Ryan ultimately agreed to Mobius's terms. He valued his reputation and disliked owing favors, and his body wasn't fully recovered; he needed rest.
After the third Honkai impact, the world would face a great upheaval. Doomsday cults and extraterrestrial religions would emerge, chaos would reign, and crime rates would skyrocket.
Ordinary people, upon discovering the truth, would experience panic and despair, unable to do anything but react instinctively.
The stylish would revel in the moment; the far-sighted would stockpile supplies; the clever would hoard ammunition – "While others buy food, I buy guns; my neighbor is my granary."
Humanity's wickedness would be fully exposed. Ryan wasn't interested in playing the hero; without addressing the root problem, good people would eventually turn bad, unless humanity itself was eradicated.
Thus, changing the trajectory of fate hinged on the research of Mobius and her team, such as the warrior fusion project. Thanks to their previous research, progress had accelerated significantly.
However, Ryan dared not linger in Mobius's operating room. The image of the woman in her capitalist-esque lamplit surgical attire made him grind his teeth. He had to get to a regular ward.
"Ha ha, I knew you couldn't escape my grasp." Mobius watched Ryan being wheeled away, a satisfied smile on her face as she sipped her coffee. Then, the operating room door opened.
A young woman with ash-grey hair was dozing in a chair. At the sound, she jolted awake, her joy evident.
Hmph, so this little girl is Hua.
Mobius' previously pleased expression turned sharp, a sinister curve playing on her lips. When Ryan turned to look, she shielded her face with her coffee cup.
Killing intent?!
Ryan quickly turned back, just catching sight of Mobius drinking coffee, appearing composed.
He didn't dwell on it, turning instead to Hua, who was approaching.
Her eyes were filled with worry, even a touch of heartache. She leaned down, her fingers lightly tracing the bandages, whispering:
"Senior Brother, are you still in pain?"
It sounded like a simple question, yet imbued with deep concern.
"For warriors like us, pain is commonplace." Ryan managed a weak smile, then his expression hardened. "Life is a constant battle. You don't think one hard fight could break me, do you?"
"Of course not. And you won, you saved Shanghai City. Because of your preparations, at least half the population survived." Hua shook her head quickly, her eyes filled with admiration, but they soon dimmed. "But you bore the brunt of the suffering."
Only half?
Ryan frowned, then relaxed. In the original timeline, tens of millions in Shanghai perished. This outcome was already good. Of course, they were destined to die eventually, but wasn't there a matter of "eventually"?
"When the sky falls, the tall must bear the brunt. This is the responsibility that comes with power." Ryan didn't embellish, a hint of amusement in his gaze as he looked at the young girl.
Hua was slightly dirty, with heavy dark circles under her eyes, evidence of trauma and exhaustion, yet she persevered, showing no signs of breaking.
He reached out, gently stroking her cheek as she flinched slightly. Her skin was smooth and soft, like touching an eggshell, but Ryan didn't overthink it, simply brushing away the dust.
"You've grown, making me both worried and proud."
"I'm sorry, I didn't listen to you…"
"There's nothing to apologize for. Understanding your beliefs and steadfastly pursuing your path—that is the true Ōgi of martial arts."
Ryan didn't know what Fu Hua was like in the original timeline. Perhaps because of him, this young girl had changed, yet something deep within her remained unchanged.
"Yes, I understand!" Hua's eyes widened slowly; she was truly satisfied.
Individual strength mattered little in this cataclysm. Without Ryan, Carole would have died, and she probably wouldn't have survived either. Even if she had, she'd be like others, hiding in the ruins, waiting for Fire Moth's rescue.
But this time, she was the rescuer. Her strength was small, but she had truly saved hundreds of lives.
"Good. Let's go outside for a bit."
"Okay."
Klein was efficient, and Hua smoothly pushed the wheelchair along the slightly uneven corridor to the deck.
The salty sea breeze washed over him. Ryan first saw the brilliant sunshine, then the calm, rolling waves, a few seagulls soaring effortlessly – a tranquil scene.
But as he looked around, he saw at least ten warships, continuously launching missiles that screamed towards the horizon. Helicopters landed on the treatment ship's aft deck, and medical teams in full protective gear rushed forward.
The smell of blood and screams reached him; injured soldiers, missing limbs, were carried away on stretchers.
The sea breeze was cold. Ryan looked towards the mainland, seeing plumes of smoke rising, and the desolate ruins along the riverbanks. Search and rescue teams, wearing helmets, combed through the debris, occasionally uncovering bodies, sometimes attacked by suddenly appearing zombies.
Rat-tat-tat.
Urgent gunfire erupted, then quickly ceased.
Hua pushed the wheelchair, silently observing Ryan. She noticed the sincerity in his expression, a familiarity. Wasn't it the same look he had when observing people at the street?
She remembered his reply: "I'm watching people."
She looked up, watching more missiles streak across the sky like shooting stars, finally understanding his words.
Some people carelessly glanced, only to disappear in a blink.
In just a few days, the world had changed. She couldn't piece together the ruins before her into a coherent image.
"Brutal, isn't it?" Ryan's sudden voice startled Hua back to reality.
"Yes, I don't know how Ms. Wen is doing, nor where my classmates have gone. Senior Brother, sometimes knowing the truth isn't necessarily a good thing." Hua gradually clenched her fists, releasing the emotions she'd kept bottled up.
"I know about this Honkai, but I can't change it, and I haven't saved that many people. It's so frustrating!"
Ryan remained silent. He knew more than she did, his pain a hundredfold greater. He knew the world was headed for its finality, and even if he forged a different future, he couldn't protect the vast majority of humanity.
There wasn't enough time. He wasn't powerful enough to instantly become a god and slap the Herrscher of the End to death.
"At least, you saved hundreds of people. You're true to your heart. That's what destiny is, not some grand ideal. Even a millimeter forward is progress."
Ryan murmured, not only advising Hua but also himself.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Handle what you can; as long as you keep moving forward, don't burden yourself with regret. If you can't figure it out, then play with the currents. Time will eventually reveal the answer."
Hua watched him, her troubled expression slowly fading. She listened attentively, finding his words true.
If you have the power to save the world, then save it decisively. If not, then exert all your strength and do your best.
"I understand. Having you here keeps me from losing my way."
"What if I had died?" Ryan instinctively asked, then felt a silence behind him, tilting his head in slight confusion.
He saw the girl staring intently at him, biting her lip, a rare fear flickering across her face—an expression he hadn't seen even when facing Moshang.
What if Senior Brother had died?
Hua's pupils constricted; her clenched fists creaked. She found herself unable to imagine that outcome, yet the statement felt terrifyingly real.
Because this man had nearly died.
"Uh, I was joking. Don't take it to heart."
Hua snapped out of it; her dazed expression was replaced by anger, her tone serious. "That's not funny, Senior Brother. You shouldn't say things like that."
Her seriousness made Ryan feel a little awkward. He didn't overthink it; Fu Hua seemed to have a death-bringer aura; those close to her generally didn't fare well. The burning memories of God Key 8th were both pain and liberation for her.
"Alright, I'll go to the end with you."
"You promise?"
Ryan internally wondered how he could promise such a thing. He wasn't a god; he could still die. But looking at her sharp gaze, he instinctively nodded.
"Let's go. I promise you, no Herrscher or anything else will take my life."
"That's acceptable."
Hua let out a relieved sigh, continuing to watch the missile launches alongside Ryan. But his joke felt like a thorn in her heart, impossible to ignore.
After this experience, she knew Ryan wasn't invincible and had witnessed the Herrscher's terror firsthand, solidifying her resolve.
"Senior Brother, I've made a decision."
"You want to join Fire Moth, right?" Ryan had guessed; Hua wasn't one to back down.
"Yes. I don't want to hold you back, and I'm not afraid of danger." Hua replied seriously, adding silently to herself:
If the world truly ends, at least I can die before you.
Ryan didn't know her thoughts, but the decision was made; dissuading her was impossible.
"Alright, go arrange things with your master first, then join Fire Moth. Tell me which unit you'd prefer, and I'll contact them."
"Captain Himiko likes me. Can I join her unit?"
Ryan had heard about Shanghai from her and knew Himiko; her personality and professionalism were impeccable.
"Go ahead. Join her unit for now; I'll figure out a transfer later."
"Thank you, Senior Brother. You always indulge me."
"You rarely act on impulse; it's okay to indulge you sometimes." Ryan chuckled, then gazed at the continuous "fireworks" across the water, falling silent.
I should probably join Fire Moth too.