I am a former Flame Chasers

For the next two days, Ryan went nowhere, staying in the martial arts hall, drinking and bragging, occasionally guiding Ling's boxing. He basically overturned the concept of a 'General Supreme Commander.'

The Fire Moth had seen dozens of General Supreme Commanders come and go. Not to mention a workaholic like Caleus, probably no one had it as easy as him. All matters were thrown to others, and with Mobius and the others busy with the refining plan, gritting their teeth through hardship, there wasn't a single call from morning to night. Even for urgent matters, he let Sakura handle them, leaving Ryan himself quite idle.

He moved his lounge chair into the courtyard, sipping tea and basking in the sun. When bored, he'd watch cartoons with Ling, enjoying continuous meals with wine and meat. Life was quite leisurely, but even in this laid-back lifestyle, his Wind Authority repeatedly probed the surroundings, his mind as clear as a mirror.

"From yesterday morning until now, a total of three entities with Honkai energy signatures have approached, but they were all passing MANTIS or Honkai sick individuals. There are issues, but still within the realm of coincidence."

"There are even more without Honkai energy; there's no way to identify them."

A luxury car driving into such a small town naturally attracts curiosity, especially with Ryan's interesting disguised identity. However, all probes remained on the periphery, with no one coming for a close-up look.

They are very good at controlling the timing. This is fine. Killing one probably won't do much. 'Understanding' also requires more material.

Ryan was very calm; there was really no need to rush. If it truly was the Herrscher of Domination, Eden would certainly be one of the targets. At least from the conversations over the past two days, there seemed to be no problem.

The Herrscher of Domination isn't a Herrscher that specializes in explosive killing methods, right? They definitely need time to plan, but Ryan still has a fatal hidden danger: He's not facing a single enemy. There are three Herrschers now, and their coordination would be terrifying, because such absolutely rational existences can be quite complementary, bringing to mind the battle off the coast of New York.

If there was only the Herrscher of Flamescion, even if her strength was super-doubled, she wouldn't be a match for Kevin and the others. But with the Herrscher of Death providing cover, it's different. It's like an ADC with a support, making it impossible for Kevin and Elysia to get a bite.

This is more than just a spy drama.

Ryan stroked his chin, somewhat unsure of the other party's status, because the past two days had been too calm, abnormally calm.

Before he could think further, Sakura had already emerged from the inner room with a pile of luggage. Inside, besides clothes, there were various photos. Fu walked out last, having sobered up and now somewhat coming to his senses.

"How do I feel like I've been tricked by you, you brat? I originally didn't plan to leave Jiangnan."

"There aren't many familiar faces left in the town; it's so boring to stay."

"Sooner or later, we all die. We Chinese people emphasize returning to our roots."

"It's fine. Bringing the ashes back will be the same. There's no need to care about formalism."

The old man couldn't help but glare, thinking that this rebellious disciple was speaking very inauspiciously.

"Let me make it clear, I'm not going there to seek refuge. If I get bored, I'll run back!"

He seemed to resent being treated as a coward, being protected. Ryan smiled and nodded; Fu didn't need to worry about this. As someone who distinguished between public and private matters, Fu definitely had value. In fact, Mei had already gathered many martial artists, because MANTIS were all martial arts prodigies, and with simulator-based combat training, they were making rapid progress.

Having dealt with the stubborn old man, Ryan then looked at Rin, who was pouting: "Alright, I'm not chasing you away. Going there with your sister, you'll have a safe home."

"I've heard that so many times! I always have to move after only staying a short while," the girl drooped her head, poking the ground with her shoe tip, looking very unhappy.

"This time I promise you won't have to move again. That place has schools, amusement parks, cinemas, and little sister Griseo and big sister Pardo. You'll definitely love it."

"Really?"

"I guarantee you'll love it, and they'll definitely love you."

"Well, well, I'll believe you just this once." Rin secretly looked at him, then glanced at her silent sister. "Actually, I'd rather see your work. Why can't I stay?"

She was troubled, and this was the trouble of most ordinary people. Not to mention Ryan, even ordinary members of the Fire Moth couldn't go home more than twice a year, traveling all over the world, and if they were a little careless, they might never come back.

Ryan was silent for a moment, wanting to drape a fairy tale over this cruel story. At this moment, his eye twitched, and he looked up. There was a trail falling from the sky, like a meteor in broad daylight. Before Ryan could speak, Sakura had already vanished, leaving only a few suitcases on the ground.

Zheng—

Before the daylight meteor, a silver-white crescent moon suddenly rose, followed by a thunderous explosion.

Boom!!!

A shockwave swept through, instantly clearing the roof of the house. All the glass in the entire small town shattered.

Beep beep beep...

Car alarms blared one after another, and distant screams of pedestrians could be heard. Ling and Fu stood stunned, blinking continuously. With no psychological preparation, the scene from TV suddenly appeared before their eyes. Their minds completely froze, and they rigidly turned their necks, seeing dense shrapnel solidified above their heads.

"This is our work," Ryan sighed, looking calmly at the two. "Facing challenges anytime, anywhere. A slight mistake and you die. Isn't it full of surprises?"

More than just surprises! Not to mention Ling, even the experienced Fu had just felt his heart stop. How would normal people expect to be sitting at home and have a missile come flying from the sky?

"I sort of understand why that girl didn't tell me about her work," Fu said with a wry smile. He wasn't stupid; he could tell this attack wasn't aimed at him.

"Master, do you still need to consider?"

"Consider my ass! Stay here and be a hindrance to you, right? If I'm stubborn again this time, do you believe that girl would dare to knock me out and carry me away?"

Ryan certainly believed it. The family information of every MANTIS was confidential, but for certain existences, it wasn't difficult to find out.

"It's good that you understand. Let's go quickly."

"But what about you?"

"Don't worry, this isn't even a minor interlude. At most, it's just a greeting."

Who uses missiles to greet people? Has this world become so fantastical?

Fu couldn't help but want to complain, and Sakura happened to land back on the ground. Because of her speed, it was as if she had teleported. Rin, seeing her unharmed, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ryan, this is..."

"Just a greeting. No need to investigate; anything launched will definitely disappear." Ryan knew this was a test, but the result was mediocre.

One cruise missile was far from enough. For a young master like Diaz, it's normal to have several MANTIS as bodyguards, right? Not all corporations are fools, especially when murders are clearly frequent; they wouldn't not strengthen their defenses. Furthermore, even if someone impersonated an identity, there were plenty of experts in the intelligence department; how could they confirm the identity?

"This incident itself can be utilized to probe the depths of that Blacksteel Group."

"Understood, but you're in great danger." Sakura wasn't foolish; did she even need to ask who the Herrscher was testing for? Ryan was strong, but he couldn't challenge three Herrschers and an unknown number of Pseudo-Herrschers and renegade MANTIS alone.

"Don't worry, I have this thing." Ryan tapped his head, revealing a cunning smile: "There are several 'me' acting all over the world right now. They won't be that easy to identify."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she had asked a foolish question. With his and Dr. Mei's intelligence, how could they leave any loopholes?

"Then I'll be back as soon as possible. Master Fu, Rin, let's go."

"Let's keep in touch. I feel this might be an opportunity." Ryan put his hands in his pockets, smiling broadly and looking relaxed. Then he pulled out one hand to wave.

He watched Rin walk away, looking back every three steps. The girl's azure eyes were filled with respect, even a hint of fanaticism. It was as if the events in an anime had come true. More importantly, Ryan hadn't lied to her; he truly was a great hero who saved the world.

Only after they had walked far away did the smile on Ryan's face suddenly disappear. He glanced at the blown-off roof, then at the burning old locust tree. His waving hand stopped, slowly clenching into a fist. Even though he was already accustomed to all kinds of surprises, this courtyard where he had lived for several years turned into this state in an instant, and the peaceful Jiangnan town was filled with screams and sirens.

He closed his eyes, breathing the scorching air. In an instant, his gray eyes deepened, and every bloodshot vein was filled with killing intent. "You've been stable for less than a month, and you're sending me a big gift again, aren't you?"

"Good, I'll satisfy you right now!"

Boom—

Near the coast of Shenzhou, a ten-thousand-ton destroyer was exploding. Fireballs burst, and debris was flung into the air. Several small boats quickly moved away, able only to watch their comrades being pulled into the deep sea by the vortex.

The soldiers on the small boats had dazed expressions, still not recovering from the sudden upheaval. Twenty minutes ago, a missile suddenly launched from the VLS at the bow of the ship. Before the bewildered operators could react, the entire warship exploded and sank. Not a single person from the bridge, including the captain, escaped.

Why did it launch? Where was the missile headed? How did the ship suddenly explode?

No one could answer these questions. They could only help the wounded from the explosion before rescue arrived.

Several people covered in blood and oil groaned in the corner of a small boat. Many were missing limbs, and the worst-off was completely charred, already unconscious from burns, but those guarding him were filled with respect. If the first mate hadn't risked his life to cut the engine circuit, everyone would have died. However, they didn't notice that this heroic first mate squinted his eyes open, and there was no pain in his gaze, only coldness.

"Target number three has completed the test and is listed on the suspect list. Number 178 is prepared for deep concealment; safety is not a concern."

"Who would doubt a hero who sacrificed himself to save others? I will use this opportunity to lead the sailors in a rebellion."

"Humans are still full of weakness."