Vil-V was passionately describing the brilliance of her research in a melodramatic tone, gradually transitioning to the topic of the Second Divine Keys. Meanwhile, Ryan mind wandered, as he had already figured out most of the Divine Keys's functions.
He didn't intervene much—after all, every Divine Keys had its role in the timeline. If he interfered too much and turned something useful into a useless object, that would be pointless.
So Ryan focused on the stage while thinking about a far more pressing issue:
The reaction of Honkai.
This was not something that could be eased. Like pressing a spring, his influence on the world would inevitably face feedback. After his experiences in Europe, he had a rough idea.
The strength of a Herrscher wasn't something that could just be increased at will; such feedback would appear in more subtle ways. As for what form it would take, that was still unknown, but it would definitely strike at the core.
Phew, at least there's still time.
Ryan sighed in relief. If he had maxed out his strength and triggered the end, that would have been the real problem. With absolute power, strategies and research would be meaningless.
Taking advantage of Vil-V lengthy speech, Ryan mentally reviewed everything again. Since the third Herrscher, Corruption had undergone several major changes.
First, Herrschers had gained intelligence, learning to plan and endure. Take the Battle of Britain as an example—had those two Herrschers jumped out foolishly, they would have been torn to pieces.
Second, with this, a more organized form began to emerge. They started using Honkai Beast and assassins effectively and gained some control over "wild monsters," amassing a massive army.
Third, they began using the world's inherent powers. Just like the pseudo-Herrscher, there was no need for large-scale Corruption to occur because ready-made vessels existed. This made it even simpler than creating Judgment-level Honkai Beast.
"And it's very deceptive, with the potential to become a real Herrscher. It can condense the core and become a true Herrscher, even 'Sky Net' can't detect it."
"The vessels aren't rare either. As long as one has high Corruption adaptability and an antisocial personality, what the Faith faction can do, a Herrscher has no reason not to do. If mass-produced..."
Ryan froze for a moment, feeling a chill run down his spine, then suddenly, he felt a nudge.
"What are you mumbling about? Not interested in the Divine Keys?" Mobius turned her head in confusion, noticing that Ryan wasn't paying attention to the meeting at all.
"I'll just check the information later. I just feel that things are looking bad."
Looking bad?
Mobius was stunned. The world wasn't perfect, but at least humanity had developed the ability to defend itself. Fusion warriors were still being produced, and the powerful Divine Keys had already taken shape.
Now, only the Ice Herrscher remained. If it dared show itself, it would be completely destroyed.
"I didn't expect you to be such a pessimist, failure-prone strategist." She rested her head on her hand, a slight smirk appearing on her face, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
I swear...
Ryan quietly clenched his fist, reminding himself to be magnanimous and not get angry with a lunatic.
"The strategic situation hasn't changed. No matter what we do, we are still passive defenders. Honkai has all the time, methods, and energy to deal with us. It can fail a hundred times and adjust a hundred times, while we can't afford to fail even once."
Just moments ago, Mobius had been full of sarcasm, but now she grew serious, recognizing the truth in Ryan concerns.
Humanity had been fighting Corruption for thousands of years. The emergence of Herrschers had only escalated the war into a more intense phase, but no one knew how long this war would last.
How many Herrschers were there? What would their future strength be?
No one had the answers, but Mobius knew what was most terrifying.
Humanity still knew nothing about Corruption. Forget about taking the initiative—frankly speaking, Corruption could spend another thousand years eroding humanity.
"Tch, hearing you say it like that, it really is hopeless."
"Not quite. Honkai is not incomprehensible. It has its limits."
"And you will surpass those limits." Mobius smiled, but this time, there was no trace of mockery or sarcasm.
As the person who understood Ryan best, she knew that this man represented infinite evolution, a victory in the battle of the infinite against the finite.
She recalled that a year ago, Ryan had to fight hard just to defeat a high-ranking Honkai Beast. Now, he could make Herrschers hide.
"No wonder I chose you. No wonder Mei and Elysia value you so much."
"Aren't you jealous?"
Mobius stretched and rested her head in her hand. "I can't do such things. I'll settle for watching you go to infinity. It's quite interesting."
She gave up?
Ryan was somewhat surprised but didn't know if Mobius's words were true or false. So, he decided to refocus on the information.
In fact, Vil-V had already moved on to discussing the Third Divine Keys, but with all her rambling, it was easier just to read the data.
Cosmic Juggernaut, created by the Core of the Herrscher of Void. Its ability is to control space, but according to Mei's advice, its combat capability was placed secondary.
This thing looked like a locomotive and could directly traverse space barriers, observing mysterious and boundless virtual spaces or other locations. It was like the ultimate collider.
Ryan remembered that when he was at Qianyu Academy, it took a great deal of effort just to open a small hole and glimpse into the virtual space. This thing, if used to its fullest, might even allow him to directly pass through.
"Seems like you're quite pleased?" Mobius hadn't been looking at the data or Vil-V performance but had been paying attention to Ryan. "During its creation, the higher-ups suggested using it as a weapon. The binding and cutting abilities of the Herrscher of Void are very useful. Mei insisted on making it a giant telescope."
"She's not wrong. The Divine Keys needs to have diverse functionality. Exploring the nature of the virtual space is helpful for planning the future. This is a strategic-level matter. Also, this thing will be useful to me."
"Useful? For what?" Mobius instinctively sat up straighter, only to see Ryan turn to her, a smile on his face that made her seethe with anger.
"I'm not telling you."
Damn it.
Mobius clenched her teeth in frustration. She had quickly sensed that this wasn't just "useful." It was something that touched on Ryan core secret. But after thinking for a moment, she couldn't help but feel a bit smug.
In fact, using the Second Divine Keys for observation had been her idea. She had pretended to be indifferent to lure Ryan into revealing more, and now she had her answer.
Heh, I've figured it out. Your background really is suspicious.
A single sentence could lead to many conclusions. But Ryan was no longer as cautious as before. As Mobius had guessed, Ryan wanted to use Cosmic Juggernaut to observe parallel worlds and see what "he" in that world could come up with.
Some of me might be very cautious. Maybe I'll even become delusional. That should be very valuable for reference.
But that was just a hypothesis. The Divine Keys wasn't finished yet and would need more time.
By this time, Vil-V had finished discussing the Third Divine Keys, Seven Thunders of Retribution. This Key was easy to understand; it focused all its functionality on combat, transforming into seven different forms.
Its abilities are quite similar to my authority. It's destructive, but not as flexible as mine.
Ryan lifted his chin. If he hadn't understood the Third Herrscher's authority, then the Seven Thunders of Retribution would have to be taken. It would greatly improve his combat capabilities. But now that he had his authority, this Key was just icing on the cake.
Speaking of which, my Chixiao also blew up. I need to get a new weapon.
An idea struck him, and he quickly saw an artificial satellite appear on the big screen, rolling his eyes.
Alright, I'll exclude the Fourth Divine Keys from consideration.
"Remember the globally famous 'Second Divine Keys'? If you've forgotten, just recall it now, so you won't be too shocked by what you're about to see." Vil-V voice was high-pitched and full of pride.
"What's with the nonsense? You just mentioned it an hour and a half ago. Hurry up," Mei tapped the table, a bit curious. She had participated in guiding the first three Divine Keys, but the Fourth one was entirely Vil-V free rein. She was curious to see what this genius would come up with.
"Don't rush. This is the vessel I designed for the Fourth Divine Keys. It will eternally operate in this form."
"Then what? Is it going to attack from outside the atmosphere? Like the Staff of God?"
"No, no, no. I don't intend to add another sky weapon to Earth. At this stage, its only purpose is to orbit the Earth and make periodic movements. And then, I plan to design the following..."
More endless talking. Even though Ryan already knew what this Divine Keys could do, Vil-V genius ideas still stunned him into silence.
If the first three Divine Keys were products within the Fire Moth framework, the Fourth one was entirely Vil-V style—her wild imagination and dramatic twists.
Ryan couldn't help but straighten up, secretly glancing at Mei, who was calm but with a slightly darkened expression. She waved for a staff member to approach.
"Immediately cut Dr. Vil-V research funding by 80%. Also, put all extra costs from the conference on her account."
"Uh, Dr. Vil-V personality... she might throw a tantrum."
"No problem. The special funds will be approved directly by me. Any more strange ideas, I'll reject them on the spot. If she really wants them, she doesn't need to come to me. Someone has already made promises to her."
Mei sat up straight, turning her head to look toward the Fifth Research Institute. At that exact moment, she locked eyes with Ryan and gave him a friendly smile.
Ryan instinctively averted his gaze, his heart racing uncontrollably.
Wait a minute, why is she smiling at me? This heartless woman definitely has some scheme!
"Hahaha, that idiot Vil-V. She actually made a precious Herrscher core into this thing. Mei will definitely cut her research funds." Mobius first burst out laughing, then suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. She had many crazy plans that had been rejected.
But I have Ryan. I've already gotten several million in funding from him. Many secret projects can start now, and I'll need to squeeze out more—sustainable exploitation!
She proudly turned her head, but then saw her moving wallet staring blankly, her expression frozen.
Bang.
Ryan slammed the table, remembering the pit he had dug for himself.