Kevin, Elysia, Aponia, Eden, Vil-V, Kalpas, Su, Sakura, Kosma, Mobius, Hua, Pardofelis.
Familiar names flashed through Ryan mind. The only change was Griseo. In the original worldline, Griseo was forced to become a warrior and never even fought on the battlefield, so she could be completely disregarded.
Besides, what use would a child of a few years old be in a cruel war? It's better for her to doodle with a paintbrush in a safe place. That's a happy life.
So these names, plus himself, would be the new Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
"It finally happened. Besides me replacing Griseo position, there isn't much change."
Ryan sighed as he walked. Everyone was his friend, with whom he had built deep bonds. Everyone had witnessed an epic with him.
Now, with everyone present, the super-transformation surgeries completed, and even the Golden Courtyard established, it was essentially the final complete version. And most of it he had personally traveled the world to gather.
A strong sense of accomplishment surged, not to mention that this was a super-powered enhanced version.
This wasn't Elysia helpless move to unite everyone after the Herrscher of Binding. With these names as the core, extending outwards, he could firmly hold the entire Earth in his grasp, because around them, there were thousands of MANTIS and millions of soldiers armed to the teeth.
'Senior Brother seems so happy. Do their three super-transformation surgeries have such great significance?' Hua pondered inwardly. From her perspective, it was somewhat inexplicable.
When sorted by combat strength, Pardofelis, who hasn't had the surgery yet, is excluded. Even Eden and Su, two civilians with no combat experience, can't compare to the elites from the pre-MANTIS era like Andevich, the Bloody Twins, and Rin.
Some of them even participated in battles against the First and Second Herrschers; calling them "battle-hardened" almost feels like an understatement.
The two entered the elevator. As the doors closed, Hua quietly moved a step closer to a delighted Ryan, their shoulders touching.
"Ryan, are you still thinking about Pardofelis, that lucky cat?"
She used his first name, something she only dared to do at such moments.
"What does 'lucky cat' mean?"
"It means Pardofelis has incredibly good luck. Once, I asked her to help me with a gacha pull, and guess what?" Hua gestured with her hand, her voice filled with deep resentment:
"Eight golds out of ten pulls! Do you know what that means? I immediately called her a 'lucky dog' on the spot, but she said she was a cat, so I changed it to 'lucky cat.'"
Ryan couldn't help but laugh. So that's where "lucky cat" came from. Given Hua perpetual bad luck, it was a miracle she hadn't given Pardofelis a "salted fish impale."
"So I recently quit that game and found another way to pass the time."
"Like what?"
"Reading novels. Elysia recommended them to me. It's just a shame the world is so chaotic now. Authors just physically 'eunuch' their stories mid-way through writing. Getting weekly updates is already good." Hua pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and handed it to Ryan. "Like this one. Elysia constantly nags the author to update, and they only write a chapter occasionally. Confound that author! Hurry up and write more chapters before the world gets destroyed!"
Ryan narrowed his eyes, his face twitching slightly. With just a glance, he realized that this was his own work.
Wait a minute, Elysia constantly nagged him for updates?
Ryan suddenly found a blind spot. He hadn't thought about it initially in Changkong City because there were many people asking for updates, but later, when fewer and fewer netizens remained, he found it strange and stopped replying. Combining various clues, he covered his face in embarrassment.
It really was her.
This was nothing in itself, but the most crucial part was that before becoming wary, he had asked many questions he shouldn't have.
Especially regarding the explicit descriptions. This was what influenced Ryan judgment, because this netizen truly understood, unlike Elysia. If she hadn't been the only one persistently asking for updates, Ryan wouldn't have been so certain.
"Senior Brother, why do you look so disappointed?" The elevator doors opened, revealing the guards at the entrance, and Hua expression returned to its usual seriousness.
"Nothing. Did Elysia tell you anything?"
"Just recommendations, what else could she say?" Hua voice trailed off, her face instantly flushing. She found the latter half of the book a bit too intense, making her heart pound, and she only dared to read it with her office door locked.
Ryan didn't notice Hua unusual behavior; he just let out a long sigh of relief.
Good. Even Elysia wouldn't talk nonsense. That's right, the "spicy" stuff was something I discussed with her. If it's social death, I won't be the only one.
I can't write anymore; it seriously affects my glorious image. But it's already over a million words. It would be such a waste not to finish it.
Ryan fell into a dilemma. Online, he could let loose, which was a rare form of relaxation. He simply skipped this topic.
"Come with me to Vil-V workshop. The ordered items are ready; it's a good time to test them."
"Oh."
Hua didn't think much of it and followed Ryan to the underground workshop. The dim environment made her a bit uncomfortable, but the cold machinery caught her eye.
These war machines would be assigned to the [Infinity] team. Mei selected two types of warriors: one type was highly educated and suited for scientific research, and the other was mech pilots from various units who might not have strong physical素质 but possessed ample piloting experience.
Amidst the welding sparks, the assembly line was putting together one killing machine after another.
The smaller ones were three to five meters tall, the larger ones tens of meters, lined up on both sides like statues, a truly awe-inspiring sight.
They should just call it the Gundam Team.
Ryan couldn't help but complain. Speaking of which, these killing machines were quite useful. Aside from a slight lack of flexibility, their massive size allowed them to carry terrifying firepower, and with Honkai energy shields, they were like combat fortresses.
He knocked on the cold armor. Based on his experience, ordinary warriors in a Herrscher battle couldn't even withstand the aftershocks. With this armor, they could at least participate in combat.
Anti-gravity technology, energy shields, plus a Honkai energy engine—this technology tree was quite advanced, serving as a beneficial complement.
Thump.
A hand reached out from the shadows and suddenly patted his shoulder. Hua, who had been looking around, immediately took a fighting stance, but Ryan stood still, slowly turning his head.
"Vil-V, are you a child?"
"Hehehe, as expected, I can't scare you, how boring. But her reaction is quite cute, like a loyal dog waiting by its master." Vil-V appeared quietly, as if materializing from thin air, clearly utilizing the latest mirage technology.
"Vil-V, don't scare people! I was wondering why it was so quiet." Hua patted her chest, feeling that this Vil-V was a bit unfamiliar. No, she had been a bit unfamiliar recently; she didn't know what new personality she had developed.
The [Pleasure] personality is quite malicious, just enjoying watching people suffer, huh?
Ryan remained expressionless; he didn't want to be someone else's amusement. He casually pulled Hua closer to him.
"Vil-V, let's talk business."
"Just get straight to the point?"
"If your invention is put to use, that feeling of pleasure should be quite intense, right?"
Vil-V placed her hand on her lips, her iridescent eyes lost in thought. After a moment, she clapped her hands together.
"You're right. Come see my prototype."
She led the two deeper into the workshop. In front, they could see a test stand, with several robotic arms frozen around it. With a 'snap' of fingers, spotlights illuminated the center, revealing a heavy armor over two meters tall.
The dark metal gleamed coldly, devoid of excessive decoration, giving off a sense of heavy oppression. It incorporated some features of medieval plate armor, utilizing large curved designs.
"MKII type Honkai Energy Power Armor. See the backpack? It has a built-in Honkai energy engine that can increase output and form a shield. The entire body is forged from a new type of metal in one piece, ensuring strength."
Ryan found that 'Pleasure' Vil-V had one advantage: her naming sense was finally normal, and she wasn't as verbose as the Magician.
The reason armor was rarely used before was because it was not only heavy but also not very useful. For example, the authority of lightning and fire could penetrate it at the molecular level.
But aren't these two authorities on me now?
As if by chance, yet more like fate, Ryan smiled and stepped forward. He saw the frozen robotic arms move, disassembling the power armor.
"Splendid, sci-fi." Ryan clapped his hands, feeling a bit like he was watching Iron Man. Without Vil-V reminder, he stood in the center of the platform, and then saw the robotic arms retract densely.
Chest plate, arm guards, leg guards, gauntlets, helmet...
As pieces of equipment, a mixture of fluid metal and soul steel, fitted onto him, Ryan felt himself suddenly becoming hardcore. He also disabled the built-in auxiliary detection and targeting functions in the helmet.
These computer-controlled features weren't as effective as his own eyesight. He lowered his head slightly, looking down at Hua in front of him.
Ryan height immediately exceeded two meters, and he was still a bit unaccustomed to his height. Then he bounced a few times in place, swung his fists repeatedly, and performed two roundhouse kicks.
"The flexibility is a bit low, but still acceptable." Ryan was very satisfied. As a pragmatist, he valued combat power. If he had this back then, the final blow against the Herrscher of Flamescion would have been much safer.
It's still the same old saying: without Honkai energy, Herrschers are just flesh and blood like him, at most with very strong recovery.
"Hmm, it looks more like a killing machine now. This is a prototype. You can help me collect some data, and then for the finished product, I'll add more Soul Steel. You know that stuff is expensive." Vil-V was also very satisfied.
Its cold texture pleased her more than a flashy appearance. False pleasure is showing off in cool clothes.
The ultimate pleasure is wearing power armor, tearing apart everything in sight, roaring like a blood-soaked demon.
"It's a pity the Seventh Divine Key isn't built yet. Just pick any heavy weapon." No sooner had she spoken than she saw the steel giant raise its hand and grasp a heavy halberd with a chainsaw attached to it from nearby.
"This is just right."