Honkai Simulator: Start with Confessing to The Herrscher of Finality

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There are no absolute coincidences unless they themselves form a scripted narrative.

If within the game, the Herrscher of Dominance merely caused public security incidents, it would be understandable, considering it's rated for ages 12 and above. However, in reality, if the Herrscher of Dominance is still only creating such incidents, it raises deep concerns.

Clearly, the Herrscher of Dominance does not intend to destroy this world.

This group also harbors their own selfish desires.

Of course, if that were the extent of it, Xia Chen couldn't have guessed Otto was behind the schemes. After all, aspiring to control the world is a common ambition shared by many.

However, the conditions for the birth of the Herrscher of Dominance are incredibly stringent, yet it emerged shortly after the arrival of the Herrscher of Sentience.

It's important to note that at present, Honkai has not been fully revealed. To find at least a thousand individuals consumed by despair as potential Herrscher vessels, each with accomplishments in their respective fields...

That is no easy feat.

In this world, there is great respect for the labor market, making it difficult for those successful in their fields to fall into despair, let alone finding exactly one thousand.

The previous civilization's Herrscher of Dominance arose only after society had become severely ravaged.

Contrastingly, the current era's Herrscher of Dominance appeared while civilization remained largely intact, even before Honkai was widely acknowledged.

Without a mastermind orchestrating events, Xia Chen found it hard to believe.

Therefore, the most suspicious person undoubtedly was Otto.

Without a doubt, his target remained Kiana.

Or rather, at this point, he had likely concluded Sirin's plan with the sole purpose of provoking Kiana to gain the strength necessary to inherit the world.

All for that single possibility.

Xia Chen even speculated about another potential scenario:

Otto may have obtained the power or authority to 'accelerate the creation' of Herrschers. Otherwise, Schicksal's swift and well-prepared responses to the emergence of multiple Herrschers would be inexplicable.

Moreover, why did the time between the appearance of subsequent Herrschers shorten significantly after the birth of the Herrscher of the Void?

Otto was actively 'accelerating the creation' of Herrschers.

This might be part of his deal with 'God'.

"What role am I playing in this scheme?"

"Villain? Loyal servant?"

"Or perhaps the ultimate wild card?"

He glanced at the agitated doll, as if conversing directly with the archbishop himself.

If Xia Chen possessed memories of this identity, then considering all he has endured, he would indeed be the ideal candidate for the Herrscher of Dominance.

With the Cores of Wind and Ice Herrschers, along with the fury stemming from Ana's death, he could exert sufficient pressure on Kiana.

As for his ultimate fate?

That was not Otto's concern.

Xia Chen couldn't help but feel relieved, grateful for this simulation scenario.

Without it, he would have been trapped in the quagmire of destiny, unable to escape.

He wasn't sure how much of his current fate had been orchestrated by Otto, but he refused to be manipulated so easily.

Suddenly, Xia Chen felt a sense of liberation.

All along, he had worried too much. Concerned about altering the storyline and potentially disrupting the final plan, fearing Otto's wrath, and worrying about involving Ana...

His excessive concerns exposed numerous vulnerabilities.

It dawned on him that he could discard some of these worries. Life isn't like cooking, where everything must be perfectly prepared before taking action.

"Never mind, discussing this with you is pointless."

"Well then, farewell."

Moon Ash immediately targeted the dolls en masse.

The vast Dominion Theater began to crumble, Herrscher Cores tumbling to the ground one after another.

He wouldn't give these Herrschers any chance for verbal debates.

Just as the destruction of the Dominion Theater neared its end, when all seemed over,

Xia Chen suddenly felt immense pressure bearing down on his body.

Incredulity flashed across his eyes.

This sensation belonged to the Authority of the Herrscher of Rock.

"Since negotiation is futile, I shall exile you now," Xia Chen recognized it as Otto's voice.

Gritting his teeth, he muttered, "Otto, you've been hiding well."

His body was losing control, with a shattered Virtual Space behind him.

A doll removed its mask and appeared before Xia Chen, asking, "There were no mistakes evident. So, can you tell me how I was exposed?"

"Hmph, do you think I'd reveal that?"

This time, his defeat was inevitable.

As Otto began stripping away his Authorities, the Archbishop of Schicksal had secretly possessed a terrifying ability - one allowing him to usurp Herrscher powers for quite some time.

[You have been exiled by the Dominion Herrschers into weightless Virtual Space.]

[Encountered Virtual Being Flood, protected from getting lost by Stigmata Ana Schariac and Sirin's Ascension.]

[Exiled to another world, wandering beyond the starry seas.]

[Encountered Planetary-level Honkai Beast.]

[The Immortal Blades recovered the Herrscher of Dominance Core.]

[Your experience in the Schicksal World has concluded. You may permanently retain the following items and extract them into the real world. Congratulations! Obtained Honkai Fragments *20 and World Anchor *1. Extract now?]

[Your Honkai Energy compatibility has increased.]

When Xia Chen woke up, he remained lying in bed for quite some time.

It had been a long while since he experienced such pure, visceral fear deep within his heart.

The ichthyosaur-type Honkai Beast, resembling a planet itself, instilled a primal terror even without exerting any of its Authorities. A mere glance from it evoked the instinctual dread felt by prey encountering its natural predator.

That place was akin to an unfathomably vast ocean, where big fish devour smaller ones and small fish consume shrimp.

Even Honkai Beasts could not escape the raw principles of social Darwinism.

Fortunately, the Honkai Beast showed minimal interest in him, allowing him to hide within Ana's stigma space temporarily.

However, due to being disconnected from the original timeline, he ultimately faced exile.

His mind felt overwhelmed with confusion.

Clearly, numerous events must have transpired between his current self arriving in that timeline, all undoubtedly linked to Otto.

But just how far-reaching were Otto's schemes? How did he manage to manipulate everything step by step to this extent?

Xia Chen couldn't fully comprehend it.

With the limited information available, he made several guesses, yet these only led to more questions arising.

Just what kind of power did Otto obtain?

It allowed him to manipulate everything as if directing a movie.

The force behind this banishment...

Did not seem like the Herrscher's Authority but rather something else, concealed using the Herrscher's power.

After composing himself for a moment, Xia Chen checked his rewards:

[World Anchor: A device that successfully connects with a specific world unit, serving as a crucial coordinate marker within virtual and quantum realms. May you never lose your way on your journey.]

[Note: One World Anchor can mark only one world.]

[Usage: Obtain approval from a world unit.]

Xia Chen was taken aback.

This sounded remarkably similar to Dumb Goose's cheat ability.

Durandal, to preserve a world bubble from destruction, gained recognition from a World Anchor and maintained its connection, transforming it into her internal little world.

He couldn't help but shake his head, feeling both amused and perplexed.

The System certainly delivered impressive cheats, but where would he find such a world unit...?

Wait.

Xia Chen's gaze shifted towards the ceiling.

Could the System be suggesting that I establish a connection with this world?

However, Durandal's situation within the world bubble was unique. It occurred because the bubble had detached from the Imaginary Tree, leading to energy depletion. Thus, Durandal needed to maintain the little world through such means.

If I wanted a similar power-up...

My body would likely have to match a Planetary-level Honkai Beast.

Xia Chen pondered deeply.

There might be only one way to defeat Honkai, but preserving civilization does not necessarily require outright victory against it.

Similar to Durandal, protecting an entire world...

He let out a frustrated exclamation: "Damn!"

***

Author Note:

Firstly, regarding the issue of power imbalance, I must admit my handling was inadequate. For this, I take responsibility, and I accept the criticism. When an author fails to manage the plot well, being criticized by readers is warranted; I hope everyone refrains from directing their frustration at others.

I acknowledge the disconnect in Durandal's storyline, and I am willing to face the consequences.

However, regarding Ana Schariac's storyline, I believe it's necessary to provide some clarification.

Firstly, the protagonist trusts Wendy and is aware of the immense influence wielded by Ana's family, House Schariac. Returning Ana to Schicksal at this point was deemed the optimal solution.

Even the protagonist couldn't foresee that Ana would choose suicide.

The protagonist isn't a reader or the author; naturally, I could have written him fleeing with Ana. However, once she recovered, she would still return to Schicksal due to her ties to the Schariac family.

Players who closely followed the plot know that members of the Schariac family are staunch supporters of Otto.

With the protection of House Schariac, strictly speaking, Ana should be safe within Schicksal. In fact, Schicksal blamed all the wrongdoing on the protagonist, absolving Ana of any responsibility.

So, why didn't Ana join Wendy to rescue the protagonist instead of committing suicide?

Firstly, Ana's situation differs from Wendy's.

Ana belongs to a prominent family, while Wendy does not.

If we step aside from the game's narrative, can anyone argue that Siegfried's defection had no impact on the Kaslana family? How many Kaslanas remain among Schicksal's upper echelons today?

Moreover, after having her Core extracted, Ana was extremely frail. As an A-rank Valkyrie, she lacked Wendy's exceptional talent. With both her weakened state and familial ties, how could she possibly rescue the protagonist?

Additionally, Ana's suicide stemmed from the shattering of her beliefs.

In Ana's perception, everything within Schicksal was flawless. Otto conducted numerous experiments covertly, hidden from most Valkyries; only a select few were aware.

When Schicksal blamed all the faults on the protagonist, Ana's faith crumbled.

She didn't see it as right but rather felt her belief system collapse entirely.

Readers might call Ana foolish, but aside from faith, it's challenging to explain why the Valkyries remained steadfastly loyal to Schicksal, with House Schariac being particularly unwavering supporters of Otto.

Furthermore, Ana had remarkably poor resilience, almost exceptionally so.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have fled in terror during the Manila Honkai incident, nor would she have harbored deep regret for not saving Chen Tianwen.

She was a sheltered princess, always well-protected.

Schicksal also sought to protect Ana, albeit using their traditional methods this time.

However, these methods conflicted with Ana's beliefs.

Before her suicide, she did one final act: admitting that she was the Herrscher of Ice.

She took responsibility for the sins upon herself.

My mistake in handling this part of the plot was initially failing to provide proper explanation. But after revising it, I don't find any significant issues with the current version.

I've deleted the section involving Jackal.

Additionally, all personal attack comments have been removed.

As before:

For any mishandled aspects, I apologize.

However, regarding the revised storyline, I am currently not considering further changes. If I come up with improvements later, I will release patches accordingly.