"Yes, that's why I thought there was suddenly a lead. Alright, I understand what I need to do."
In the dim underground room, Sakura hung up the phone, closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then slowly opened them.
According to Ryan, the progress of this operation had already surpassed 70%. He and Dr. Mei could basically confirm that some members of the Fire Moth had made direct contact with the Herrscher.
Because the current trickery was completely hidden, 'Ryan' was on the peninsula, and there was no need to force an investigation. Doing so would only leave traces of exposure.
Sakura just needed to maintain her identity and "do her best" to uncover the truth.
"But the 'Black Dog' I couldn't find suddenly retaliated. I knew something was off," she thought.
The girl remained silent for a few seconds, believing her intuition was correct. Her intelligence had certainly improved, and the strange issue became clear after Ryan analysis.
Why shift from passive to active? The reason was simple: they knew Ryan had the ability to travel from the peninsula to Sundown Alley on the other side of the Earth in a short time. This raised a paradox:
How did they know?
"How can we defeat Honkai when we're surrounded by these pests?" Sakura slowly clenched her fist, her killing intent unmasked.
This was betrayal. It was a direct threat to Rin's life, so she didn't hesitate to accept the order.
She needed to counterattack like Ryan, without exposing her identity. She always felt that the man might be scheming something.
Was she not prepared to flip the script? Or was it something else...?
As a blade, she didn't think too much. She simply opened the door to the room, silently watching the poised middle-aged woman.
This was also a loophole. According to Ryan, she could silence the woman, but Sakura wasn't ready to go that far.
"Have you figured things out?"
"My people saw the 'Black Dog' at the Seaside Hotel."
"Is it certain?"
"This person used to work with him, so it should be reliable." The woman nodded, entering the room and pulling out a map to spread it on the table. "But the difficulty is high. The place is heavily guarded, and there are fused warriors from the Fire Moth. Are you really going to act?"
Sakura didn't speak, but kept staring at the map, mentally noting every detail. Ryan had already predicted this, but since she had to play his role, she had to learn it thoroughly.
No matter the identity, it was all about eliminating the matter. As for how to handle things afterward, it wasn't her concern.
Sakura even ignored the risks this might bring to her sister. The only thought in her mind was:
Since it's his request, I'll do my best.
"Burn all this stuff, then hide. Don't let the Fire Moth find you," Sakura glanced at the woman trembling slightly, leaving those words behind as she turned to leave.
The woman placed her hands on the table, her eyes filled with disbelief. She wasn't a fool. Although she didn't know what the two were up to, it was clear they were doing something secretive, and her presence was a loophole.
Why not kill me?
The woman bit her lip but didn't ask the question. She lowered her head and quietly said, "Thank you."
The soft footsteps paused for a moment, then resumed. Sakura, holding a black long knife, silently walked through the corridor, stepping onto the decayed stairs and lifting the wooden board.
This was a resistance base, well hidden. She said nothing as she crossed the narrow alley, soon arriving at the main street. She looked around quickly, then walked straight across the road to a small shop across the street.
Dingling.
She pushed open the door. At first glance, it seemed like a lottery shop, and together with the owner, about four or five people turned to look, a look of astonishment on their faces.
Sakura didn't speak. She glanced at the camera in the corner. Unlike Ryan, who could use electromagnetic force to destroy things in large swaths, she walked straight to the counter and, in Ryan voice, said:
"You've been following me for many days, right? If there's an order, just say it. Is someone from headquarters looking to see me?"
The middle-aged man at the counter twitched his eye, putting down the phone. So, it was true. However, he wouldn't admit it before the order was given.
He squeezed out a smile. "Sir, I don't understand what you're saying. Do you want to buy the new issue of the lottery?"
Just as Ryan had predicted, if she came quickly enough, they wouldn't admit their identity. So, she raised the knife sheath and slammed it down hard on the counter.
Bang—
The glass counter shattered instantly, firearms and ammunition spilling out. The atmosphere in the room became tense.
Sakura scanned the stunned people, gently gripping the knife's handle: "So, I have reason to suspect you're the Fire Moth, hiding weapons."
"Huh? How did we become the Fire Moth?"
The owner trembled, suddenly snapping back to reality, quickly opening his mouth: "Wait, we are..."
Puh.
The sharp blade stabbed into the chin, piercing through the top of the head. Red and white liquid splattered on the walls. The girl's indifferent gaze, paired with Ryan face, almost looked like an exact match.
She turned and glanced at the people reaching for their guns, her tone as cold as ice.
"No need for further words."
The blade flashed. As far as speed went, Sakura wasn't much slower than Ryan. In the blink of an eye, the lottery shop had turned into a slaughterhouse, and no one had even managed to fire a shot.
Blood dripped from the knife blade. Sakura glanced around; all the surveillance cameras had been destroyed, and the pedestrians on the street didn't notice a thing.
As the strong scent of blood filled the air, she pressed her face, distorting the light. Her figure remained the same, but she changed into a black stealth outfit, practically branding the word 'assassin' on her forehead.
She then took out her phone, speaking softly: "The first step is complete. They confirmed it's you making the move, but I can't guarantee the second step. If there's a high-ranking fused warrior, it may expose the disguise."
"Do your best. Being seen as a traitor is troublesome, but safety is the priority. This operation is very difficult."
She had to retrieve the Black Dog's head in the midst of heavy guards, force out the intelligence, but she couldn't expose her identity, just like what Neon had done before.
They know it was me, but they won't find any evidence.
But the Fire Moth weren't fools. Having suffered once, they must be prepared this time.
"It's alright." Sakura crossed the shop and slipped into the alley.
"If it were an easy job, you wouldn't need me."
"Sakura is reliable. She's definitely the most dependable teammate I have."
Ryan hung up the phone, unable to stop smiling. This girl was meticulous. Entrusting her with the troublesome tasks was undoubtedly the right choice. He felt nothing but confidence.
There's no problem. She'll definitely act the part well. Now that it's confirmed I'm still on the peninsula, how are you going to deal with it?
Ryan snorted lightly. From this disturbance, he had basically confirmed that some members of the Fire Moth were in contact with the Herrscher, and they must have provided intelligence.
"You can hide from me, but now there's bait right in front of you. I don't believe you can resist."
Adam is the bait. When Ryan disguised himself as Adam, he already had a follow-up plan in mind. Catching a few human traitors wasn't interesting. He wanted to lure out the Herrscher.
No more than three at most. You don't need to mobilize everyone to deal with a Psedo-Herrscher.
Ryan paced back and forth. To make the Herrscher feel safe enough to come out, he hadn't gathered any helpers. After all, he only had a few high-end combatants by his side.
Hua and Himeko had safely gone to headquarters for a report. They were currently treating Mei's low blood pressure. Hen was still at the South God Continent branch, working on time as usual. Kevin had gone to South America and was complaining about being stuck in the base a few days ago.
As for Elysia, she had slipped off the radar, but Ryan had tricked her into going to Neon under the name of the 'Autumn Festival,' and she was currently scratching her head.
The Fire Moth could not track Sakura, but since Rin had also left Lion City, logically, this assassin must have gone to protect her sister.
In other words, now there were only two separate targets. You wouldn't dare provoke 'Ryan' out of caution, but 'Adam' shouldn't be a problem, right?
A sinister smile appeared on his face as Ryan turned and saw Pardofelis running back hurriedly.
She jumped onto the roof in a few steps, clutching her knee, panting heavily.
"Master, something's wrong, something's wrong."
"What happened? You look like you're in a rush."
"We were at the port, getting supplies. It seems like we've... no, we've got something incredible." Pardofelis gasped for several seconds before grabbing Ryan hand and running off.
"Come quickly, the instructions inside have a lot of words I don't understand."
Ryan was filled with questions, but since Pardofelis didn't lie, he followed her to the port district.
There were many warehouses here, mostly heavily guarded, but there were also a number that had been abandoned or damaged in black-market dealings. Pardofelis jumped into one from a hole in the roof, and Ryan quickly followed. Inside, several large boxes were laid out in a dimly lit warehouse.
At first glance, these wooden boxes seemed harmless, but upon closer inspection, the Fire Moth's logo immediately made him furrow his brows.
"Where did you steal this from?"
"From a ship. I saw it shining and thought it was something rare. When I took it back and looked, I found the Fire Moth logo on it."
Shining?
Ryan knew Pardofelis liked to collect things and had a hunch. He quickly walked up to the box and opened it.
Inside, neatly arranged were about ten cylindrical containers, each in a vacuum-sealed state, with a spherical glowing object at their centers. At first glance, it looked like a precious gem.
"It's an energy core."
"What's an energy core? It looks so pretty. Can I turn it into a necklace?" Pardofelis' eyes sparkled.
Clear and translucent, radiating a soft glow—it was indeed more beautiful than diamonds.
Ryan turned his head, speechless, and stared at her: "This is high-tech, a power source for machines. It replaces gasoline, natural gas, and batteries."
"So, can it be made into a necklace?"
"No, this thing is essentially solidified high-concentration Honkai energy. Wearing it is like committing suicide."
Hearing the words 'Honkai energy,' Pardofelis's small body trembled, and she silently jumped several meters away.
Ryan couldn't be bothered with a lecture. He looked back at the container inside the box and let out a long sigh.
The actor has finally arrived.