The four of them had been traveling together for almost half a month now. The initial awkwardness and fear had gradually faded, and even Pardofelis wasn't as afraid of Kalpas anymore.
Of course, she still sat the furthest away from him. The clever little cat would never put herself in harm's way.
Dinner was relatively peaceful. Pardofelis occasionally cracked a joke she had just heard, and Ryan and Aponia would laugh in unison, lightly brushing off Kalpas' sarcastic remarks.
Everyone had slowly gotten used to this way of living, carefully maintaining their boundaries, without causing any major issues so far.
Kalpas was undoubtedly a thorn in their side. He was crazy, but not stupid. As long as Ryan kept his promise, he didn't mind this way of life.
Once dinner ended and the lights were dimmed, Ryan took a chair to the balcony and sipped his coffee, gazing at the lights of Rome. The soft sound of violin music drifted in the air, reminding him why this was the art capital of the world.
Additionally, being the headquarters of the Cross Church and rarely suffering from collapses, it was also called the Holy City or the City of God's Blessing—suggesting it had some spiritual significance.
Looking inside, Pardofelis was lying on the sofa, legs splayed, absentmindedly swaying her slender legs and rubbing her round belly. The joy on her face seemed to overflow.
It was her turn to wash the dishes today, but she had delayed it, claiming she was too full. Eventually, it was Aponia who helped.
This nun, with her superstitious tendencies, stood at the sink wiping dishes awkwardly, her tiptoes barely touching the ground as she placed the cleaned dishes in the upper cabinet.
"Aponia doesn't do much housework, but she certainly looks like a wife." Ryan thought.
Turning his head slightly, Ryan saw Kalpas standing rigidly by the sofa with his arms folded, eyes glued to the TV, his wrists occasionally twitching.
Could he be practicing moves from the anime? No wonder he's been so quiet after dinner lately.
The TV was playing Water Shadow Ninja, and a particular domineering character had become Kalpas' latest obsession. Kalpas seemed eager to try it out himself, as if wanting to jump into the screen and have a battle.
As an alien who had landed in the wilderness, it was understandable that Kalpas hadn't been exposed to Earth's culture.
As an observer, Ryan felt very rational. After all these days, he realized that Aponia and Kalpas weren't as difficult to handle as he had originally thought. Thinking about it made him both amused and slightly sad.
Have I created another small hill for myself?
Mobius, Sakura, Kevin, and Vil-V were one group, while the three people from Sundown Alley were another. How did they all become socially anxious like Elysia and suddenly able to talk to anyone?
He was momentarily puzzled, then quickly took a sip of coffee to calm his thoughts, using this rare quiet moment to reflect.
"Kalpas should be fine. He can hold back because he knows he can't defeat me. If he can't win, what's the point? No wonder he exercises every day."
"Aponia has been trying to change her fate, but she failed before meeting me, so she became interested. Otherwise, she'd have turned into a pessimist."
Ignoring Pardofelis, Ryan understood very well what was on their minds. At the core, their thinking was simple: "It's all about power."
With 3000HW of Honkai energy, three Herrscher powers (Thunder, Wind, and Ice), and the abilities of several Honkai beasts and pseudo-Herrscher entities, Ryan felt like he was slowly becoming a monster.
This kind of power was terrifying even among Herrschers, and far superior to the fusion warriors. Not only did his Honkai energy surpass the Herrscher level, but the three powers themselves were something beyond comprehension.
Each one represented a law, a concept, a form of magic that transcended human technology.
"Thank you for the gift. I look forward to your next reaction." Ryan smiled, saluting the sky as though mocking Honkai. But in his eyes was a deep sense of fear. He still had a long way to go. The stronger he became, the more resistance he would face. It was the old saying: Honkai can fail 10,000 times, but Ryan can't afford to fail even once.
"Pressure is also a driving force, to prevent becoming a lazy fish when too comfortable."
The coffee condensed into a layer of frost and quickly turned into iced coffee. Ryan had wasted no time these days. He was constantly exercising his authority, and it was that very pressure that had pushed Kalpas to start exercising intensely as well.
The authority of ice, in a more fantastical sense, represented the power of freezing. Scientifically, it was the ability to stop the motion of molecules. Ice was just the basic expression. The core concept behind it was the idea of "freezing", and if he remembered correctly, Vil-V had almost created an apocalyptic weapon with the core of the fifth Herrscher, later turning it into a dormant chamber.
Fifty thousand years—ordinary people like Fuxi and Nuwa could also spend fifty thousand years in such a chamber, surpassing all known technology.
The Second Research Institute had invested heavily into long-term freezing but couldn't sustain an organism's vital signs in a frozen state. Yet, for Ryan, such obscure feats were as easy as breathing.
"It's true magic, a miracle beyond human reach."
Ryan bowed his head again. This improvement was more satisfying than the surge of Honkai energy because it meant he was getting closer to the core laws of all things.
But this metaphysical concept was difficult to understand. So far, he could only grasp the external expressions, never quite reaching the physical freezing powers of a Herrscher.
He thought back to the battle in Sundown Alley, frowning. The strength displayed by the Herrscher of Ice had left him dissatisfied.
"There's a fatal flaw. This authority doesn't differentiate between enemies and allies. It can't freeze others, yet I remain unaffected. If I can take another step, I'll be unstoppable."
By condensing enemies' time and space, coupled with the destructive power of Thunder and the speed of Wind, even an opponent of the same level would be obliterated instantly, should they lack the means to defend themselves.
Ryan couldn't help but glance at the TV, wondering if the anime characters could somehow be upgraded like that.
"But this is boring."
"What's boring?"
A soft voice entered his ear. Aponia, holding a handkerchief, was delivering a kettle to the table.
"I said, if the collapse is too easy to fix, it would be boring." Ryan smiled.
"I always feel like you're uneasy, but I can't figure out what could make you this worried." Aponia placed the kettle on the table and bent down, her curves accentuating the exaggerated arc of her figure.
She had learned about the Herrscher from Ryan. According to him, there was only one Herrscher left, so logically, the enemy should be terrified.
"Are you worried about the fire moths? Although I haven't asked, I'm sure you've got it covered."
"They? Just a minor hurdle." Ryan waved his hand dismissively, then pointed to the chair across from him, inviting Aponia to sit.
The atmosphere was relaxed, like a casual conversation between friends. Aponia liked this feeling. She sat down straight, her skirt revealing her white stockings. The slit of her dress was high, and her knee-high lace socks could be faintly seen.
Aponia's appearance fit perfectly in Rome. Her delicate, radiant face held a hint of compassion in her blue eyes.
Ryan sat across from her, legs crossed, his eyes narrowing as he said, "You really look like the perfect nun."
"Strange metaphor. I am a nun."
"That's why I added 'perfect'." Ryan continued, "Do you know why I'm worried?"
"Because you can see farther than I can and understand collapse better." Aponia's expression remained unchanged, but her words made Ryan's eyes widen slightly.
She had seen through him—impressive.
He knew Aponia was a perceptive observer, and most saw him as one of the same kind, but interestingly, he truly was a prophet.
But what Aponia saw couldn't be changed, while his own visions had already morphed beyond recognition.
"I'm exactly the opposite of you."
"Huh?"
"You want to turn the known into the unknown. I'm turning the unknown into the known."
Aponia looked confused for a moment but eventually understood. She looked at Ryan with newfound seriousness.
"It's a pity you didn't become a priest."
"Haha, I'm not exactly merciful and philanthropic. In fact, I'm more like Kalpas."
"How so?"
Ryan placed his hands on the table, his gray eyes sharp: "Not for others, only for himself. That's the core difference between us."
Not for others, only for himself, doing things his own way, like a madman?
Aponia thought to herself that this was the strength of people like them. They were impervious to the world around them. Maybe that's why Ryan seemed easier to get along with than Kalpas.
But at their core, the motivation was the same: "I want to do it." Such people could never be controlled.
"It's not about good or evil. I understand now. No wonder you act without hesitation. You don't care about what others think."
"Actually, I do care, but there are very few people who can make me care." Ryan smiled, thinking of another group of people far away.
"Then I'm very interested in meeting you. By the way, could I have that honor?"
Aponia's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Her blue eyes, clear and holy, seemed capable of piercing the soul. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, making her elegant figure even more prominent.
"Why do you want to receive this honor?" Ryan asked.
Aponia tilted her head slightly, her innocent expression contrasting with her mature demeanor.
"Because—"
"I want to fight fate."