I am a former Flame Chasers

There's no turning back now.

Ryan walked quietly down the corridor, his eyes focused on the light at the end. This battle had countless advantages for him, but there was one major disadvantage: Ryan had personally severed all his escape routes.

Before, even though he had been a thorn in Honkai's side, at least he could think of ways to hide and survive for tens of thousands of years, reappearing later to settle the score. But now it was different. If he chose to hide, humanity would be finished, and if he pressed on, there would be no escape at the end.

"Unless I jump out of this world and cross dimensions, but the chances of that are slimmer than hoping an Aeon comes to help. So, I should get some sleep," Ryan thought.

He wiped his face gently and his expression shifted, becoming cold and resolute once more.

It was done. He would fight to the death—if it's the sky, he'd punch a hole through it.

Thankfully, he had the advantage now. With Su and Eden on his side, the Thirteen Heroes had gathered, and about ten upper-level fusion warriors of equal strength were also present. He ran the numbers in his mind and felt the situation was favorable. The Fire Moth still controlled 60% of Earth's land, with over 2 billion people, millions of soldiers, thousands of fusion warriors, and ongoing research projects. This was ten thousand times better than when Elysia had organized the Thirteen Heroes.

Likewise, Honkai had undergone significant changes, with greater organization and many traitors, but the Herrscher of the End could no longer descend at will—they had to follow objective laws.

"Even if the Herrscher of the End does descend, the trump cards in my hand are better than the last few Heroes' desperate charges," Ryan thought, feeling a little lighter.

After a quick assessment, Ryan realized the pressure had lessened. He had already stacked the odds in his favor. What else could he do? When the enemy came, the general would fight them off, and when the flood came, the earth would cover it. He wasn't worried.

Ryan waved his hand nonchalantly as he walked out of the corridor, his eyes filled with a mix of wonder and anticipation.

Ahead of him was a platform, situated in the center of a rectangular building. The roof had a large hole, which Ryan had caused during his earlier rush into the parliament building a few days ago.

Outside the railings, a breathtaking view awaited him. The vast underground space stretched endlessly. In front of him, a massive lake formed by the confluence of underground rivers lay serenely. Several destroyers were moored on the lake, with dense forests lining the shores. These plants, genetically altered by Mobius, were all purple-black in hue.

Beyond the woods were more buildings—residential complexes, factories, and commercial areas. They weren't very tall, and half of them were buried underground. If you ignored the thick rock layer above, this place could easily be mistaken for a city above ground.

The city was supported by hundreds of giant columns that connected the top of the rock. These weren't just structural supports, but also elevators for quick evacuations. Each elevator could carry hundreds of people, allowing for the transport of up to 100,000 individuals in a matter of minutes.

Solar-refraction panels bathed the city in a golden glow, and the large, circular columns shimmered with fast-moving electronic lights like stars at dusk. Octopus-like robots scurried about, constructing houses—steel-frame homes that were quickly assembled with brackets and walls. In no time, a five-story building stood completed.

Ryan couldn't help but marvel at the sight. The technology was truly spectacular, and it boosted his confidence.

This underground city didn't exist in the original world line. Everything here was like a dream come true—just at the moment when Ryan's heart had almost given up hope.

"Ah, you've just woken up and rushed over here to enjoy the view♪"

A playful voice came from above. Ryan looked up and saw a pink flower falling from the sky. The flower had fully bloomed, and the cascading pink hair and gorgeous dress looked like petals in the wind.

Elysia landed gracefully, turning around and curtsying as she lifted her skirt.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. General," she said, her voice light and teasing.

Ryan's eyes instinctively moved, and seeing her mischievous smile and overly formal bow, he couldn't help but look away slightly.

"Don't talk behind my back, Elysia, and you look happy?"

"Of course I am! I feel so relieved all of a sudden. There are many things I couldn't do before, but now it seems all possible," she replied confidently.

"Without the Fire Moth Council, you still have Mei. She won't let you get away with things."

Elysia immediately pouted and put her hands on her hips. "Hehe, no one can stop Super Ellie smooth-talking skills!"

"Alright, Mei can't do anything with you. She just throws the problems to me."

Before Ryan could say more, Elysia had dashed up to him, grabbed his hand, and started blinking her eyes sweetly.

"Then, will my dearest Mr. Ryan stop me?"

Ryan couldn't help but be rendered speechless. Elysia was truly irresistible, and after a moment, he sighed in defeat.

"Alright, then come with me. I need to discuss something with you."

Before he could even fully process what had happened, Elysia had already dragged him upward, and he realized that even if he wanted to act like an important figure, with Elysia around, she would break his defenses in an instant.

With her personality, how could she ever be influenced by status?

The two flew out of the building, soaring over the city area still under construction. The golden sunlight reflected off the surface, adding a touch of romance to the air.

"Wait a minute. How did you know I woke up?" Ryan asked, surprised.

"Hey, Ryan and I are in tune with each other. I've been waiting for you," Elysia said with a gleam in her eye.

Ryan was taken aback by her enthusiasm. Just then, a voice came from behind them.

"Ellie, didn't you ask me to send you a message when I met Ryan? Where's the tune?"

"Oh, Sakura, don't worry about these small details." Elysia stuck her tongue out, not embarrassed at all.

As they flew over the lake, soldiers on the warships stared up at them in confusion. It was clear they recognized Elysia, and the man she was holding seemed to be the General.

The officers exchanged looks. The Fire Moth was a hierarchical organization, and they were used to the intimidation of the higher-ups. Now, they could feel something was changing.

But having a commander who wasn't so serious and could lead from the front seemed like a good thing, didn't it?

Ryan never paid attention to the opinions of others; he despised the formalities of management. All relationships, in his mind, boiled down to one core question:

What can you bring to me, and what can I bring to you?

As they approached the edge of the woods, they passed by several small two- or three-story houses. Unlike the steel-constructed buildings, these homes were made of wood and looked more like holiday villas.

"Are you living here?"

"Yes. Mei said Kalpas was too dangerous to live in the city, so she won't let us. I also got permission from the landlord for this place," Elysia replied as she gracefully landed on the lawn in front of the house, looking proud.

"Who's the landlord?"

"Eden. She donated a lot of money to the underground fortress expansion project. This house was a gift from the former general manager."

Of course, it was Eden—the little rich woman. That wasn't surprising.

Ryan knew that these materials and supplies didn't come out of thin air. The funding came from various sources, but he didn't expect that the Fire Moth would be so resourceful, even getting into real estate in the midst of the apocalypse.

But it made sense. Just by drawing lots, they had raised a significant amount of funds. After all, he was an old capitalist.

"Come in quickly. This will be our home from now on. There are plenty of empty rooms, so I plan on letting everyone move in," Elysia said, walking in like the hostess with light steps, clearly excited.

Ryan and Sakura exchanged a glance. They both felt a little helpless, but when they thought about it, it was nice to have someone taking care of them.

"Let's go. It's rare to have a place to relax," Ryan said, not one to live like an ascetic. When Changkong City had been struck by lightning, he'd been staying in a five-star hotel.

"With Ellie around, I always forget a lot of the troubles, even the era we're living in," Sakura sighed, accustomed to talking herself out of her worries.

"It's always right to live a happier life. And this time, she's doing what she loves."

Ryan didn't argue. He stepped onto the lawn, which had clearly been landscaped by human hands. He saw Elysia open the door and make a "hush" gesture, signaling them to enter quietly.

The house was simply decorated, and there was a sound of hammering coming from inside. As they turned the corner, Ryan saw a group of people busy in the living room.

Hua was in the corner, tying her ponytail neatly while hammering away at a bench. Not far from her, Aponia sat in a chair, focused on weaving a wall decoration. On the sofa, Kosma and Destobia were awkwardly wiping the floor. Pardofelis, on the windowsill, curled up lazily with a pillow in her arms, looking out of place.

"Sister Hua, Sister Nia, it's so much work to do this ourselves. We see all this old furniture lying around. Why don't we just move some of it back?"

"It would be convenient, but Elysia is right. This villa will be our home. We need to be careful."

"When will it be done?"

"Instead of standing around, why don't you come help?"

"Hehe, I can't do it, but I can help Kosma wipe the floor."

Kosma immediately hugged the rag nervously. "Don't come near me, or you'll knock the bucket over, and I'll have to clean up for a while."

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious, and even the lazy cat, Pardofelis, was slacking off whenever she had the chance.

Ryan quietly observed the scene with a smile on his face. It was clear that in just a few days, these people with such different personalities had become familiar with each other.

He glanced at Elysia and saw the happiness radiating from her face. This was undoubtedly the life Eliie had always dreamed of, and it truly felt like a dream come true.

"No wonder you didn't pester me for a gift. You've already gotten one," Ryan thought with a slight smile.

He was about to teach Pardofelis a lesson when he heard a "creak" as the door opened quickly. Turning his head, Ryan raised an eyebrow.

A masked figure stood at the door, carrying a dusty sofa on his shoulder—clearly retrieved from the ruins. He froze when he saw Ryan.

"What are you doing here?"

"Kalpas, I thought you were secretly training for a duel, but I didn't expect you to be so active."

Hearing Ryan's teasing tone, Kalpas almost hurled the sofa into his face, but instead gently placed it down, just poking his head in.

"Hmph, none of your business. I'm just exercising!"

Ryan glanced at the slightly disheveled living room but didn't provoke Kalpas. He simply spread his hands in a welcoming gesture.

"Welcome home, Kalpas."