yeeaaaaa, today is my birthday, congratulations for me im still alive and still can update translate, here the extra chapter
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Hua always likes to put herself in Ryan's shoes, standing from his perspective and being anxious about what makes him anxious. It is precisely because she knows what Ryan's wish is that she feels lost.
To let everyone, at least the people in the Golden Courtyard, survive, every death would bring her senior pain. But she didn't have the power to change her destiny.
The feeling of being powerless was very frustrating. She even wanted to do something for Ryan, such as persuading certain useless and high-mortality people to leave. This was the only thing she could help with.
But after walking around, Hua, who felt her emotional intelligence had suddenly become high today, gave up this idea. She finally understood why Ryan never interfered with other people's choices.
Everyone has feelings for Ryan. Perhaps the details are different, but they are by no means inferior to her own. Hua suddenly realized that she was not qualified to change the choices of Aponia and the others. If she did, the Golden Courtyard would lose its value.
'I'm in such a good state today. Sigh, it's a pity that my senior isn't here. Otherwise, today would be the day of my final battle with the platypus!'
The girl clenched her fists with some regret, feeling as if she had a cheat on today. She could see many things with just one look.
She walked into the depths of the headquarters, the workshop full of steel and machinery. On the tracks next to it, trucks full of weapons were loaded one after another. The numbers on the wall screens were still flickering.
Eighteen hours and twenty-five minutes. This was the estimated contact time calculated by Prometheus. If the Herrscher of Binding accelerated, it would be even faster.
"Huh, why do you have time to come to my place today?" Vil-V stood on a floating console, with a faint smile on her face. "I get it. Ryan is undergoing MANTIS surgery, and you're feeling empty inside, aren't you?"
The 'Joyful' Vil-V.
Hua was immediately on high alert. She had seen Vil-V's many personalities, but only this 'Joyful' one was the most difficult to deal with. You never knew what she was thinking.
But I'm in a good state today. I'm not afraid of you.
The girl gained some confidence and saw a whole row of two-meter-tall powered armor.
"I'm just walking around and happened to want to ask you if the Divine Keys are ready. And isn't it always the 'Magician' who's in charge of manufacturing?"
"She's only in charge of mass-produced products. The real masterpieces are made by me. After all, no one knows better how to please the user." Vil-V glanced at her and didn't expose her. This kind of thing was always urged by Mei.
But this wooden stake is quite interesting. It wouldn't hurt to play with her for a while.
"Come with me. Eden is also here. Both of you are Divine Key users. You can exchange some experiences."
Eden has a Divine Key too?
Hua was a little surprised. That elegant singer had never participated in a head-on battle. She didn't know what she would use a Divine Key for.
She didn't say anything and followed Vil-V into the depths of the workshop. From a distance, she saw Eden sitting on a high-backed chair.
She was wearing the black team uniform she designed and a pair of light purple stockings. Her amber eyes looked over and she gently raised the red wine glass in her hand.
Even as a woman, Hua had to admit the other party's charm. This elegance had already penetrated deep into her bones.
"I'm sorry, I have nowhere to go, so I have to come and supervise Vil-V's progress." Eden smiled and nodded, even though the words 'nowhere to go' were a bit harsh.
"As long as you give me enough overtime pay, I don't mind. According to Ryan's request, the Ninth Divine Key was prepared for you." Vil-V was also very good at talking, as if she was very satisfied with this woman with high emotional intelligence.
"Then I'm truly flattered. I'm sure this is the means of self-defense that Ryan prepared for me." Eden waved her hand, and a golden chair inlaid with gems flew out from the corner. Only then did she make a 'please' gesture.
Hua did not sit down. She frowned slightly: "As expected, it's the Ninth Divine Key. It has the power of a gravity field."
She saw that Eden was wearing a star-shaped decoration with eight points on her left chest, with a gem-like object in the center.
"It's called the Starlight Rhapsody. I designed the appearance myself. After using it, I found that it's very compatible with me. It's the most beautiful treasure."
Her slender fingers gently caressed it, showing how much Eden cherished it. Hua, on the other hand, sighed. She didn't have such great talent. She could only use the Fifth Divine Key with great difficulty.
At least I also have a Divine Key, and I have a lot of experience using it.
Thinking this, she felt much better and silently looked at Eden: "You're also going to the front line to fight? Even with the power of the Divine Key?"
Eden's Honkai energy level was very high. She was among the top few among all the MANTIS, but her ability was more for support. This Divine Key was considered to have made up for her biggest weakness.
"Yes, but I'm not just doing it for him. I also have my own will to fight." Eden put down her wine glass, her elegant face showing a hint of strength. "I want to protect the most brilliant pearl of civilization. In a sense, I am Ryan's partner. It should be said that most of us are in this position. Hua, this is the biggest difference between me and you."
The elegant girl rarely was this serious, which made Hua open her mouth silently, not knowing what to say. She realized that she was indeed a bit naive.
Because of her childhood experiences, she was, in a sense, an appendage to Ryan. Everyone else, including Mobius and Sakura, was more like a fellow traveler with a similar goal.
'No wonder my senior never asked where they were going. It turns out I was thinking too simply.' Hua suddenly felt a little ashamed and remembered Elysia's teasing:
You, you always have a mindset of a legitimate wife. In fact, it's not that complicated. Even if I really die, Ryan will be in pain, but he will also become stronger.
"I underestimated you." Hua sighed and then felt a gentle finger brush through her hair.
"It's normal. You value Ryan too much. But none of us will blame you. After all, you've known him for many years, and he's your only hero."
"Yes, my senior is my only hero." Hua suddenly understood, and her eyes sparkled with light. "I have lived my life so far following him, looking up to him. This is my value of existence."
In an instant, her thoughts became clear. She realized that there was no need to bear this pressure for Ryan. Her partners in the Golden Courtyard had already come to a realization:
Every one of them was willing to use their lives to ignite the flames of this desperate era and illuminate their ideals. Their lives were always in their own hands, not an appendage to a certain person.
"Then please carry out this true self and use the currency of life well." Eden had always been smiling. She finally understood who was helping from behind.
Elysia, your authority as the Herrscher of Human Ego is truly amazing. You've enlightened this wooden stake as well.
Vil-V stood on the floating console, her hands propping up her chin, her face also with a smile, looking extremely joyful.
Presumably, Hua, who has found her 'true self,' will definitely dedicate a more beautiful performance to me.
"Are you done talking? You two."
"Yes. I suddenly feel relaxed. Everyone is more reliable than I thought."
Hearing Hua say this, Eden and Vil-V were stunned at the same time. They thought to themselves, aren't you the most immature and ordinary one?
"Then please come with me and witness the supreme work I'm about to complete."
Without the two of them getting up, the entire room suddenly became dim, turning into a pitch-black darkness where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Then the searchlights lit up one by one, focusing on the high platform in front.
Inside an instrument with a glass cover, ten mechanical arms were spitting out light, infusing one layer after another of Soul Steel, carving out a spiral-shaped object. The touch of Scarlet metal reflected the color of blood.
"Is this... a spear?" Eden liked this kind of artistic weapon. Her amber eyes were full of interest.
Vil-V floated over, stroking the glass cover. Her movements were extremely gentle, and a strange smile appeared on her face.
"To be precise, it's the Tenth Divine Key. I hope Ryan uses it to play the most joyful movement for me!"
...
Beep, beep, beep.
Various instruments emitted electronic sounds. The curve on the heart monitor jumped powerfully, indicating that its owner was at his peak.
Ryan changed into a loose patient's gown and lay on the cold operating table. He looked at the ceiling, his mind a blank.
After two consecutive days of tense experiments, the α171 specimen finally became active. To save time, they went directly into the clinical surgery stage.
It was at this moment that he suddenly found a blind spot. At first, he was so wary of Mobius's operating table. He could say that he analyzed every word from this woman, fearing he would fall into a trap. But now, he was willingly lying on the operating table.
This is probably what people call the unpredictability of life. Fortunately, after a few years of working on her, this woman would definitely not harm him.
"Feeling nervous?" Mobius just walked in. She was wearing a mask, which made her pair of snake eyes look very dangerous. "Relax. You've been unconscious in front of me several times. Didn't you get a good result every time?"
"You've got the nerve to say that. When did you ever save me honestly? Like the surveillance video Prometheus played..."
"Shut up! Sarcastic me now? Aren't you afraid I'll remove something important from you later?" Mobius looked a little angry and humiliated. Her dangerous eyes turned to Ryan's lower body.
This was clearly very effective. The man immediately shut his mouth. It was unwise to provoke the surgeon.
With the clatter of glass instruments, Mobius was preparing various instruments and medicines. MANTIS surgery had become very mature, but it was not as simple as getting a shot and going to sleep, let alone the things Ryan was going to fuse were unique.
The centrifuge was purifying the quantum-attributed super-transformation factor. Mobius stood against the wall with her hands in her pockets. She could vaguely see the man's strong chest muscles. In the silence, she quietly clenched her thighs.
"Ahem, relax. I'm confident about this surgery. At least we researched it together. And I secretly did some animal experiments."
"And what was the result?"
"All the experimental subjects died, and not even their ashes were left."
The corner of Ryan's mouth twitched. He complained about his own big mouth. This was making him a little flustered.
He knew very well that the Herrscher of Binding was already on her way. He couldn't afford to have any problems. His life was no longer just his own. It was burdened with the weight of friendship, love, and a civilization.
Maybe it's better to be cautious. I at least have a 30% chance of defeating the Herrscher of Binding.
As soon as this thought surfaced, Ryan immediately extinguished it.
The Herrscher of Binding was a test, but she was by no means the most troublesome problem. His real enemy was the Finality, who would definitely mutate.
In the operating room, the man lying on his back quietly clenched his fists. The curve on the heart monitor began to become intense.
Ryan was very self-aware. After spending so much time and energy, it would be ridiculous if he couldn't even defeat the Herrscher of Binding. But his vision was far ahead. He had already gone past the enemy in front of him and saw the scenery at the end.
The timeline was completely unrecognizable, and even the Herrschers had two unknown ones. So what other difficult characters would there be after the Herrscher of Binding? Or would the Finality come immediately?
It was certainly not suitable to welcome the Finality now, but if he controlled the progress, would he attract an even more terrifying targeting?
Ryan didn't know the answer to this question either. This 'prophet' of his couldn't see a future that hadn't happened. After controlling the pace for so long, what he was more afraid of was the latter.
If the Finality came right after, he wouldn't even have a 10% chance of winning, because the Herrscher of Finality would definitely mutate and become even more terrifying.
"Mobius, didn't you say the success rate was extremely high? Why are you messing with my head now that I'm on the operating table?"
"Hmph, I'm not as stupid as you think. I just... I just suddenly found that I don't want to lie to myself." Mobius first snorted coldly, then leaned against the wall, her expression looking a little helpless.
"To transcend the Finality, you must be willing to make a huge bet. Since you've decided to face it directly, I won't stop you. At the very least, if you win, I can live. But I don't know why..."
She suddenly fell silent, as if she didn't know how to express herself. Ryan had gambled many times, but for the ultimate goal, he had to keep gambling indefinitely.
"Immortality is your ideal. For this, you would stop at nothing. But you're also afraid that I'll die, so your rationality and emotions are clashing fiercely." Ryan finished her sentence for her. He had always thought that Mobius was quite conflicted. "Do you know what I'm thinking?"
Mobius didn't know how to answer. She quickly said: "Tell me. Let me be entertained."
Ryan still looked at the ceiling, a smile on his face: "It is my honor to make you conflicted. The words I said in the Far East Branch have finally borne fruit."
He hoped that Mobius would be more like a 'person.' It seemed that he had succeeded. If she wanted immortality, this poisonous snake would have plunged the needle into him without hesitation, as it would be beneficial and harmless to her.
If she succeeded, she could continue her journey to immortality. If she failed, she could just run away, right?
But the emotional restraint made her hesitate. No, it eventually won against that rationality, making Ryan sure that his weight had surpassed the temptation of 'immortality.'
The room was silent. If it weren't for Ryan's chest still rising and falling, he would have seemed dead. Mobius's eyes widened slightly, but she wasn't as excited as he had imagined.
She had already gotten this answer a long time ago. There was no awkward twist, only a natural feeling like a drop of water wearing away a stone. The man in front of her had completely changed her life in a few years. What remained might only be that stubborn mouth of hers, like a dead duck.
After a few minutes of silence, Mobius clenched her trembling fists. As if she had made a certain decision, she spoke: "Ryan, do you want to leave here? I can make the experiment fail. This super-transformation factor can make you exist forever in the Sea of Quanta. With your intelligence, that 'Sa' is nothing to worry about. She is definitely not your match."
As expected, she had her own selfish motives. I knew there was a reason why she cut off all communications.
"What about you? What about the others?"
"I'm also confident. I can take Elysia and the others with me. The boundless Sea of Quanta can accommodate all of us."
"But it can't accommodate all of humanity. And do you think they'll go?"
Of course, they wouldn't. Except for Hua, who might follow without batting an eye, everyone else had their own ideals. How could they become stray dogs?
"I can use medicine."
Ryan almost laughed out loud. This was indeed in line with Mobius's unscrupulous nature. But he didn't hesitate at all and solemnly shook his head.
"Impossible. I've made a promise. I should face this abyss directly. An explorer will never stop moving forward, let alone flee and give in."
There were no grand words. Ryan just calmly stated his thoughts, causing a slight tremble to spread from her fists to her whole body.
"You just want to be a hero!?"
"I was a Flame-Chaser to begin with, a Flame-Chaser of the Previous Era. It was only recently that I knew the weight of this title." Ryan was still lying on the operating table, looking at the hazy light strip. He felt it was a very strange feeling, but how should he put it? Just like with Mobius, he didn't feel any awkward twists.
He had done so much, which had affected others and himself. And thanks to Elysia's efforts, he had found his 'true self.'
The partners in the Golden Courtyard not only had to survive but also had to live with smiles on their faces. This smile had to come from their hearts, not be twisted by him or a fake illusion created by him.
Would a stray dog in the world smile? If he chose to escape, Elysia and Eden would not be able to forgive him.
Mobius was very smart. Without Ryan explaining, she basically understood. She bit her silver teeth lightly.
"You're even more stubborn than that Fu. Fine, you want to be a Flame-Chaser." She walked to the operating table and plunged a needle fiercely into Ryan's forearm, which hurt him so much he almost cried out.
If you want a lecture, go find that wooden stake. I'll just kill you with this needle.
Mobius, who was a little revealing of her true nature, was both angry and annoyed. Who knew how long she had been struggling to say these words, only to be lectured by Ryan in return?
Ryan first glared at her fiercely, then the hundred-fold dose of anesthetic began to take effect. His eyelids became heavier and heavier. He had no choice but to slowly close them. In the end, he only saw Mobius reach out and cup his face, slowly leaning over.
This time, the kiss was very gentle, in stark contrast to that needle. When Mobius raised her flushed face, her fingers brushed against Ryan's sparse beard.
"Alright. It's because you are a Flame-Chaser of civilization that I am affected by you. Otherwise, would I even look at an ordinary person who has no weight at all?"
Someone who is influenced by a selfish person will only become more selfish. Only when one is influenced by a Flame-Chaser will one become a Flame-Chaser.
The light strip on the ceiling flickered and gradually dimmed. The energy system began to increase its power under Prometheus's allocation, which finally supported the light again.
Hmph, is it here?
Mobius was first surprised. She quickly looked at the tactical terminal. The Herrscher of Binding had not accelerated, but the 'storm' she had stirred up was larger. It was like a typhoon, and the closer it got to the center, the more violent it became.
This was a 'greeting,' and the actual effect had already appeared, rendering the first combat plan completely useless.
In Mei's original plan, they were going to go all-in when the Herrscher of Binding crossed the critical point. But she suddenly changed the form of her binding. The energy that should have been used to go all-in now had to be wasted on maintaining combat capabilities.
"The binding from a thousand kilometers away is far beyond the combat distance. The Herrscher seems to have become smarter." Mobius frowned slightly, staring at the various information on the instrument. This could detect that Ryan was dreaming. The brain waves were very stable. She didn't know who he was dreaming of.
She put on a mask and rubber gloves and stood in front of the operating table, glancing sideways at the screen on the wall.
"Go do your own thing. I will not act on my own accord and go against this bastard's wishes."
The screen flashed, and it was indeed Mei's cold face. This doctor looked very serious: "You know that Prometheus broke through the firewall?"
"I'm not stupid, and he's not stupid either. I just didn't expect to be lectured in return." Mobius met her gaze, with a hint of dissatisfaction. "I knew he was going to be a hero. Since that's the case, let's fight Honkai to the end. Do your own thing. The whole plan has been messed up, hasn't it?"
"I have a backup plan, but the key is you."
"Heh, now you remember how important I am?"
"Mobius, you have always been indispensable."
"Alright, you don't have to flatter me. You didn't think that way when you were guarding against me." Mobius stopped looking. She picked up the test tube filled with purple-red liquid and injected all of it into a micro-injector. The snake eyes behind the lenses were filled with determination.
"Ryan will definitely succeed. There's no doubt about it!"
The image disappeared. Mei didn't need to look at the rest of it. She knew that although Mobius was twisted, she was not a fickle person. Since she had made up her mind, she would stay with Ryan to the end.
"Kevin, go standby. It's alright now."
"Okay." The white-haired young man nodded. In fact, he didn't know why his girlfriend had called him here. He only vaguely felt that he had avoided a conflict.
He said yes, but he didn't leave. He had a rare opportunity to be with Mei. How could he just obediently listen to her?
"Kevin, you've become thick-skinned too."
"Haha, I learned it from Ryan."
"And probably with Elysia's teaching as well."
"You saw right through me." Kevin scratched his head and showed a warm smile, which earned him a roll of the eyes from his girlfriend.
Mei didn't force him. She put her hands in her white coat and sighed softly in her heart. She hadn't taught Kevin much about strategy because it was of no use. Kevin just needed to be an elite soldier and command the front line.
This was a good thing. Anyway, Ryan would do the thinking. Hmph, a Flame-Chaser of the Previous Era? You said it yourself.
"The Herrscher is smarter than I thought. The use of her authority is also beyond my expectations. This shows that she has a complete understanding of the authority of binding." Mei walked through the long corridor with Kevin. The lights on the ceiling occasionally flickered, and out-of-control robots would occasionally fall to the ground.
This made the headquarters of the Fire Moth chaotic. Some ordinary soldiers simply knelt on the ground, clutching their chests. Every once in a while, they would feel their hearts stop beating for a few seconds. That feeling made their faces turn pale.
"An attack from a thousand kilometers away is indeed terrifying." Kevin was also speechless. He had read the combat plan.
The Fire Moth's combat plan was very simple. The Herrscher of Binding's attack radius was about 100 kilometers. When she crossed the critical point, they would use all their firepower to attack and use a terrifying amount of Honkai energy to counter the binding.
As long as the binding was slightly weakened, all the MANTIS could enter the domain at the same time, which would exceed the Herrscher's critical value.
But now, all the plans have failed. No one had thought that the Herrscher could weaken the strength of her domain to increase the distance, starting a unique war of attrition.
Compared to the Herrscher who could be replenished directly by the Cocoon of Finality, the Honkai energy that the Fire Moth had painstakingly stored up was no different from a candle in a toilet.
Kevin was also a little shocked. He was also frustrated when he thought about it. These Herrschers had survived for too long. Even a pig could completely control its authority.
"Now we can only go all-in. Transfer all the forces. I just don't know if those missiles will be able to fly to the Herrscher after being weakened one by one."
A thousand kilometers was too far, and the strength was still increasing with distance. Every warrior had their own strengths and weaknesses. Wouldn't some people fall behind along the way? How could they enter that domain at the same time?
Mei also had a headache, but she didn't show it on her face. No matter what the Herrscher did, she had already placed her bet on Ryan.
"Don't worry. The Herrscher of Binding has indeed chosen a rogue tactic, but she cannot foresee—"
"That Ryan has also chosen a different path!"