The first battle will be the decisive battle. If the progress really goes to the Finality, there will be no turning back.
Either they cross it and gain true freedom, or the Finality destroys everything and restarts civilization.
Of course, there was a third possibility, which was like Venus. The 'Cocoon' would change its target and just blow up the Earth. It would then start a new test on another planet.
Thinking about it carefully, this third outcome wouldn't be much of a loss for the Cocoon.
In fact, while Ryan and Mei were discussing the next course of action, the corridor outside was already crowded with people. After all, the combat meeting just now was not a pleasant one, and everyone was racking their brains but couldn't come up with a suitable method.
The strange Honkai Beast was hiding underground, and most people believed that it must be constantly moving. After the global surveillance report from the high-altitude satellites came out, they were even more convinced of their guess.
South America was its base camp, but after humanity retreated, other places had also been occupied by Honkai Beasts. According to the latest surveillance report, those small groups of Honkai Beasts that were wandering around had all disappeared, as if they had collectively committed suicide, and there was no trace of them anymore.
There was no such thing as a coincidence in the world. According to Mobius, the Honkai Beasts that remained in various places had received a call.
Who was calling? What were they calling them for?
These two questions had no answer yet. But based on the known information, it was more like a loose hand clenching into a fist, preparing for a heavy blow.
Because the Herrschers had been so dominant for so long, people had forgotten that the original purpose of creating the Fusion Warriors was to deal with Honkai Beasts.
"And that fat woman still looks carefree, making me worry for nothing." Mobius squinted and saw Elysia sitting behind the railing, gently swinging her legs and humming a song.
She didn't participate in the discussion, but she also knew that this couldn't go on. The Herrschers' matter wasn't over yet, and now there was another threat from a Honkai Beast.
"Isn't that just how Elysia is? She knows it well in her heart." Eden smiled and didn't take it to heart at all.
"She should at least be a little nervous."
"It's meaningless. Just listen to Ryan's command. He will come up with a perfect plan."
Mobius's lips moved. She really didn't know what to say to these idiots. Can mere trust solve any problem?
Well, I don't know what to do either. I might as well let that guy worry about it. Hmm, even though I'm the one getting paid, this is the commander-in-chief's responsibility.
Dr. Mobius, who was known as the smartest person in the Fire Moth, decisively stopped thinking. She leaned against the wall in a daze. Not long after, the door opened, and she saw the calm-looking Ryan walk out.
Her eyes lit up, and she immediately went up to him: "What's the result of your discussion with Mei?"
"You're very curious? Didn't I let you join in just now?"
"It's enough to hear the result. I don't want to argue with that woman."
"We'll adapt to the situation. The operation will continue. It's not the first time the Honkai has given me a problem." Ryan looked confident and scanned the people at the door. "Besides being shameless, it's essentially a form of waste utilization. It's anxious, which is a good thing for us. It's better to have it make a move than to quietly hold back for a big one."
Isn't it also holding back? When those Honkai Beasts reach a greater strength, who knows what they can do? And unlike Herrschers who were once human, the fat woman's authority can't even interfere.
Mobius wasn't that easy to fool. Based on her professional ability, she had detected the third advantage of this tactic. The Beast was completely different from humans, which made Elysia's authority useless. As long as they established a connection, a Herrscher's self-destruction would be stopped by the instinct to survive.
But she didn't say it out loud. If Ryan wanted to fool them, let him. Why should she jump out and sing a different tune?
"Mm. They're just a bunch of brainless monsters. It's just that their Honkai energy is stronger."
"The threat is much smaller without the authority. To be honest, only their fearlessness is worth mentioning."
"The Herrschers before didn't have a concept of life and death either, and they were all killed by the commander-in-chief."
A group of people started discussing. The commander-in-chief wanted to fight to the end, and they would follow. Who would dare to say they were smarter than Dr. Mei? They all cast their gazes, looking full of fighting spirit.
Commander-in-chief, please give the order.
"Since the Honkai wants to concentrate its forces, we don't have to be moles on this continent anymore. Let's start the cleanup plan ahead of schedule." Ryan gave the order. The plan had already been sent to everyone from the vice-captain level and above.
This plan was originally meant to clean up the Honkai remnants after crossing the Finality to return to a clean and blue Earth. It was perfect to use it now.
You want to utilize waste? Then I'll clean up the trash first and train the Fire Moth at the same time.
Each squadron had a clear area of responsibility. Of course, with less than a thousand people to clean up the world, the danger was secondary. The main thing was the hard work. They had to find the enemy first before they could fight them. And now they all knew that Honkai Beasts were experts at digging holes.
"That will take a lot of time. And the biggest one can't be dealt with by just one squadron. What about the other two remaining Herrschers?" Owl raised her hand. Her question was very practical.
Ryan glanced at the girl who didn't look human and thought to himself that she was indeed an elite of the old era. He answered directly:
"At least you don't have to worry about the Herrscher of Destiny. He won't come out. I'll patrol the entire world. If anyone runs into him, they should evacuate as soon as possible. As long as he dares to leave the deep underground, he's dead."
Honkai Beasts were indeed good at digging holes, but in South America, they had been digging for several years. Ryan didn't believe that any Honkai Beast could dig several kilometers deep in an instant.
"In addition, the hunt for the Honkai Beasts is not the only goal. Many devices were scattered in various places during the 'Wandering Human' plan. We'll take this opportunity to collect them and prepare for the next plan."
"The combat plan has been sent to everyone's tactical terminals. [True Self] and [Discipline] will be responsible for Europe. [Ice] and [Salvation] will clean up the most dangerous areas of Africa and Antarctica. [Annihilation] and [Scarlet] will go to the Middle East. [Floating Life] and [Divination] will suppress Shenzhou. [Gold] will be the general reserve."
As Ryan gave the order, a detailed combat plan, more than ten thousand words long, appeared on the tactical terminals. Without professional training, they couldn't even understand the dense tactical symbols.
The cleanup route, supply points, and devices that needed to be recovered along the way...
They were all densely stacked on top of each other. No one said a word. They all looked down at the screen, continuously zooming in on the map, and memorizing it.
This was the benefit of successfully crossing the Herrscher of Binding. Although many people died, the main force of the Fire Moth was not damaged. They still had a huge force of eleven squadrons and nearly a thousand Fusion Warriors. If there were only a dozen people, they would be exhausted to death trying to clean up the entire Earth.
They had all received professional staff training, and every vice-captain had been in many battles. There was no need for Ryan to give them instructions. He only reminded them: "The Key of Domination has been forged. Those who don't have a Divine Key can apply for one from Dr. Vil-V. Power armor and war machines cannot cover every warrior. You will choose the personnel for the equipment yourself."
Ryan paused for a moment and looked at his wristwatch: "Then let's go. I wish you all a safe return."
Clang—
With the sound of their heels clicking together, dozens of people stood at attention and saluted.
"Yes!"
The spirit of the iron-clad army came at them. Even Elysia's face was serious. As Ryan returned the salute, they all turned and dispersed.
Doo doo doo—
The battle alarm blared. Soldiers who were on vacation, maintaining their equipment, or on standby duty poured into the hangar from all directions. Mechanical arms delivered various equipment, covering the different parts of the power armor on their bodies.
The sound of footsteps instantly became heavy. The shrill sound of engines starting up rose and fell. The Honkai was more like a natural selection, weeding out the weak, cowardly, and unlucky early. Now, all those who could walk onto the battlefield were elites.
So Ryan gave them the most sophisticated weapons. The successful forging of the Key of Domination also solved the problem of not having enough Divine Keys to distribute. He never treated these people as cannon fodder.
Everyone had their own responsibility. Things like gathering intelligence and cleaning up minion-level enemies would be done by the people below. He only needed to be the commander and welcome the Honkai's challenge.
Will it really go the 'Beast' route? Is the Honkai limit hypothesis correct?
Thinking about these questions in a vacuum would not give him the answer. He had to rely on every warrior to find it, even if it meant risking their lives. And if everything went smoothly, this would be the last opportunity for a test.
Ryan was very strong, but he had also concentrated most of the resources. The reason why Kevin was weaker than in the original world was that he hadn't experienced enough tough battles, and he had lost the motivation to carry out many high-risk methods of getting stronger.
Just relying on the simulated trial plan was not enough.
"One hour and fifteen minutes to get ready for departure. Not bad. The string in their minds is pulled very tight."
From the moment he gave the order, to the aerial fleet disbanding and heading to various parts of the Earth, it took less than two hours. Ryan lowered his left hand and really liked this quick and decisive feeling.
No matter how good his relationship was with them, he should be serious when it came to war. It was okay to joke around in normal times, but being willful on the battlefield would not only lead to your death but also implicate others.
The fleet, which was built with all the support he could muster, was finally put to use. With a high-altitude foothold, the efficiency would obviously be much higher.
"But you left me behind." Eden walked slowly onto the back deck, her purple light veil draped over her. Through the glass, one could see the warships' tail flames.
"Just like Mobius's [Infinity], your tenth squadron is not good at combat. I didn't want to play favorites."
"I was just joking. You're too serious when you're in a working state." Eden gave Ryan a slight eye-roll but was very grateful for his 'care.'
The [Gold] squadron was full of logistical personnel who were not good at combat. Their abilities were mainly in healing, recovery, and psychological suggestion. Ryan specifically transferred Owl to Hua and transferred Freya, whose ability was 'cell vitality,' to his own team.
"You've already taken care of me enough. But you transferred Owl to Hua as a vice-captain. Can she handle her?"
Owl's number was CM005. She was one of the first High-Ranking Fusion Warriors. She guarded a large area in Eastern Europe alone and had no friendship with the residents of the Golden Court.
"Don't worry. Hua is no longer that high school girl. She's so serious and works harder than any of us. Even without Kevin's talent, hard work itself is a cheat code." Ryan had no doubt at all. Perhaps it was because the Hyperion had become quiet in an instant. He seemed a bit bored: "Speaking of which, it's been a long time since it was this quiet. I'm not used to it."
"If you want some excitement, you should have left Elysia here, or should I go get Mobius for you?"
"I think being quiet is good too." Ryan immediately shook his head. Mobius had her research work, and Elysia had her own pursuits. There was no need to interfere.
He looked down at the light spots on the electronic map. In just a few words, the various fleets had already flown a few hundred kilometers. The Fire Moth, which had been gathered, had finally dispersed. This was an opportunity for the Honkai.
"Are you a bit worried?" Eden quietly approached.
"Of course I'm worried. I don't know how far the Honkai will go. Is it a decoy, or is it really planning to try a different method?"
"I thought you had full confidence, which is why you split the army?"
"Eden, that Cocoon of Finality is completely unpredictable. You can only compete with it to see who is faster." Ryan shook his head slightly and showed a hint of self-mockery: "Just like how I didn't stop Hua from participating in the 'Chimera' project. They have to get used to fighting without me. It's their own fault for being so self-reliant and unwilling to hide under my wings."
"The one who has to face the Finality is 'us,' not 'you.' This kind of opportunity for tempering is rare. Even Pardo knows to work hard now." Eden still smiled elegantly, cleverly answering the question.
That's right. The title of Flame-Chaser doesn't just refer to strength. Even the most timid Pardofelis had her moment of glory facing the Cocoon of Finality.
Ryan also smiled. He was the flag of humanity, and these partners were his support. Only by helping each other could they create miracles.
He quickly went through the things he had to deal with recently, but he found that he had nothing to do. After thinking about it, Elysia and the others were working so hard. It would be rude for him to be idle.
"Help me call Sakura. I'll find a deserted island in a bit and have a good fight with her. I haven't tried her pink rabbit-like human collapse yet."
"That's a thunder-fire fox. Mobius, as a biological authority, is just slandering me out of spite."
There was no need for Eden to go. Sakura came herself. She held the Divine Key of the Seven Thunders, looking full of fighting spirit. She also wanted to see how strong this person who had not mentioned a duel to Kalpas recently was.
"Sakura, are you also interested in being a masochist? Why would you have such an idea?"
The girl was stunned for a moment. She quickly understood what masochist meant. Feeling that her warrior identity was insulted, she instinctively frowned, and her eyes became sharp.
"Such strong killing intent. Keep it up for a while. If your thoughts are too scattered..." Ryan spread his hands and held a golden short spear. It was the highest manifestation of the Authority of Fire. Besides the air warping, there was almost no 'burning' sensation.
"The battle will be over in an instant."