I am a former Flame Chasers

Hoo, hoo, hoo.

His breathing sounded like thunder, and the blood had evaporated. The test site that Mei had boasted about was now completely destroyed beyond recognition.

His muscles bulged and tightened, and then, with a hard squeeze, the Thunder Sword in his palm disintegrated, leaving only the fading arc of electricity in the air.

Ryan glanced at Kevin, who had been beaten senseless, and slowly grinned.

He suddenly realized that the protagonist's halo really existed. For instance, Kevin constantly exceeded his limits and was as difficult to defeat as an insect that wouldn't die. This wasn't very scientific, and it could only be attributed to sheer willpower.

When facing someone like this, if you deal with them calmly, you'll eventually break their defenses. But if you engage in some pretentious nonsense, you might just find yourself in trouble.

Thankfully, Ryan had been on guard. He had expected Kevin to suddenly unleash his full potential, just like when he was at Qianyu Academy—an ordinary person using a baseball bat to take down a Honkai Beast. Who can reason with that? It doesn't make sense at all.

"But the protagonist's halo still has limits, unless you throw out the laws of physics." Ryan exhaled, accepting that Kevin's combat power was second only to his own in the Fire Moth. Even though Kevin had only fused with an emperor-level Honkai Beast and his paper stats were slightly weaker than Elysia's, in a real fight, Kevin would probably win.

"Even with a weakened version of the surgery, it's no surprise that the original version killed the Seventh Herrscher right after the procedure. Could it be that there's some kind of 'determination bonus' involved?" Ryan didn't quite understand this kind of "tactics." After all, he had taken a different path—one where he prepared thoroughly, planned every detail, and gathered all the conditions for victory before the fight. He never believed in any sudden outbreaks or belief bonuses.

Is this the way of the BOSS? Ryan realized that he and Kevin were completely opposite. Kevin had to charge in headfirst, with nothing but sheer willpower, while Ryan meticulously planned every step. At least with his method, he wouldn't end up losing unexpectedly.

Ryan saw a group of emergency workers in protective clothing rushing in. They quickly lifted Kevin onto a stretcher, cutting open his tattered combat uniform and connecting various instruments.

"Don't worry, he won't die,He's as strong as a cockroach," Ryan glanced at Mobius, who had followed him in. No one dared to approach him except for her.

Though everyone knew Ryan wouldn't kill his own people, the instinctive fear around him made people keep their distance.

"You beat Kevin up so badly. Aren't you afraid the woman will hate you?" Mobius asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Mei won't be so petty, right?"

"That's hard to say." Mobius glanced at Ryan's bulging muscles. Her eyes initially avoided looking, but then she smiled strangely. "I didn't expect you to be so strong."

Ryan looked down at himself. He was indeed very strong. He wouldn't have any trouble participating in a bodybuilding competition. But Mobius' tone made him a little annoyed.

"Female hooligan, take off your clothes for me."

Mobius didn't waste words. She tossed her white coat over him. As the muscles were covered, she felt a little regretful.

Faster, higher, stronger—this was the evolution of humanity, and it fit her aesthetic. That kind of destructive power, that kind of oppression...

The straight black stockings she wore subtly shifted.

"Anything else?" Ryan glanced at her.

"Ahem, you will become the nightmare of fusion warriors in the future. Unless the Chimera Project or the Overweight Project Soldier succeeds, no one will be able to defeat you."

"Wait until your two plans succeed, I'll record it then. As far as speed goes, who can surpass me?"

Ryan used to hide his strength, but now he displayed it openly. After all, no one would dare to investigate the source of his power.

"Don't be too arrogant. It would be embarrassing if you lose to someone."

"That's impossible. Among humans, I must be the strongest, and I will be the strongest."

This wasn't just confidence anymore. It was almost the truth. While Mobius was stunned, Ryan walked into the control room wearing his white coat.

"Your Excellency, the General Manager."

"Your Excellency."

From soldiers to researchers, everyone kept saluting, their eyes now filled with awe.

Not everyone had seen Ryan's violent charge that day, and honestly, his ascension to power wasn't exactly glorious. There were still rumors that the Fire Chasing Council might turn against him.

But Mei acted quickly, suppressing the interest groups before they could retaliate. And thanks to tradition, no matter how much they tried, the councilors couldn't argue that they had given up their personal interests for the future of mankind.

There were always people who didn't believe it, and always those whose interests had been hurt. But that doubt would vanish when they faced Ryan directly.

Most people crave security. Power and wealth come after survival. Ryan's core value was to provide that sense of security.

'It's useless to talk about awe. When those fusion warriors are battered one by one and infected with psychological trauma, the Fire Moth will be entirely in his hands.'

Ryan nodded coldly in response. At this point, he no longer had to pretend, because no one dared to look him in the eye.

"I regret letting Kevin go. I should have brought Kalpas," Mei folded her arms and leaned against the wall, gritting her teeth.

"Kalpas won't come after seeing the battle video. For him, fighting is about enjoyment and victory, not suffering." Ryan shook his head gently. He expected that the meeting with Kalpas would have to be postponed again.

That man would become the god of simulator war. At least he would tear through the illusory self. Fusion operations alone wouldn't be enough. It would also inspire Kalpas, which would be a great benefit.

"Kevin is very strong. He should be second only to me among all humans," Ryan said thoughtfully, still giving credit where it was due.

"So that's why you're so serious?"

"More than serious. I've tried my best."

The two exchanged a look. After a few seconds, Mei sighed. If they hadn't known each other for so long, she would have really thought they had some unresolved grudge.

"Do you have anything to add to the 'Tempering Plan'?" She walked over to the console and quickly tapped on the keyboard, pulling up the entire plan.

You could see that the plan was divided into several steps, with entertainment elements added for enthusiasm. If some subplots were added, it could easily look like a fantasy online game.

But Mei didn't plan to turn it into a game. She feared that participants would become too engrossed in the play and start confusing fantasy with reality.

Ryan skimmed it quickly and got a general idea. This system creates a task chain with investigation, tracking, raids, and encounters, and allows dozens of participants to enter a constructed digital world for a ten-day simulation.

It was very sci-fi, but thinking about the Golden Court, this memory-erasing setting felt crude and direct, almost like a pre-tech tree.

"Increase the randomness. Randomly insert powerful enemies, including me, into the missions—just like a surprise that suddenly appears."

This was more of a shock than a surprise.

Mei glanced at him. If Ryan suddenly appeared, even with two top-tier fusion warriors leading the team, they would be blown to pieces.

"Bad taste?"

"No, fighting is inherently random. Just like you never know when a Herrscher will jump out. Not to mention defeating it, at least you can train your escape skills." Ryan said confidently, with a grin that never left his mouth.

"There's some truth to that. It'll train people to respond to certain death situations. Okay, I'll add this, and I'll select two teams to try it out later."

She turned to look at Erwin and the others in the direct research department. They were packing up their tools when they caught her gaze, and their faces immediately turned pale.

"Let Kosma and Hua lead the teams. They've got higher growth potential and have been slacking off lately."

"Don't you feel sorry for the little junior sister?"

"You won't die in the simulator, but you'll die if you meet the Herrscher." Ryan answered seriously, then turned around. "I'll be leaving the headquarters today. The rest is up to you. When I come back, I hope the thirteen detachments will have a plan."

He was leaving, but Mei didn't stop him. She glanced at Mobius, who was pursing her lips, and said, "You can join too. Maybe you'll find inspiration for the super-transformation plan."

Since it's data, super-transformation won't really affect the body, though the psychological impact will be significant.

But this was about something else entirely. With Mobius' IQ, she certainly understood what Mei meant.

If you want to be with him in the future, combat effectiveness is paramount, because Ryan always makes a huge impact every time he goes out.

Mobius, who had once despised fighting, just nodded slightly. "Give me the highest difficulty. I don't need any teammates."

"You said it, don't blame me if you can't handle it."

"Hmph, even in the simulator, IQ is key. I won't be afraid of him, no matter the environment or time."

Ryan's mouth twitched slightly. He knew Mobius was about to suffer, but he didn't try to stop her.

To be honest, Mobius and Vil-V weren't strong in terms of fighting compared to the other thirteen heroes. They had solid foundations, but unfortunately, they had spent too much time in the lab and lacked the experience and ferocity.

But the lab always has an end. In the end, it's still about strength. He didn't say anything more and just walked away.

"Wait a minute, name this system. I rejected Vil-V's shabby name." Mei called after him.

This wasn't important, but it was interesting. Ryan thought about it for a moment.

"Let's call it... Dark Soul."

No one knew what "Dark Soul" meant, and Ryan left without further explanation. Mei and Mobius exchanged a long look before realizing the fusion warriors would soon face the darkest shadows that could touch their souls.

Everything was settled. Mei typed on the keyboard to confirm the name of the system, then asked without looking up.

"Are you sure you want to leave the lab? Don't you think it's a waste of time?"

"Experiments need to be done, but battles must also be fought. I hate being a burden." Mobius sat on the console, lazily taking off her high heels and gently shaking her feet.

Because of the "gift," Mei owed a favor, and agreed that in this doomsday scenario, you needed strong combat power—at least you wouldn't be a burden to others.

"Like Vil-V, let's do this. One of the thirteen teams will be assigned to you. It's good for both public and private reasons. At least it's in your hands, I feel more at ease."

"Why is she joining in the fun!?" Mobius suddenly snapped.

"Multiple personalities. Who knows what she's thinking? If I were you, I'd be more open."

"You don't need to worry about my affairs. Ryan is not like Kevin, the paramecium, who will only follow you around in circles."

"I think being single-minded is a good thing." Mei pushed her glasses up. Her cold eyes made Mobius swallow the sharp words she had been about to say, and then she continued typing on the keyboard. "You're not worried about Elysia. You say you hate her, but you don't want her to get into real trouble, so you want to help?"

Mobius' pupils shrank, and she blurted out, "How do you know?"

"Elysia has more than just you as a friend. I spoke with her a long time ago and found that she has some kind of cognitive disorder. And this passionate Elysia, with a cognitive disorder... what do you think the disorder is?"

Mobius didn't answer. It was clearly good for him, but he didn't dare to think too much about it.

The girl who gathers all the good things in mankind has a cognitive disorder... then what about the opposite?

"Don't think too much. Do what you need to do." Mei came over and patted her shoulder, her eyes both rational and serious.

"Because he will solve all problems."