanning rapidly. He either stopped abruptly to change direction or leapt forward, deftly avoiding the dense blades. He squeezed through gaps, dodging with swift steps, and his punches rained down like a storm.
Straight punches crushed skulls, whip kicks broke waists, elbows shattered chests...
Ryan moved like a killing machine—not fast, but extremely responsive. Whether it was shadow blades, black needles, or insect ambushes, none could land a critical hit. His punches and elbows tore through anything they touched, limbs and broken bodies flying everywhere.
'They must rely on living creatures to parasite them until they can no longer control them.'
Countless thoughts swirled in Ryan mind. He suddenly stopped, and his Collapse-charged whip kick, like a blade, not only crushed the defenses but also snapped a few people in half.
Their broken bodies plunged from the air, covered in spikes, like sea urchins, and the moment the whip leg landed, Ryan fist obliterated them in the air.
'There's no real sensation of killing. These shadows aren't dead—they've just returned to their original form because the parasite is gone?'
Ryan turned and looked at the enemies swarming from behind.
They either jumped into the air or grew black wings, diving down madly. The attack density clearly exceeded the limit of evasion, and Ryan could only destroy them physically, turning them into meat paste.
Without a second thought, Ryan turned and ran. He heard a series of crashes as the iron bridge was instantly disintegrated, piece by piece, like an eraser, while the people gathered together, their shadows linking to form a floating train.
'They can even do this? From a one-man army to a collective body, their defense and damage resistance have increased dramatically.'
He saw a monster: a human centipede composed of hundreds of people, their bodies stacked together, covered in black shadows. Hundreds of hands and legs moved mindlessly, and then suddenly they flew up, slashing down at Ryan, who was running toward the other entrance.
It was like a giant black blade, and its destructive power was surely hundreds of times stronger than before. Ryan, however, smiled.
Now that I understand enough, the unknown becomes known, and then you are of no use.
Ryan glanced at the side. The shadows of the strange statues were shifting, like flowing water, quietly moving behind him.
Not just humans, not just creatures—this unknown form, murder and invisibility?
Others truly have no way to deal with you. Even Sakura would either retreat or be ground down by you, but you're unlucky enough to meet me.
I detect you, understand you, lock onto you, and in the end, I will kill you!
Ryan smirked, lifting his hands lightly.
Crash—
The underground river surged like a fountain, wrapping the giant shadow blade in its flow, and then Ryan clapped his hands.
The authority activated, crushing the raging current!
The liquid flowed swiftly, like a meat grinder, slicing through the black shadows on the surface and shredding the 'human centipede' inside into dust.
Ryan clearly saw a girl's head separate from the group, then dissolve into indistinguishable powder in the raging current.
"As a human, rest in peace."
His expression remained unchanged as purple lightning surged from his body, forming a plasma ball.
At the atomic level, the steel corridor turned into another hollow, and all matter was obliterated in the purple lightning, including the shadows that were waiting to strike.
Fooling around.
The current and arcs covered the entire underground, and floating in the air, Ryan seemed like a deity, scanning the surroundings. After the brilliant light faded, not a single enemy shadow remained.
"I told you, you can't stop me."