I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era

Ryan surveyed the cramped, black interior of the ship. Everywhere he looked were wires, monitors, and various unidentified pieces of equipment. Each piece looked crude and chaotic, yet undeniably powerful; even with his education, he couldn't decipher their purpose.

Ignoring this for the moment, he focused on the young woman ten meters away.

She wore a wide-brimmed hat and a leather jacket layered with gear, her slim waist accentuating her curves. Her eyes held a strange mixture of curiosity and fear, of impatience and introspection.

A paradoxical swirl of emotions that made it difficult to discern the true her.

"Vill-V, Fire Moth's top fugitive?"

"Ah, I wouldn't call myself the top fugitive, just… somewhat notorious." Vill-V scratched her head, a little irritated. "I didn't expect Fire Moth to have anyone besides that Pink Elf with such… superhuman abilities."

She casually manipulated machinery that sliced through steel like paper. This human could actually do that.

Ryan chuckled, maintaining a serious expression. "You think Fire Moth created Honkai?"

"Why else would they be so secretive? Besides, I destroyed several of their labs. The things inside… tsk tsk, I can't even describe how horrifying they were." Vill-V tapped her fingers, her tone growing increasingly certain. "Uncontrolled Imaginary energy, mass human experimentation… some subjects failed, but others… like you… became perfect specimens. Possessing people like you, Fire Moth could control the world. Hey, what are you laughing at?!"

"Too much action movie watching is bad for you."

Ryan couldn't help but laugh, and he also found some merit in Vill-V's words. A faction within Fire Moth's higher echelons certainly harbored such ambitions, using the fight against Honkai as a cover to eliminate opposition.

"So you think you should be the world's savior?"

"Not quite. With the world as the stage, and an evil organization like yours as the villains…" Vill-V puffed out her chest, proudly declaring, "Such a grand performance naturally requires a protagonist!"

Truly a 'Magician,' deceiving herself. He almost forgot she was also a 'Deceiver.'

"The stage is indeed grand, but you've misjudged your opponent. Furthermore, drop your left hand. Killing you would take me two seconds; those toys of yours won't stop me."

Vill-V's confident expression faltered. She watched as Ryan slowly raised his fist, a twitch at the corner of her mouth as she produced her left hand, revealing a control device in her palm.

"Um… how did you know?"

Ryan didn't answer, but stared intently at Vill-V, watching her tremble. After a long moment, she slowly shook her head.

"You're a genius. Without a lab, you managed to create so many complicated devices. How did you do it?"

Vill-V's eyes lit up, instantly forgetting the terrifying man before her. She smacked her lips, her chest rising slightly.

"Because I imagine it, gears grinding, steam hissing, turning impossible dreams into reality. Sounds pretty cool, right?!"

The power of mind? Are you a goddamn Green Lantern?

Ryan didn't know where the outburst came from. He pressed down with both hands, signaling her to calm down.

"Did you think I was speaking too calmly, so you relaxed?"

"Heh heh, Fire Moth wants to kill me, but they won't get the chance now. Surely you're not just lonely and looking for a chat? Impossible. You have that Mobius as your girlfriend, even though she's really ugly."

As if he'd ever want that venomous snake Mobius as a girlfriend! Does she think he has a life expectancy of a thousand years?

In an instant, Ryan's eyes turned sharp. "Don't flatter yourself. Based on the intel you obtained, Fire Moth will definitely kill you. They won't even give you the chance to be imprisoned in the Deep End."

Ryan understood. If Vill-V was just a nuisance, imprisonment would suffice. After all, her engineering achievements were top-notch, and she was useful in fighting Honkai. But her involvement in the power struggle meant a fight to the death.

"If I'm not mistaken, you don't even know who provided the intel; you just didn't expect to be caught by me."

"People make mistakes. Who knew you and that scientist were having a midnight rendezvous?" Vill-V scratched her face. She knew the inherent danger, but the thrill of performing magic was always tempting.

"Again, Mobius and I were just a coincidence."

"I know, I know."

"You know nothing!" Ryan took a deep breath, refocusing the conversation. "Do you know why you lost to me?"

Vill-V paid closer attention this time, immediately responding: "Besides coincidence, the key is the fundamental power difference. Conventional weapons versus Honkai energy is roughly a 1:10 ratio. It's like comparing a catapult to a cannon; there's a dimensional difference. To fight you superhuman types on equal footing, I need to utilize energy efficiently."

"For example, using it as a core energy source to create a Honkai energy laser cannon. Converting it into electricity would be even better."

Ryan nodded as he listened. Vill-V was expertly weaving together "common sense" and "uncommon sense," a kind of test.

Humanity still believed they held everything in their hands, but Ryan knew this was a clash of civilizations, where individual bravery was futile. Victory over Honkai wasn't achieved by Kevin recklessly charging forward.

The contributions of Mobius, Mei, Vill-V, and others were immense. Without the warrior fusion and God Key projects, civilization would have crumbled long ago, never reaching the point of the final showdown.

"You qualify."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Vill-V was confused, then saw an object thrown to her. She picked it up; it was a USB drive.

"Inside is some Fire Moth data and research on Honkai. Get familiar with it."

"Are you recruiting me? Or are you planning to betray Fire Moth?" Vill-V held up the USB. Stories could be fabricated, but data couldn't lie.

"I'm merely saving your life. Stop running around looking for trouble. Fire Moth will soon disregard political struggles, and your talents are exactly what they need."

"Why?"

"Because the will to survive is humanity's primary instinct, and it's even stronger in those at the top." Ryan didn't elaborate further, offering a confident smile. "As for you, a more spectacular stage awaits. You won't refuse."

Mysterious, but intriguing.

Vill-V clutched the USB, tucking it into the deep cleft of her chest. She felt the man before her was more of a magician than she was, possessing an unfathomable aura of mystery.

"Speaking of which, if you know so many secrets and disapprove of their actions, why not try to change things?"

"Because I'm not strong enough yet. The world hasn't reached a true existential crisis."

"When it does."

"Simple. Physically erase them."

Ryan's words were few but profound, leaving Vill-V with a strange expression—not surprise, nor admiration, but as if she were trying to etch his words into her memory.

"I rather want to stay by your side and assist you."

"Why?"

Vill-V clasped her hands behind her back, mimicking Ryan's cool demeanor, speaking sparingly: "Because your character setting is awesome."

"Get lost!"

"Understood." Vill-V saluted comically, lightly stomping her foot.

The steel floor beneath Ryan cracked, revealing that the floor's patterns were actually cut marks. In the blink of an eye, a large hole appeared in the hull.

Various pieces of equipment tumbled into the sea. Ryan grabbed a steel beam overhead and looked down, seeing a tiny, black submersible disappearing beneath the surface.

So this girl had already planned her escape route.

Ryan twitched his lips. Vill-V possessed a deceptive exterior, as if multiple personalities inhabited her body. But behind the magician facade lay a cunning deceiver.

With her intellect, she'll quickly uncover the truth about Honkai. It's far better than imprisoning her in the Deep End; her unique insights will be valuable in the future.

"Whoever supplied her with intel has significant influence, and they managed to infiltrate Far East Branch."

Ryan didn't dwell on it. The world was never short of ambitious individuals. As he'd said, he had no patience for their power struggles; he'd wait for the right moment.

Vill-V's escape would draw attention to him, which wasn't necessarily bad; it would save him a lot of future trouble. Fighting Honkai while simultaneously guarding against betrayal was too much for anyone to handle.

Ryan remained unfazed. The third Honkai eruption was the critical juncture; after that, the world would rapidly plummet into the abyss. He put on his headset.

"Situation resolved. Send Far East Branch's team."

"You killed Vill-V?!" Mobius's voice was laced with complexity.

"No, she escaped. She's a cunning magician indeed."

Silence hung in the headset for a few seconds, then a cold voice responded: "You don't trust me?"

Mobius wasn't an idiot; she instantly knew Ryan was lying, but he knew she wouldn't betray him, so he offered a brief explanation.

"The truth is irrelevant to you. I'm not wasting time explaining."

"But you'll have problems. Honestly, with my guarantee, Vill-V has a fifty percent chance of surviving."

"I don't want to gamble on the other fifty percent. In terms of value, that whole group combined isn't worth as much as she is. As for me, you have nothing to worry about." Ryan adjusted his glasses, watching a helicopter approach in the distance.

"I'm an expert at dealing with Honkai, but when it comes to killing people—"

"I'm the master."