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

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Version 2.3 concluded abruptly, leaving Captains anticipating the Queen's arrival in the next update. However, Old Mi took a sudden turn and launched the summer event instead.

For the Captains, this summer event was akin to a festive celebration, as it marked Luna Kindred's debut—the first character genuinely considered part of their harem.

In the main storyline, the Captain often played more of a passive observer role, detached from events unfolding around them. This game design choice was relatively uncommon among many titles. Despite players assuming the central character, the Captain felt utterly insignificant, making immersion challenging—a significant taboo for a dating sim. If not for Honkai Impact 3rd's exceptional quality...

Nevertheless, this particular summer event received unanimous praise from players. Even in future updates, Captains would fondly recall this event, not solely due to Luna Kindred's introduction.

However, the true storyline related to Luna Kindred was introduced in Version 2.5 with "The Queen's Descent." The Summer Memories event ~Midsummer Night's Phantasm can indeed be considered a continuation of the previous summer activity.

Notably, initially, players' attention focused primarily on the Queen, with few noticing Luna's presence. Nobody anticipated Old Mi suddenly changing their approach.

Following Version 2.5 came Version 2.6: Rekindle.

For many Captains, this version is often regarded as the most disappointing since Honkai Impact 3rd's inception, and ironically, it coincided with the game's anniversary celebration.

This update introduced a side story arc and a new character, Sündenjäger (Original Sin Hunter). Players widely criticized Sündenjäger for being weaker than Ice Kallen, sharing too many similarities with Kiana in design, and lacking the initial armor's feel that Kallen had.

While everyone mocked Ritual Imayoh's ineffectiveness, those who played her knew she was genuinely enjoyable, with great gameplay mechanics and crucial for achieving certain combo achievements.

Apart from her lackluster effectiveness, she didn't have significant flaws, although that was arguably her biggest drawback.

In the Honkai World, Ana walked alone on her way back to the standby location, feeling rather downcast. Although expressing her thoughts provided temporary relief,

she knew that mere words could never truly resolve any issues. Moreover, she couldn't be certain if her verbal outburst had any effect at all. If events continued along the original storyline, she would need to prepare herself accordingly.

However, should the plot deviate, she might have to consider supporting Theresa instead.

Essentially, she had inadvertently set a trap for herself.

"Beep! Detected increase in character Ana's popularity by one tier. Now unlocking Anomaly World Fragment: Moonlit Night World Fragment accessible. Upon completion, you can edit exclusive event scenarios for heterogeneous characters."

Suddenly, after a long silence, the System notification chimed again. While this wave didn't grant specific rewards to Ana directly, it offered a significant opportunity:

The ability to create custom storylines and personal narratives within the Moonlit Night World Fragment!

She recalled that when she first crossed over, it coincided with the release of the updated Luna Kindred storyline. The new version of Luna Kindred was launched, but alas, before she could even summon her beloved "Moonlit Wife," she found herself transported to this world.

However, after a brief moment of excitement, Ana felt disinterested again.

It was quite simple; although these new features sounded intriguing, they didn't offer any tangible benefits to her.

If she entered the Moonlit Night World Fragment, she would likely become a secondary character within the event's storyline, appearing in the Captain's narrative arc. Remember, this is an event centered around the Captain as the protagonist.

In other words, entering it would essentially make her part of the Captain's harem, including both the main event plot and individual storylines. The game would create a heterogeneous character based on her, which the Captain would then pursue, increasing player affection towards her and yielding rewards.

This clearly involved selling herself to cater to players' desires. If she had nothing else to do, brushing through these events for some additional rewards might be worthwhile, but currently, Ana's rewards were already overflowing.

She could only say: "The feature sounds nice! But please don't implement it again!"

Being a supporting character in the moonlit world was somewhat acceptable, but creating a custom heterogeneous character for the Captain to pursue seemed too abstract.

If it were akin to Horrabbit's role, that would be fine, but if it resembled Rosemary, Zhuge Kongming, or even Moonlit Night herself, Ana doubted she could handle it comfortably.

"Wait, Durandal is heading this way?" Fu Hua's eyes narrowed as she looked at Rita with disbelief. Just moments ago, she had tended to Himeko, treating her injuries and leaving behind a feather for backup. Meanwhile, on the other side, Rita had taken care of Dr. Tesla, albeit with some complications along the way.

As for Ana, she found a cool spot and earnestly began slacking off.

Outside, Durandal led the Immortal Blades squad in clearing Honkai Beasts, including Fu Hua's Snow Lotus Squad. However, as their captain, Fu Hua didn't have to actively participate—a perk of having such a powerful wife!

And let's not forget, her second wife spoils her immensely too!

Huh? You ask why Durandal isn't considered the first wife? Well, Rita just exudes too much A-energy. Neither Fu Hua nor Bianka can match up against her.

Following Otto's orders, after brief rest periods amidst their busy schedules, the three women gathered together, leading to the scene unfolding now.

"Who's currently monitoring the Herrscher then? No one else can stand against them except Durandal," Fu Hua asked loudly.

Ana opened her mouth but remained silent, saying nothing.

Well, Fu Hua had never fought the Second Herrscher either. If she didn't know who was monitoring the situation, then so be it. For Ana, her priority now was to avoid any unnecessary confrontations and remain as inconspicuous as possible.

"Rest assured, everything is under control," Otto's confident voice came through the communicator. He understood Fu Hua's concerns perfectly, but from his perspective, events were unfolding according to plan.

While his strategy might seem risky, considering Theresa's power and his years of research on the Kaslana bloodline, he believed she could hold her own against the enemy.

Moreover, he possessed the Gun of God, an absolute weapon against Herrschers. Should Theresa truly find herself cornered, he would intervene and rescue her. At that point, he'd gain a compliant granddaughter—why not seize such an opportunity?

"My dear Theresa will help us acquire the power of a Herrscher," Otto said slowly.

Even though only his voice could be heard, Ana could vividly imagine Otto's fanatical demeanor at that moment.

In truth, Otto wasn't solely focused on the experiments for the Herrscher of Human.

He needed a living Herrscher—and specifically, the Herrscher of the Void—because its power was crucial to his plans. That's why Kiana remained his target.

"...What are you saying?! Theresa is battling a Herrscher!" Fu Hua seemed visibly alarmed.

No one understood Theresa's capabilities better than she did, having experienced the Second Honkai Eruption alongside her. While Theresa made for a competent academy principal, her combat prowess fell short of what one would expect from an S-rank Valkyrie. In essence, she relied heavily on Judah.

However, even then, her strength wasn't sufficient to fully unleash Judah's potential. Thus, pitting Theresa against a Herrscher amounted to sending her to certain death.

"Calm down, my friend—" Otto anticipated Fu Hua's concern; he knew she had grown attached to Theresa and the others. If it wouldn't waste too much time, he intended to provide some reassurance to his old friend, Fu Hua.

But before Otto could continue, the communicator malfunctioned due to the awakening of the 3rd Herrscher.

"Hello? Hello!" Fu Hua anxiously called out as Otto's explanation abruptly cut off, waiting for him to resume.

Having fought against it before, Fu Hua was acutely aware of the Herrscher of the Void's power. Without Otto providing a satisfactory explanation, she wouldn't let this matter rest—his cryptic words instantly plunged her heart to its lowest point.

"It seems there's an issue with the communicator; my apologies. Please allow me to check on it," Rita requested as she stepped forward and meticulously examined the device. While her combat prowess fell short compared to other S-rank Valkyries, outside battle scenarios, Rita was undeniably a genius capable of handling any task.

"..."

"It's due to an electromagnetic pulse—a strong one nearby has disrupted the communication system," Rita reported after inspecting for a moment, sounding slightly regretful. This particular problem lay beyond her abilities to resolve.

"(Electromagnetic... Could it be Mei?!)" Fu Hua's mood worsened further. Unaware that Mei had already removed the limiter from her bomb, she had merely seen her as a Herrscher who could buy some time. However, even without the limiter, the reality was that facing the Herrscher of the Void, Mei couldn't last more than a single round.

"Rita, quickly repair the communication equipment and contact Durandal!" Fu Hua commanded sternly, her face grave with concern.

"Inform her that the reborn Herrscher may have already gone rogue; she must immediately assemble the Valkyrie forces."

In the past, Fu Hua wouldn't have needed any assistance for this task. But now, to save Theresa and defeat the Herrscher, they had to rely on Durandal's super-S-rank Valkyrie power.

However, even if they could reach Durandal instantly, it would still take time for her to arrive, and every second counted as lives hung in the balance. At that moment, Fu Hua cursed herself for not having wings to swiftly fly to the Hyperion.

"I'll hold off the Herrscher first, buying you some time..."

But upon hearing Fu Hua's words, Rita remained unmoved.

"Lady Fu Hua, I cannot comply with your request."

"But...why?" Fu Hua found it hard to believe. Given the dire situation, how could Rita remain indifferent?

"The Lord Bishop has never given orders to engage the Herrscher directly."

"What?!"

The expression on Fu Hua's face was now quite remarkable.

Earlier, Otto had informed all the Valkyries about a trump card hidden within the laboratory, to be used when necessary. Yet now, Rita claimed that Otto hadn't given any orders regarding combat against the Herrscher? What could this mean?!

"Please allow me to share my perspective." In response to Fu Hua's astonishment, Rita remained composed and unruffled.

"In Lord Bishop's plan, there are several trump cards at play. As of now, he has yet to utilize even one, indicating that the situation is still under control."

"In such circumstances, taking unilateral action would be entirely inappropriate."

As Rita spoke, her tone softened noticeably from its usual sternness. She genuinely meant every word, sincerely hoping Fu Hua wouldn't come to harm.

Unlike Durandal, who was kept in the dark, Rita, as both an intelligence operative and Otto's trusted confidante, knew many secrets.

She was aware that Fu Hua possessed Yu Duo, understood she was the Goddess Red Kite who guarded Shenzhou for millennia, and recognized that Fu Hua's current condition was precarious, with less than a tenth of her true power remaining.

Rita held immense respect for heroes like Fu Hua, so she silently bore Fu Hua's misconceptions without disputing them.

She fully comprehended that, given Fu Hua's diminished strength, facing a Herrscher would leave no chance of victory.

Although Rita didn't fully grasp how Lady Theresa could oppose Herrschers and assist them in harnessing their power, her unwavering trust in Otto prevented any doubts.

Moreover, Rita was well aware of Bishop Otto's feelings towards Theresa; she often had to discreetly clean up after his subtle gestures.

Thus, before receiving direct orders from the bishop, she did not wish for Fu Hua to rush to certain death.

"I don't want to argue with you. Since you hold that belief, I won't force your assistance."

Fu Hua acknowledged the validity of Rita's concerns, but as Ana had previously stated, she couldn't afford to take chances now. As an immortal who protected Shenzhou for millennia, she trusted her own judgment.

If Otto's contingency plan failed to activate in time, the consequences would be unimaginably dire.

"The moment an innocent became involved with the Herrscher, the plan spiraled out of control," Fu Hua said coldly. Her trust in Otto had wavered, though truthfully, she wasn't privy to the entirety of his scheme. Even Ana found it overly idealistic and implausible. It was hard to believe such a romantic plan could originate from someone as rational as Otto.

"I will stop the Herrscher!" Fu Hua declared firmly, as if swearing her determination.

Observing the stubborn Fu Hua before her, Rita shook her head and sighed.

"Lady Fu Hua, you still don't understand."

However, this time, Rita didn't elaborate further. Instead, she glanced towards Ana nearby, seeking some assistance with pleading eyes.

"Don't look at me; I'm Lord Bishop's loyal subordinate, obedient and well-behaved," Ana hastily responded upon feeling Rita's gaze.

Persuade Fu Hua? Ha? Don't joke around. Probably only Dr. Mei could change Fu Hua's mind, not even Kevin could. After all, she was infamously rigid and obstinate, yet that's precisely what made her endearing.

"Lady Ana..."

"If you've made your decision, go ahead! Just remember my words." Ana spoke calmly.

"Ana!"

In her anxiety, Rita momentarily abandoned her usual respectful address. If Ana hadn't intervened, she might have concocted an excuse for Fu Hua, but now, with Ana's involvement, she found herself completely at a loss.