"Wait, you didn't know that? I thought you were just being aloof and looking down on Mobius."
Seeing Vill-V's sudden realization, Chang Yuan's mouth twitched.
He had thought Vill-V was too proud to collaborate with others.
Turns out, she just hadn't considered it. But this was good—it meant there was no tension between them.
"Oh, by the way, the people you asked me to bring in earlier have arrived. They're waiting for you. And, uh, her boyfriend is with her."
As if remembering something, Vill-V casually mentioned it to Chang Yuan.
With this reminder, Chang Yuan recalled that he had asked someone to bring Dr. Mei and Kevin back before the Herrscher battle.
He was worried that the butterfly effect might cause them to disappear. They were crucial assets—Dr. Mei for her intellect and Kevin for his combat prowess.
"Alright, Vill-V, go ahead and agree to Elysia's request. I'll go meet Dr. Mei and Kevin now."
With a wave, Chang Yuan hurried off to the reception room.
Inside the reception room, a bespectacled woman with black hair sipped tea calmly.
Beside her, a white-haired man paced back and forth anxiously.
"Kevin, stop pacing. You're making me nervous. Can't you calm down?"
Rubbing her temples, Dr. Mei sighed in exasperation.
"I—how can I calm down after everything that's happened? Just a few days ago, we were living normal campus lives, and now it's like the world's ending.
And now we've been brought to some unknown organization. Who knows what they want with us?"
Hearing Dr. Mei's plea, Kevin could only respond helplessly.
How could he stay calm after all this? Those building-sized monsters, the zombie-like creatures roaming the streets—it was like a nightmare come to life.
Click!
At that moment, the door to the reception room opened.
Chang Yuan walked in.
"Sorry, am I late?"
"Not at all."
Dr. Mei shook her head.
At the same time, she shot a glare at Kevin, who was about to say something.
Under her gaze, Kevin immediately fell silent.
Satisfied, Dr. Mei turned her attention back to Chang Yuan.
"So, you're the leader of this organization?"
"Not exactly. Fire Moth was established by the highest authorities of various continents to combat the Honkai disaster.
But as you know, when such an organization falls into the hands of parasites, the consequences are dire.
So, I used some... unconventional methods to take control from the higher-ups and consolidate power under myself."
"Isn't that just a power grab? That doesn't sound very heroic."
Hearing this, Kevin's sense of justice kicked in, and he couldn't help but comment.
But before he could say more, Dr. Mei elbowed him in the ribs.
"Kevin, could you not selectively listen? Did you miss the part about them being parasites?"
Hearing Kevin's selective hearing, Chang Yuan explained again.
"But still—"
Kevin was about to argue, but another glare from Dr. Mei silenced him.
"Never mind, Kevin. Let me talk to your girlfriend first."
Hearing Chang Yuan refer to Dr. Mei as his girlfriend, Kevin blushed furiously.
Seeing Kevin in this state, Chang Yuan couldn't help but marvel. So, even the legendary Kevin could be shy.
Dr. Mei didn't deny the title either.
"Now, what I'm about to tell you will completely change your understanding of the world. In this world, there exists something called the Honkai..."
It took nearly half an hour for Chang Yuan to explain the concept of the Honkai to them.
Of course, most of the delay was due to Kevin constantly interrupting with questions. Otherwise, it would have taken just ten minutes.
"So, how do you know all this?"
Dr. Mei wasn't focused on the Honkai. She was more interested in how Chang Yuan knew so much.
If higher civilizations existed, could Chang Yuan be a spy sent by one of them?
"I can't tell you that yet. When the time comes—during the battle against the Thirteenth Herrscher—I'll explain everything to you and everyone else."
"...Then I have no further questions."
With that, Dr. Mei nodded and stopped pressing the issue.
"In that case, Dr. Mei, are you willing to join Fire Moth and contribute to the future of our civilization, even if it means throwing yourself into the flames like a moth?"
"I am. But I want Kevin to join as well."
"That's fine. But he'll have to start as a recruit. After all, even I had to earn my position through hard work."
Chang Yuan had no reason to refuse such a small request.
Hearing that he wouldn't be separated from Dr. Mei, Kevin breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, he began dreaming of becoming a savior. After all, every young man had such dreams.
"Since you've decided to join us, sign these contracts. They'll transfer ownership of certain assets and material production facilities to you.
Our shared goal is to overcome or defeat the Honkai. Now that we know our ultimate objective and understand our enemy,
I hope you, Dr. Mei, can help bring about the future I envision."
Pulling out a few unsigned contracts from the council members, Chang Yuan handed them to Dr. Mei.
Without hesitation, Dr. Mei signed her name.
"Now, may I begin my research?"
"Go ahead. Before you joined, I already added your credentials to the database. You now have the same clearance as Mobius and the others."
With that, Dr. Mei gave Kevin a look, signaling him to follow her.
Understanding her cue, Kevin eagerly followed her out, a far cry from the cold, aloof figure he would become in the future.
After they left, Chang Yuan closed his eyes and began to think.
What else had changed during this time? Or who else had appeared?
"Seems like Fu Hua was also brought to Fire Moth by Himeko around this time. But that's not something I need to worry about."
Stroking his chin, Chang Yuan continued to worry unnecessarily.
As long as the Honkai remained undefeated, he could never truly relax.
After all, every time he tried to let his guard down, he would remember Elysia sacrificing herself to ensure humanity's victory over the Herrscher of Finality.