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

Despite Elysia's sacrifice and her own knowledge as a transmigrator, Ana couldn't guarantee she would definitely become the Herrscher of Human.

For Captains outside the game, their understanding of the Honkai World was quite limited. The protagonist group they encountered were essentially overpowered cheat-users, making resistance against the Will of Honkai no simple feat.

As the rescue operation continued, Ana gained further insight into this world's brutality.

Although aware that the captain and squad members had perished at the hands of the Imperial Honkai Beast, it still weighed heavily on her mind. Their Valkyrie team was initially small, consisting of just a few individuals.

When Ana witnessed the Emperor of Honkai's beam annihilating an entire fleeing crowd, the overwhelming despair caused her to collapse helplessly, eyes vacant, struggling to recover for a long moment.

In that instant, the urge to flee resurfaced once more.

Previously, she couldn't comprehend why the original Ana chose to run away. Now, she understood; facing such entities, an ordinary Valkyrie held virtually no power. She couldn't even protect herself, let alone fulfill the duties and responsibilities entrusted to a Valkyrie.

However, after a brief moment, Ana stood up again. Regardless of the dangers ahead, she must persevere, clinging onto the hope she still saw.

If she remained stagnant, history would repeat itself, and like the original Ana, she'd become a hunted Herrscher. That was an outcome she could never accept.

"Hey kiddo, don't cry! Big Sister will rescue you right away!"

"Head in that direction; Schicksal's reinforcements are stationed there to protect you!"

"Hurry, escape quickly! I'll hold them off here!"

As Ana continuously rescued trapped civilians or guided fleeing ones to safety, she gradually moved closer towards the location of the Imperial Honkai Beast.

Her efforts weren't solely focused on rescuing people. Once Schicksal's support forces arrived, they would need accurate battlefield intelligence, which wasn't mentioned in the original game's storyline. Consequently, Ana couldn't determine if it would be the Immortal Blades squad or deployment of Honkai weapons to eliminate this Imperial Honkai Beast. Regardless, gathering intel was crucial in either case.

Finally, amidst the rubble, Ana spotted a familiar figure—an individual of great significance to her in the original game narrative: Chen Tianwu, the future Herrscher of Stars.

The moment she saw Chen Tianwu, Ana felt a sharp pain in her forehead. Frowning, she clutched her head as a memory surfaced in her mind:

"Big Sister... Help me..."

In her memory, the gravely injured little girl weakly waved towards Ana, pleading for help. However, at that moment, Ana was too terrified to respond to her cries.

Now, it seemed likely that Chen Tianwen had already perished beneath these ruins.

As this thought crossed her mind, Ana felt a sharp pain in her chest. She placed a hand over it and took a deep breath.

Unless something unexpected occurred, this emotional knot would remain with her until she became the Herrscher of Ice, ultimately exploited by Honkai.

It was clearly a deadlock.

There was no way to save Chen Tianwen now, and if Ana managed to rescue Chen Tianwu, she couldn't possibly reveal this news to him. Those who narrowly escape calamity often need hope as their anchor.

If Ana were heartless, she could have chosen to abandon Chen Tianwu, but the potential consequences of such a decision remained unpredictable.

Moreover, a voice deep within her persistently urged her to save him.

At that very moment, the young boy trapped under the rubble struggled to open his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out right away!" Ana shouted instinctively. With swift movements, she dug through the debris, creating a relatively stable opening. Her pale, delicate hands bore numerous cuts and smears of blood, leaving her looking somewhat disheveled.

To the boy beneath the rubble, however, she appeared like an angel amidst this chaos.

Utilizing her A-rank Valkyrie skills, Ana swiftly managed to extricate Chen Tianwu from the debris.

"Thank you..." Chen Tianwu murmured weakly, his gaze fixed intently on the girl before him.

"You're welcome. Can you still move? It's extremely dangerous here!" As Ana spoke, she instinctively glanced towards the distance; they were dangerously close to the Emperor of Honkai now. If she were at full strength and equipped with weapons, she could potentially handle it.

However, during the disastrous battle that led to their squad's annihilation, she had lost all her gear. Fighting unarmed was simply impossible unless...her Stigmata awakened.

The Valkyrie Armor she wore prioritized agility over protection. Ultimately, even Bishop Otto of Schicksal hadn't anticipated a genuine Honkai outbreak in Manila. Their team's mission was merely routine surveillance and data collection.

"I can manage..." The young boy nodded, his brows slightly furrowed, face pale. Ana noticed him discreetly scratching his thigh.

There wasn't much else to say between them.

He was likely afflicted by Honkai.

In the world of Honkai, people face enemies far beyond just the Honkai Beasts; even the essence of Honkai itself is among them.

When infected by Honkai, those fortunate enough might escape unscathed, but such cases are exceedingly rare. These individuals possess inherent resistance to Honkai. The rest either succumb to Entropy Sickness or directly transform into Zombies, becoming puppets of Honkai.

Chen Tianwu had been invaded by Honkai, yet he displayed some resistance, preventing him from turning into a Zombie. However, his condition remained dire.

Unfortunately, there's little Ana could do about the Honkai infection, so she pretended not to notice.

"Let's run! We need to leave this place!"

With that, Ana grabbed Chen Tianwu's arm and pulled him, sprinting away as fast as they could.

Initially, their escape seemed smooth, but after running for a while, the pain from Honkai's affliction caused Chen Tianwu to break out in cold sweat, his face pale, and his pace slowed down significantly.

Without saying a word, Ana found a hiding spot and temporarily sheltered with Chen Tianwu.

Of course, against Honkai Beasts, such cover was akin to self-deception, providing merely a false sense of security at best.

"Are you alright?" Ana looked at Chen Tianwu with concern. She still harbored positive feelings towards him, as he had indeed not let her down in their future together. However, at this moment, there was little she could do.

"I'm... fine, just need a brief rest." Chen Tianwu gritted his teeth, managing to force a smile.

"By the way, I haven't asked for your name yet. My name is Chen Tianwu, and may I know yours?"

"Ana, Ana Schariac," Ana calmly introduced herself.

"Don't worry, as a Valkyrie of Schicksal, I will protect you and ensure your survival!"