I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 60: You’re trying to deceive me?

Ryan awoke, the despair he'd felt – a millennia-long nightmare – slowly receding, allowing him to return to reality.

Then he heard Mobius' voice. Initially, he'd been filled with warmth and emotion, completely surprised she'd come to Shanghai City, much less that she was there to save him.

So, when he saw her face, he was moved. The hanging lamp cast a divine glow on Mobius' already pale features, making her seem like an angel banishing despair.

At least, that's how he felt for a moment before she slapped him twice across the face.

"Such a pity, Dr. Ryan has become mentally deficient. Klein, prepare the operating table. Let's put the waste to good use; let's extract a few things."

The enchantment broke. She hadn't changed a bit.

"Mobius, you... you're the one who's mentally deficient!"

His strength returning, he sat up abruptly. He felt a numb, throbbing pain, then saw his body wrapped like a mummy, covered in tubes and wires. He quickly checked himself.

Thankfully, nothing seemed to be missing. Amazingly, his wounds were clotting, and muscle tissue was regenerating.

"Relax, I haven't started dissecting you yet." Mobius, hands in her pockets, strolled over, chuckling. "How was the near-death experience? Did you see the legendary Samsara's ocean?"

"No Samsara's ocean. But I had a very strange dream." Ryan rubbed his forehead, frowning, his memories hazy.

Mobius instantly became serious. Her earlier comment had been a joke; there were no Samsara's ocean in death. It was a result of her own experiments, and she'd managed to get a confession out of him.

"A dream? What kind of dream? Tell me."

"I don't remember clearly. It was like drifting through something like Imaginary Space, aimless, endless. I think I saw..." Ryan suddenly stopped, glancing sideways at Mobius, who was comfortably seated beside him.

Her long, slender legs were crossed, her body leaning forward, her shoulders practically resting on his chest. Her jade-green eyes were filled with intense curiosity, as if she wanted to etch every word into her memory.

"Saw what? Tell me."

"I said I don't remember clearly." Ryan paused, looking at Mobius. For some reason, he didn't lie; instead, he answered seriously: "It wasn't a dream. It was something very important. That space... it was definitely Imaginary Space."

Mobius gritted her teeth. It was like finding a captivating novel, only to have it abruptly end mid-climax, leaving her frustrated.

But she quickly composed herself. As an intelligent person, she understood Ryan's meaning. The fact he hadn't kept this crucial secret silent, that he hadn't lied, but had willingly spoken about it, was significant progress.

"Alright, it wasn't a waste of my trip from the Mu Continent to save your life."

With a 'thump,' Mobius stood, puffing out her chest, speaking in a sarcastic tone:

"You seem so rational, but sometimes you're incredibly reckless. Dueling the Herrscher of Thunder, what were you thinking? Do you regret it now?"

"Rationality and recklessness appear to be opposites, but they're only separated by a thin line. You should understand that." Ryan shrugged, then shook his head. "As for regret... absolutely not. Every step into the unknown is a gamble. If you regret once, you'll hesitate forever. So don't give yourself the chance to regret. That's the most rational approach."

They exchanged a brief glance, then both smiled – equally rational and equally reckless. Klein, standing nearby, felt a shiver run down her spine. She always knew why Dr. Mobius was so interested in Dr. Ryan.

The latter not only possessed immense research value, but was also a kindred spirit.

Ryan removed the remaining wires, gritting his teeth as he sat up. He casually asked, "So, my external injuries are almost completely healed, but my heart suddenly stopped?"

"Yes, a very strange situation, though not so strange considering it's you." Mobius paced back and forth, calmly recounting the events. "You fell into a coma after defeating the Herrscher of Thunder. When I arrived by seaplane, Elysia was holding you. Ha ha, the expression on that chubby woman's face was priceless, though unfortunately, I couldn't record it."

Seaplane?

Ryan's expression changed. He hadn't expected Mobius to be so daring. Logically, the battle wasn't over; she'd been patrolling the perimeter, ready to intervene at any moment.

"Don't look at me like that. I told you, you're incredibly valuable. Plus, I've invested so much already. If you died, I'd be at a loss." Mobius offered an explanation, then realized the flaw in her logic and waved her hand dismissively. "It's unimportant. No more questions."

"I transferred you to my airship, placed you in the latest bio-therapeutic regeneration chamber, and had the ship continue treatment. Everything was going well, all indicators were improving, then your heart suddenly stopped. I transferred you to the operating table for emergency treatment. If you had still died, I would have had to dissect you, to salvage at least some of my investment."

Initially, Ryan felt grateful. Mobius had truly saved his life; otherwise, by the time the Fire Moth team arrived, he would have likely been dead. Moreover, the bio-regeneration chamber had been highly effective; he glanced at the digital clock in the operating room – only five days had passed.

But his gratitude quickly evaporated, replaced by a self-deprecating thought: This woman really isn't someone to trifle with.

A sudden cardiac arrest, followed by a bizarre dream... something felt off.

Ryan stroked his chin, recalling what he'd seen during his battle with the Herrscher of Thunder, and her final "words."

He sensed a connection between the three events but couldn't grasp it, a feeling akin to the sudden enlightenment in a wuxia novel – slightly surreal.

The unknown was captivating yet frustrating.

That was Ryan's thought, but another sensation was even stronger. He seemed able to perceive the invisible electromagnetic field. By focusing his energy, he could seemingly manipulate the Honkai energy.

"What did you figure out?" Mobius couldn't help but ask.

"Something important, but the missing clues make connections difficult." Ryan shook his head, asking another question before Mobius could explode. "How's Shanghai City? Any other news?"

Another puzzle, always giving only half the information.

Mobius pursed her lips, letting out an irritated humph. "The cleanup operation is 94% complete, but the third Honkai impact was massive, encompassing all of East Asia. Higher-ups are having a headache about it."

The Herrscher of Thunder was like a storm; Shanghai City was merely the epicenter. Roaring Honkai energy engulfed millions of square kilometers, Honkai Beasts proliferated, and the number of human-mutated zombies was staggering.

Right?

Ryan sighed softly. This outcome was inevitable from the moment the Herrscher appeared; even instant annihilation wouldn't have helped.

"Anything else?"

"Lots of things. Do you want the big picture or the small stuff?"

"Things related to me." Ryan took a sip of coffee Klein offered, recognizing the assistant vaguely, though he didn't ask.

"You? Elysia visited you three times. Each time she brought a basket of fruit, but when she found you unconscious, she ate it herself, then left the trash in my operating room!!"

The resentment was palpable, making Ryan laugh. That was so typical of Elysia.

"I'll visit her in the regular ward after I recover and thank her." Ryan paused, realizing he'd forgotten something, then nodded seriously. "And of course, I want to thank you, Mobius."

"Oh, I don't need thanks." Mobius lifted her head slightly, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, and one more thing. A young girl has been waiting outside for days. She says she's... someone you know?"

Huh?

Ryan immediately knew who she was, then noticing Mobius's unusual expression, was momentarily confused.

"She's my junior sister. She was caught in the crossfire."

"But the files say she's a high school student. Impressive, isn't she?"

"My junior sister in martial arts, not research."

"Oh, how uncouth. But this kid is interesting, at least honest. I'll have Klein wheel you out later. You can introduce us. Let's get acquainted."

"Mobius, I warn you, don't do anything to her!"

"Hmph, as if I'd bother." Mobius' expression instantly turned serious. I had no intention of interacting with such mundane people, but since you put it that way, I am curious. I want to see what magic makes you care so much.

Seeing Mobius' expression, Ryan knew the meeting was inevitable. This innocent girl was no match for this viper, but he wasn't the wide-eyed newcomer he'd been.

He remained silent, keeping this in mind, pondering a solution, when Mobius spoke.

"Klein, give him the paperwork."

Paperwork? What paperwork?

Ryan was stunned, then saw Klein slowly approaching, presenting a thick stack of documents. Instinctively, he looked down.

"Dr. Mobius' personal rescue fee: 500,000 Euros. Bio-regeneration chamber activation: 20,000 Euros per hour, totaling 3,000,000 Euros. Dr. Mobius' personal supervision fee: 5,000 Euros per hour..."

"You're robbing me! Besides, I was injured because of the Third Herrscher. Why should I pay?!"

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Ryan looked up instantly, sensing this woman was exacting revenge. He certainly wasn't short of money these years, but he couldn't bear this outrageous bill!

"Well, as the world's top doctor, my fees are naturally high. You can check online; my prices are completely transparent, no cheating, old or young." Mobius tapped her nails, speaking slowly.

"As for you, it's even more complicated. You're not part of any Fire Moth department, nor on any rescue list, so you have no medical insurance. As a gentleman, you wouldn't want to dodge your bills, would you?"

The corner of Ryan's mouth twitched. He couldn't find any counterargument. Looking at Mobius's raised chin, he sighed, "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

"Simple. Work off your debt. It's only fair."

So simple?

Ryan had expected Mobius to use this opportunity to probe his secrets. He'd pay the few million Euros and be done with it.

But this statement intrigued him. He wasn't interested in fighting low-rank Honkai Beasts. He needed time to recover and properly research and master his newfound abilities. Besides, his last collaboration with Mobius had yielded significant benefits.

"That's a fair point, but I still feel..."

"You're trying to deceive me?"