Chapter 240: After the Yellow Bird, What Is That?

Ryan hung up the phone. Mei hadn't given a clear answer, but he knew that this calculating woman would make the right choice.

As the attacker, Honkai always had the initiative. Aside from taking risks and going tit-for-tat, Ryan had no better way. This was the helplessness of being a passive defender.

"If we wait any longer, the infiltration will only get deeper. Once a certain critical point is reached, the world's trajectory will shift back toward the Thirteen Heroes," Ryan thought.

"Besides, I haven't even gathered the Thirteen Heroes yet."

Ryan smiled and rested his head on his hand, glancing at the nun in front of him. Aponia had been silent, only offering a faint smile when their eyes met.

"Did you finish your call?" she asked.

"Have you made the follow-up preparations? By the way, how did you find me?" Ryan raised his glass in a distant salute and suddenly realized, "Pardo, you really didn't listen and ran away secretly."

Just as the words left his mouth, a little head popped out of the door. It was the frightened Pardofelis.

"Hey, I just thought the secret cat nest couldn't stay hidden, so I slipped out."

Most people would be found after a second search, but who were they dealing with? Their luck was unreal.

Ryan glanced at her, then pointed decisively, "You couldn't let go of those treasures, right? Have you hidden them all?"

"Humph, I dug a hole and buried them all," Pardo answered impulsively, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands. Seeing Ryan's eyes, she looked away, drawing circles on the ground and awkwardly whistling.

"Please don't blame Pardo. She found me, and without her, I couldn't have found you."

"How did she know I was here?"

"I was just walking around and saw this bar. I wanted to take a break, and then I happened to run into you."

Ah, this is unscientific.

Ryan's eyes became suspicious as he looked at the two of them. He sighed deeply.

This was truly a metaphysical duo. While everyone in Sundown Alley was digging through every inch of ground to find them, they were playing under the lamp.

"No need to explain. I can't learn your luck, but Pardo..." Ryan slapped the wanted poster on the table and murmured, "Your photo is the clearest. It's best to keep a low profile."

Pardofelis jumped in front of him, picked up the wanted poster, and looked at it happily. She quickly smoothed out the wrinkles and carefully tucked it into her bag.

"What are you doing?"

"This is our first photo. I didn't expect it to turn out so well. Of course, I have to keep it safe."

It sounded a little sad, so Ryan stopped blaming her and shifted his attention to Aponia, gesturing for her to sit.

Aponia took a seat on the round stool next to him, her gentle smile never fading. "Do you want to ask me what I think about the current situation?"

"Well, I had that thought."

"I can't see much, but I'm more curious about your thoughts. I feel like a bystander."

"Do you know I'm coming back to find you?"

"I didn't know."

"Do you know how important you are?"

"I have a little sense of it, but I haven't really thought about it."

Hiss.

Ryan stepped back tactically. This Aponia was so strange he couldn't quite figure her out. Her pure eyes revealed no malice.

"Do you want to know the plan for the future?"

"Don't even think about it. I can't see your fate, so I'm more curious about it." Aponia's smile was still present, but it subtly restrained Ryan's logical thinking.

Ryan paused for a moment, then quickly summarized the information he had. He glanced again at the plump nun.

Forget it. It's good to use her. Why overthink?

At least Aponia hadn't objected to stepping into the vortex, and she didn't seem to understand the internal struggle within the Fire Moth. Her gaze was fixed on the distant future.

She was a bit of a charlatan, but it was reassuring to know she was on his side. Without Aponia, the subsequent plan would be in vain.

Ryan comforted himself. In fact, he still had a backup plan—waiting for the Herrscher of Sentience—but who knew when that Herrscher would show up, or if it ever would?

There was too much uncertainty, so Aponia was more reliable.

"You two should stay together tonight and hide well."

"Master, how can I help you?" Pardo hesitated, still looking like she wanted to do something but was scared out of her mind.

"You staying with Aponia is the biggest help."

Sundown Alley would be very dangerous tonight, but Ryan decided to trust this mysticism duo. One was someone who could see the future, and the other had luck on her side, having never been taken by the Herrscher of Binding.

"Got it!" Pardo stood up straight and saluted awkwardly. The relieved expression on her face made Ryan almost want to rub the cowardly little cat's head.

No place in Sundown Alley was truly safe, so it all came down to luck. Ryan wasn't in a hurry to leave. He sipped his wine, while Aponia asked him little, sitting quietly beside him like a calm presence. If it weren't for the expectant look on her face, she could've been just another outsider.

The ceiling fan hummed above. Pardo poured wine for Ryan attentively, then took a sip herself, immediately making a face of disgust.

No one spoke. Unconsciously, the sporadic gunshots outside ceased, and everything fell into a silence that made people uneasy.

"The calm before the storm." Pardofelis suddenly remembered a line from a book and glanced nervously at Ryan.

Ryan sat on the round stool, seemingly deep in thought, gently stroking his wine glass. Occasionally, he took a sip, standing firm as if he were a towering mountain, unmoved even as the storm approached.

This attitude earned Pardo's admiration. Though she didn't fully understand the plan, she could feel the extreme danger looming, as though a wrong step could crush her into pieces. She was terrified out of her mind.

"As expected of the Master, he gives a sense of security. Miss Aponia is also so powerful, maintaining her calm. Pardo, Pardo, you have to stand up."

The girl mentally encouraged herself, trying to set aside her anxiety and focus on her "maid" role. But in that moment…

Boom!

It sounded like thunder, shaking the dust from the ceiling. Pardofelis, who had just looked calm, immediately recoiled, looking around in panic.

"Has it started? Well, this feeling… Kalpas, I didn't expect you to get him to cooperate," Aponia finally spoke, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"I don't have the ability to make Kalpas obey."

"Then how did he…?"

"I just left him alone outside and came back to Sundown Alley. You know Kalpas' character. He's never had much patience," Ryan shrugged, appearing helpless.

Aponia's smile froze, and after a long pause, she finally let out a bitter laugh. "It seems you're his natural enemy."

Ryan had accurately grasped Kalpas' character, achieving his goal without needing to deceive him. He had used Kalpas in such a short time—it was truly impressive.

"Don't worry, Kalpas is very important to me. I won't send him to die." Ryan raised his glass, saluting from a distance, then drank it all in one go and stood up with a slight scent of alcohol.

"Then I'll set off too. Do you have any other questions?"

Aponia pursed her lips, deep in thought. She didn't fully understand what was going on, but she felt like she was witnessing a melee between several factions. She didn't want to ask at first, preferring to wait and see the outcome.

But after her second contact with Ryan, her curiosity grew, and she pondered for a moment.

"Who do you represent?"

"Fire Moth."

"Hmm? I heard those people are from Fire Moth, and you're a Pseudo-Herrscher." Aponia's expression turned strange. She hadn't done nothing—she had already gotten answers from a gangster boss.

According to him, this was a Fire Moth military operation, and the target was a Pseudo-Herrscher. She and Kalpas had been affected, and she got answers from Pardo about what a Pseudo-Herrscher was.

"Whoever protects humanity is the Fire Moth, and I am not a Pseudo-Herrscher." Ryan raised the gun in one hand, and a shadow like black mud climbed up his body, completely enveloping him.

Aponia was momentarily confused. The information she had didn't give her the full picture, and she didn't know where to start with her many questions.

"You don't have to think too much. No matter how complicated the plan is, it's just one question in the end." At that moment, a strange voice—like the black monster's—sounded: "Let me ask: the mantis stalks the cicada, and the oriole is behind. So, what is behind the oriole?"

Aponia's eyes flickered, and she instinctively replied, uncertain: "You?"

Dong.

The wine glass hit the table with force, causing it to crack. The man in front of her disappeared as if he had merged into the air, and the only answer that came with the wind was:

"Yes!"