Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　It's important to understand that, compared to Sakura and Rin, who have already joined the necromancer faction, the Firemoth is the true outsider.

　Moros is a proper necromancer of the Necropolis faction. He follows his own beliefs and rules, rather than the moral code upheld by paladins of the Lawful Good faction.

　On such issues, he would naturally prioritize his own position and interests, rather than harming members of his own camp for the sake of a greater cause.

　That said, Moros had no intention of tolerating Kevin's angry words.

　He retorted without any hesitation.

　"In fact, neither Mebius nor I have ever requested any support from you, the Fire Moths. So..."

　As he stared into Kevin's eyes, a cold glint flashed in Moros's own eyes.

　"Kevin, you uninvited reinforcements had better figure out your place first, and stop acting like a savior here."

　Upon hearing this, Kevin's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

　He knew that in this world where the strong are respected, reason often speaks for itself through strength.

　Now that Moros has made his stance clear, there's no need for him to continue arguing.

　“Mr. Morros, perhaps my arrival is indeed somewhat abrupt.”

　Kevin's voice was deep and powerful, each word seemingly carrying immense force.

　"But the duty of the fire-chasing moth is to protect this world and prevent any crisis that may threaten the safety of human civilization."

　"so?"

　Moros responded in a nonchalant tone.

　His attitude clearly demonstrated his complete disregard for Rin's past actions of using Honkai energy fission bombs, which caused billions of human casualties.

　Seeing this, Kevin immediately realized that there was no point in staying here any longer.

　So he took a deep breath and said goodbye.

　Moros and Mebius, among others, did not make any attempt to persuade him to stay.

　The important message to the Fire-Chasing Moth has been successfully conveyed through Kevin.

　Therefore, they saw no need to retain this uninvited guest who had already completed his mission.

Chapter 678 Reaction

　As soon as he boarded the transport plane, before the cabin door was even fully closed, Kevin eagerly reconnected with Dr. May.

　"Mei, I'm so sorry, I failed to complete the task you gave me..."

　Kevin then gave Dr. May a detailed account of everything he had just experienced and what he had seen and heard.

　After the report was finished, he asked with great anticipation.

　"Mei, what should I do next?"

　However, to Kevin's surprise, after a brief silence, Dr. May only instructed him to return to the headquarters of the Firemoth with the transport plane. She did not show any intention to take any action against Rin, the Twelfth Herrscher of Corruption.

　After understanding Dr. May's meaning, Kevin couldn't help but feel confused and puzzled.

　He had originally thought that after learning about Ling's situation, Dr. Mei would quickly formulate a response strategy, or at least provide some initial instructions for emergency handling.

　But the current situation is clearly different from what he expected.

　“Mei, about Rin… she is still the Twelfth Herrscher, shouldn’t we…”

　Kevin hesitated slightly, unsure whether he should directly suggest taking action against Bell.

　After all, he himself knew that he was far inferior to Dr. May in terms of wisdom and decisiveness.

　When Kevin asked the question, Dr. May’s calm and firm voice clearly reached his ears through the communication link.

　“Kevin, I understand your concerns. But before that, we need more information and data to assess Bell’s current situation and the threat she may pose. Taking action rashly could have unforeseen consequences.”

　After hearing Dr. Mei's explanation, Kevin still had some doubts, but he understood that Dr. Mei's considerations had a deeper meaning.

　He took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then spoke slowly.

　“I understand, May. I will follow your instructions and return to headquarters on the transport plane. But, what about Bell… should we arrange for someone to keep an eye on her, just in case?”

　Upon hearing this, Dr. Mei remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons carefully in her mind.

　Finally, she nodded slightly. Although Kevin couldn't see it, he could feel the unquestionable determination in Dr. May's calm tone.

　“Your suggestion makes a lot of sense, Kevin. I will immediately set about arranging for people to secretly monitor Bell. At the same time, we must speed up our efforts to gather more information as soon as possible so that we can develop a more comprehensive response plan.”

　"in addition……"

　After a pause, Dr. May's tone revealed her deep concern for Kevin.

　"After you return, you will need to undergo a comprehensive physical examination and psychological evaluation. You are an indispensable asset to our Firefly team, and your physical and mental health is of utmost importance to us."

　Hearing Dr. May's warm words, Kevin felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

　He knew that regardless of the success or failure of the mission, Dr. Mei would always be his strongest support, giving him unconditional trust and powerful backing.

　"Don't worry, Mei. I'll rest well, adjust my condition, and be ready to meet new challenges at any time."

　As the communication link was broken, Kevin gazed at the clouds rushing past the window, his heart filled with a mixture of trepidation about the unknown challenges and boundless anticipation of seeing Mei again.

　Earth, Tasmania, headquarters of the Firemoth.

　"Ugh……"

　After cutting off communication with Kevin, Dr. May couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.

　Although she had foreseen this possibility when she sent Kevin to reinforce the Möbius Institute, Dr. May still found it incredibly difficult and perplexing when the situation actually unfolded before her eyes.

　Thanks to the deep emotional bond she shared with Kevin, she successfully calmed the Savior's Inscription, who had witnessed Bell's release.

　However, this is only the beginning of a difficult journey.

　Recalling the previous twelfth Great Honkai Impact, Rin had controlled the Fire Moth system to launch all the Honkai energy fission bombs in stock.

　That catastrophe mercilessly claimed the lives of billions of innocent people.

　Dr. Mei was well aware that within the Moth Chaser, there were many members who were sworn enemies of the Herrscher.

　If they learned that the instigator of that catastrophe—the Herrscher of Corruption—had been released…

　She simply couldn't imagine the chaos and turmoil this would cause.

　At this moment, Dr. May's resentment towards the necromancer Moros reached its peak.

　This behavior, which disregards the overall situation and only cares about personal gain, made her feel deeply angry and disappointed.

　However, even so, Dr. Mei maintained a clear understanding: the current Moths, and even the entire human civilization, do not yet have the resources to completely break with the necromancers.

　The Honkai Trial is nearing its end, and the shadow of the Herrscher of the End is quietly approaching. At this crucial moment, to oppose a necromancer whose power surpasses that of a Herrscher is tantamount to burying the faint hope of human civilization to survive the Honkai Trial.

　Standing up, Dr. Mei slowly walked to the office's viewing window, gazing at the rolling dark clouds in the distance, her heart filled with heaviness and worry.

　She knew that in the face of the impending crisis, every decision had to be made with utmost caution.

　I cannot let my emotions control me; I must calmly analyze the situation and find a solution.

　Dr. Mei silently reminded herself.

　Then, she turned around and walked resolutely toward the huge holographic screen on the other side of the office.

　On the screen, real-time monitoring data of global tsunami energy activity is constantly fluctuating, silently telling the story of the impending storm.

　"Notify all departments to immediately enter the highest level of alert. We must go all out to accelerate the research progress and find an effective way to combat the Herrscher of the End."

　This is the emergency response strategy devised by Dr. Mei.

　Let's put this matter aside for now and concentrate all our efforts on dealing with the threat from the Herrscher of the End.

　After the crisis is over, a thorough reckoning will be carried out with the necromancer.

　After giving the order, Dr. Mei seemed to remember something important.

　She quickly and decisively re-established the communication link with China, her voice carrying an undeniable authority and urgency.

　"Hua, your mission is complete. Please return to headquarters immediately. We have a more critical new mission for you to carry out."

　Given the severity and uncertainty of the current situation, Dr. Mei believes that keeping Hua at the Mebius Institute would be a huge risk.

　Therefore, she chose to recall Hua to ensure that this powerful fusion warrior could play her role where she was needed most.

　Upon receiving Dr. Mei's order, Hua responded immediately without the slightest hesitation.

　"Understood, Dr. May. I will immediately depart for headquarters to prepare for my new mission."

　It was obvious that Hua had become somewhat afraid during the experiments he conducted in collaboration with Möbius.

Chapter 679 Mei's Response

　The withdrawal of Hua was just one of many measures taken by Dr. Mei.

　Although Dr. May is unable to turn against the necromancer due to the imminent arrival of the Herrscher of the End, it does not mean that she will do nothing.

　After assigning a series of tasks to the lower and middle ranks of the Firemoth, ensuring that those members who harbored deep hatred for the Herrschers had no time to think about other things, Dr. Mei began to make a series of adjustments to the Firemoth according to her plan.

　As the leader of the Firemoth, she needs to ensure that after defeating the Herrscher of the End and safely navigating the crisis of the Honkai Trial, the Firemoth can immediately deal with the threat of the necromancer.

　It is worth mentioning that prior to today, due to the increasingly severe Honkai disaster, the cooperative relationship between the Fire Moth and the Necromancer was actually deepening.

　This can be seen from the changes in the history of Tasmania, the location of the Firemoth's headquarters.

　During the Ninth Great Collapse, the old headquarters of the Firemoth on the continent of Mu was unfortunately swallowed up along with the continent by the pseudo-black hole released by the Ninth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Rock, at the end of her life.

　Later, thanks to the mediation of Alicia and Eden, Moros temporarily allocated a part of Tasmania to the Firemoth as its temporary base.

　Later, with Dr. May taking office, the collaboration between the Firemoth and the Necromancer entered an unprecedented honeymoon period.

　It was during this period that Moros generously gifted the entire island of Tasmania to the Firemoth as its direct territory for its new headquarters.

　Besides the existence of Alicia and Eden, the growing shared interests between the Firemoth and the necromancer are also an important factor that cannot be ignored in making the necromancer so generous.

　Dr. Mei was well aware that the cooperation between the Fire Moth and the Necromancer was based solely on their shared enemy—the Honkai.

　This kind of cooperation is heavily influenced by self-interest.

　Once the difficult period of the Honkai Trial is over, the best outcome for both sides will be to part ways and go their separate ways.

　More likely, the moment the Herrscher of the End is defeated will be the moment the Necromancer and the Firemoth turn against each other.

　However, before defeating the Honkai, both the Fire Moth and the Necromancer need to rely on the opponent's power to enhance their own strength.

　It is precisely for this reason that, while strengthening cooperation with necromancers, Dr. May is also secretly making arrangements to ensure that the core strength of the Firemoth does not become overly dependent on the technology and resources provided by necromancers, thereby maintaining its independence and combat effectiveness.

　Dr. Mei's plan had already yielded considerable results.

　Although the Fire Moths are slightly inferior to Velvi in ​​shipbuilding and the manufacture of armed dolls, and are not as outstanding as Mebius in the field of cutting-edge biology, overall, the Fire Moths' scientific research system and manufacturing industry can still firmly surpass the necromancers' camp.

　After all, Dr. May is a genius scientist who is no less than Vervière and Mebius. As long as she is there, the research system of the Fire Moth will not be underestimated by anyone.

　As for manufacturing, having fully embraced the manufacturing systems of various traditional powerhouses, its total industrial capacity is naturally terrifying.

　However, the arrival of the twelfth Great Collapse completely changed everything.

　As hundreds of ballistic missiles carrying Honkai energy fission bombs streaked across the sky, the industrial system of the Moth Chaser, which Dr. Mei had painstakingly built, collapsed almost instantly.

　Unlike the necromancer faction's highly concentrated industrial system, which is based in the comprehensive research and manufacturing base of Velvi, the industrial system inherited by the Firemoth, which originated from various traditional powers, is not only large in scale and has a wide coverage, but also inevitably exhibits the characteristics of being scattered and closely connected with many densely populated cities.

　Unfortunately, this layout made them the primary targets of the Honkai energy fission missiles launched by Rin in retaliation against humanity, with almost every ballistic missile landing precisely on these crucial industrial nodes.

　After being hit by a ballistic missile by Rin, who had transformed into the Twelfth Herrscher, the industrial system of Moth of Flames had essentially collapsed.

　Admittedly, thanks to the top-notch laboratories at the headquarters of Moth Chaser, Moth Chaser, under Dr. Mei's leadership, still retains a certain level of advanced industrial product manufacturing capabilities.

　However, when it comes to large-scale industrial production, that has undoubtedly become an unattainable fantasy.

　In this situation, Dr. Mei's meticulously crafted strategic plans, intended to defeat the Honkai and fight against the necromancer faction, naturally became worthless and lost their practical significance.

　Despite this sudden blow, Dr. Mei's spirit was not consumed by despair.

　On the contrary, this attack launched by the Twelfth Herrscher only strengthened her resolve and will.

　She understood that any member of the Firemoth might have the right to fall into despair, but as the team leader, she could not allow it to happen.

　Even if she felt endless despair and sorrow deep inside, she could never show the slightest weakness or retreat on the outside.

　This is the responsibility she must bear as the leader of the Moths of Fire.

　Supported by this belief, Dr. Mei quickly gathered the remaining research elites and made full use of the abundant resources of the headquarters' top laboratory to begin repairing and rebuilding the critical production line.

　Her thinking was exceptionally clear: even if the former glory could not be replicated, the fire-chasing moths should be able to have the most basic self-sufficiency.