The air was hot, and lightning still flashed. Ryan descended through the void, observing his surroundings with great interest.
As a cautious person, he generally wouldn't take risks as long as he had a choice. Just like the last time he came to this continent, he immediately ran away when he discovered the Herrscher of Blood, without a second of hesitation.
But now, he was revisiting the place and even going deep into the nest, but Ryan was exceptionally calm. The reason was simple.
"I've maxed out my survival skills. It might be possible to stop me, but killing me is as hard as reaching the heavens."
In terms of speed, he had the Authorities of Wind and Thunder. He could resist physical attacks with the Authorities of Ice, Fire, and Rock. A simple energy attack could be broken down with the Authority of Blood, or he could simply control a clone to be a decoy.
Even if there was some metaphysical targeting, he could just use Binding. If all else failed, he could even go into a quantum state and sneak.
Ryan had basically gotten to know himself, and going deep into the nest was to get to know the enemy. Looking back at that series of victories, his core advantage was not how smart or brave he was, but that he had a grasp of information.
"The two times I almost fell were due to a lack of information."
Unbeknownst to him, he had already gone a thousand meters underground, almost to the bottom of the crater. His vision was filled with densely packed holes. The large ones could accommodate a warship, and the small ones could just fit one person.
They were countless, enough to give one trypophobia. Ryan didn't even need to go in and check. The whistling air currents went into every hole without a blind spot, bringing back thousands of data points.
The holes were all the same, with an extremely complex structure and almost no end. But every hole had no signs of life.
His feet touched the hard rock. Ryan looked up and could only see the faint light from the hole. He had randomly punctured the ground this time. Even if the Honkai Beasts escaped immediately, they couldn't escape the detection range of the Authority of Wind.
Is the Herrscher playing an empty fortress with me?
Ryan had this absurd thought, and then he shook his head. These densely packed holes were evidence. At least they proved that there were once thousands of monsters lurking underground.
"To not benefit me, did they all commit suicide?" Ryan stroked his chin, feeling that this hypothesis had some value. He slowly closed his eyes, and his fingers gently waved in front of his lips.
Whoosh—
The wind became sharper. Ryan began to concentrate his authority, turning the previously scattered airflow into a few concentrated beams, like invisible tentacles reaching into the distance, specifically drilling into the larger holes.
After concentrating, his authority began to send back details. Gradually, pictures began to appear in Ryan's mind.
A 20-meter diameter. This was something that at least an Emperor-class Honkai Beast could dig. There were countless holes on the rock wall, connected like an anthill. Oh, and there were also many large hall-like structures. Are these nutrient sacs? They must be the food for those traitors.
There was too much data to process. Ryan felt a faint swelling in his brow, and his expression became more and more solemn.
He had a hypothesis on the surface, but now that he had looked at it up close, he realized that this was a super underground fortress, a huge project that humans could not imagine.
Thousands of tunnels were connected. Even if the Fire Moth in its prime was filled in, it would be like a drop in the ocean. And that was not all. The most terrifying thing was that the Honkai would give up such a magnificent project without a single shot?
"It's even more of a prodigal than Mei. New York was at least of some use." Ryan couldn't help but complain about a certain person. When he slowly opened his eyes, he felt his heart rate quicken.
If the Honkai had used this underground fortress to fight a real battle with him, it would have been fine. But this strange silence was unsettling.
The smell of a conspiracy was too strong. And why was there no reaction from Calis at all? I'm basically hitting him in the face.
He went deep into the nest alone. Didn't he regain his humanity? Why did he forget his shame after being a Herrscher for a while? Why don't you come out and fight me one-on-one?
A mocking smile appeared on his face. Ryan turned and walked into a large hole. His fingers slid across the rock wall, as if he could imagine how many Honkai Beasts had lurked here.
They did one thing right. You should all have run away with your tails between your legs. Otherwise, you would all have become the steps I trampled on.
Relying on the feedback from the Authority of Wind, Ryan had already discovered that there were man-made structures in front of the hole. The silent tunnel echoed with footsteps. Occasionally, underground water dripped from the ceiling, but it turned into steam and disappeared without a trace before it could touch him.
Ryan walked leisurely in the enemy's nest. He seemed unhurried, but the energy he had gathered was enough to turn this kilometer-deep underground upside down. After walking for ten minutes without any restraint, he finally saw a different scene.
It was a huge hollow, covering at least tens of thousands of square meters. A row of pillars, several meters thick, supported the dome. The rock wall was covered with colorful crystals, which gave it a rough artistic sense.
Then, hundreds of machines and glass containers were placed on both sides, with dense electronic lights flashing. They were clearly still in operation.
"I thought you guys had moved."
Ryan finally showed a hint of a relaxed expression. This was the lab of the traitors, and it was also one of the targets he needed to destroy.
That Damian had caused him a lot of trouble. For example, the Herrscher of Binding's strength suddenly exploded, which was due to the participation of this madman, who used the population of the fallen and abandoned zones and killed at least ten million people.
Tap.
Ryan stopped in the center of the pile of instruments. He looked at the giant screen on the wall in front of him, and his expression gradually became sarcastic: "Can you face me directly? It's rude to always be separated by a screen."
"Sorry, my IQ is still pretty normal. What's the difference between facing you directly and committing suicide?"
The screen flickered, and another familiar face appeared. Calis was sitting on a crystal chair, propping his head with his right hand, saying the most cowardly words in a comfortable posture.
Ryan raised an eyebrow. This guy was really cunning. He used high Honkai energy to create interference, preventing Prometheus from tracking him in reverse.
White smoke lingered and condensed into a high-backed chair. After Ryan sat down and crossed his legs, he looked at the man on the screen with the same relaxed expression: "Mm, you're quite smart, but I'm curious about how long you can hide."
"The Earth is very big. If we're playing hide-and-seek, it'll be hard for you to find me."
"That's true. It takes a lot of time for even me to track a person who is determined to hide." Ryan nodded unhurriedly and then asked: "But I'm curious about the meaning of doing this. You shouldn't be afraid of death, right?"
"I'm not. Or rather, I'm already a dead person." Calis smiled and spread his hands, looking calm.
"Then tell me your purpose. I don't want to waste time talking nonsense with you."
"Didn't you already guess my purpose? Repeating it would be a waste of time." Calis still maintained his elegance and slowed down his tone: "Dr. Ryan, even if we're not friends, we're at least acquaintances. Can't we just chat?"
"I'm not interested. I hate chatting with people through a screen. And don't put on an elegant and composed look, because if you were in front of me, you would be kneeling on the ground, with me stepping on your head, begging for your life like a dog wagging its tail."
Ryan was as hard as steel. The spreading fire ring burned the surrounding instruments into smoke, without even leaving behind molten iron, as if telling the other party with his actions:
You are not qualified to have an equal conversation with me!
Even with Calis's composure, a hint of anger flashed across his face. But he had to admit that his authority could not affect Ryan, and he had almost no ability to resist.
"Impressive. You know I've regained my humanity, so you're using psychological warfare." He forced himself to calm down and clapped his hands gently. "But I was the chief of staff, after all. I used to be in charge of psychological warfare against Herrschers. Okay, I won't waste time. I actually want to talk about a deal with the commander-in-chief."
Ryan was not surprised. He had long known that Calis wouldn't be so idle as to act cool in front of him. Without strength to support him, he would just look stupid.
"You want to know how to touch the Tree of Imaginary Numbers and change the course of history?"
Calis was stunned. He clearly didn't expect to be seen through by Ryan. A hint of excitement flashed in his eyes: "I didn't expect you to also be doing research in this area. Do you know how to pull a person back from the hands of the god of death completely?"
"You have an in-depth study of cloning technology, and the Herrscher of Death is also in your hands. If there was a way, you wouldn't have had to come this far. Plus, with the authority you have after becoming a Herrscher, you should have a vague answer now." Ryan smiled a bit sinisterly. He was probing just now, and he was very satisfied with the result.
Otto got the answer after meeting the 'Honkai God.' Calis obviously didn't have this ability, but the Authority of Destiny was directly linked to the Cocoon of Finality, so he could get some feedback based on his intuition.
But feedback was not a direct answer, let alone using it to formulate a subsequent plan.
"Only the Tree of Imaginary Numbers can fulfill your wish. And you should understand now that the Tree's rank is not something your superior can compare to. It's infinitely stronger. But now you can't turn back, you can only grit your teeth and go all the way." Ryan's eyes held a hint of sadness, but he didn't want to put himself in his shoes. He only wanted to figure out how to use the other party.
"That's right. I can't even observe the Tree of Imaginary Numbers, and I don't have time to slowly do research. A special being like you might know the answer." Calis was very honest. He wasn't blind. Among all the people in the Fire Moth, only Elysia and Ryan were the most special, and the latter knew much more than the Herrscher of Human.
"Will you believe what I say?"
"At least I can use it as a reference."
"Then why should I tell you?"
"Since it's a deal, I also have my bargaining chips."
The two of them asked and answered quickly. Ryan thought for a while and probably guessed what his bargaining chips were. At the very least, he could tell him where the Honkai Beasts went.
But I've forgotten how Otto did it. There's also no need to make up a story for him. It's not bad to get some information.
Ryan shook his head, slowly stood up, and showed a cruel smile: "The answer is simple. You have to at least surpass an ordinary Herrscher and have a more massive amount of energy. In other words, you have to kill me first."
Ryan was being ridiculously honest, as if he was offering free answers during a grand opening sale.
He had forgotten many things, but he remembered that Otto seemed to have become a 'pseudo-god,' which meant power, an incredibly powerful power.
"If you can't even defeat me, you are not qualified to touch the Tree of Imaginary Numbers. In that vast and infinite 'starry sky,' a Herrscher is not even a piece of trash. You have to know that fighting for your life also requires capital."
"Calis, do you have the power to transcend the shackles of time and space and approach the Tree through the Cocoon of Finality? You might be crushed the moment you see the Tree, and your authority will be hard to use."
"At least that's all I know. If you want to find another path, why don't you ask your superior?"
Ryan's words were cruel and a bit harsh, but Calis took them seriously. He even heard that Ryan had seen the Tree with his own eyes.
This kind of talk would sound like a fairy tale coming from anyone else, but the person in front of him had come here by stepping on the corpses of Herrschers. There was no need for him to lie.
"I see. So the Authority of Binding can be used that way. I unintentionally missed it. That's right. I missed it, so I can only find a way through her. If I have a chance, I'll try it."
Smart people know how to extrapolate. Calis understood the hidden meaning. Even though Ryan's attitude was terrible, he understood why this man was saying so much to him.
Is he giving me one last chance? This way of making someone defect is really a bit different.
He pursed his lips. He probably understood what Ryan meant. He wanted him to retreat in the face of difficulty, or change his position. He might be able to help him with a small favor.
"Then you'd better be quick. I won't give the Honkai too much time. The Honkai won't have too much patience either." Ryan answered calmly. He didn't rush him. The other party would think about it on his own.
"That's interesting news. As a return for our deal, I'll tell you where the Honkai is planning to make its move." Calis deliberately paused and then said softly.
"It's the Beast."
The voice and image disappeared together. Ryan stood in the center of the hall. The rolling heat also destroyed all the instruments. He was like he was savoring a cup of mellow tea. The expression on his face didn't change for a long time.
As expected.
Calis still chose to struggle. Since he missed the Herrscher of Binding, there was still one far above it. He was almost at the end. Anyone with a strong will would not choose to give up halfway.
I see.
I was wondering where all those Honkai Beasts that had accumulated for so many years went. It turns out that it realized that numbers were useless against me. It had to form a qualitative advantage. As for how it did it, Ryan didn't know and didn't care.
Anyway, Honkai Beasts are essentially energy life forms, so it made sense for them to be merged into a single entity.
"Is this trying to replicate the path of Venus? Hmm, it's not completely following the old experience. It's a kind of waste utilization. It can't all be for me."
Ryan nodded knowingly. This was better than them rushing up in waves to be fodder and making him achieve a qualitative change. One must know that even a Judgment-class Honkai Beast wouldn't last three seconds against him now.
In this way, when the Herrschers have not all died and the Finality cannot descend, humanity cannot single-mindedly accumulate power. Nor does it have to risk another Herrscher descending and sending more authority to their doorstep.
Eight authorities had already been sent. Every extra one increased the possibility of success.
One Calis, one Elysia. It's like a bug. The last step has already been lifted, but it just won't come down.
"This ability to continuously change its methods is really difficult to deal with. Now that I think about it, the later civilization also benefited from Mei. It was because Prometheus hacked into the Cocoon of Finality that the Honkai's methods became dogmatic and lost this flexibility."
One must know that in the later civilization, the Herrschers kept betraying them. The pressure they put on humanity was not as strong as the infighting between the various factions.
The Cocoon of Finality was still like an idiot, stubbornly bringing down one authority after another according to the order of the previous civilization. As a result, most of them were useless. If he didn't know that it was affected by Prometheus, this IQ wouldn't be worthy of being called Finality.
But here with me, the reaction is so fast. I came here without stopping, and it has already prepared a countermeasure. If it weren't for this Calis incident, I wouldn't have known what it wanted to do.
He looked up at the empty hall. Although his will was not shaken, he couldn't help but feel a bit lost.
It's super difficult to deal with. It's really super difficult to deal with. I'm sitting across from a chess player with strange methods and flexible changes, not a solidified program. What's even more terrifying is that it has overwhelming power, which means it has almost countless opportunities for trial and error. If all else fails, it can just flip the table.
So conventional methods will never win. I have to find a new way, and this sense of oppression...
"It really makes me tremble with excitement."
Buzz buzz buzz—
The moment Ryan bent down, the entire hollow trembled. Rocks started to fall down with a clatter. There was almost no time to react. The ground suddenly bulged.
Boom!!
A pale, skeleton-like arm broke through from deep underground. This arm was several dozen meters thick, and its surface was covered with countless needle-like blades. If you looked closely, you could see that these were the weapons of the Templar-class.
A Chimera created by the Honkai itself?
Ryan had already used gravity to propel himself to the top of the rock wall. He used electromagnetic absorption to hang upside down on it. When he looked down, he didn't know how long the arm was. It was like a tentacle, appearing endlessly.
Thump—
The rock ceiling was shattered. More than a dozen lightning bolts teleported in the hollow. Balls of fire exploded on the surface of the arm, making bone fragments fly.
Ryan's movements were completely unclear. He held a giant sword made of flames and slashed back and forth, but the visual effect was as if they exploded at the same time.
"The hardness is extremely high, and the Honkai energy attached to the surface is extremely strong." Ryan was expressionless. One must know that a casual slash from him could turn a city block into ashes, but a dozen consecutive slashes didn't cut it in half.
An arc of electricity appeared at the bottom of his shoes. He once again hung on the rock wall and saw the giant claw clench into a fist.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Thousands of sharp blades shot out, making holes in the rock as if it were tofu. Under the omnidirectional fire coverage, only the area around Ryan was a safe zone.
The gravity barrier unfolded with his outstretched left hand. Hundreds of giant swords and halberds were solidified in front of him. In the next instant, the giant fist smashed down.
Boom!!
The ground a thousand meters underground suddenly trembled. In the roaring shockwave, the twelve giant pillars shattered. The hollow collapsed, and tens of thousands of tons of rocks fell. But under the giant fist, the fire of the Red Lotus suddenly roared from a faint flame into a world-shattering wave.
World Incineration.
Boom—
The falling rocks turned directly into smoke. A pillar of fire surged up from deep underground, piercing the ground like a volcanic eruption, and connecting the sky like a bright vertical line.
Ryan stood in the middle of the fire pillar. It was not that easy to squash him into a meat patty. He frowned, looking at the arm that was gradually melting in the flames.
"It's really fire-resistant. But since it's a piece of waste, do you still want to kill me?"
He extended his right index finger and lightly hooked it in front of him.
"Simulated Black Hole."
In front of him, a pitch-black singularity appeared. In that instant, air, flames, rocks, and even pure energy began to converge towards it, like the mouth of an abyss, greedily devouring everything.
This was a small black hole, the highest manifestation of the Authority of Stars.
Just squeezing garbage together was nothing. The reason why a Herrscher is the sublimation of a Honkai Beast is not about the energy's amazing power, but about mastering a rule, where a single point of strength can unleash ten points of force.
At almost the same moment, Ryan also understood the Honkai's idea. His total Honkai energy could expand to twenty thousand, fifty thousand, or even a hundred thousand. But he really couldn't master more rules. Just look at the Herrscher of Binding. The Fire Moth had a total force of over one hundred thousand, but it was completely suppressed by one person.
The giant arm was also being sucked in. Even though it struggled fiercely, as long as its power didn't crush Ryan's, it couldn't escape the rules of his authority. It was pulled out like a snake hiding in the dirt.
Fifty meters, seventy meters, a hundred meters. It split into dozens of branches to counterattack, or it shot out a dense rain of sharp spikes.
But it was all in vain. The lightning that crashed down from the sky continuously shattered it, and the spikes were all devoured by the constantly expanding simulated black hole.
Slap.
Ryan clapped his hands together and pulled out a giant double-bladed axe from his palms. He raised his hand and slashed at the giant arm in front of him.
Axe of Blood.
Another authority manifested. This time, there was not much resistance. It cut the already disintegrated giant arm in half. But Ryan, who had flown past, frowned.
The Authority of Blood had eaten something, but it was insignificant compared to the total mass of this giant arm.
"Merging? So that's it. You didn't truly merge all these Honkai Beasts into one. This one axe of mine only hit a hundred of them?"
Ryan turned his head and finally saw the end of the arm that was pulled out from underground. Then, it changed from a pale color to a Scarlet one.
Boom!!!
Looking from high altitude, a hundred square kilometers of ground first appeared with countless cracks. Then, a fireball rose from the ground. The shockwave it released immediately cleared the clouds in the sky, making the Minerva shake.
From the Fusion Warriors to the lowest-ranking soldiers, everyone quickly grabbed onto something fixed next to them, watching a mushroom cloud rise into the sky in stunned silence.
First, there was an earthquake, then a pillar of fire shooting into the sky, and finally a terrifying explosion. They had no idea what happened underground and could only admire the commander-in-chief's foresight.
"If I had followed him down, I would have been blown to pieces."
Hua's eyes twitched. After coming back to her senses, she immediately looked at the tactical map and saw Ryan's identification signal reappear. She then let out a long sigh of relief.
Sister Sakura was right. Senior Brother has maxed out his survival skills. He was fine after such a terrifying explosion.
As the signal reappeared, the reconnaissance satellite quickly focused. The man's image reappeared on the big screen.
The plain had been directly turned into a basin. This huge scar could be clearly seen from space. Ryan, in his white clothes, stood in the center of the basin.
He lowered his hands, completely unharmed, but he tilted his head with some confusion.
He's the biggest BOSS, after all. He's so stingy that he doesn't even want to pay the cost of a trial and error.