Chapter 202: You Like Peeping, Don't You!

The concept of human civilization nations was blurry, and the Fire Moth organization had only been established for a few decades. Most of that time, they had operated covertly.

Wealth, personnel, and equipment don't just materialize out of nowhere. Like every military base, they must be built and maintained.

These things stem from various countries, or more precisely, from prominent families and large conglomerates. To repay their investments, Fire Moth divided power among 64 members of parliament. Even the overall commander was merely an elected figurehead.

This is understandable—"saving humanity" was always a business, and for the sake of securing their own safety, all members of parliament were anonymous. Yet, there was one principle that never changed.

"Ordinary people cannot become parliament members. Power will never flow to the lower or middle classes."

Ryan reflected on history, and then confirmed that these two men were indeed members of Fire Moth's parliament.

No wonder they became local emperors. After the third Honkai, Fire Moth expanded rapidly, quickly replacing the previous order and stepping into the spotlight.

The world now was so chaotic that even household registration could not be sorted out, let alone anything democratic. The Bureau of Management and its branches had taken over government functions, and with the honkai still ongoing, this business had long since recouped its costs.

So, did they do this? What was their purpose? Were they just trying to preserve their power?

Hua scooped her rice slowly, occasionally offering Ryan a piece of food while he was deep in thought. She didn't understand these matters, nor did she need to. All she needed to do was follow orders.

"According to the information Himeko found, the matter with Lieutenant Rose is still pending. But as for the Honkai Beast invasion, these two men are certainly involved."

"Why? This is their territory," Hua immediately frowned, her face filled with disgust.

"Precisely because it's their territory that it must be preserved. Otherwise, they'll become refugees. Even if the title of parliament member isn't revoked, it will be used as a bargaining chip in power struggles."

"So, why?"

"It's a kind of demonstration. To show the commander and Fire Moth that they have the power to decide the life and death of millions of people. And such a heavy cost is something Fire Moth itself cannot bear."

Hua didn't immediately understand the connection between the two, but after thinking for a long time, she spoke sharply, "They're using Neon as hostages!"

"Exactly. Otherwise, why would the headquarters pour resources into a place that's about to be abandoned? It's both a good and a bad thing." Ryan lifted his head, staring at the chandelier's light, feeling that this could also be an opportunity for him.

The old, sneaky commander must be feeling quite frustrated. He probably wasn't part of the Faith faction.

Ryan still hadn't determined which faction these two brothers belonged to, but now, it seemed that the risk of taking action had been greatly reduced. He could use this to his advantage.

"There are still clues about the Honkai Beast invasion. The individuals involved with Lieutenant Rose are either missing or dead. Even the messenger who ordered the fleet to explore the Collapse source committed suicide. Their hands are remarkably clean."

Himeko had stopped her investigation here, not even knowing who gave the orders. It was no wonder she had become desperate.

The fourth Herrscher had already become a thing of the past, and Fire Moth couldn't afford to devote all its energy to an investigation. The timing was too perfect.

"Senior Brother, what do you want me to do?" Hua suddenly straightened up, ready to take action at any moment.

Ryan almost smiled. Among all the people he knew, only Hua would follow him without hesitation, even if it meant going against the world.

"You don't have to do anything. I don't intend to betray Fire Moth. That would only benefit the Honkai, and I don't want to drag you down with me."

"But these two men's identities…"

"It's fine. I don't intend to directly deal with them. Even if I take action, who would dare to say it was me?" Ryan slowly stood up and stretched his shoulders. "I'll leave the dishes to you. I'm going to visit the neighbors."

Hua didn't understand what this meant. She nodded, but in the blink of an eye, Ryan had already disappeared, as if he had melted into the air. She blinked.

Senior Brother, he's getting stronger.

"Lieutenant, the target has disappeared from the living room."

In the apartment across the street, the agent near the high-powered telescope quickly reported.

Because Ryan could control electromagnetic forces, no matter how advanced the spy equipment was, it couldn't get close. They could only observe from afar.

"Did he return to his room?" A man with a broad-brimmed hat and a sharp face came to the window. Aside from his encounters with Himeko, Ryan hadn't shown any unusual behavior in recent days.

"I'm not sure, but he suddenly vanished."

"Vanished suddenly? Let me see." The man with the sharp face pushed aside his subordinate, leaning over the telescope. He could only see Hua, who was cleaning dishes.

He paused for a moment, not suspecting his subordinate of slacking off, and decisively ordered, "Report to the higher-ups. The target is acting strangely."

Their group's mission was surveillance, so they had to follow orders without adding personal thoughts.

After a while, no reply came. He turned to look, annoyed.

"You didn't hear…"

His voice abruptly stopped. The moonlight cast the shadow of snow on the floor, and in the dim room, a person was now standing there. He was wearing glasses, sitting sideways in a chair, and staring at the agent with a blank expression.

Several agents stood frozen, staring at him in shock.

The air froze, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing. The sharp-faced man couldn't understand how he had been exposed. How had the other arrived silently, like a person emerging from the air?

"Peeping into others' privacy is a very impolite act," Ryan broke the silence, his voice gentle, like a kind Master in class.

No one responded, not even a change in expression, because they realized their collars had been lifted, as if an invisible hand had undone the buttons and slowly pulled their ID cards from their pockets, handing them to the man.

Ryan casually flipped through the IDs, then looked up at the sharp-faced man. "Intelligence Department, Second Section, Lieutenant Whiteman. You really don't give up, huh? So, tell me, are you on vacation too?"

"Sorry, Dr. Ryan." Lieutenant Whiteman licked his lips, showing a troubled expression. "Surveillance, no, protecting every important figure is the duty and routine of the Intelligence Department, just like how Miss Elysia takes her breaks."

This explanation made sense. Ryan wasn't surprised to be monitored. In fact, monitoring him was a tedious job for the entire Intelligence Department. He wasn't as easy-going as Miss Elysia.

"Must be exhausting for you," Ryan said with a smile, nodding. He returned the IDs, and just as the agents relaxed, he suddenly changed the topic:

"But what task did the Bureau of Administrative Management give you? That's what interests me more."

His voice was quiet, but it carried a mental impact, causing the agents' faces to change. In that instant, they realized they had made a mistake.

Some stepped back, others reached for their guns. Whiteman even jumped out the window without hesitation. Even though they were on the tenth floor, the glass shattered easily, and the cold wind struck his face.

But then, an invisible hand pushed him back into the room.

Damn, what kind of ability is this?

His back crashed onto the ground, and he rolled several times. His peripheral vision caught a terrifying sight.

His subordinates were floating in midair, as if their throats were being squeezed. Their legs kicked and struggled.

Whiteman looked at the figure several meters away, gritted his teeth, and kicked his legs.

If he didn't kill him, he would die. He had to fight for his life!

Boom—

This rush unleashed a shockwave, shattering the floor and furniture, and sending him flying toward Ryan like an arrow, his military knife aimed at Ryan back.

Just a few meters away, in the moment before he could reach Ryan—

Ding.

A black "shield" blocked Ryan back, and its hardness was extreme. The alloy military knife snapped in half.

Whiteman widened his eyes.

What kind of ability is this? Didn't they say he used lightning?

Not a single spark of electricity was seen. He had inexplicably lost.

He tried to retreat but found his feet bound by something.

What the hell is this?

A black substance spread like bandages from his legs up, wrapping his body tightly, and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free. In his wide-eyed terror, he was fully enveloped, like a black mummy.

"This ability isn't bad—both offensive and defensive, with a terrifying effect," Ryan muttered, rubbing his chin.

This was the first time he used a Herrscher of Sentience's ability in actual combat. Looking at the "mummy" behind him, he smiled self-deprecatingly.

There were more and more fusion warriors now. This lieutenant must have fused with an advanced Honkai Beast, though it was the lowest-level super mutation factor. But its performance in battle was quite impressive.

Strong short-distance bursts had already exceeded human perception limits. With some equipment and a little brainpower, taking on a couple hundred lower-level Honkai Beasts would be no problem.

"It also made me work a little harder," Ryan observed as almost everyone in the room lay dead, their eyes wide open, their necks broken. He snapped his fingers.

The shadows faded, revealing Whiteman's head, which no longer struggled. He was staring blankly at the ceiling.

Ryan wasn't a Recognizer Herrscher, and this kind of professional was less affected by mental shock. So, he chose to scare him into losing his mind first, then took the opportunity to use mental shock.

Ding, ding, ding—

The phone rang, echoing through the silent room. When no one answered, the ringing continued, dying down after a few seconds.

Ryan ignored the eerie situation. The room was now enclosed with his authority, and no sound would leak. He simply crossed his legs.

"I'll ask, you'll answer. Reinforcements are on the way, so let's hurry."

"Yes."

"First question: The Intelligence Department sent you to monitor, why are you following the orders of the Neon Bureau of Administrative Management?"

"Because that's what he instructed."

As expected, Neon was in cahoots with certain people in headquarters. The mission of the Intelligence Department was just a cover. It was those two brothers who were more concerned with what he was about to do.

Cunning indeed. After all, it was an official task. Choosing to ignore it would be setting a trap for him. Killing the Intelligence Department agents would make him enemies with others, and they could hide behind and watch the fun. They were old foxes who knew how to play the rules.

Ryan snorted coldly. He wanted to separate certain people from Fire Moth. Those people would risk everything to merge with this huge organization. He wasn't a murderer. If these agents were only carrying out the Intelligence Department's orders, he'd just throw them into the snow to cool off.

He ended his thoughts and softly asked, "Second question: Who is he?"

Whiteman's face showed a strange expression as he thought hard, only to look confused.

"I... I don't know."