I am a former Flame Chasers

These MANTIS were like gods to ordinary soldiers, but not enough to deal with a high-ranking MANTIS.

Since they weren't enough, why come to die? Of course, it was to test. It's the same old saying: appearance can be simulated, but strength and skills are hard to replicate.

Unfortunately, Ryan likes to get things done ahead of time. Every step went through extensive deliberation, and he specifically requested the dual pistols 'Starlight.'

This Soul Steel weapon doesn't have a 'blood-binding' requirement, and choosing Coleman wasn't just for his educational background and personality, but also for his combat skills.

It's just injecting Honkai energy into dual pistols, then biubiubiu. It's much easier to impersonate than 'Fist of Frozen Ice' and others.

The dual pistols fired with the effect of a machine gun. Ryan, using this Soul Steel weapon, was even stronger than Coleman himself in terms of power. He could even detonate electromagnetic bullets in mid-air. The continuous energy even formed a thin blade dozens of meters long, effortlessly cutting through human bodies.

He swept back and forth, instantly killing several people, but Ryan brows quickly furrowed.

"This is..."

The black armor of the first few individuals tore, and their flesh split open. Their entire upper bodies split in half, and they grew insect-like carapaces, with light beams blasting against them, producing large sparks.

"Overload Transmutation!"

Ryan immediately recognized this as the Overload Transmutation, which MANTIS spoke of with dread. In common terms, it was the greater power gained from 'abandoning humanity.'

So easy?

Because Overload Transmutation causes one to lose sanity and become something else, human survival instincts prevent this overload. What Mobius is researching is actually crossing this line and then finding a way back, but the MANTIS in front of him clearly had no intention of returning.

Honkai energy surged, and their speed, defense, and attack power increased linearly. This caught Ryan off guard. He saw those heads decompose again, gathering crimson energy balls.

Whoosh—

Over a dozen light beams came flying at them. Their power was quite immense, melting everything in their path, almost as if they were trying to clash head-on with Ryan.

"Hold tight."

Ryan embraced Eden slender waist and vanished from the spot.

Boom!

Dust scattered. A large hole was blasted in one side of the stadium's outer wall. The remaining monster-warriors paused for a moment, then blasted again at the 'Ryan' that appeared behind them, but the light beams passed through, disintegrating it in mid-air.

A mirror image?

Again, a momentary freeze. Those insect heads all simultaneously looked towards the large hole blasted earlier. The golden-haired youth holding the girl was escaping outwards, his body constantly flickering.

Each step covered dozens of meters, looking very much like spatial teleportation. Ryan tilted his head and saw those monsters rushing towards them in a frenzy.

No intelligence, only instinct. Besides their own kind, they don't seem to distinguish between friend and foe?

Ryan roughly figured out some things, and was subtly getting anxious. Of course, these cheating monsters still couldn't threaten him, but it wasn't easy to play Coleman well.

Tone of voice, appearance, and so on are easy to solve; it's the abilities that are troublesome. Coleman two best skills, teleportation and mirror images, Ryan could only simulate with his authority.

Anyway, the refraction of light from the Wind Authority could also create a mirror effect, and sprinting as fast as lightning also looked similar to teleportation.

He rushed out of the stadium in one go. Fortunately, the survivors were quick-witted. As soon as the alarm sounded, most of the crowded people outside dispersed, crouching in corners, trembling as they watched the 'movie scene.'

Ryan ran ahead with Eden in his arms, with some monsters chasing behind, occasionally blasting crimson light beams or throwing cars in their way like stones. Because of their speed, the alarmed soldiers didn't even have time to stop them.

"Where are we escaping to?" Eden was not flustered at all, appearing very calm.

If the top combat forces of the Fire Moth were being chased all over the place by a few monsters, humanity would have perished eight hundred times over already.

Ryan didn't answer, just feeling a bit strange. He had expected an ambush, but after scanning, he found no hidden troops.

'Lure? No, this must be a test, to figure out if I'm the real Coleman. It seems these Overload Transmutation MANTIS are not a rare thing at all.'

His brain kept analyzing, then his pupils slightly contracted.

He saw a figure, about two meters tall, wearing a chest-wrap mini-dress and high heels, standing in the middle of the empty street. He had his arms crossed and his head bowed.

It was him.

Ryan recognized this high-ranking MANTIS at a glance, slightly gripping his dual pistols, but did nothing, only rushing past him with his head down, then looking back.

John finally moved. He lowered his crossed arms, and a powerful Honkai energy formed a coat on his body. He spread his legs and raised his veiny fists.

Bang—

Only a pale energy ring and a cracked ground remained. Then an insect-like head directly exploded. The bear-like warrior charged into the enemy ranks, his high heels slicing like knives, bisecting the second monster at the waist. The remaining force shattered all the glass in the nearby building.

At the same time, a crimson light beam, fired almost at point-blank range, was deflected by the pale golden outer layer.

"Energy coat, still as fierce as ever." Ryan had dealt with this MANTIS in New York and was deeply impressed at the time.

In terms of martial arts, John was among the best in the entire Fire Moth. His straight punches and knee strikes were all as heavy as a thousand pounds.

But he didn't go back to cover. He just continued forward, still scanning his surroundings. A strange expression flashed across his face, but Ryan remained silent, running until he reached the river that cut through the city before stopping, releasing his hands, and placing Eden beside him.

"Safe?" The girl looked around warily.

"You've always been safe. You wouldn't think this kind of scum could kill me, would you?"

"Hehe, although I don't know what those things are, if they could really trouble you, humanity should have perished long ago."

This flattery was indeed very satisfying. Ryan lips secretly curled into a smile, admitting it was the absolute truth.

However, it was still quite troublesome.

Ryan discovered another secret, or rather, it wasn't a discovery. He and Mei had already done relevant calculations.

Among the defectors were Damian and an entire research team, and this team was independent of Mobius, specifically responsible for 'Dark Cocoon' development, with unique insights into fusion surgery.

This isn't to say they were stronger than Mobius. If you discard humanity, unrestrained research is naturally very efficient.

'There are quite a few people in the fallen areas, and with the Herrscher assistance, rapid progress is normal. And the most troubling problem for Mobius is simply not an issue for them.'

The Fire Moth would never let its warriors sacrifice themselves in vain, damaging morale. But those people completely didn't care; they were disposable consumables anyway, no need to consider their lifespan, just make them as strong as possible.

"Are you thinking about those monsters?" Eden noticed the solemnity on Ryan face.

"Yes, this is a new type, and much easier to use than those massive Honkai Beasts. It might even evolve into other things."

"A hidden danger?"

"Dealing with Honkai is full of surprises everywhere; I've long been accustomed to it." Ryan licked his lips, then looked at Eden solemnly: "You'll get used to it too, slowly."

It truly was full of surprises. One second it was calm, checking if the speakers had any problems, the next second a battle erupted, and a group of monsters charged in, starting a massacre.

The river wind brushed by. Eden hugged her smooth shoulders, fear flashing across her face, but then she resolutely looked up: "But I'm not afraid. Since it's unavoidable, I must face it directly. And I have an idea."

"You still want to restart the concert?"

"Yes, everyone is very afraid. Especially at a time like this, I need to stand up." Eden face was resolute, and her tone was full of apology: "I'm sorry for being a bit headstrong, but my singing was prepared for this moment, even if no one dares to come listen."

She looked directly at Ryan, honestly not holding much hope. This was indeed a bit headstrong, and it felt like she wasn't taking her own life seriously.

If she had been a second slower just now, she would have died.

"Do what you want. It can proceed as planned."

"I'll be careful... huh??" Eden blinked in shock, completely not expecting Ryan to agree without even stating conditions.

"I said proceed as planned. Tell your assistant to notify that it's going as planned. When I was escaping just now, I specifically avoided the main stage. A big hole in the venue isn't a problem." Ryan said casually, his hands in his pockets:

"As for the audience, don't worry. They think the situation has been resolved."

"That's true, but why..." Eden still didn't quite understand. Logically, they should be escaping back to the Fire Moth headquarters right now.

"You're an insider; you understand this isn't just an assassination. Behind it is a vast conspiracy woven by a Herrscher. But the Herrscher doesn't know that we know, and I'm also very headstrong; I just want to play with them."

Ryan words were convoluted, yet not difficult to understand, because the Herrscher of Domination had never been exposed, and It didn't know that Ryan could predict Its existence without even seeing Its face.

There was never any Coleman protecting Eden, incidentally investigating rogue warriors. There was only a cunning and patient fisherman.

"This is a rational answer."

"And the emotional one?"

"You can call me the Dream Agent." Ryan spread his hands. He was very good at helping people achieve their ideals.

Kevin wanted to embrace his loved one, Elysia wanted a happy life, Mobius wanted to evolve, Mei wanted to save humanity, Sakura wanted to find a place for her sister, Aponia wanted to defy fate...

Even for Pardofelis, who wanted to be a lazy bum, Ryan fulfilled all their dreams one by one.

This sounded like a joke, yet it was full of seriousness. Eden stared fixedly at the other party, her original resolve growing even firmer.

She wanted to use her singing to convey courage, and Ryan was providing her with this platform. The fact that he specifically bypassed the main stage showed that this wasn't an impromptu decision.

Anyone can say pretty words, but truly putting oneself in another's shoes seems extraordinarily difficult.

How to guarantee the safety of the audience? Will you also be threatened?

All sorts of questions swirled in her mind. Eden lips moved, and finally, she bent her body, pressed her hand to her collar, pulled open her long dress, and performed a curtsy to this confident man.

"Thank you."