The 'comet' landed; the Honkai Beast beneath it twitched before Ryan's heavy footfall rendered it inert.
Gunfire and roars ceased simultaneously. The remaining dozen soldiers looked up at the shirtless man. Standing atop Adieto's corpse, Ryan towered over them.
No one spoke; the initial revulsion lingered, but the monster's annihilation had replaced it with awe.
'I forgot this guy's a scientist.'
Himiko wanted to vomit a million words. She couldn't connect the weak scholar with this god-like warrior. Those defined muscles were aesthetically pleasing, exuding masculine power.
Thud.
Ryan shook his head, leaping from the corpse and approaching the remaining soldiers. His grey eyes showed no fatigue, shining like stars.
Passing Himiko, he patted her shoulder lightly. "Remember to finish them off."
She blinked, snapping back to reality. This wasn't the time for awe. She signaled her troops to finish the remaining enemies, then turned, her eyes flickering.
"Ryan, you're the perfect warrior!"
The man paused, turning back with a faint smile. "No, I'm a scientist. I just know how to put theory into practice."
...
Himiko fell silent, looking at Adieto's corpse. The wounds were ragged tears, as if torn apart by immense force.
This wasn't just theory; it was truth.
"Work, work. Enough idle chatter with a humanoid monster."
Ryan wasn't in the mood for idle chatter. Controlling Honkai energy was extremely taxing; his body was fatigued, but his mind was sharp. He sat against a wall, looking at the shattered remains of the Emperor-Class Honkai Beast, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He'd taken another step forward. The path to advancement required constant self-improvement and challenging the unknown.
This wasn't as straightforward as absorption, but each hurdle overcome yielded not only power, but a stronger sense of exhilaration, a feeling of continued existence.
Step by step, exploring the unknown, advancing relentlessly. Each step forward yielded greater rewards.
He extended his hand; energy gathered in his palm. The flickering Honkai energy, initially like a flame, gradually stabilized, extending, solidifying, forming into a short blade.
This transformation from energy to a fixed state made Ryan narrow his eyes, searching for its mysteries.
'Energy shaping. This is the ability I gained from Adieto.'
Ryan stroked his chin, as if smoothing mud, repeatedly refining the energy, falling into deep thought. After about two minutes, he understood.
"Before, the energy wavelength was scattered; I could only vaguely focus it on an object, using the Honkai energy itself to melt and cut. It was basically like using a torch to burn someone, and without Soulium, the torch itself couldn't withstand the heat."
Now it's more stable and focused; I can even hear the wind cutting through my arm when I swing it. But the drawbacks are clear—
"High energy consumption, and during intense combat, maintaining this stable structure is difficult. It's like overly hardened steel; it lacks flexibility."
As a researcher, Ryan didn't simply focus on functionality; he explored the nature of the ability. He quickly found an improved usage method.
Condensing it onto a weapon, forming blades to cut and slice; under certain circumstances, he could even create sonic attacks. He could find suitable weapons at the Far East Branch.
Soulium wasn't fully developed, but humans possessed super-pressure alloys capable of resisting Honkai energy. The problem was that the alloys were expensive and difficult to forge.
Difficult, yes, but achievable. With my Honkai energy control nearing 500HW, mastering this shaping ability would increase my combat effectiveness by thirty percent.
Ryan was still concerned about the third Herrscher. While facing a Herrscher was still a death sentence, he now possessed the power to threaten it. And no one said it had to be a one-on-one fight.
He was about to call Elysia when a roar from overhead made him look up, witnessing an awe-inspiring sight.
Dozens of helicopters approached, their lights illuminating the night sky. Fighter jets screamed overhead; countless bombs were falling.
Fifteen minutes; not bad.
Ryan didn't sneer; reinforcements had arrived during the battle, but they were entangled with the enemy, preventing air strikes—a common military problem.
A thousand-kilogram bomb was powerful, but even laser-guided ones couldn't guarantee accuracy, especially since Honkai Beasts weren't stupid enough to stand still and wait to be hit.
"Get him down!"
Himiko's shout made Ryan instinctively climb onto a wall. He saw a figure amidst the Honkai Beast corpses.
A raggedly dressed youth, like a vicious wolf, lay on the ground, trying to shove pieces of Honkai Beast corpse into his mouth. Soldiers held him down, desperately pulling him back.
"Let me go! Mom! Sister! I'll kill them! All of them!"
A heart-wrenching scream, filled with despair and rage. This wasn't a wolf; it was a devil.
"What happened?" Ryan turned to Kevin.
"While clearing the battlefield, the Major found survivors. They were hiding underground. Except for this boy, the others were already infected and dead." Kevin answered, looking at the struggling boy, his eyes filled with fear.
He suddenly remembered something—if Mei, Su, and Ryan were dead, would he become like this? The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
"Don't overthink it. This boy needs psychological counseling and possibly hypnosis. But I don't think Fire Moth will do that."
"Why?"
Ryan turned to Kevin, speaking slowly. "Because he's a rare talent."
The young man fell silent. He knew the boy's survival without protection indicated high Honkai adaptation; coupled with his hatred, he would be unwavering.
But was this fair? To make someone live eternally in despair and hatred, their only purpose to kill Honkai?
"Terrifying, isn't it? Don't become like him." Ryan patted his shoulder, offering a knowing smile. "There are many such people, but few survive their relentless pursuit."
"Ryan, I think you're mocking me."
"No, you're doing well. You have a girlfriend, friends, and your strength has improved significantly. Unlike him, you're not powerless to protect anyone."
"Yes, I killed many Honkai Beasts; my record is close to Lieutenant Himiko's. I can protect Mei!" Kevin withdrew his gaze, satisfied.
After five days of bloody battle, he felt strong, believing he could face another Adieto without being stunned.
"Congratulations on your graduation. Did you forget to mention protecting your friends?"
"You're terrifyingly strong; you don't need my protection." Kevin glared, grumbling. "If I could control Honkai energy, I could prevent such tragedies."
"What? Still thinking about saving the world?"
"Not so grand. But if I had the power, wouldn't it be better to protect more people? A goal of protecting human happiness would be more motivating!"
The ardent youth, a born hero.
Ryan didn't discourage Kevin; the young man's growth was comparable to his own; his strength was visibly improving. As long as he didn't become reckless, Ryan wouldn't interfere.
"Get some rest, change your gear. Once this is cleaned up, we'll move out again."
"Where to?"
"Don't you want to be a hero?" Ryan tilted his head, raising his fist. "Of course, we'll continue hunting, saving more people."
He ignored the stunned Kevin, heading towards the cleanup site.
Ryan's plan was simple: while he was still around, he would help improve Kevin's strength. The young man looked sunny, but if his mental fortitude collapsed, his descent into darkness would be terrifying.
He vaguely recalled Mei becoming a target for certain factions; he didn't want a butterfly effect leading to her assassination; that outcome would be far worse than a reckless savior.
If Kevin became a Herrscher…
Ryan stopped thinking; that image was too disturbing. He looked up and saw Himiko, holding a satellite phone, striding towards him.
"That brat! He doesn't know Honkai Beast corpses aren't food!"
"That type won't live long. Hatred alone can't achieve anything. Why are you so angry?"
"I was about to have a beer, and that brat spilled it!" Himiko was furious, but as a reliable adult, she didn't get angry with a child; she tossed the satellite phone.
"Someone's looking for you."
Ryan caught it, slightly puzzled. "Headquarters?"
"I don't care about them; I already covered for you." Himiko dismissively waved her hand, then turned serious.
"It's family."
Family?
Ryan hesitated. He didn't want to get too involved with Fire Moth's young progressives, avoiding power struggles. Open conflict was manageable; hidden agendas were far more troublesome.
He was about to hang up when a familiar voice came through.
"Hey, hey, hey! Seriously, why is the signal so bad at this time?"
A lively tone. Ryan paused.
Elysia?