I am a former Flame Chasers

Kevin didn't understand why he was shot, even as he lay on the ground. A part of him was still a little afraid of Ryan. After all, he remembered the psychological counseling he'd received when he first joined the Fire Moth. He'd been beaten badly at that time.

But soon, the fear faded and was replaced with excitement. Kevin had challenged many of the top fusion warriors, and none had been able to defeat him so far. He'd pushed the super mutation factor of the emperor-level Honkai beast to its limits.

"Alright, do you want a group fight or a one-on-one?" he asked.

"Hey, you're brave," Ryan said, initially joking. But when he saw Kevin's serious expression, his gaze sharpened. He'd forgotten that Kevin was the famous Long Aotian, the hero known for "saving the world."

However, in this timeline, Kevin was weakened in two key ways. One, the super mutation surgery had reduced his drug dosage to minimize side effects. Two, he had been living a relatively comfortable life, without the tragic enhancements that typically strengthened him.

Still, Ryan considered that he and Elysia could stop two equally enhanced Herrschers. So, Kevin's weakened version might not be too bad.

Fighting both of them together seemed like overkill. If they couldn't win, it would be embarrassing. And Kevin had been living too comfortably recently. Maybe it was time to put him on edge.

"The Deep has been turned into a weapons testing ground. If you need it, I can arrange a session," Ryan suggested.

He was still thinking it over, but Mei had already agreed, surprising Ryan.

Had the couple argued?

No, Mei just saw that Kevin lacked a sense of urgency and was ready for Ryan to give him a little push.

As a trusted ally, Ryan supported this idea. Most people now had an optimistic view, thinking that eradicating the Collapse was only a matter of time. Five Herrschers had been conquered. Even though some traitors had infiltrated, humans still had the upper hand on paper. The Fire Moths were more united than ever and ready to fight for victory.

But only a few understood that this advantage could vanish at any moment—even a single Herrscher could make it disappear.

"Then go ahead and arrange it, the sooner the better," Ryan said. "And while you're at it, prepare some battle scenarios for Elysia and the others. I'm afraid they might get sick from inactivity."

Ryan nodded. Teammates may hold back in battles, but the Honkai wouldn't show any mercy.

"Okay, I'll set up a series of training matches. By the way, there's an interesting experiment I'm working on. There's not much difference between the top fusion warriors and the Herrschers. I'll participate too." Mei wasted no time and made the decision, before casually picking up a pickled cucumber and changing the subject.

Ryan didn't press her about the experiment and continued to listen.

"I've read Elysia's suggestion. It's good that she came up with something so useful. I plan to divide the Fire Moth army into two parts. One part will be stationed at the garrisons, managed by each branch and responsible for daily patrols. They should have enough strength to handle two Judgment-level Honkai beasts."

"The other part will be the mobile force, divided into thirteen teams. Each team will have a captain and a vice-captain, and at least one member must have integrated the 'Honkai Emperor' factor."

The Honkai Emperor level was the threshold, roughly equivalent to an A-level Valkyrie. At this level, you could engage in more advanced battles. Of course, factors like combat experience, skill sets, and psychological strength also mattered. For instance, Werner wasn't the best fighter.

After all, pre-civilization wasn't a fantasy world, and Ryan couldn't simply measure strength by a single level. For example, the Herrschers of the Thousand were weaker, yet they caused far more damage to civilization than the Herrscher of Flame.

"No wonder you've turned the Deep into a training ground. Teamwork is far more valuable than a couple of strong individuals. You need to implement this plan quickly. I have a bad feeling. Now that humans are united, it's likely the Honkai will make their move," Ryan said uneasily.

"I'll make the list tonight. Since each fusion warrior has different abilities and personalities, I'll try to make it as scientific as possible." Mei had no intention of shirking responsibility. Kevin, who was eating noodles, paused, knowing that tonight's date was likely ruined again.

"Stop being formal," Kevin said. "They're not loyal to me personally."

"It's impossible to call everyone for a meeting now. Carius must have his confidants hiding. I'll deploy the troops slowly and try not to affect the front lines. If we need to organize everyone, we'll wait for the right moment."

"I'm sure you can handle it," Ryan said, before standing up. He slapped a stack of bills onto the table and left without looking back. His speed and decisiveness were impressive. Even Ying was momentarily stunned before hurrying to follow.

Kevin stared at the bell ringing at the door and felt a tightness in his chest.

"Good one," Kevin muttered, "You're not pretending to slack off now, are you? And what's with that 'Brother, I'll give you enough time' expression? If it weren't for all these trivial matters, would I be talking to Mei all day?"

Although annoyed, he didn't intend to chase after Ryan. Instead, he turned to Mei.

"Don't be angry with him. Maybe he's just tired from the last battle and needs to relax."

"Why would I be angry with him?" Mei replied, neatly organizing her documents. "Everyone has their own role. Ryan isn't suited for specific tasks."

Ryan couldn't afford to be too tense. Mei hoped he would spend more time with Elysia and the others. Even Ryan should have realized it.

"Realized what?" Kevin asked, curious. He liked figuring things out by taking it easy.

"Too much power can distance people. There's a thin line between heroes and gods. What humans need are heroes, not gods who control everything," Mei said softly. Seeing Kevin's confused expression, she didn't elaborate further. Instead, she smiled faintly.

"We still have an hour before work time. How about we go for a walk in the park?"

Kevin, too lazy to overthink things, excitedly stood up.

"Let's hurry!"

Ryan should be grateful he left early, otherwise, he would've been fed with dog food again. But he wasn't doing too badly himself, walking ahead with his hands in his pockets, occasionally catching a glimpse of the girl walking half a step behind him.

Sakura was as quiet and serious as ever, alert with a knife in hand.

Ryan found it amusing and gently patted her hand.

"Relax. I asked you to be a secretary, not a bodyguard. Nobody in this underground town is going to attack me."

"But Dr. Mei said Carius's confidants are still hiding in the Fire Moth," Sakura replied. "By the way, I wanted to ask you something."

Sakura loosened her grip on the knife and hesitantly spoke. "I asked Elysia last night. She mentioned there are many types of secretaries—important ones, life secretaries, etc. Which one am I?"

Ryan thought for a moment before answering, "All of them. Just follow me."

"All of them?" Sakura cheeks flushed immediately, and she quickly dismissed the idea, muttering to herself, "Elysia has been filling my head with strange ideas."

Ryan didn't notice her reaction, as he was too focused on watching a group of elementary school children walking across the sidewalk with their teachers.

They were the families of the Fire Moth employees—another way Mei won people's hearts, getting them to work hard for their families while solving other tasks.

But Ryan didn't think about power struggles. Watching those innocent faces, he didn't feel much of a sense of accomplishment. He just watched quietly.

"Look, that sister is beautiful," one child said.

"Why does she have rabbit ears?" another asked.

"So pretty, I really want to touch them."

Sakura smiled and waved, her usual seriousness melting away. Despite being an executioner, she loved children.

Ryan didn't say anything, just smiled, and watched the children pass by.

"Miss your sister?"

"Yeah."

"Then go pick her up after you finish your work. Even if civilization is gone, this should be the last place of disaster."

Sakura didn't hesitate this time and nodded gently, "Okay."

The two continued on their way, crossed most of the town, bought snacks from the supermarket, and carried the bags back to the lakeside villa.

Along the way, Ryan didn't say much, only discussing the Fire Moth's future with Mei. The strategic talk was gone in a blink of an eye. Now, Ryan seemed like an ordinary office worker just finishing the day's work.

Passing the woods with purple and black leaves, the cottage was ahead. You could vaguely hear a girl's laughter.

"Griseo voice. It seems Ato family is here too." Ryan immediately recognized the sound and turned the corner to see people playing "eagle and chicken" in the yard.

Himeko blocked Griseo with her hands as Pardofelis fiercely "attacked," making the little girl laugh.

Blanca and Aponia were sitting under a parasol, sipping black tea, occasionally chatting and exuding a peaceful, "motherly" aura.

Nearby, Hua was working on carpentry, and Kosma was painting, occasionally wiping sweat from his face.

Ryan smiled more broadly and raised his foot.

"I know why Dr. Mei doesn't think you're lazy." Sakura suddenly spoke up. Her careful observation had led her to the conclusion.

"With these things, Ryan, you're more like a human being. These are the most precious emotions humans have. No matter how powerful the Herrschers are, they'll never have them. As long as you have these, you'll never become a monster."

Ryan's eyes widened slightly. He didn't respond but just held up his pocket, shaking out some potato chips. Pardofelis cheered and ran over quickly, making Griseo yell, "Cheating!"

His eyes finally focused on the second floor, on the pink girl. He didn't think about deep theories like "anchor points." Only one thought quietly slipped through his mind:

"The king is always lonely. The gods are always mysterious. Only humans need friends, and need—such a seemingly 'worthless' home."