Wuwuwu—
A strong north wind howled, kicking up large waves of snow. This region was vast. The area where Kalpas had rampaged was a thousand miles away. After passing through the battlefield of Elysia and the others, Ryan saw virtually no trace of combat.
The vast landscape was white and undergoing subtle tremors—the result of the detectors' massive resonance. However, the instruments in this area could not operate at full power, making it impossible to truly tear through the thick permafrost.
Beneath the boundless surface, currents were stirring. Ryan didn't even need to look at the tactical terminal to feel that every inch of air was saturated with hostility.
"No attack is being launched. Are they deliberately trying to lure me deeper?"
Ryan wasn't headstrong; he wouldn't blindly charge in. He circled the snowfield clockwise, occasionally breaking the surface to probe for a reaction.
Just as Kalpas and the others had reported, if he didn't attack first, the worm-like monsters would retreat, appearing quite cowardly.
"They're not just retreating; sometimes they move parallel to me. Even knowing their location, playing 'whack-a-mole' will be very difficult."
Playing 'whack-a-mole' would require flipping the earth, which wasn't difficult for him. But Ryan had already received numerous reports that these root-like entities possessed many different abilities.
Some were like the Authority of Blood, outright swallowing Kalpas's flames. Others acted like pumps, sucking Honkai energy from the air into their bodies.
"No rush. I'll play along with you first."
Ryan traveled clockwise from the west to the eastern side, closer to Shenzhou. From a distance, he saw the white landscape transformed into scorched earth, with several giant craters remaining. Beside a collapsed hill, he spotted Mobius.
Several instruments were set up around her. She was dissecting a large mass of body tissue with green lightning, the expelled white fluid splattering all over her.
"You look like a perverted serial killer."
"Less talk. If you hadn't assigned the work, would I need to exert myself this much?" Mobius rarely held back her tongue. As an expert in dissection, she had no concept of 'disgust.' A green electric arc flashed, instantly dissolving all the fluid.
Ryan didn't tease her. He walked to the instrument to observe the data, then turned and visually estimated the distance.
"It's five hundred kilometers from the edge of the battle zone, yet the analyzed data is almost the same?"
"It proves that the edge and this place are the same object." Mobius adjusted her glasses. Her high heels stepped on the body tissue that was still squirming on the ground. "Even taking a segment from the middle, it hasn't lost its vitality."
Her cutting skills were excellent. The narrowest part of this deeply buried monster was still dozens of meters in diameter, but for a severed piece to maintain vitality was quite bizarre.
Ryan couldn't help but narrow his eyes and look closer. He found that the underside of the thing was covered with suction cup-like structures, opening and closing like rows of human mouths.
Utterly disgusting. Fortunately, Ryan was long immune to such incomprehensible horrors. He only found it somewhat familiar.
"This thing..."
"Yes, it's the squid-type Honkai Beast that Andavich reported encountering. Its characteristic is continuously drawing energy from the air." Mobius revealed a strange smile and pulled up the file. "SGB-015. That's the name I gave it. It's a pity we don't have any suitable human subjects for surgery anymore, otherwise, it would be much better than the materials used initially."
She appeared zealous and regretful. As the principal investigator of the Supremacy Surgery, she always had a strong passion for human modification experiments.
"Speaking of which, it's not too late. It would be quite interesting to use it in the Chimera Plan."
"Do you think there's time for surgery now? That wooden stake is their final product. Fusing too many Supremacy factors is very dangerous. If all else fails, we can only let the Grassworm try. I've collected a lot of materials recently." Mobius gave a sneaky smile, pulling up numerous files as if showing off.
The recent Honkai Beast tide was very beneficial to Fire Moth. The Earth was unlike Venus; they hadn't placed all their bets on the Sea of Quanta. Honkai Beasts were the vital foundation for MANTIS.
Ryan was dazzled by Mobius's biological treasure trove and suddenly had an idea.
Kevin's 'Brahman's Hundred Beasts' seems like it could be assembled in one go now. He wasn't that powerful yet, but he still had the protagonist's halo. The Honkai couldn't have anticipated that he would nurture a super warrior, could it?
Unfortunately, the thought didn't last long. Brahman's Hundred Beasts took tens of thousands of years to complete, and just as Mobius said, he didn't have time to unlock that tech tree, not even if the time was shortened ten thousand times.
"Keep it as a technical reserve. Who knows when it might be useful?" Ryan shook his head regretfully, thinking to himself that these Flame-Chasers were all talented. If Mobius survived, she might also become a End-level existence in the Post-Civilization era.
"I wasn't planning to use it now anyway. Hundreds of high-level Honkai Beast Supremacy factors—one injection, and there wouldn't be anything left alive." Mobius stretched out her hand, letting a drone take the test tube filled with green liquid back to the Hyperion. Only then did she slowly take off her gloves.
"Speaking of which, if you could directly possess the abilities of these Honkai Beasts, maybe your success rate would be higher than Kevin's?"
"Then why don't you just give me an injection?"
"Heh, at a time like this, if even one small thing went wrong, how many people do you think would tear me limb from limb?" Mobius didn't fall for it. Both she and Ryan were naturally cautious. Even the last surgery, where he fused with the Quantum Beast, required extensive experimentation.
Her snake eyes darted. Mobius silently moved closer to Ryan, lightly bumping his shoulder. "I wasn't talking about surgery. Why isn't your 'Path' working?"
|5/2\6/6\5/2\2/5\1|
So that's it. I wondered why you were so curious.
In the past, Ryan would have exploited this curiosity to tease her. Did you really think you could get information about the Path without performing any mixing experiments? But there was no need to take advantage now.
"Perhaps Honkai Beasts are no longer a novelty. In every sense, Herrschers are closer to the Imaginary Space."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that Trailblazing requires a sense of novelty. Although this thing is powerful, it's fundamentally no different from a standard Assault-class Honkai Beast. If I hadn't acquired the Authority of Blood, I wouldn't even bother with them."
Mobius pondered for a moment, and her face fell. "What a useless Path. But, according to you, some Paths could be utilized?"
Almighty Trailblazer, Aeon of Akivili, please forgive this woman's ignorance.
Ryan silently apologized to Akivili for Mobius. It was a good thing Akivili wasn't here, or a punishment would surely descend. Such a pragmatist truly couldn't understand the romance of Trailblazing.
"Let's go. We'll head deeper." Ryan lifted his leg and started walking, wanting to see how different the core area was from here.
Mobius grew anxious. After waiting all these years, this scoundrel had finally loosened up. She hurried to catch up.
"Hey! You still haven't answered my question!"
The two moved close to the snowfield. The scenery was nothing to look at, just monotonous pine forests and mountains, but Mobius didn't care.
She felt Elysia was too vulgar. She wanted to turn everything into a date. A true scientist's purpose was constant learning. Even alone with Ryan, it could entirely be turned into an academic seminar.
She badgered and tempted him the whole way, making Ryan regret his casual remark that had gotten him tangled up. Aside from occasionally breaking the ground to collect samples, he never had a moment of peace.
Wait, Mobius is losing interest in her own job. She's completely forgotten the original purpose of this operation.
"Are you saying there's more than one Path? Even in the realm of inquiry, 'Nihility' is stronger than 'Trailblazing?'"
The wind howled outside the cave. Ryan created an everlasting bonfire with the Authority of Flame to ward off the cold but couldn't ward off the intensely curious Mobius.
"Please don't use crude words like strong and weak to describe them. A Path is just a road. Walking the correct road yields positive feedback, but the manifestation is different," Ryan rolled his eyes. He was mostly guessing, too.
"The Trailblazer is affected by the Path, receiving blessings based on that 'Tao.'"
"That sounds quite mystical, like those boring novels the fatty reads."
"It's fundamentally not something that can be directly presented with data. If you really want to benefit from Honkai Beasts, I think Paths like 'The Hunt,''Voracity,''Nriumph,' or 'Rage' would be more suitable." Ryan was getting sidetracked and started seriously considering the question.
"Those Paths are easier to understand. The Aeon who embodies that Path might be pleased."
"Aeons? How can one get a response from them, and are they powerful enough?" Mobius grew excited. She felt a door full of unknowns was slowly opening before her.
"They are definitely powerful. Destroying a planet is nothing to them. You can view them as a type of life that has evolved to the ultimate stage." Ryan had long understood why Mobius was so excited. This woman pursued immortality and evolution, and the path of the Aeons had no end.
"As for how to get a response, I don't know. That involves the issue of the Imaginary Tree."
I'm a transmigrator who has never even been to the Star Rail world and hasn't had time to research if the two worlds share a dimension. How would I know?
Ryan couldn't bear to deflate Mobius, but he was powerless to help. Wait, wasn't I supposed to be out here dealing with Honkai Beasts? How did this turn into a discussion about Paths?
Ignoring his self-doubt, a warm body quickly nestled against him. A soft shoulder rubbed against Ryan's chest, and her tone became extremely gentle.
"Oh, come on, tell me. Do we really need to hide things from each other with our relationship?"
"I genuinely don't know."
"But you have a Path! I take back what I said before. I think 'Trailblazing' is excellent, too—turning the unknown into the known, always moving forward. It perfectly suits my taste." Mobius's attitude changed rapidly. She grasped Ryan's hand, her snake eyes looking as if they were about to squeeze out water.
"Tell me the truth, and I can give you a little perk~"
Her relentless charming technique was indeed formidable. Ryan turned his head and saw her black-stockinged leg propped on his knee. Her blouse was unbuttoned two levels down, perfectly revealing the black lace beneath, and her mouth was slightly parted, constantly exhaling warm breaths.
This is... incredibly tempting.Should I emulate those cult leaders and speak some vague concepts, then aggressively inject her with Trailblazing energy? It's what she wants, after all.
Ryan was tempted. Supremacy factors were hereditary; perhaps a Path could also be transmitted through DNA. But the thought was quickly extinguished.
Akivili is still alive. What if 'He' punishes me for this 'Trailblazing' behavior?
"Don't mention it. If it were truly transmissible, I wouldn't hide it. Wouldn't it be great for us all to possess the ability to overcome world barriers and team up to fight the Honkai?"
"Really?" Mobius was stunned. She hadn't expected Ryan to be so frank, not even bothering to make up an excuse.
"Absolutely true. I'm willing to share my biggest secret. Why would I hoard the last bit of information as a treasure?"
The logic was sound, and it aligned with his interests. Mobius immediately understood that something was obstructing the Path. Perhaps it was on another leaf of the Imaginary Tree?
"Tch. You made me excited for nothing." She immediately pushed Ryan away. This heartless gesture made the latter's blood pressure skyrocket.
"How dare you flirt with..."
Before he could finish, his mouth was sealed. Ryan's pupils contracted. He truly couldn't fathom this capricious woman. She could make your blood pressure soar, and then instantly make it drop with a furious release.
After an intense mixing session, Mobius finally pushed Ryan away. Her entire face was flushed. Her snake eyes were even more alluring than before. Her fingertip traced circles on the man's chest.
"But I'm happier that you told me all your secrets. It seems the efforts of these years weren't in vain?"
The bonfire crackled. Inside the cave, which was warm like spring, their breathing was heavy.
Mobius felt a sense of fulfillment, as if a long-held wish had been granted. Ultimately, the initial reason she approached this man was his aura of mystery.
Why did an ordinary person possess the ability to fight the Honkai Beasts? Why could he generate Honkai energy on his own?
As an expert in the field, Mobius was naturally very curious. But the initial Ryan was extremely resistant, leading to various conflicts, which only made her more intrigued. He clearly harbored many secrets.
She had many hypotheses. Given Ryan's background, the possibility of him being Fire Moth's secret biological weapon was the highest. And since he was a biological weapon, she would eventually decipher him.
The deeper she delved, the more secrets she found. Ryan never actively asked for anything. She felt like she was sinking into quicksand, getting deeper and deeper until she couldn't pull herself out.
'I feel like I approached him from the start for this Path, but before I could slice him up or inject him with truth serum, he told me everything?'
Mobius felt a momentary loss. She suddenly agreed with Aponia's fatalism:
Some things are unattainable when sought, yet they are delivered to your hand unintentionally.
It was strange, yet incredibly satisfying. When the final mystery was voluntarily solved by Ryan, she felt a sense of having lived a complete life.
"What are you thinking? Why did you suddenly stop talking?" Ryan waved his hand in front of her, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.
She was truly too persistent. He had initially wanted to tease her with some information, but he was cornered and had no choice but to reveal everything. It was a losing deal.
But it didn't matter. Whether it was the Path or the Aeons, Mobius would certainly follow him on the path of Trailblazing.
Her snake eyes brightened. The woman showed a strange smile. "I just suddenly thought... you seem to have no utility value left."
Uh, I actually can't refute that.
Ryan was speechless for a moment. He knew why Mobius had approached him. From that dimension, he truly had lost his value.
"So, are you going to abandon me?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he received an eye roll. Having reached this stage together, the initial goal had become the least important thing. Whether or not he had the information was irrelevant.
Of course, Mobius wouldn't state it directly, as that would make her no different from the fatty.
"Heh, your intelligence is worthless right now. It will only be useful after the Honkai is dealt with." Mobius pushed Ryan on the chest, crawled forward half a step, and straddled his stomach, staring down at him.
"And you hid just that little bit of information from me for four whole years. Shouldn't you be properly punished?"
Gulp.
Ryan looked at the woman straddling him. He suddenly felt her aura was incredibly aggressive. Her sharp snake eyes were filled with pride, making her look like a queen.
Maybe being a submissive is good once in a while?
Before he could fully process the thought, Mobius leaned down. Their noses were touching, and due to gravity, her chest was pressed tightly against his.
His breathing quickened. Mobius felt boneless and soft. Her hand stroked his hair, traced his cheek, grazed his chest, and slowly moved toward his waist.
Huuu.
Ryan exhaled a turbid breath, experiencing the slightly ticklish sensation. He figured Mobius had secretly researched so many positions that she must be very adept. No, judging by her stored positions, she might even be better than me.
There was no awkwardness, only mature intent. Her theoretical knowledge had reached its limit. From a certain perspective, she fit every definition of a 'mature woman.'
After a while longer, Ryan opened his eyes, slightly raising an eyebrow in confusion. The caressing had suddenly stopped.
Is she shy? Tsk, a fake dominant. I guess I have to take the initiative.
Unwilling to break the atmosphere, Ryan suppressed the flames of desire and counted five more seconds before gently asking, "Are you shy?"
"Joke! Me? Shy in front of a kid like you?"
Her bangs obscured her expression. Just as Ryan was about to mock her, Mobius suddenly raised her head. Her face was full of a gentle smile—a smile so benign it was unnerving.
"Excuse me, what is this object? It doesn't seem to be mine. And, hey, why does this scent smell somewhat familiar?"
The soft, boneless pale hand she had been using was raised. It was holding a black object, which brushed against Ryan's face, conveying a delicate feel and even a subtle fragrance.
Gulp.
Ryan swallowed for the second time. The smile vanished from his face. He became extremely serious, as if attending an operational meeting.
"If I told you it was a Flame-Chaser Fragment, would you believe me?"
Flame-Chaser Fragment? What is that?
Mobius visibly paused. Her gentle smile became even more pronounced, carrying a hint of ambiguity. She leaned closer.
"Take a guess."
What a vulgar scene. Is this woman a snake or a dog?
The bonfire was still burning. Ryan, with his back to the cave entrance, was constantly sucking in cold air. He looked down and saw a tooth mark on his collarbone.
How much does she hate me? She even bit through my Honkai energy shield.
Knowing he was at fault, Ryan hadn't resisted, allowing Mobius to bite him relentlessly. It hurt, but then he found it somewhat enjoyable.
Do I actually have masochistic tendencies?
He shivered, quickly shaking off the self-doubt. He stole a glance at the back facing him and, in turn, hated the Honkai.
If I wasn't focused on the operation, which is draining so much of my mental energy, how could I make such a low-level mistake? I'm clearly born under an unlucky star when it comes to the Honkai; they ruin my good times.
This resentment was well-founded, but the immediate problem still needed solving.
Ryan walked over and patted Mobius's shoulder as if nothing had happened: "Still angry? I didn't fight back when you took your revenge."
"You dare to resist? Heh. It's a pity you're too hard, so I could only break the surface layer of skin." Mobius instantly sneered, shaking her shoulder to shrug off his hand. She looked expressionless, yet her heart was a mix of joy and fury.
That fatty actually changed her ways! I knew she wasn't completely straight. And she stole my idea!
Mobius valued intellectual property highly. But despite her anger, seeing Ryan's awkward look made her heart bloom with satisfaction.
Heh heh heh. I finally caught him red-handed! I need to look even angrier so he'll panic more. But this little leverage doesn't seem very useful. He already told me all the information I cared about.
Mobius fell into an internal conflict. Ryan, unable to guess her thoughts, felt relieved.
She doesn't seem to care that much? I thought I was in for trouble this time.
The mistake was low-level and potentially fatal. Ryan knew that Elysia, despite her cheerful appearance, was a true demon-level figure. Mobius wouldn't admit it, but she had already considered Elysia her biggest rival. Even Hua occasionally felt jealous.
"Now, please explain to me why that fatty sent you such a vulgar item?" Mobius suddenly demanded.
"I told you it's a Flame-Chaser Fragment. I've carefully collected yours, too. If it's vulgar, you were the first."
"Hey, you provoked me first!" Mobius couldn't refute that and became angry out of frustration. "What 'Flame-Chaser Fragment'? Are you saying you haven't collected enough? You want to collect the others' too?"
Hmm, Hua's gray stockings, Sakura's asymmetrical socks, Eden's purple tights, Pardo's bubble socks—I'm interested in them all.
As a man who faced his desires head-on, Ryan nodded candidly. However, he wasn't as utterly devoted to the Daemon of Slaanesh as Coleman. Seeing Mobius narrow her snake eyes, he decisively swallowed his provocative words.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you."
"No lying."
"How could I? I'm an honest person." Ryan suddenly thought that being honest might be better. Given Elysia's big mouth, she would probably spill the beans if she had downtime anyway. It was better to confess first.
So, he recounted the events of Elysia being his secretary for a day. Mobius's expression initially became solemn. Having spent so many years with her, she wasn't stupid. She knew Elysia's flighty personality was unsuited for serious work.
But precisely because of her flighty nature, she wouldn't show such special devotion to any one person. This was extremely important.
'That fatty really has ill intentions. No, given everything this scoundrel has done for her, any change would be better than being an inanimate object. It's to be expected.'
She saw this as Elysia treating Ryan as a special existence, understanding that love, though shared, was different for each person.
Elysia's growth made her slightly nervous, but hearing that nothing happened between them, she slightly puffed up her chest.
Idiot. He didn't seize such a good atmosphere. He really is a child. He's so far behind me in progress.
A strong sense of pride surged within her. She had anticipated some things. She was just afraid someone else would get ahead. She now regretted her overly aggressive reaction earlier. She had to admit that in terms of cunning, those simpletons would never catch up to her.
"You still haven't said why she sent you that thing."
Because she's blatantly copying your idea and saw your embarrassing history.
Ryan grumbled internally but shook his head seriously. "I really don't know. Why don't you just go ask Elysia?"
"How could you suggest that? How can I ask her that!" Mobius suddenly raised her voice, then quickly regained her calm. "Consider your self-control decent. But you owe me one."
"Fine, fine. Just tell me how I can pay you back."
"I haven't decided yet. I'll put it on tab, but it will accrue interest at a rate of three percent daily."
Three percent daily interest? What kind of loan shark are you?
Ryan thought Mobius would eventually end up on a lamppost. On second thought, this wasn't the time to argue. What's one more debt? I'll just pay you back a few hundred million at once.
"Alright, I accept."
"Admitting your mistake and accepting punishment. That's a bit manly of you." Mobius nodded, satisfied. Now wasn't the time to worry about repayment. Making the guy squirm was satisfying enough.
After all, it's something the Herrscher couldn't do. Hmph hmph. Only I, Mobius, can do this.
Her triumphant expression was obvious. Ryan wanted to pinch her face, but his raised hand finally lowered. They were still on a mission. He couldn't afford to be distracted. This short half-hour of adjustment was excellent.
Feeling his spirits lift, Ryan patted his cheeks. At the snap of his fingers, the bonfire dimmed slightly.
"Rest is over. Let's get back to work."
The two had reached the southern edge of the Ural Mountains, the predicted periphery of Prometheus's estimation.
Mobius was reluctant but knew the situation. Gently adjusting her glasses, she returned to her serious demeanor.
"The geological detectors are being interfered with in this area. Where should we start?"
A large red circle was on the tactical terminal. Unlike the periphery, they couldn't pinpoint the exact location. Ryan patted his pants and stood up, buttoning his collar.
"Simple. We start under our feet."
"Under our feet? What do you mean? I'm not in the mood to play digger..."
Before Mobius could fully react, she felt a sense of weightlessness. Her body gently floated up. She barely managed to maintain balance and looked around.
Flames, snow, and crushed rocks floated up. A trembling sensation crawled all over her skin as a rumbling sound arose.
Ryan slowly raised his palms. The invisible Gravity pulled the earth, making the word 'simple' incredibly clear.
With a simple gesture, he was uprooting this entire mountain range!