"What's going on? Why isn't it here? And these marks... did someone get here first?"
Looking at the marks on the Herrscher of the Void's chest, Mobius realized that someone had beaten her to it.
Based on the first Herrscher's remains, there should have been a core here.
"Was it those guys? Or someone else?"
Right now, Mobius only suspected two groups: the council, who she thought might not want her to discover something that could threaten them, and the logistics team, who might have had moles from other organizations and taken the Herrscher core during transport.
"Tsk, Fire Moth is such a mess."
Mobius had a love-hate relationship with the organization.
While it was heavily restricted in many ways, the funding it provided her was astronomical.
Otherwise, she would have packed up and left long ago, unwilling to put up with the frustrations here.
Unbeknownst to her, the culprit behind the missing Herrscher core was currently being celebrated by everyone in Fire Moth.
"It's them! They're the ones who took down that monster together."
"What? Just the two of them managed to kill that monster? The first one took a small nuclear bomb to take down."
"They're amazing. They're probably the strongest people in the world right now."
Listening to the praise, Chang Yuan felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, most of the credit should go to Elysia. His role was just being a pawn in the plan.
"Hmph, Yuan, look how enthusiastic everyone is."
Seeing the starry-eyed fans around her, Elysia smiled happily.
"Of course they're enthusiastic. Your existence has drastically reduced their fear of Herrschers.
In their eyes, you killing a Herrscher proves that those monsters aren't invincible, so their hope grows stronger."
"Hehe, that's because I'm amazing. But Yuan, why didn't you let me tell them about your sacrifice that made killing the Herrscher possible?"
Elysia didn't understand this.
If they had reported it, Chang Yuan would have received more rewards when they were handed out.
"I have my reasons. I don't want to stand out too much in front of those people. It might make things difficult later."
For his future plans to deal with the council, Chang Yuan needed to keep a low profile for now.
If he drew too much attention, the council might notice him.
If they decided he was a threat and sent the Assassins' Guild after him, he'd be in trouble.
After all, the ace assassin was Sakura, the woman who, as a mere human, managed to make Kevin, who could tear Herrschers apart with his bare hands, lose a heart.
If he were targeted, he didn't even want to think about whether he'd survive a night's sleep, unless he could sleep next to Elysia. Otherwise, his safety was far from guaranteed.
So, until he had absolute strength, he didn't plan to stand out too much. The best approach was to let all the glory go to Elysia alone.
After all, Elysia's strength was more than enough. She had nothing to fear, not even Sakura.
"Alright, if you have your reasons, I won't press further."
Seeing this, Elysia stopped questioning him.
She believed Chang Yuan had his own reasons for doing this.
"Is Elysia here? Elysia, are you there? If you are, please come over."
Amid the cheers, a distinct voice called out.
Hearing someone call her name, and sensing that it was something important, Elysia quickly walked over with Chang Yuan in tow.
The person glanced at Chang Yuan but didn't pay him much attention, quickly focusing back on Elysia.
"After careful deliberation by the higher-ups, and due to the death of the First Squad's captain, we hereby appoint you as the new captain of Fire Moth's First Squad. We hope you will continue to fight for humanity."
As she spoke, she handed Elysia a specially prepared badge.
This badge was different from the ordinary silver ones. The moth emblem on it was not bronze but made of gold thread, putting it on the same level as Mobius's badge.
After all, top researchers and top fighters were equally important, and both were highly valued.
After the ceremony, the woman left efficiently.
"Hmm~?, Yuan, do you think this badge looks good?"
Holding the badge up to her chest, Elysia smiled and asked for Chang Yuan's opinion.
"Yeah, it looks great. It suits you, Elysia."
Faced with such a girly Elysia, Chang Yuan didn't hesitate to compliment her.
"Hmph~?, I knew it. No matter what, I always look good. But from now on, you're a member of my First Squad. What should you call me when you see me?"
Elysia playfully winked at Chang Yuan as she asked.
"Captain Elysia, Private Chang Yuan reporting for duty."
"Not bad, not bad. You've got the right mindset. Keep it up, and you'll be my deputy captain."
Standing at 1.63 meters, Elysia patted the shoulder of Chang Yuan, who was 1.8 meters tall.
The scene looked rather comical.
Others who saw this found it quite endearing.
But where there are people, there are always those who stir up trouble.
"Tsk, so the deputy captain position is just handed out like that? That's not fair to the other squad members."
The position of captain held immense prestige and came with many privileges.
Fire Moth was established by the highest decision-making bodies of all continents, so the rank of captain was equivalent to that of a lieutenant general in their respective militaries.
Such prestige naturally made others envious, but no one envied Elysia.
She had earned her position through sheer strength. If they could single-handedly take down a Herrscher, they would be made captains too.
But they didn't believe Chang Yuan deserved to be deputy captain.
They thought he was only given the position because he was close to Elysia.
So, many who coveted the position were dissatisfied with Chang Yuan's appointment.
"Elysia, Elysia, because of your words, I've become the target of everyone's envy."