Chapter 238: Kalpas? Isn't It Just the Same?

No one could catch up because no one was a fool. Even with a full set of annihilation equipment, ordinary fusion warriors would be killed in a single encounter.

So, they simply watched as the two figures fled into the distance and disappeared into the vast mountains to the west of Sundown Alley.

Dong——

A cold fist shattered a boulder. After the ice armor cracked, Andevich knelt on one knee, gasping for air. His skin was coated in ice, and each breath caused his internal organs to scream in pain. His eyes were bloodshot as he angrily raised his head.

"Why didn't you use your full strength?!"

"Because it's extremely dangerous for a fusion warrior to break through their limits," Duwakin replied coldly. After a moment, he shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, I can't take down those two monsters even with my full strength."

He sighed deeply. Not only was the pseudo-Herrscher a problem, but the masked man was far too powerful. Duwakin had poured everything into defense and was nearly beaten to death.

"You!" Andevich growled, furious.

"Forget it. Your brain's been frozen stiff. Have you ever thought about this: their strength is clearly above ours. Why are they running?"

Yes, why are they running?

Andevich's aching head started to clear. This was completely illogical—the winner hadn't been decided yet. If it was just a test, it seemed a bit extravagant.

"Why are they running?"

"How should I know? Anyway, it doesn't make sense," Duwakin muttered, glancing at the mountains. "We're here to investigate the truth. What is all this chaos?"

The giant said nothing. According to the original plan, they were supposed to use the masked man as bait, capture the pseudo-Herrscher alive, and extract relevant information. But the plan had gone terribly wrong.

The strength of the two targets was too much—they were far beyond being captured alive.

"Right. Even if we kill them, it's useless. From the current clues, the pseudo-Herrscher, the Neon incident, and the Peninsula incident are all tied to Dr. Ryan."

"I'm sure he's the mastermind behind all of this!"

"This is all speculation. There's no evidence, and we don't even know what Dr. Ryan wants."

The two of them were at an impasse. They still hadn't found the bodies of the two senators, and there was news from the Peninsula that the 'Black Dog' had been killed, with the attackers escaping from the siege. Despite the presence of upper fusion warriors blocking them, they hadn't been able to stop the escape.

The comparison of size and combat skills didn't add up. It was as if a powerful figure had appeared out of nowhere. From the intelligence that Andevich and Duwakin had, they speculated:

This must be related to Ryan, but how exactly, no one could say. Everything seemed coincidental. Even if Dr. Ryan confronted them, there would still be questions.

"How can I be on vacation in Neon and have anything to do with the disappearance of the two senators? Everyone knows my ability is lightning. Have you seen it? That's right, I'm investigating Black Dog, but that doesn't mean I want to kill him. There are so many people who use knives in this world. Why don't you investigate them instead?"

"The pseudo-Herrscher of Sundown Alley? What a joke. I've never seen him before. And what makes you think he's a pseudo-Herrscher?"

"Oh, so it was the one behind the Neon incident. Why are you looking for me?"

"This doctor is really clever. There are flaws all over him, but no way to prove it." Andevich clenched his fists, the crackling sound of his knuckles echoing as a mouthful of old blood caught in his throat, unable to be spit out or swallowed.

"Quite clever indeed. Ordinary people can use the Great Memory Recovery Technique, but he..."

Duwakin didn't finish the sentence. It was impossible to force Ryan into self-destruction, because no one could defeat him.

"Call for reinforcements. All the clues point to this pseudo-Herrscher."

"It won't be easy to get reinforcements. Dr. Ryan is not alone. The fusion warriors loyal to the parliament are occupied with tasks. We need to keep those people out of this." Duwakin's voice became even more serious, making Andevich realize Ryan was not alone.

That faction, though small, was made up of the best of humanity's elite, and just thinking about it made people shudder.

"Miss Elysia, Dr. Mei—they would never betray us." Andevich said with a glare.

"We have to be cautious. Our mission is to investigate the truth, and what happens next is up to the higher-ups."

"How can we investigate now? Those two have run off."

"Okay, haven't you seen the intelligence from 'Dusk'?" Duwakin took a document from his subordinates, held it between his fingertips, and shook it. The photos of Pardofelis and Aponia could be vaguely seen.

"It's not just those two who know the truth."

Outside Sundown Alley, the mountains rolled around the bay, surrounding the town at the center. These lush areas had long been abandoned. Aside from some old hunter cabins, even the local gangs didn't dare venture here.

Honkai beasts roamed everywhere, and anyone careless enough would become prey.

Boom——

A muffled sound came from the cave, followed by rocks tumbling from the cave's ceiling. Ryan, restored to his original form, leaned against the wall, glancing at the fist that had almost hit his face.

Kalpas nearly missed him and crashed into the stone wall. His eyes burned with murderous intent, his expression ferocious.

"Why did you run away when you could have clearly killed them?!"

He was agitated. If given another ten minutes, he would have torn the red-robed man to pieces.

"This isn't called running away, it's called strategic retreat," Ryan explained coldly. Then he changed the subject. "And why should I kill them? It would be meaningless."

It was hard to say what the red-robed man's position was, but the Ice Fist was definitely on the human side. He was just limited by intelligence and command induction. Why do something that would make loved ones hate him and enemies celebrate?

"The battle itself is the meaning!"

"No, the result of the battle is what matters, and that's why I saved you."

"That's not saving!"

"Alright, this is why I support you."

Ryan quickly adjusted his words, smiling inwardly. Kalpas' pride was too strong, but to be honest, though he was irritable, he wasn't mentally challenged. At least he could see the situation clearly.

If that punch had been aimed at my forehead, I would've had to work a bit harder.

Ryan exhaled, relieved that he'd made the right bet. While Kalpas was still thinking, Ryan spoke quickly, "I know who to kill and how to kill. Those two are just bait. The main course is still coming."

"Who is the main course?"

"The Herrscher."

Kalpas was taken aback, clearly confused about what the Herrscher was. Ryan realized that Kalpas had never encountered a Herrscher in this world.

"It's just a stronger monster that'll let you fight to your heart's content."

"Humph, is this why you saved me?" Kalpas raised his other fist, his displeasure evident. He hated feeling used.

"This has nothing to do with you. I can defeat the Herrscher alone. As for why I support you..." Ryan slowly pulled his fist away from his face and said, word by word, "I don't want to lose a good opponent. I'll fight you to my heart's content after this is all over."

His gray eyes were clear. Though not entirely trustworthy, it was very much to Kalpas' liking. He slowly lowered his raised left fist.

"That's it?"

"Otherwise, are you the type of person who'll cooperate easily after receiving a little favor?" Ryan patted the dust off his shoulder and gave the most straightforward answer.

He didn't need to explain the complicated plan or merge the identities of the warriors. Kalpas wasn't interested in that. He would fight if he was interested, and it was better to be honest.

Kalpas thought about it and found it made some sense. After all, Ryan wasn't asking for any rewards or conditions.

"You're very brave. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

"You're not the kind of unreasonable person, and even if a fight breaks out, I won't be the one who dies." Ryan replied lightly, walking away from Kalpas. "No one has used their full strength. If I don't care about the cost, you can't win."

His tone was firm. Kalpas' mouth twitched, releasing a strong fighting spirit, but he didn't take action.

Rage was just a front. As the purest warrior, everything had to serve "winning." But in this situation:

He had no confidence in winning, and he felt like things wouldn't go well. Once he started, there would always be annoying distractions, and to deal with the man in front of him, he had to be in top condition.

"After this is over, let's have a good fight!"

"Well, it's time to decide the winner." Ryan was also eager for the fight, but he sighed inwardly.

After all the scheming, Kalpas wouldn't resort to soft or hard tactics, so Ryan had to rely on his own methods to leave enough expectations.

He focused his energy on the present, knowing that when the time came, the outcome was clear. After all, they were two high-level fusion warriors, not just random street thugs. In fact, Ryan had used all his strength except for his authority.

If the Herrscher didn't take the bait, he could only admire their level of survival.

This wasn't over. It had only just begun. The two fusion warriors would settle for second best and find ways to investigate the truth. The Herrscher also wanted that truth.

"Kalpas, do you know where Aponia went?" Ryan glanced at the man warming himself by the fire.

"I don't know. She dismissed the people in the sanatorium last night."

"That means she stayed in Sundown Alley. Well, it's what I expected." Ryan thought for a moment. "Why was Aponia so sure that I'd get her out?"

Pardofelis could still claim to trust him, but Aponia... she was just a metaphysicist.

"You want to save her?"

"Yes. That's why I need to go back."

"Then you'll meet that Herrscher?"

"Probably. But they shouldn't have the courage to come to us directly. They're still thinking of using the fusion warriors as cannon fodder to gain an advantage."

"Humph, a bunch of cowards."

Kalpas muttered under his breath, clearly disgusted by such people. He lowered his head, thinking for a moment, before slowly standing up and stretching his neck.

"I'll go with you. I owe that woman Aponia a favor, so I'll pay it back this time. Plus, I want to see that Herrscher."

A true man doesn't hide his intentions, and the satisfaction of revenge was exactly what Ryan had been expecting. A slight smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

"I've been waiting for you to say that."