Chapter 239: Wipe Out the Fire Moths!

The morning light broke through, casting warm rays that illuminated a scene so chilling, it sent shivers down your spine.

The entire western district of Sundown Alley had been utterly transformed. It was worse than the aftermath of an earthquake or fire. This area was now the purest form of "nothingness," with not a single complete building left standing.

Circular deep pits filled with leached groundwater, like lakes, dotted the landscape, while collapsed buildings lay in ruins, cleaner than after a fire. Looking at the yellowed roads, the once-paved cement had been overturned, and car parts were scattered everywhere.

Complete destruction. It was cleaner than the greediest scavenger could ever hope for.

Sundown Alley was far from calm. Even the most vicious desperadoes were trembling, desperately searching for a way out, but it was hopeless.

The sea route had been completely blocked by the Fire Moth fleet—entry was allowed, but no one could leave. Even if anyone dared take the land route, they'd be caught by roaming combat robots.

These killing machines, controlled by basic AI, weren't as smart as humans, but they were ruthless in carrying out their orders—capture anyone trying to escape, and kill all resistance. The sound of machine guns had been relentless since the morning.

No one dared try to escape now. They huddled in their homes, anxiously waiting as gang members came to search their houses. Streets and alleys were plastered with wanted posters. When bounty hunters saw the numbers listed on the posters, greed quickly replaced fear.

"I have 30 million euros, Kalpas has 30 million, and Pardofelis has 20 million. Is this Aponia? Why is there no photo?" Ryan stood in front of a billboard in the East District Square, reading four wanted posters with black text on a yellow background. He recognized the video screenshot used for Aponia's, her white hair and red eyes giving her a soft look. Fortunately, her gender was clearly marked as male, which made Ryan nod with satisfaction.

Kalpas had a portrait, clearly painted by someone skilled—it looked 90% or even 80% like him, capturing his irritable and unapproachable look. Pardofelis' photo was her ID picture, taken who knows when, but Aponia's? Her head was just a question mark with only her position as the director of the sanatorium listed.

Ryan thought for a moment, then took down Pardofelis' photo, overhearing the onlookers laughing.

"Brother, you've got a good eye. You picked the easiest one right off the bat."

Ryan turned his head to see a group of bounty hunters wearing cowboy hats, armed belts, and dirty clothes. With an optical simulator, they were now in the guise of vicious bald men.

This was actually a real identity—he recognized them as the gangsters he had killed on his way to Sundown Alley.

"What do you guys have to say?" Ryan casually handed over a few euros.

The leader of the bounty hunters took the money and nodded in satisfaction. "Don't even think about going after the 30 million ones. I've got some inside info. I'll share it with you for a low price since you look like a smart guy. The West District was destroyed by these two monsters. Think about it—such a large area was wiped out. How could ordinary people like us fight back?"

"It's a tragedy to earn a living and not even get a chance to spend it. So why can't we touch Aponia?"

"This woman is weird. She's obviously the owner of the sanatorium, but the gangs can't find any of the patients there, even if they dig deep."

"More than weird. You don't know, but several patients with Honkai disease were taken for interrogation. No matter how much they were tortured, they all claimed they'd never been to the sanatorium. Seems like it's not just a lie."

"Yes, there are hundreds of people supposed to be in the sanatorium, but now none of them can be found."

It was strange indeed, but it was too easy for Aponia. She just needed to tell those patients to forget their time in the sanatorium, and even if they recognized her face-to-face, they wouldn't remember her.

Ryan knew how powerful the nun was. Even sending in spiritual fusion warriors wouldn't help. This wasn't just a hint at all.

"I heard they're gathering people for evacuation. Are you going to take refuge?" Ryan asked again, earning a burst of laughter.

"How can the Fire Moth be so kind? Besides, even if you want to leave Sundown Alley, you need a lot of money just to enjoy yourself. If there was a way, who would want to be a pariah in the protected area, with their hands tied?"

"Yeah, yeah, what about providing clues for residency rights? I don't care."

"I'm used to freedom. I can't stand being bullied. Hey, where are the people?"

Ryan had already quietly walked into an alley next to the square. The question he asked was his only kindness, but the bounty hunters were right. The Fire Moth didn't care about the life or death of Sundown Alley.

This place was just the first human experiment site, and the results weren't bad. It was likely the success rate of fusion warrior surgeries was higher than elsewhere.

"But it has nothing to do with me."

Ryan turned to the side and saw a fierce-looking man with tattoos on his face run past him. Ryan glanced at him, then subtly lowered his head. As the man slowed down, Ryan sent him a mental hint, and the group continued their way.

The search was thorough, but it was pointless. Even I don't know where Aponia went. If Pardo had been obedient, they wouldn't be able to find her.

Ryan wasn't sure if Pardo had been obedient, but he knew that now wasn't the time to look for her.

So, should he just wait?

Ryan kicked the door lock next to him and walked into the dark bar. The owner had chosen to shelter here, and there was no one inside.

He walked up to the bar, poured himself a glass of whiskey, grabbed a few ice cubes from the fridge, and tossed them in before taking a sip.

"The Herrscher will arrive tonight at the latest, and the information we've gathered from the Fire Moth is already detailed enough."

The whiskey was slightly cool as it touched his lips, and his fingertips absentmindedly tapped the rhythm. He was playing a blind chess game, just like they were. All his thoughts were still just guesses.

But Ryan had one advantage—he understood the nature of the Herrscher better than anyone.

"They can be careful and cowardly, but they have no concept of life, including their own. They are just expendable tools for the mission."

If there's an opportunity, the Herrscher won't hesitate because of fear of death. Their mission is clear: Killing me is equivalent to destroying civilization. When their own strength is insufficient, they'll cleverly borrow human power, and this is the perfect opportunity.

Whether it's uncovering the reason behind the pseudo-Herrscher's rebellion or beating Adam half to death and handing him over to the Fire Moth, Ryan had already planned the next steps. There was no need for irrefutable evidence.

As long as Adam is captured, the confession would be taken as truth. Once I become the target of public criticism, the Fire Moth can unite to kill me, and without me, this civilization will have no hope.

Ryan swirled the wine in his glass, and from the perspective of the Herrscher, everything had been laid out clearly.

"But before that, I'll have to use my mouth cannon." He hesitated for a moment, put the glass down, and stopped tapping his fingers. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

After a short busy tone, no one answered, so he switched to a relaxed tone. "Mei, I've decided to take the final step. This time, you'll have to bet on your own will." There was a long silence before a sigh came from the other end.

"Ryan, I hate gambling."

"Our struggle is a gamble. Facing the means of the Honkai, there's no chance of winning if we follow the rules. Do you know why I want to expand the operation and start gambling?" Ryan's tone was still flat, as if discussing something unrelated to him.

He grabbed the half-empty cigarette box on the table, lit it, and took a slow drag, watching the white smoke rise. He asked, then answered his own question: "When I killed the Takeuchi brothers, according to the testimony, their numbers were growing. Do you know what that proves?"

"They hold an unparalleled temptation in their hands, making the big players switch sides one by one." Mei answered coldly. She saw it clearly.

"That's right. They're not like us. They're not pursuing the same things, so I choose to fold this detective game."

"Fold? Then what?"

"Use the most brutal means to completely transform the Fire Moth. No more waiting. The sooner, the better."

It sounded cool, full of murderous intent, but Mei remained calm. As a rational person, she didn't care about Ryan's emotions.

"Logically, this is impossible, or the loss is too great, and now is not the best time."

"Of course, the power hasn't gathered yet, which is why they feel so comfortable. But I'm sure."

"How sure are you?"

"At least 80%."

Mei felt like she was listening to a joke. It seemed impossible. After all the time and energy spent, she couldn't even confirm the identity of the "Faith Faction" members, let alone cut them off from the Fire Moth.

If she acted forcefully, it would challenge the entire organization. The civil war would exhaust all hope, and she might not survive.

A smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth. She wanted to mock Ryan's arrogance, but when the words came to her lips, she couldn't bring herself to say them.

Ryan was the hero she chose, the last hope of humanity. Even if civilization were destroyed, the most important plan would be handed over to him to execute.

"How about it, do you dare to bet with me? Bet with your life and your property?"

Ryan's voice sounded again, like a death warrant. Mei bit her lip, leaving a clear mark.

"What do you want me to do, blow up the Fire Moth from the inside?"

"I've said it before, I want to minimize the losses. Do you, like Mobius, think I'm a reckless fool?" Ryan frowned in dissatisfaction, no longer beating around the bush.

"I want you to gather most of the congressmen. They can hide their identities, but they must be present at the scene."

"Then what? Kill them all and replace them with your own people?"

"That can't be done, but as a physicist, I've always been reasonable. But it's not me who's reasonable."

"Who will come then?" Mei was even more confused. Could she be using the spiritual fusion warriors? But the parliament could still release control.

Ryan stroked his glass, then saw a woman in black nun clothes walk into the bar, looking at him with a gentle expression.

He tapped the table lightly, pointed at her, and smiled.

"She."