Ryan had been planning since the moment he set foot on Neon. After constant adjustments, patience, and supplementation, his final plan had finally come to fruition.
The battle of wits had run its course, and now, only force remained!
Ryan quickly adjusted his posture and leaped onto a rooftop, blending into the night. Several kilometers quickly passed as he moved closer to the center of the explosion.
Tap.
Ryan landed on top of a three-story building. In the West District, all that remained were ruins. Buildings knocked over by the shockwave were scattered everywhere. Some gangsters deployed on the outskirts were still in a daze.
Even the well-informed Pellegri stood frozen, staring at the scene in disbelief. The aftermath of the two people's battle had turned an entire block into rubble within half a minute, and the brothers who had been a little too close were completely obliterated.
"Monster, damn monster!" Pellegri thought, feeling a surge of panic. He suddenly realized how lucky he had been. If he hadn't obeyed the orders, the Black Blood Gang would have been wiped off the earth in half a night, leaving only charred remains.
How could such a monster be hiding in the sanatorium? Why hadn't he thought of collecting protection money from his family before?
Two questions popped into his head, sending a chill down his spine. There were more monsters in Sundown Alley than he had imagined!
"Guard this place well and don't let anyone through."
"Boss, if someone really tries to break in, should we kill them?"
"Do you have a pig brain? If someone wants to go in right now, can we stop them?!" Pellegri cursed, confusing his men.
Since they couldn't stop anyone, why were they still guarding the area? Were they just cheering on such a big show?
Before they could make sense of these conflicting orders, the machine gunner in the back turned his head, his expression blank. A long ash fell from his cigarette as he stared.
A black monster appeared on the road. About two meters tall, its dark skin reflected the firelight, and it carried a massive black gun almost three meters long.
The figure slowly advanced through the darkness, walking toward them with an unnerving calm.
The burning cigarette finally snapped the gunner out of his trance. In a panic, he pulled the bolt. He didn't even have time to spit out the burning cigarette butt before he pulled the trigger frantically.
Da da da da...
The roar of the 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun filled the air, attracting everyone's attention. The metal storm swept down the street, shattering streetlights, trash cans, and car wrecks. Then—
A black figure continued forward, moving through the bullet rain as if it were nothing. The bullets, strong enough to pierce concrete, bounced off its black skin, falling harmlessly to the ground.
Pellegri's mouth hung open, his cigar burning forgotten between his fingers. One thought dominated his mind:
Damn monster, here it comes!
Had they used cannon fodder at the perimeter to lure him in?
Ryan glanced at the gangsters, who lacked much fighting spirit. But as a 'pseudo-Herrscher', this bait—
He would swallow it!
Swoosh—
The air howled as dense gunfire suddenly stopped. A pickup truck was flung into the air, spinning like a windmill.
This was a sledgehammer sweeping across the street, obliterating human bodies into paste and turning the remaining vehicles into scrap.
People were torn apart, many not even getting a chance to fire a shot. The shockwave knocked them off their feet, making it a luxury just to raise their heads.
Escape. They had to escape.
Pellegri forced himself to look up and saw a dark shadow moving through the street. Every second, the shadow appeared several meters away, crashing into his men and throwing them into walls, blowing up cars.
No skill, no special ability—just pure brute strength. In the blink of an eye, over a hundred men had vanished, leaving only piles of burning car wreckage on the street.
Another blink, and Pellegri saw the huge black figure in front of him. The "black skin" on its face faded like water, revealing a familiar and handsome face, staring at him coldly.
"Miss Adam, no, sir, I have something to say." Pellegri tried his best to maintain his dignity as a big boss.
"How many people are there in front?"
Ryan let out a sigh of relief, patting the dust off his clothes. "Can I make a request?"
"If you don't want to say it, forget it."
Ryan raised his foot and began to walk away, leaving Pellegri in a daze. He wondered why the monster was so easy to talk to, then saw a line of blood form on Ryan's raised palm.
Not just his palm, but his entire body was covered in bloodstains. Pellegri instinctively looked up, his face pale.
A pile of broken meat fell to the ground, and Ryan, walking away, crushed the camera taken from Pellegri's chest.
There was no Herrscher Honkai energy reaction.
The breeze blew again through Sundown Alley, and Ryan furrowed his brow. Either the Herrscher was hiding too well, or they hadn't shown up yet.
The dinner had already started, but the guests were late. It was rude, really.
He scorned their lack of punctuality, though he understood it was likely a sign of caution.
Do they want to use two fusion warriors to test my true strength?
The answer was clear. Ryan's ability to "swallow" Honkai energy was well known among the Herrschers. Anyone with a normal IQ would be cautious, as pseudo-Herrscher abilities could only create shadows, and such temptation didn't need capital.
Anyway, the bait was another fusion warrior, and being consumed in one go had its advantages.
It's not a loss, but you missed a thousand disasters, and you're sure... Ryan quickened his pace, the long gun on his back scraping the ground and sending sparks flying.
Can they force me to really act?
Boom!
The wall to his right shattered completely, and a combat machine several meters high leaped out. Its silver-gray steel gleamed in the moonlight, looking imposing.
A T-200 prototype combat robot?
Ryan narrowed his eyes as the machine raised a thick black tube, and a red Honkai energy beam shot out.
The local gangs in Sundown Alley were nothing compared to this. The Fire Moth's most advanced machines could match the upper-tier Honkai beasts. The beam cut through everything in its path, instantly illuminating Ryan's face.
There was no electromagnetic shield this time. Ryan dropped to the ground and let the beam pass over his head. The intense Honkai energy made him feel uncomfortably warm, and his steps faltered.
Swish—
The spear swept along the ground, leaving a thin line behind before diving into the crack. Ryan gripped the spear with both hands, lifting it with all his might.
Overturn the ground!
He flipped the street, dozens of meters of asphalt, like a giant shield, blocking the rain of micro missiles.
Boom, boom, boom, boom...
Explosions erupted, but there was no rubble flying—everything was melted into fiery red balls.
Honkai energy warhead, quite the expensive weapon.
Ryan observed the series of fireballs before shaking his spear, cutting through the middle and sending it straight toward the second beam headed his way.
Hiss—
The two beams clashed, sending arcs of light tearing through the surrounding area. The second beam bent inward like a column of water hitting an iron plate, scattering violently.
Maximum power!
"It's overloaded! Call for backup!"
Boom!!
A red explosion bloomed in the middle of the street, and the resulting vortex melted half a block, setting off alarms in the cabin.
Thankfully, the fusion fighter pilot reacted quickly. A long tail of flame shot out from the machine's back, and the massive combat machine leaped into the air, defying gravity in an instant.
Breaking the sound barrier, the machine soared. But the holographic screens displayed a shocking sight that made the hearts of the two fusion fighters stop.
The dark figure stood in the moonlight, waiting for them to climb up. Without hesitation, a blue shield materialized in front of the combat machine, and the red beam shot through the night sky like a shotgun.
"Full firepower, scatter!"
"Honkai energy shield, full power output!"
Pure energy technology, coupled with fusion fighters as pilots, made this machine a worthy opponent to any Gundam. Ryan glanced at it, then spiraled downward with speed.
The beam missed, and Ryan rose, like Runtu stabbing a wild boar, slamming down with the black spear.
This wasn't special ability—just pure Honkai energy, up to 2000HW of energy.
Swish—
The tip of the spear pierced through the shield instantly. From the outside, it looked like a toothpick, but when it hit the armor, it was like a giant hammer, twisting and denting the entire breastplate.
Ryan held the spear and kicked off his bent legs in mid-air.
"I love it—dismantling a Gundam with bare hands!"
Bang!!
The pale aura exploded into the night sky, and both the people and machines disappeared. Only the ground remained, littered with bricks, tiles, and broken wood—like a giant steamroller rolling forward.
"What's that sound?"
Andevich, half-kneeling on the ground, turned his head and saw the storm sweeping through the ruins. The vortex-like air sucked up countless debris, human bodies, and even a Punishment Sword team deployed on the outside. The alarm in his detector made his cheeks twitch.
2000HW?!!
This mission was turning out more difficult than expected. Originally, the plan was to defeat the enemies one by one after a successful raid. They intended to delay the pseudo-Herrscher, and then deal with the accomplices in the sanatorium, but two mistakes had occurred.
First, this accomplice was unexpectedly powerful. He wasn't a Herrscher, but he had held out under the siege of two upper-level fusion warriors and a full Punishment Sword team for so long.
Second, the pseudo-Herrscher was much stronger than their intelligence had suggested. The baits and traps set up for him were annihilated before they could even take effect.
Dr. Ryan is connected to these monsters of unknown origin. What could he do with Kevin and the others?
Andevich hesitated for a moment, stood up, nearly furiously, and raised his dark golden gloves.
Ice-breaking Fist!!
Another pale blue tornado shot up, colliding with the one already sweeping through the area. The light emitted from the collision lit up the sky like daylight.
Andevich kept his posture, solemnly turning around.
In an instant, snowflakes like broken ice began to drift in the sky. On the site of the demolished sanatorium, the white-haired masked man knelt, his clothes torn, revealing a body full of scars.
Right next to him, a dark figure stood solemnly, made a gun gesture, and a calm, neutral voice spoke:
"Sorry I'm late."