Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players

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At the World Serpent Base, while Kevin engaged Herrscher of Sentience, another figure arrived amidst the chaos surrounding the Elysian Realm's location within the base.

The reason for this visit was straightforward—there had always been a Gray Serpent clone present here.

This visitor was quite peculiar, shrouded entirely in an intricate cloak. No one knew what lay beneath it, not even Gray Serpent.

"This is not a place for someone like you."

Facing this enigmatic figure, Gray Serpent remained vigilant but maintained his usual composed demeanor.

"No, Gray Serpent, I've come to ensure you fulfill your promise to my master!"

"Oh?" Gray Serpent's eyes flickered with curiosity.

"I don't recall making any such promise."

"Whether you remember or not doesn't matter; what matters is that you have no choice, Gray Serpent."

With these words, a hazy mist emerged from the mysterious stranger's sleeves and enveloped Gray Serpent. Initially, he showed no reaction, but soon realized something was amiss.

"This...is Corrosion... Is it you, Doctor?"

Gray Serpent's voice rose, trembling with excitement.

"Do you truly believe Dr. Mobius still cares about your existence? If she ever had the chance to return, that is."

"Oh, it's you! Truly remarkable, using such a method to escape unnoticed," Gray Serpent responded, his voice now filled with admiration and awe.

"It's not merely escaping; but never mind, that's irrelevant to you. Choose wisely: either pledge allegiance to me or face your own demise. I won't repeat myself."

"Your plans now hold no value to my Lord. If not for the belief that they could still be improved upon, do you think...a mere contemptible artificial life form has any right to act recklessly before me?"

In an instant, an unimaginably powerful force swept across the entire area. Gray Serpent, previously standing tall, found himself prostrating on the ground, consumed by fear.

He realized that every aspect of his existence was now under the control of this entity. However, after a brief moment of terror, Gray Serpent's emotions shifted to excitement.

The reason Gray Serpent founded the World Serpent and revered Kevin as Lord was his belief that only Kevin could symbolize and represent humanity's future. Now, a being surpassing even Kevin had emerged, and within this new presence, he sensed a hint of a long-lost aura.

Gray Serpent sought the Infinite, yet he also adhered to the will of the Fire Seekers, searching for a path to salvation.

At this moment, one might say Gray Serpent, having wandered half a lifetime, finally found a worthy master. If accepted, Gray Serpent would willingly acknowledge him as his godfather. Of course, compared to that infamous traitor from history, Gray Serpent's loyalty was far more steadfast.

"Excellent. It seems you have made the correct choice."

"Yes, Lord," Gray Serpent responded respectfully.

"There is no need to address me as your lord; I am merely her embodiment. Your allegiance should be towards my Master!"

"Understood."

"But what about the previous Lord?"

"Do not concern yourself; my Master has plans in place."

"Yes, sir."

Thus, without any fanfare, Gray Serpent of the World Serpent chose to defect silently. However, since he took no immediate action, his betrayal remained undetected.

As for Kevin? He was still engaged in battle with the Herrscher of Sentience at that moment.

In the real world, the preview for Version 4.3 arrived, titled "Silent Nourishment." As suggested by its name, this update would introduce Ana's latest and possibly final Valkyrie Armor: Herrscher of Winter.

For players, seeing this version title was akin to receiving a sharp stab.

The preview event itself also had quite a twist. To start, the developers invited a special guest - indeed, none other than Honkai Impact 3's top streamer, Brother Cake.

On the opposite side, for the first time, one of the game's scriptwriters made an appearance, known as Teacher Shao Ji.

However, at that moment, Teacher Shao Ji maintained a more discreet look, wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, resembling a high-profile celebrity.

Surprisingly, his attire seemed justified given the circumstances.

As Brother Cake entered, he carried MiHoYo's legendary baseball bat, instantly maximizing the dramatic effect.

Despite this, during the early part of the preview, Brother Cake exercised remarkable restraint. Apart from occasionally waving the baseball bat, he refrained from making any provocative remarks.

After brief introductions and pleasantries led by the host, they began discussing the new version's content. Unavoidably, the main highlight was the Herrscher of Winter.

Unlike previous characters extensively tested on the beta servers, this Herrscher of Winter was exceptionally rare—it hadn't appeared there at all. Of course, it's possible that testing occurred under strict confidentiality protocols, building immense anticipation for the character.

From its model and appearance, the Herrscher of Winter indeed met players' expectations, featuring Ana's ceremonial attire before her demise. However, the skirt design incorporated camellia petals instead of night-blooming cereus flowers, likely because the developers felt the latter would be too sorrowful.

Mechanically, the Herrscher of Winter serves as both an elemental support and output character. Upon activating the ultimate skill, it creates the Barrier of Spring. While active, the barrier slows down enemies, increases the team's elemental penetration, applies vulnerability to foes and allies alike, but upon expiration, clears these negative effects while restoring health; any excess health converts into a shield without duration.

Additionally, the character's normal basic attacks release sword energy. In burst mode, basic attacks transform into enhanced close-range katana strikes. After three consecutive basic attacks, the barrier triggers a coordinated attack.

Furthermore, during the ultimate skill's duration, switching characters does not cancel the skill, only slightly reducing its remaining time. As compensation, a certain amount of SP is restored.

Undeniably, this character is yet another powerhouse, maintaining a balanced focus on both support and damage output, as expected from Old Mi's design for Ana.

However—

Hmm, following that, the host showcased Herrscher of Winter's bridge dialogues and revealed a free special skin: the Herrscher version of Herrscher of Winter herself.

"As snow melts and cold winds subside, it marks another beautiful year."

On the screen, Herrscher of Winter gently sighed with a warm smile. The bullet comments overflowed with tears, and one Captain voiced what everyone felt:

"Without you, even the most beautiful years lose their charm."

"Wahh, tearing up here, fam."

"Did Kiana fail her class again? Huh? She already graduated? Oh, I see..."

"Mei, she's truly exceptional. You say she became World Serpent's Herrscher of Thunder? Well, it was her choice."

"The legacy of the Herrscher of Reason is extraordinary; Bronya still has a long path ahead."

"Captain, why are you crying? Please smile, okay? Just like this!"

Though brief, every word on the bridge conveyed affection for the leaders of the three great factions and concern for the Captain. Despite being an immensely powerful Herrscher, she appeared simply as a warm and caring elder sister.

In response, Brother Cake oscillated between tears and laughter from his seat among the guests. Suddenly, he erupted, grabbing his baseball bat to confront Teacher Shao Ji.

However, Teacher Shao Ji wasn't one to be easily intimidated; swiftly reacting, he took off running.

And so, within the live stream, a chase ensued with no escape in sight.

With no choice but to intervene, the host brother announced the continuation of the event details before rushing to break up the scuffle. This unexpected turn added immense liveliness to the live broadcast.

Which game's players can truly take down their own scriptwriters? Honkai Impact 3 fans can!

Whether it was an accidental mishap or intentionally staged, there's no doubt this moment would become legendary—a memorable scene etched into gaming history, serving as a distinctive hallmark for Honkai Impact 3 in this world.

After a short interlude, the event presentation concluded, and normalcy returned to the live broadcast.

Teacher Shao Ji and Brother Cake reappeared on the live stream. Brother Cake still glared fiercely, displaying his clear dissatisfaction, while Teacher Shao Ji looked somewhat aggrieved.

However, in reality, he hadn't sustained any significant injuries. This time, daring to invite both him and Brother Cake, even allowing Brother Cake to bring a baseball bat, meant that extensive precautions were taken beforehand—all necessary protections were put in place.

Honestly, there wasn't much cause for concern.

Despite this, seeing Brother Cake's unyielding demeanor made Teacher Shao Ji slightly apprehensive.

The host seated in the middle also appeared caught between them, feeling quite torn.

It was an unavoidable situation. The current live event couldn't be solely attributed to MiHoYo; it was suggested and demanded by their angel investor, with Da Wei making the final decision.

As one might guess, the identity of that angel investor is obvious.

Indeed, it was none other than Ana herself, currently nestled in her independent dormitory, watching the live stream. She masterminded everything—from contacting MiHoYo to arranging Brother Cake's involvement—her hand guided each step.

As the current mastermind behind the scenes, Ana naturally had to perform tasks fitting for such a role, and she found this event quite satisfactory.

Moreover, she could remain hidden, letting her actions speak without seeking recognition.

The subsequent version preview wasn't particularly noteworthy, mainly discussing another character of the update, Molotov Cherry's Amplification Core, and her backstory.

In Ana's opinion, Captains should indeed pay more attention to events; after all, the characters featured within truly represent their waifus. As for herself, she certainly kept an eye on them, having little else to occupy her time.

Perhaps at the next comic convention, she could do a light cosplay - maybe as Myrtle, since the others seem too young.

Looking back, with Moonlight, Zhuge Kongming (ZK), Horrabbit, Delta... if not for Moonlight growing up later, what kind of harem would that be? Pedophilic, perhaps? Oh, and we mustn't forget Yae Kasumi either.

For the upcoming versions, or rather, several versions ahead, Fu Hua is likely to be the main focus. This makes sense, considering her pivotal role in advancing the storyline.

At this thought, Ana's mind stirred.

Initially, she believed there wouldn't be much story involving her in the upcoming update. However, unexpectedly, during her visit to Taixuan Mountain, as the first person to set foot there after Red Kite Immortal left, she inadvertently left some traces behind.

For instance, having seen most of Fu Hua's Fenghuang Downs, Ana infused some of her own memories into several of them.

Now, with Ana becoming the Herrscher of Finality, these Fenghuang Downs carrying fragments of her memories gained similar Authorities akin to the Herrscher of Sentience. Nevertheless, Ana prefers to associate them with the Herrscher of Dominance.

Indeed, each feather is individually weak but numerous, which aligns perfectly with the concept of the Herrscher of Dominance.

Moreover, considering Ana's objectives, the Herrscher of Sentience serves as a rather useful pawn.

Without delving into how Fu Hua's memories transformed her into the Herrscher of Human, it's worth noting that for Ana's plan aimed at enhancing humanity's resistance to Entropy, utilizing consciousness as a medium for its spread seems viable. This approach would also minimize harm to humans.

Considering Ana's plan to enhance humanity's resistance against Honkai, could it spread through consciousness instead? The answer is yes, and by doing so, the harm inflicted on humans would be significantly reduced.

This approach allows for gradual influence, though at first glance, it might seem somewhat insignificant. However, enabling humans to accept and withstand Honkai inherently requires a step-by-step process. Even in the "After the Apocalypse" storyline, humanity had not fully adapted to Honkai, highlighting just how challenging this endeavor truly is.

"Well, well, let's go meet this Herrscher of Sentience first!"

Due to her knowledge of the original plot, Ana held no negative impressions of the Herrscher of Sentience. After all, she was essentially a newborn, akin to a mere infant. Having already accepted Fu Hua's identity, there wasn't much cause for concern.

In contrast, the situation with the Herrscher of Winter differed. Of course, the consciousness of the Herrscher of Winter hadn't entirely vanished; Ana merely sealed it away. Perhaps it will remain forgotten indefinitely, or maybe someday, Ana may choose to release her.

In the Honkai World, at Taixuan Mountain.

Following their intense mental struggle, Herrscher of Sentience and Fu Hua eventually arrived at Taixuan Mountain. Aware that Kiana and Bronya would reach this place, they planned to construct an illusory realm here, forcing Kiana to determine who the true Fu Hua is.

In the original storyline, everything unfolded smoothly. However, this time, someone had already beaten them to it.

The mysterious figure previously encountered near the Elysian Realm silently appeared once more. Still shrouded in her thick cloak, her features remained concealed from view.

Facing the majestic Taixuan Mountain, she simply raised her hand, waved towards it, then turned and swiftly departed. To an outsider, this gesture might seem insignificant, but for her, it was sufficient.

Now, all that remained was to patiently wait.

Originally planned for three updates today, but due to yesterday's fall, my right arm is quite painful and barely functional, leading to slower writing progress. Once it heals, I'll catch up with additional chapters. Rest assured, I won't forget the owed extra updates; they will be scheduled tomorrow.