Chapter 80: Little Senti: Old Timer, How are You Still Flat After 50,000 Years?
Anxiety! Pure anxiety!!
The moment the cliffhanger appeared, the audience felt as if ants were crawling all over their skin! In his previous life, Su Mu—as a player—had often been driven to the brink of madness by miHoYo's cliffhangers. But now he realized... damn, being the one doing the cliffhanging felt incredibly good!
Pardo looked at the players in the chat, whose anticipation was through the roof. She knew that the hype for the next version of Honkai Impact 3rd would not die down... Though the game had been topping the charts for a while, there was no doubt that the release of the "Queen's Descent" animated short had pushed the heat to its absolute peak!
Some players who were still hesitating to join the game took one look at the Herrscher of the Void and shouted:
"I'm pulling for her, even if it costs me everything!"
The playable Herrscher of the Void did not disappoint. Her unique ability to phase through enemies and trigger Ultimate Evasions put the timing directly in the hands of the players. This was a massive surprise for the min-maxing competitive players in the Memorial Arena; being able to carry Mjolnir as a support-launcher was simply fantastic!
Of course, as a Physical Damage dealer, the Herrscher of the Void was exceptionally powerful in her own right. When paired with [Celestial Hymn], she was unstoppable. That voice line when she activated her Ultimate—"Now is the time for judgment"—sent shivers down the spines of players! It truly felt like a Queen had descended!
Before this, Honkai Impact 3rd had launched many characters. But compared to the sensation brought by the Herrscher of the Void, they paled in comparison. With the backing of the animated short and the intense plot, the "Queen of Honkai" was pure gold! In Su Mu's previous life, it could be said that the upward trajectory of Honkai 3rd truly began with the Queen's descent. It was no exaggeration to say she opened a new era for the game; her existence was a milestone.
In this life, the sensation was even more terrifying. Within a single day, she dominated every major forum and website.
[Damn! Even though she's a villain, why can't I bring myself to hate her at all!]
[She's too cool! I really want to defect to the Honkai side!]
[I've had enough, I'm going to be the Queen's dog!]
Discussions regarding the Herrscher of the Void broke out everywhere. Even in the comments of certain "pink" manga apps, people were discussing how to build a team for her. When someone saw those comments, they immediately replied with the joke: "So, you play Honkai Impact 3rd too?"
At the same time, the terrifying traffic and earning power brought by the Queen forced every major game studio to hold emergency meetings. They were all heatedly discussing why miHoYo's Herrscher of the Void could achieve such immense success.
[I thought Honkai 3rd would peak, but they just put out an animation with production value rivaling top-tier studios!]
[The music is top-tier too...]
[MiHoYo can do it all? Dammit! Are their employees all monsters?]
For a while, major studios were mourning and complaining. Is there anything more painful than watching someone else make a fortune? Especially for those industry insiders who had looked down on the game before; they felt like their faces had been slapped raw.
[Research! You must research this competitor for me! Study it to the bone!]
[The boss gave a dead order: study this product with everything you have! Did you hear me!]
[As long as we're the first to make a similar game and follow miHoYo's lead, we might be able to get some of the leftovers!]
['Project: Cute Girl Game'—Launch the project immediately!!]
In this world, money is king. Many studios began to dissect Honkai 3rd. Pride didn't matter; only profit was the hard truth! Facing this situation, even the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang, couldn't help but remark:
"The new era of the gaming industry opened by Su Mu and the others is arriving. Without a doubt, they have become the leaders of this new age. From now on, the entire industry will likely begin to... accelerate."
At the Arc City Branch of Schicksal, in Fu Hua's room.
Fu Hua was controlling the Herrscher of the Void, completing the Schicksal Airport story missions. Because the version update was content-rich and the rewards were generous, even though Fu Hua hit near-pity again, she successfully pulled the Herrscher of the Void. However, her luck with the signature weapon and Stigmata wasn't as good. After getting several off-rate items, she finally got the weapon and decided to stop for now.
She thought about giving her account to someone else to pull, or just asking Kiana to do it again... Even without the full signature set, Fu Hua was having the time of her life in the Schicksal Airport. After all, the character was undeniably stylish.
Senti, clutching her phone, rolled over on the bed and looked at Fu Hua at the computer. "Old Timer, how far have you pushed the plot?"
Fu Hua replied, "Main story is done. You?"
Senti sat up cross-legged. "I'm done too. Now I'm getting ready to play your side story, Old Timer..."
Fu Hua nodded. Senti was fast; she was quite the Liver Emperor herself. After opening the Honkai Chronicles, Senti looked at the title and said with surprise:
"The Forgotten? Old Timer, that title... sounds a bit heavy, doesn't it?"
"Well, it makes sense. Whether in the game or in reality, you always have that 'burden of the world' look on your face... People like you are either hiding a world-shattering secret or..."
"Burden of the world?" Fu Hua offered a bitter smile. "Is my expression usually that bad?"
"It's just a figure of speech! It's just that characters like you in games—meticulous, mysterious in strength, and acting as a frienemy to the protagonists—usually carry a huge secret. Maybe a tragic heroic fate from the past..."
Senti's analysis made Fu Hua nod. "That makes sense. In the plot, Fu Hua isn't a bad person. Her assisting Otto likely has a hidden reason."
Senti waved a hand. "Could someone like you be a bad person? Upright, meticulous, naked... that's the kind of Old Timer you are."
Fu Hua felt black lines form on her forehead. "Is 'naked' some new internet slang? Is that really a way to describe someone's character?"
Senti jumped off the bed. "Oh, I meant 'transparent and honest'!" She squeezed in next to Fu Hua, smiling. "Since I'm here, Old Timer, let's play together! Games are only fun when played with two people!"
Fu Hua was helpless against her sister's acting cute. Even if Senti called her "Old Timer" constantly, she didn't hate her; in fact, she loved her sister the most. Though Fu Hua was stiff and serious, to Senti, she was the best sister in the world.
"You're so old and you still love to act like a baby. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
"There's no one else here! Old Timer, you wouldn't find me annoying, would you? Even if you did, it's too late! Hehe!"
Looking at Senti's silly face, Fu Hua was both annoyed and amused. "You, really." She lightly flicked Senti's forehead.
"Okay, okay, let's start! Don't you have work for Schicksal later, Old Timer?"
Under Senti's urging, Fu Hua clicked on The Forgotten side story.
[The "Seat of Gods" weapon, the Book of Fuxi. Its core is a quantum computer made of liquid Soulium. It records a vast amount of knowledge and technology from the Previous Era. These orb-shaped computers have appeared throughout history worldwide. To pursue their origins, the Overseer of Schicksal, Otto, secretly launched a project...]
"Fuxi? No way, even she got put into the game? No need to ask, that girl Nuwa must be in it too!" The two familiar names made Senti's eyes widen, and she complained with dissatisfaction.
"You don't seem to get along with them."
"Of course not! One is a penny-pincher, and the other wants to turn my image into a figure the moment we meet, saying it'll definitely make money and boost my popularity..." Senti began complaining about Fuxi and Nuwa to Fu Hua.
Fuxi and Nuwa were a pair of sisters and close friends of Fu Hua. However, their personalities were worlds apart. Fuxi was relatively cool and detached, while Nuwa was a total optimist. One was a CEO with massive wealth; the other was a DIY fanatic with a dedicated social media account where she posted "waifus" made through various means: figures, sculptures, paintings, and even animated shorts...
But Senti's impression of them wasn't great. Fuxi was too arrogant, and Nuwa was too annoying... Hmph! They were just poor imitations of the Old Timer! Fu Hua smiled, listening to Senti's grumbles without refuting them.
In the game, Otto, in order to explore the secrets of the Previous Era, used a memory-diving device to explore the depths of Fu Hua's mind. He mentioned in their dialogue that Fu Hua was a survivor of the Previous Era. And... the Guardian of Shenzhou.
"Holy crap! I knew it! Old Timer, your identity is definitely not simple!" Senti shouted with excitement. "Admire my detective skills! I told you, a character with your setting would definitely have a magnificent past!"
In the game, upon using the memory-diving device, Fu Hua's appearance changed drastically. Her uniform vanished, replaced by a qipao with strong Shenzhou elements, and her hair turned into a mix of red and white! Her entire aura shifted!
"...Is that your S-rank battlesuit, Phoenix, Old Timer?" Senti looked curiously at the in-game Fu Hua. "So that armor is actually what you looked like in the past?"
As the in-game Fu Hua opened her eyes, she found herself in a room styled with ancient elegance. Otto told Fu Hua that this was the "Cloud-Watching Observatory," Fu Hua's former residence. The current year was 1475—the furthest back their memory diving could go. Memory is layered; 500 years was the current limit of Fu Hua's surface memory. She could only recall up to five centuries ago. To leap into deeper memories, she had to find items that could trigger her recollection.
"Wait? Five hundred years? Old Timer, exactly how old are you in this game?" Senti's eyes went wide. "So you really are an 'Old Timer' in the game! The Previous Era timeline starts at least 50,000 years ago, right? 50,000 years... damn..."
Fu Hua also realized her origin was indeed not simple. Her acquaintances, the residents of the Golden Courtyard, had all authorized their likenesses to Su Mu. But so far, other than herself, she hadn't seen anyone else appear. If she was a survivor of the Previous Era, it was logical to assume that Eden, Elysia, and the others... were they also people from 50,000 years ago?
In the game, after a search, Fu Hua found an exquisitely crafted clay figurine. Though it looked old, the craftsmanship was exceptional.
"Wait... isn't that Phoenix?" Senti noticed that the figurine looked exactly like the "Phoenix" Stigma in the game. "Wait, the Old Timer's form is also called Phoenix. Does that mean the Old Timer is the Phoenix?" She immediately denied her own answer. "No, no, no! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Phoenix has at least a C-cup, right? There's no comparison with the Old Timer's flat chest... And Phoenix looks like a gentle, mature older sister; it doesn't fit the Old Timer's vibe at all!"
Fu Hua looked at her sister with a smile. Although she was smiling, the visible killing intent gave Senti a fright.
"Do you have any last words, my dear sister?"
Senti scrambled to defend herself: "No, no! I meant that Phoenix looks far too frivolous! Yes! She completely lacks your sense of righteousness and heroic stature, Old Timer! Yes, that's exactly what I meant!"
Looking at her sister's frantic survival instinct, what could Fu Hua do? She couldn't actually punch the kid to death, could she? She only had this one sister, after all. She just had to endure it—that's the burden of being the older sister...
The game continued. The moment Fu Hua looked at the clay figurine, she remembered it was a gift from Nuwa. Using this as a trigger, Fu Hua was able to enter the memory fault and explore even deeper. Upon mentioning Nuwa, Otto seemed somewhat surprised.
[Nuwa, the God of Creation in ancient Shenzhou, the Mother Earth who opened the heavens and created all things... But in reality, her true identity is the same as yours: a survivor of the Previous Era, correct?]
END OF CHAPTER
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