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

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Brother Cake's words momentarily silenced his viewers.

It rang true for them.

The core audience of Brother Cake's fans primarily consisted of Honkai Impact 3rd Captains. Although he gained more attention due to Genshin Impact later on, this remained the foundation. Those watching his stream were mostly dedicated Honkai Impact 3rd players, despite some having already quit the game. However, it didn't mean they didn't wish for the game to improve.

After a brief silence, someone spoke up, changing the topic:

[Brother Cake, what do you think about this storyline? Who is Himeko's friend mentioned?]

"I believe, unless it's a sudden introduction of a new character, it can only be Ana," Brother Cake responded thoughtfully after a moment's consideration.

"From previous plot points, we can infer that during 'The Last Lesson,' Ana was absent from the story for a while. Afterward, she reappeared in Tianqiong City, seemingly detached from worldly affairs."

Brother Cake paused, took a sip of water, and composed his emotions.

"Furthermore, Ana could be considered Himeko's friend. However, if that's the case, it also aligns with another aspect-the new character Bai Zhi."

"There's a possibility she truly is Ana. In the current storyline, she either wears a mask or a veil; while I don't doubt MiHoYo's aesthetic choices, there seems no real need for such concealment."

"I feel we can boldly speculate that Ana might have outpaced everyone else, potentially becoming a boss-like figure who makes a grand entrance towards the end. It's definitely something to look forward to!"

Perhaps due to his fondness for this character, Brother Cake's voice carried a hint of excitement.

Although his theory seemed plausible, it lacked concrete evidence, leading to swift rebuttals from some viewers in the live chat.

[Alright, alright, streamer, stop adding your own twists. Ana is dead, along with the Herrscher Core.]

"It's just speculation," Brother Cake responded calmly, undeterred. "I'm merely sharing my perspective; whether you believe it or not is up to you. Besides, wasn't I asked to give my thoughts on the matter?"

Moreover, honestly, given the circumstances, with World Serpent, Anti-Entropy, and Schicksal not intervening, who else could have saved Himeko and even transformed her into the Herrscher of Flame, earning her approval so solemnly?

Among all existing characters, only Ana seemed plausible.

As for whether she's truly dead or not, now that Himeko has won her resurrection arc, why couldn't Ana do the same? Not to mention, compared to Himeko, Ana had numerous advantages.

Even Otto himself didn't believe she died just like that.

Interestingly, during this part of the storyline, Otto surprisingly played a minimal role. He briefly surfaced at Schicksal's experimental facility, causing a slight shock among players, but then disappeared without further involvement.

Honestly, it didn't align with players' stereotypical expectations of Otto.

This guy must be scheming something nefarious! Based on this perspective, Brother Cake straightforwardly created a poll, and the vast majority of players agreed with his viewpoint.

Otto's presence is crucial to Honkai Impact 3's narrative. In essence, whenever Otto isn't directly involved in events, he's undoubtedly orchestrating mischief behind the scenes.

Indeed, earlier in the story, it was Otto who sent Senti to World Serpent to meet Kevin, all while maintaining an air of complete control.

"In any case, how things unfold next will depend on the writers and planners' decisions. For now, I'm satisfied with this update's content. As long as they don't mess up the follow-up, I have no complaints," Brother Cake concluded, effectively wrapping up his stream commentary.

Soon after, version 5.0, titled "Spark of Legacy," arrived. This time, the pre-release preview broke away from previous blandness, packed with abundant content and revelations.

Firstly, it was confirmed that this update introduced only one initial S-rank character: Herrscher of Flamescion.

Himeko's transformation into a Herrscher was achieved through an Amplification Core, simultaneously hinting at a potential future monetization point—the Red Knight's new Transcendence dedicated weapon, Cleaver of Shamash - Ruby Sky Ablaze.

However, for this version, the dedicated weapon wasn't made exclusively purchasable; instead, players could obtain it upon completing the storyline. It is likely to be added to the gacha pool in subsequent updates.

This decision proved acceptable to most players. Compared to the past instance with Abyss Flower, the developers showed considerable restraint this time. Additionally, the introduction of the Red Knight Amplification Core rekindled Captains' hopes for their older characters.

Perhaps this was just the beginning; after all, previous Amplification Cores had relatively minor effects, and those armor sets were obtainable without spending real money.

Additionally, upon updating to the new version, players could claim a Red Knight, catering specifically to casual gamers who didn't yet own one, giving them something worthwhile to look forward to.

Overall, it wasn't much different from later versions offering free Queens, but any direct giveaway is still commendable.

Lastly, the update revealed a significant addition—the Elysian Realm along with its accompanying concept PV.

Honestly, the introduction of the Elysian Realm, in a sense, signaled that the Red Knight's Amplification Core might be end for the Amplification Core system.

From then on, developers focused solely on reviving old characters within the Elysian Realm, rather than enhancing their strength further in Abyss or battlefield scenarios.

The reason behind this... well, developers need to make money too.

Amplification Cores offered limited monetization opportunities, but the primary goal here was to boost player engagement with Version 5.0, preparing the ground for future updates.

So once again, never empathize with game designers; their sole purpose is to deceive players for revenue, orchestrating everything meticulously.

However, this time, despite knowing there would be more monetization schemes ahead, players willingly embraced the 5.0 update's content.

After all—when playing games, it's best to focus on recent updates. Overthinking about future possibilities might as well lead one to quit altogether, given no one can predict what tricks the designers may pull next.

It's always advantageous to claim rewards and acquire new characters early, allowing ample time to enjoy them fully.

Finally, the Hyperion returned to Saint Freya Academy—the place where it all began. Compared to its past, not much had changed here.

While Ana might not have been considered a competent principal, more of a hands-off overseer, her policies and plans were faithfully implemented during her tenure.

After all, for a time, everything at Saint Freya was directly managed by the Schicksal Bishop himself.

Saint Freya Academy held a sensitive position within Schicksal Headquarters, yet this time, Theresa's return met with tacit approval from above.

As they stepped back onto the familiar campus grounds, emotions swirled among the group. Standing at the entrance of the well-known Saint Freya Academy, they gazed into the distance, momentarily seeing their former selves reflected there.

However, compared to those days, two individuals were now missing—Raiden Mei and Ana.

In solemn silence, each member silently resolved to defeat Honkai once and for all.

Himeko's eyes glistened with emotion. For her, these past nine months felt both fleeting and unbearably long. During nights in Nagazora City, she would often sit by the bonfire, gazing towards Saint Freya Academy.

Now, returning to this place, it no longer felt the same. Looking at Kiana and Bronya beside her, Himeko experienced a sense of being from another era. It had been merely half a year, yet there was...a feeling as if retirement from service was imminent—truly bittersweet.

Theresa and the others could return here only because Otto relented, and the reason behind his change of heart needed no explanation. With his plan nearing success, he intended to pass on Schicksal leadership to Theresa.

From a purely leadership perspective, Theresa wasn't an ideal choice. However, Otto did not see eye-to-eye with Welt, and for Schicksal, Welt represented a rebellious presence against tradition.

In short, Otto and Welt simply didn't get along.

Since Saint Freya Academy had always been meticulously managed, upon their return, Theresa and the others swiftly settled back into their roles.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Ji Mei herself. At present, Saint Freya Academy had very few students. In these turbulent times, investing resources and manpower into education seemed wasteful and yielded little progress.

Education is inherently time-consuming, and the numerous Honkai Worlds across regions have already stretched Schicksal's Valkyries thin. Moreover, the ongoing conflict between the three major organizations only compounded the issue.

Theresa now understood this as well. After her period of wandering, she had grown significantly and knew what actions were necessary for the current situation.

On the balcony of the Valkyrie Dormitory, Himeko leaned against the railing, holding a bottle of fine wine. Tilting her head back, she gazed at the starlit sky, momentarily feeling as if she saw Ana's figure amidst the twinkling stars.

"Teacher Himeko."

A familiar, cool voice sounded beside Himeko, but it didn't surprise her expression.

"You're here."

Following the sound, she spotted Herrscher of Thunder, Raiden Mei, who had silently appeared next to her. Despite her serious demeanor, there was an immeasurable gentleness in her eyes.

"Care for a glass?"

Smiling, Himeko raised the bottle of wine in her hand, then displayed a slightly awkward grin.

Himeko always felt reassured about Raiden Mei as her student. Moreover, during their time in Nagazora City, she frequently heard updates about Raiden Mei's activities.

It was indeed much easier to stay informed about Raiden Mei compared to Kiana.

As for Raiden Mei choosing to join World Serpent, Himeko understood; she had witnessed firsthand the bond and affection between Mei and Kiana.

"Kevin said it wasn't possible for you to survive within Virtual Space, so truly..." Raiden Mei began.

Regarding Himeko's situation, Raiden Mei had been actively investigating, but unbeknownst to her, the clue was right beside her all along. If she had asked Raven directly, perhaps Raven would have answered.

This scenario illustrates that sometimes, desperation can lead to unexpected results.

"I'm sorry, I promised not to reveal it," Himeko shook her head, sounding somewhat regretful.

In reality, at present, only Otto and Raven knew about Ana saving Himeko. As for others, well, they simply couldn't access this information.

At that time, Otto chose to use Fenghuang Down to alter the memories of three S-rank Valkyries from Schicksal, making everything related to Himeko a closely guarded secret.

Due to this limited knowledge, the Herrscher of Thousands could exploit it for her schemes. However, Ana had anticipated these moves, leading to the outcome you've all witnessed.

"I understand."

Raiden Mei nodded, comprehending Himeko's perspective. Moreover, Himeko's response wasn't entirely uninformative for her. Still, many questions lingered in her mind, especially regarding their previous encounter with the Will of Honkai.

However, even Teacher Himeko might not have answers to those queries; she would need to consult Kevin instead.

"Apologies, Teacher Himeko, but due to certain circumstances, I cannot..."

"Mei, don't worry about it. Among my students, you're the one I trust most. Your choices must have valid reasons behind them. Besides, joining World Serpent isn't necessarily a bad choice. In fact, during the past half-year, I spent some time there myself."

"Huh?"

This time, Raiden Mei was genuinely taken aback.

She never imagined that during her absence, Teacher Himeko had actually spent some time with World Serpent. If true, it could potentially debunk her previous assumptions, indicating that World Serpent is indeed more complex than she thought.

Seeing Raiden Mei's expression, Himeko realized there might be a misunderstanding, but she chose not to correct it.

Ana's request was to create confusion and obscure their actions as much as possible, allowing her to maneuver discreetly behind the scenes. Raiden Mei's reaction perfectly aligned with their expectations.

However...

A fire concealed under paper can't remain hidden forever, Himeko silently acknowledged. Of course, she understood that Ana wasn't playing with fire recklessly; she had her own compelling reasons. Yet, from Himeko's perspective, constant secrecy might not be the wisest choice.

While she could counsel Kiana or Raiden Mei, when it came to Ana, Himeko felt truly powerless.

Throughout their relationship, Ana had always been the one guiding her, and Himeko wasn't sure how to persuade her otherwise. However, from her perspective, Ana's actions were akin to walking on a razor's edge—unnecessarily risky.

Of course, this was merely Himeko's viewpoint; she couldn't change Ana's mind, nor did she currently know how to contact her. All she could do was pray and cooperate with Ana's plan as best she could.

Moreover, despite being an outsider who might see things more clearly, Himeko lacked insight into matters at Ana's level.