Over the years, 『Fire Moth』 had fought against the First, Second, and Third 『Herrschers』. Their bodies and cores were sealed deep underground.
Ryan hadn't expected the request to be approved; he simply understood the meaning behind Mei's earlier words.
The priceless 『Herrscher』 cores naturally had to be stored in the most secure location imaginable, and constructing a fortified vault was the only logical choice.
Steel corridors stretched on, layered with half-meter-thick blast doors, cameras on every wall—this was the very heart of 『Fire Moth』 headquarters, the safest place in the world.
Following Mei, Ryan passed through blast door after blast door until they entered a vast hall. Dormant combat automatons lined both sides, while near the central gate stood several figures clad head to toe in heavy armor.
『MANTIS』? Already deployed here as guards?
Ryan instantly sensed the 『Honkai Energy』. Even low-tier 『MANTIS』 were rare now; stationing several here for guard duty underscored the site's overwhelming importance.
Mei produced documents. The soldiers verified them using a wired wall phone. Ryan's face remained unreadable.
Their strength was uncertain, but their decisive, precise movements revealed they were handpicked veterans of 『Fire Moth』—combat experience was without doubt a prerequisite.
"Dr. Mei. Dr. Ryan. You have thirty minutes to collect data. Please proceed."
One soldier tapped a control on his helmet, exposing his eyes for an iris scan.
Hiss.
A muffled sound echoed as the massive vault door—several times thicker than any bank vault—slowly parted. The guards, like iron statues, took their places on either side.
Mei led Ryan into a narrow corridor, her voice soft as she asked, "What do you think of these 『MANTIS』?"
"Weaker than me, but in sufficient numbers, they could be dangerous." Ryan had studied them carefully, the conclusion plain:
"Once they've ceased being human, they can be shaped in countless ways—like building a foundation sturdy enough to hold anything."
"For example, that armor. Even Sakura couldn't wear it. Without mastery of 『Honkai Energy』, a human body would shatter under the acceleration. And that oversized electromagnetic cannon… if I'm not mistaken, it also requires 『Honkai Energy』 as its power source."
The fusion of human evolution and advanced technology wasn't a simple sum; it was exponential—like producing mass versions of Ryan himself, at least before he gained his true powers.
Mei nodded slightly. The ability to wield 『Honkai Energy』 marked a fundamental biological divide. In essence, they were no longer human.
Faster, stronger, enhanced by raw energy, they stood on the threshold of another tech tree entirely.
"So, how many could you take?" she asked, curiosity slipping through.
"I haven't tested these new toys, and combat isn't as simple as comparing stats. But under normal conditions…" Ryan paused to consider, then answered, "A few dozen should be no problem."
A few dozen?
Mei's lips twitched faintly. She realized she had underestimated Ryan—but after all, he was comparing himself against the very pinnacle of human biology and engineering. Still, she chose not to argue.
Human variance was vast. Even among lower-tier 『MANTIS』, many spiraled into mutation or madness. Those capable of merging with high-tier Honkai Beast factors were vanishingly rare.
Fate was mercilessly uneven.
She wordlessly activated the central blast door. The chamber beyond wasn't large, reminiscent of Mobius's laboratory, with several glass cylinders arranged within. Three bodies floated inside.
『Herrscher』 corpses.
Ryan recognized the white-haired girl who had become the Herrscher of Thunder. The other two were strangers: one a young man, the other a woman. The youth looked refined, with short black hair. Data still remained on the terminal beside him.
"Damino, third-year at Banbei University. Vanished in '94, reemerged as the First Herrscher—formally known as the Herrscher of Reason…"
Ryan read aloud softly. The file detailed his powers and his "glorious achievements": more than a dozen towns reduced to ruin. 『Fire Moth』 had sacrificed thousands of lives to suppress him.
"『Honkai Energy』 peak reaction, 1500 HW."
The Previous Era hadn't been fortunate. Unlike Professor Welt, this Damino never sided with humanity. He unleashed destruction with cold, merciless rationality.
"His grasp of construction abilities was formidable. 『Fire Moth』 even derived tactics from him—strategies to bleed a 『Herrscher』's 『Honkai Energy』 dry before inflicting decisive damage," Mei murmured as she approached.
Ryan chuckled. "And now 『Herrschers』 roam free. Without 『MANTIS』, nothing holds them down. Good thing the Herrscher of Reason was a liberal arts major." He shrugged, swiping to the next page. "Wait—this guy, Damian's older brother?"
"Damian? Oh, you mean him." Mei recalled her unremarkable colleague, answering casually, "He also joined 『Fire Moth』. He oversees special research for the council, reporting directly to the Commander."
Didn't that guy drown at sea?
Ryan blinked in surprise. But then, putting the pieces together, he realized, "So he's the one conducting those fusion surgeries? No wonder a 'Sword of Punishment' squad suddenly appeared."
"Mobius's research notes only give an approximation. Come—look at this." Mei didn't linger on the subject, moving to the second glass cylinder.
Ryan glanced once more at the file. Something about it felt too coincidental. But with no proof, suspicion would mean nothing. He followed.
This cylinder contained a small blonde girl, no more than ten years old by appearance. Yet the records painted her destructive power as far greater.
"Cin. Orphaned host. Manifested in '96, in a villa in the northern snowfields. Confirmed as Herrscher of the Void…"
The report chronicled town after town laid to waste. 『Fire Moth』's defensive rings were breached multiple times. If not for Elysia's intervention, she would have ravaged the heavily populated Shenzhou region.
Compared to the First Herrscher, suppressing her had been even more desperate. Still, intelligence officers managed to glean fragments of insight.
"The 『Herrscher』 harbored a visceral hatred of humanity, in sharp contrast to the First Herrscher's detached indifference. Further investigation suggests this stemmed from the host's own experiences."
Ryan scrolled down, grimacing as lurid, violent photos from the villa filled the screen. His brows furrowed.
"This villa…"
"The data names it 'Paradise.' Do you want to see the footage?" Mei asked, her face unreadable.
"No. Humanity's depravity is nothing new to me." Ryan waved her off, his voice carrying a somber weight.
Had their places been reversed, his stance might have shifted entirely. It was only because he had tasted the pleasures of being human that he clung to life. But if he had lived that girl's life, his path could only have been Destruction.
Ryan had already fought the Third Herrscher—he had no desire to see her again. Instead, he looked at Mei. She gave a slight nod, walking to a conical cabinet nearby. Inputting a password, she unlocked several compartments.
Three gemstones of differing colors slid silently into view. Mei's eyes flicked sideways, catching a fleeting glimmer of hunger cross Ryan's face.
"The 『God Key』 project has entered its testing phase. The council has authorized their use. Help me extract a few."
"Okay." With the meal practically served, Ryan slipped on a pair of gloves and reached straight for the cores. The moment he touched them, his brows knit unnaturally.
Nothing. No change at all. Just like a dead stone, impossible to analyze.
He pressed harder, lips tightening—but still, there was no reaction.
Strange. Why am I not seeing that imagery… why am I not dreaming?
His heart sank, mind working at high speed.
First: I can only have one Authority.
Second: it only activates if contact is made before the 『Herrscher』 dies.
Within ten seconds, he had mapped out every condition, every clue, and pinned the second possibility as the most likely.
The Previous Era's 『Herrscher』 cores can't be transplanted. Once the 『Herrscher』 dies, the core loses all vitality. At best it can be weaponized—like deleting an account. You can't log in from another location.
"What do you think?" Mei's voice broke the silence, her eyes lit with anticipation.
"Just corpses. Turning them into 『God Keys』 is the best way to recycle waste."
"Really?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
Mei's face darkened instantly. Disappointment flashed across her features. Ryan had never admitted it aloud, but she had already guessed parts of the truth.
He wasn't deliberately hiding anything—it was simply a loss. Five grand projects and 127 revisions, wasted.
"Sigh… there really are no shortcuts. 『Fire Moth』 has studied these things for years. Even I don't know all the secrets. Some within 『Fire Moth』 harbor a twisted obsession with 『Herrschers』."
Fanatics. Self-destructive zealots. Who knew what kind of abominations they might create with such material.
"Keep a close eye on them. They're more dangerous than the surrender faction."
"Understood. I've heard whispers of research facilities in abandoned zones—in Northern Europe, in Africa—but all records have been erased. So, I'll place my hopes on you."
"You think I'm omnipotent?" Ryan sighed, slipping the three 『Herrscher』 cores into a briefcase. Already, he felt a wave of boredom. "If the 『God Keys』 ever succeed, they'd add some combat power."
"Do you think you'll ever have the chance to wield them?"
Ryan chuckled. "Not everyone can control a 『God Key』. The 『Herrschers』 will make sure they understand that lesson." He pulled out his phone, checking the hour. It was late.
"You find Vill-V. I'll check on Mobius."
They both knew what Mobius was attempting. Mei rolled up her sleeve to glance at her watch. "The timing should be about right. No alarm yet—the success rate is high. But you—aren't you worried at all?"
Ryan's expression stiffened. "Worried? About her? She leads the 『MANTIS』 project. Her success rate outstrips anyone else's."
"That's still only twenty-five percent. Sometimes I truly don't understand where your confidence comes from."
"You can call it intuition. I'll leave the Honkai Beast factor search to you. The higher-ups won't object." With that, Ryan turned to leave. Of course, he wasn't worried.
What had succeeded in the original timeline could only face a lower chance of failure now. Whether rational foresight or selfish interference, it no longer mattered.
The era had shifted. Maintaining the original timeline was no longer his concern. After the uproar of the Fourth Herrscher—
Mobius would become the first High-tier 『MANTIS』 in human history.