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

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Tianqiong City, atop an abandoned elevated bridge.

Ana opened her eyes, overwhelmed by a searing pain that threatened to tear her apart.

Her memories hadn't truly been burned away significantly; most were merely severed by a mysterious yet familiar force, presumably the system. However, the weakness and pain from memory combustion, along with the subsequent confusion, persisted.

Currently, Ana's condition was poor. Considering her gains, this endeavor undoubtedly felt like a losing proposition.

Nevertheless, she harbored no regrets. Even if it meant burning her own memories, she would not hesitate. As Kiana's cousin and teacher, it was her responsibility, especially since everything had initially involved her as well.

The one who should have stepped forward to break free from fate, clearly, was herself all along.

"Mistress!"

Cang Luan transformed back into human form and rushed to Ana's side. Seeing her in agony, Cang Luan grew anxious but felt helpless, being just a Honkai Beast with limited abilities.

"Mistress, please connect with me! Let me share your burden and alleviate some of your pain!" She pleaded, knowing that sharing the pain was the only assistance she could offer. However, Ana shook her head, refusing the help.

"No, there's no need!"

Ana believed she alone should bear the consequences of her stubbornness. How could she harm her beloved Cang Luan? Moreover, even if they shared the pain, it wouldn't significantly change anything.

"Mistress!"

Cang Luan pleaded sorrowfully, but Ana remained unmoved.

After a brief moment's rest, Ana finally sighed deeply, recovering from her intense state, albeit still feeling somewhat drained mentally.

The Authorities she had absorbed were now integrated into her own Core, causing subtle changes to her Herrscher outfit, though not noticeably so.

Ana did consider taking some Authorities with her.

However, the Void Core was Kiana's foundation, and the Gem of Serenity was crucial for maintaining Kiana's existence. Additionally, the Gem of Conquest needed to be passed on to Raiden Mei later, leaving no option for Ana to take any away.

These matters could only be gradually resolved by Kiana herself as events unfolded; Ana couldn't intervene further.

Next, Ana needed to address her own issues.

Standing up, she gazed at the unconscious Kiana, a gentle expression gracing her face.

She wasn't sure if Kiana would harbor resentment towards her because of this, but it had to be done—it was the only way forward. If Kiana could channel that hatred into her battles, Ana would find solace in it.

Hatred isn't necessarily detrimental; it can propel personal growth. Moreover, the root cause of Kiana's hatred never truly existed, so let her hate, for now.

"You... just..." A feeble voice came from behind Ana, unmistakably Rita's.

Rita struggled to sit up, her wounds already treated by Abyss Flower. The weapon now lay beside her, its surface reflecting the moonlight.

Indeed, Ana intended to return Abyss Flower to Bianka.

For her, the Divine Key no longer held much significance. As a Herrscher, her regenerative abilities were incredibly potent, rendering her independent of Abyss Flower's healing powers.

Regarding Abyss Flower's destructive potential, Ana possessed formidable strength as a Herrscher herself. Once she fully becomes the Herrscher of Ice, her destructive capabilities will reach their zenith, making Abyss Flower unnecessary.

In contrast, Bianka could greatly benefit from possessing this Divine Key.

"Don't you feel compelled to explain yourself?" Rita's usual maid-like tone shifted; she spoke with utmost calmness, almost confidingly towards Ana. It wasn't a confrontational question but rather one born out of curiosity and concern.

She couldn't truly confront Ana, knowing well that she must be engaged in something immensely crucial.

"Rita, I don't want to involve you; you're still too weak," Ana said softly without turning back.

Whether it was her own transformation into a Herrscher, Project Stigma, or defeating Honkai, these matters were beyond Rita's scope of understanding and participation. She simply lacked the qualifications to be involved.

"If ever we must become enemies one day, please show no mercy."

Without waiting for Rita's response, Ana ascended with Cang Luan, leaving Rita gazing after them, words caught in her throat.

After a long moment, she collapsed onto the ground, eyes dim and expression disheartened—an emotion never before seen on her face. This time, however, it was undeniably present, reflecting Rita's profound sense of helplessness.

She couldn't assist Ana at all, not even offer the comfort she wished she could provide. Rita didn't fully grasp what Ana was doing. Just confronting the World Serpent had stretched her to her limits, relying heavily on Kiana's power.

Without Kiana's presence, Rita couldn't even begin to imagine handling this situation.

To Ana, such matters might seem trivial, but for Rita, they posed a life-threatening risk—making her nothing more than deadweight.

This realization left Rita feeling deeply dissatisfied.

However, Ana truly differed from Durandal. Perhaps even someone like Durandal couldn't assist with the issues Ana faced; otherwise, the Abyss Flower wouldn't have appeared here.

Gazing at the Divine Key embedded in the ground, Rita softly sighed and, using the Abyss Flower as support, slowly stood up.

Then, turning her attention to Kiana lying unconscious nearby, all traces of hesitation and worry vanished from her face, transforming her once again into the elegant maid she was known for being.

"This is indeed... somewhat troublesome."

Above the clouds, at Ana's resting place, she once again initiated communication with Otto.

In no time, Otto's holographic image appeared before her. The figure seemed slightly different from their previous conversation, clearly indicating that he was no longer at Saint Freya Academy.

This didn't surprise Ana; it likely meant Otto had hit a bottleneck in his experiments and sent the Unnamed Locomotive to the testing site—an uninhabited town in Northern Africa.

"What is it, my friend? More good news perhaps?" Otto greeted her with his customary smile and phrase, raising Ana's eyebrows.

"I need your assistance, Otto."

"Hmm, of course, my friend! What do you require?"

"A Herrscher-level Honkai event is imminent near Coral Island, situated between Asia and Oceania. Its intensity may even approach that of the Second Honkai Eruption. Notify the local government immediately to organize an evacuation." Ana spoke calmly.

Indeed, Ana planned to return to Coral Island and choose it as her place of Ascension. With limited resources at hand, she couldn't afford too many changes.

Despite being an autonomous region with a population of 1.5 million, Coral Island's isolation by sea made it relatively secure even under worst-case scenarios.

"My friend, are you certain?" Otto asked.

Although Schicksal held significant global influence, it remained an organization, not a nation. However, over the years, as the Honkai disasters intensified, Schicksal gained more authority to combat the threat.

Evacuating a city with 1.5 million inhabitants without any apparent reason would result in substantial losses across various aspects.

"Do I have any reason to deceive you?" Ana countered.

"Haha—"

Otto chuckled awkwardly, realizing there indeed was no need for her to lie. Regardless of the situation, evacuating people wouldn't affect Ana directly, so she had no motive to mislead him.

Naturally, Otto had no way of knowing that Ana could become the Herrscher of Ice.

Her situation was unique, akin to Sirin's—both one-of-a-kind cases.

"Rest assured, my friend, I will make the necessary arrangements."

"Mm-hmm," Ana nodded slightly, genuinely feeling at ease with Otto involved. He rarely made mistakes when it came to matters he cared about; his last significant error was probably during their battle.

Well, perhaps that's putting it mildly.

"I'll leave it in your hands then."

With those words, Ana ended the communication link and gazed up at the night sky, her eyes shimmering.

For now, she still had some time. Everything was set, just awaiting the right moment. Although she wouldn't directly intervene, Kiana and Rita's story in Tianqiong City had not yet concluded.

However, this part of the narrative no longer involved Ana significantly.

"Just wait a little longer... Kiana, don't disappoint me..."

Thus, the narrative in Tianqiong City continued, encompassing the content of Chapter 14's main storyline.

Although Ana's appearance introduced a new and captivating segment to this chapter, overall, it only constituted half of the entire arc.

As Kiana awakened, guided by Fu Hua, the story of the Void Drifter progressed. Most importantly, Fu Hua suggested that what Kiana had witnessed earlier was likely orchestrated by Ana to draw out the Queen's facade.

From the outcome, Kiana believed and accepted this explanation because she sensed an increased ability to harness her Authorities without being influenced by the Queen.

Considering Ana's consistent impression and memories, along with her trust in Fu Hua, Kiana embraced this viewpoint.

However, at the same time, she realized that Ana must have paid an unimaginable price for her sake; otherwise, she wouldn't have left so abruptly.

Fu Hua fell silent upon hearing Kiana's speculation.

One could say that sometimes, pretending to be oblivious would have been better for the foolish Kiana. The loss Ana endured far exceeded even Fu Hua's estimations.

Although Ana never explicitly revealed it at that time, she was indeed the true wielder of Yu Duo... However, faced with Kiana's speculation, Fu Hua could only choose to feign ignorance.

She feared that if Kiana truly learned the whole truth, her psychological burden would become even heavier. Both herself and Ana had witnessed this girl's growth and efforts, which is why they sought ways to assist her.

Naturally, neither of them intended to disclose the sacrifices they made.

On the other side, Rita acted similarly. She contacted the other Immortal Blade Valkyries while withholding certain information. As for Schicksal, she temporarily lost direct contact and could only leave messages.

In the original storyline, Kiana woke up first and led Rita to a hiding place, but this time, the roles were reversed. Nevertheless, Rita also chose to depart.

Her attitude and perception towards Kiana had significantly changed. If possible, provided Kiana could control her powers, Rita no longer wished to bring her back to Schicksal Headquarters.

Meanwhile, targeting Divine City Pharmaceuticals or rather, World Serpent, Kiana, after a brief respite, launched another offensive. This time, she planned to employ the same strategy as Ana, albeit unaware of what had transpired before.

Perhaps due to her nature as a student or simply because she saw no better alternative, Kiana chose to use herself as bait once again.

Meanwhile, after ensuring her subordinates were safe, Rita planned her next move. Her injuries had fully healed, and with the Argent Knight Artemis's Godslayer Armor at her disposal, if confronting the Raven, she stood a good chance of victory—provided she wasn't caught off guard like before.

Although the other Valkyries of the Immortal Blades weren't entirely convinced by Rita's decision, they chose to respect it. As Schicksal's finest, yet also adhering to the traditional values of Valkyries fighting for the people, they understood Lady Rita's desire to protect this city and couldn't oppose her.

However, driven by fear of their formidable enemy and seeking stability, they preferred waiting for their captain's response and support. But everyone knew well that time equaled lives.

While Rita could not immediately rely on assistance from Schicksal, she did receive aid from another faction, albeit somewhat risky. It was all she could do under these circumstances.

Shortly thereafter, inside Divine City Pharmaceuticals' drug research institute, Rita met with Raiden Mei, who had traveled a great distance to join her. Due to her distrust, Mei held a blade against Rita's neck upon arrival.

However, to be honest, Rita was somewhat disappointed that only Raiden Mei had come to her aid.

She actually hoped for the assistance of that fiery-tempered young lady. Although Ana possessed some knowledge in technology, she couldn't match the expertise needed for rapid breakthroughs like the other one.

Soon, Rita and Mei reached an agreement: Mei would help Rita find the desired antidote, while Rita provided Mei with directions to locate Kiana, along with Gray Serpent's prosthetic eye.

Meanwhile, at the World Serpent's laboratory, Kiana awakened as well. After gathering crucial information, she managed to break free from confinement.

Just as she was about to leave, she encountered Raiden Mei. This long-awaited reunion led them to embrace tightly.

[So sweet, it's just too heartwarming!]

[They finally meet again! Ahh, so touching!]

[This moment makes it all worth it!]

In the real world, version 3.6 "Crimson Night Dawn" had been successfully updated, drawing viewers to gather in Brother Cake's live stream to follow the unfolding storyline.

For Captains, this narrative arc proved immensely satisfying.

Earlier, Ana meticulously orchestrated events, using the burning memories to help Kiana neutralize the threat of the Queen of the Void. However, despite being the central character, Ana didn't receive much attention from the viewers.

Most viewers' attention was focused on the Queen of the Void.