Chapter 180 Big Duck: Seele, don't kiss my husband! Waaaah!
Almost half a month had passed since MiHoYo moved into its new office building, and the day for the new version update was fast approaching. In the version preview held one week prior, the content for the brand-new version [Chasing the Shadow of Stars]was announced.
S-rank Durandal [Bright Knight: Excelsis]debut! Main Story Chapter 16 [Storm Brewing]update! Chronicle [Chasing Dreams: Twin Stars]! Come and become idols with the Vodka Girls!
Simultaneously, during this livestream, a bombshell announcement was dropped that shocked the entire player base! The brand-new open world—[A Post-Honkai Odyssey](APHO) was about to arrive!
Building upon the existing combat system, APHO gameplay would unlock the vertical dimension, allowing players to experience more three-dimensional combat! At the same time, newly added dynamic scenes and 3D maps would bring users a different experience in scene exploration and stage design.
In APHO, new combat performances such as dynamic lighting and environmental destruction would be added. Character attacks and enemy/environmental explosions would illuminate the current battle scene—true blade-flashing action! Furthermore, breakable objects would be added to the maps to enhance combat feedback and provide a more realistic battle experience. Due to the added height dimension, APHO would feature more three-dimensional and diverse ways to fight, interact, and execute enemies!
In fact, as a vital DLC for Honkai Impact 3rd, Su Mu had been arranging for staff to continuously polish APHO. While the original APHO in his previous life had caused a stir, the base game of Honkai 3rd in this world was much stronger due to higher technical capabilities. Therefore, APHO naturally underwent a corresponding upgrade!
Su Mu specifically enlarged the map of St. Fountain, allowing players to explore it more freely, while adding different monsters and side stories. He further improved the graphics and frame rate on the original basis! It could be said that Su Mu had poured immense effort into letting players experience smooth and exhilarating combat in APHO!
Once the news of the large-scale open-world DLC was announced, the livestream exploded!
[Holy crap! The Old Thief pulled a fast one on us without a word!]
[Now I know where our topped-up money went!]
[The Old Thief is a real one. He's actually using the profits to make the game better!]
[Wait? New open world? What about my Father? My 90% complete Father? The main story is at Chapter 16, and Father is still at 90%?]
[LMAO, the Old Thief must have forgotten there's a poor Father still parked at the Schicksal Helios?]
[Father: Sigh! Busy, everyone's busy! It's good to be busy...]
Following that, in the declassified intelligence, information about the current Schicksal Anti-Honkai Squad 3 was released!
Raiden Mei: Former Third Herrscher, current Captain of Schicksal Squad 3. Currently heading to the African city of St. Fountain with her teammates to find the missing Welt Yang. Carole: A student at the new St. Freya Academy, member of the Schicksal Anti-Honkai Special Forces. Her life motto is "doing the right thing at the right age"—a spirited young girl living life to the fullest!
[Ah? Raiden Mei?]
[This Mei looks so mature!]
[Onee-san Mei? I'm in!]
[Does this mean we shouldn't call her Mei-senpai anymore, but Auntie Mei?]
[Whoa, Carole the designer is actually in the game? Is this a self-insert!]
[Carole is pretty cute! I really dig this kind of lively young girl!]
[Wait a minute, why is the last member of Squad 3 a male character?]
When the final member of Squad 3 was revealed, viewers were stunned to see a handsome young man. Weren't the Valkyries in the game supposed to be beautiful girls? Why was there suddenly a playable male character?
Under Carole's explanation, viewers realized that this character was actually the avatar the player would control in the game! Players could name him according to their preference.
[Ah? Free naming? That means...]
[I can only hope that everyone names him like a human being.]
[How did you know I was going to name him 'Service ID 9527 Xiao Qi'?]
[Then I'm naming mine 'Queen Mei's Dog'!!]
[Please stop being weird in the chat!!]
As for the protagonist's face, it was entirely AI-generated; his facial structure couldn't be found in any global population database. However, at the beginning of production, the team members intentionally modeled it toward Su Mu's facial features. While not a 100% match, it was about 70-80% similar. If you didn't look closely, you couldn't tell, but someone who knew Su Mu would recognize him instantly.
Su Mu had initially rejected this. Dammit, if players find out the protagonist they control has my face, they'll jump off cliffs, get killed by mobs, electrocuted, drowned, and burned to death in every way possible. By then, they wouldn't even need cool APHO combat montages—they'd just make "100 Ways for Old Thief Su to Die," and it would be a guaranteed hit!
Thinking of the players' revelry, Su Mu couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. This was practically cyber-torture...
The first chapter of APHO was now complete. Su Mu didn't reveal too much more during the stream. After all, the best way to enjoy a game is for players to experience it themselves when it launches.
Beyond that, Su Mu brought more good news. The Honkai Impact 3rd series anime—Cooking with Valkyries—was now listed on the Bilibili-esque video site! It would follow a weekly update schedule. Curious players searched and found that it was indeed there.
The description read: MiHoYo's first official original serialized animation. These are food-related stories of the Valkyries back at their dorms. The dishes they make are different, but the feelings and memories of the people they care about are shared. Synchronized with this, several Valkyrie character PVs were uploaded, and the Cooking with Valkyries manga would be updated on the Honkai IP site!
Being able to see their favorite Valkyries moving in an anime was a source of immense joy for the players! But the surprises didn't end there.
Since the new version coincided with the Shenzhou Spring Festival, a New Year event was launched: Valkyries' Lunar New Year Kitchen! By helping Valkyries collect ingredients and prepare the New Year's Eve dinner, players could exchange for Crystals and various game materials. Simultaneously, a login event was launched; with seven days of logins plus a New Year mail blessing, players could get a total of 2,800 Crystals and 40 Expansion Supply cards!
Furthermore, the New Year version featured a character select-your-own-rerun event. Players could freely pick the characters and equipment they wanted to pull for. Additionally, a cumulative spend event was added; reaching specific milestones would grant rewards, including Himeko's Vermilion Knight Qipao skin and Seele's Stygian Nymph Qipao skin! New Lunar New Year skins for Yae Kasumi, Theresa, and others were also introduced.
Some players calculated the total Crystals obtainable during the event and found that the two cumulative spend skins were practically free! Any active player with a Monthly Card could easily hit the required milestones. This led players to exclaim that the Old Thief was giving them New Year red envelopes.
[Dammit! With such a conscientious game, the Old Thief must keep running it!]
[Say no more, I'm buying all the new skins! I won't use a single ticket; I'm charging straight! Don't ask, I just want to!]
[Seriously, Old Thief, you're so generous it's making me, a F2P player, feel bad... I'll top up, okay!]
[Whoa, Su Mu, stop giving! For real! If you keep this up, the company will go under!]
[LMAO, 'losing money' all the way into a new office building, right?]
[Stop talking, brothers, let's charge!]
The announcement of the New Year benefits sent the players into another frenzy. They truly hadn't expected it—other gacha games tried to squeeze every penny out of players during the holidays, while Honkai 3rd was actually giving them money... Look! Everyone look! Can those other gacha games learn something from the Old Thief? High quality, great plot, and insanely generous! Could other games do it? No!!
For a time, Honkai 3rd dominated the community charts. Many "Leopard-head Lin Chongs" (F2P players) stated that this time, they simply had to pay! Wealthy players posted videos shouting out to Su Mu.
[Old Thief, make the game well, release more skins, and keep the gacha coming!]
[I'm pulling a hundred Yae Kasumi skins today, nobody stop me! Like and share this comment...]
[You're only doing a hundred? I'm doing a hundred 648 packs! Participants must be Honkai 3rd players; direct account top-up only!]
[Livestreaming pulling a hundred sets of Moon Soul stigmata. Don't ask; my warehouse is just too big and needs stuffing!]
This preview stream ignited the community. Industry insiders predicted that the Honkai 3rd New Year version would create history, breaking the revenue records for mobile games during the Spring Festival.
The Honkai 3rd production team also felt the players' passion and spontaneously started working overtime. Every employee was giving their all to ensure the best experience. As the year-end approached, many people began fighting for train tickets online for the busy Spring Festival travel season. For Shenzhou people, the Lunar New Year was undoubtedly the most important holiday.
"Su Mu, aren't you going home for New Year's?" Bronya asked curiously about his holiday plans.
"No, I'm not going back." Su Mu gave a faint smile. "I don't really have a place to go back to. My parents died early; I grew up with my grandfather, but he passed away when I was eighteen."
Bronya froze. "Sorry, I didn't know..."
Su Mu shook his head. "No need for apologies. I've long since made peace with it... Life is like that; you never know if an accident or tomorrow comes first, so you have to live in the moment."
Bronya nodded and took his hand, her gaze turning tender. "For Shenzhou people, the Spring Festival is about family reunions, right? Then spend this New Year with Seele and me. You can consider us your family."
The Big Duck's words warmed Su Mu's heart. He interlaced his fingers with hers and, amidst her soft gasp, pulled her close until she was leaning against him.
"We're still at work..." A flush of crimson rose to Bronya's cheeks. Her bashful posture was too much for Su Mu; he leaned in and gave her a firm kiss on her exquisite face.
"What if someone sees?" Bronya glared at him, but though she didn't intend to hide their relationship, doing this in the office during work hours felt improper.
"Seele helped decorate this office, didn't she?" Bronya looked around. "Seele seems very attentive toward you... she might actually see you as a reliable older brother."
Her words made Su Mu awkward. Seele was indeed his "god-sister," but what kind of sister... ahem, if you know, you know. He couldn't very well say that Seele had been intimate with him many times during work hours. And compared to the currently hesitant Big Duck, Seele was much more proactive. If it were Black Seele, she'd practically be pulling off his pants on the spot.
"Seele is a kind and gentle girl. You can't bully her," Bronya warned. It was clear Seele held a vital place in her heart; they were as close as family.
"Haha..." Su Mu gave a dry laugh. Bully? Not at all; I'm the one being bullied by Seele. This sister of hers looked delicate, but she had forced a kiss on him at their first meeting and repeated it in the office, even teasing him multiple times... By comparison, the strong-looking but soft and fragrant Big Duck felt much easier to tease.
"Also... we should actually thank Elysia and the others for us being together." Bronya blushed slightly as she recounted the efforts of the "Gossip Trio" during her romance.
Su Mu's expression grew weirder with every word... Good lord, while I wasn't looking, Elysia founded such an organization? And Carole and Pardo are members? Seele had mentioned feeling like others in the company were watching his romance... Su Mu had suspected Elysia, but had no proof. But now...
Wow! Elysia! You actually did it!!
Su Mu laughed from pure frustration. Everything made sense now. It was all Elysia!! However, as Bronya said, he probably did owe her a thank you. Otherwise, he might not have ended up with both of them.
But... thinking of Miss Pink Elf watching from somewhere and giggling... Su Mu decided he couldn't let her off that easily! He had to show her some "color"!
Elysia, bad!!
After their brief moment together, the Big Duck straightened her clothes, her face still pink. "Didn't you say you were going to Xianzhou Luofu Co. to talk about cooperation? How is that going?"
"Probably after the New Year. I'm quite busy right now—Firefly's Titanfall is in final development, and the PV for Herta's studio is almost done. Also, the Synesthesia Beacon research had a breakthrough; Herta has been pushing me to go for more tests..."
"You... you're like a spinning top, never stopping." Bronya sighed. "I know talking won't stop you, but promise me: don't overexert yourself. I'll always be your strongest support. Come to me if you need to talk."
Su Mu looked at her and smiled. "Hasn't it always been that way?"
It was true; Su Mu discussed most company matters with Bronya. Occasionally, they consulted Eden on controversial points. Since Eden was the largest shareholder, she had that right.
"The past is the past; now is now," Bronya corrected. "Anyway, call me anytime..."
After Bronya left, Su Mu sat in his chair, thinking that the Big Duck truly was a "virtuous wife and mother" type. Thanks to her, he could focus entirely on game production. "But... the more it's like this, the harder it is to tell her about Seele." Su Mu sighed. There didn't seem to be a right time to tell her. This was quite a headache.
Soon, there was another knock. "Mhm? Come in."
Su Mu looked up to see Seele. she was carrying a canvas bag. After closing the door, she looked at Su Mu suspiciously. "I saw Sister Bronya leaving your office... what were you two doing in here?"
For some reason, Su Mu felt like he was being caught in an affair. "Seele... I..."
Seele walked up and sniffed him. "Mhm, it's Sister Bronya's scent. It seems Brother Su Mu was just being intimate with her."
Su Mu scratched his cheek, his gaze flickering. He didn't know how to respond. Although he had finally "conquered" Bronya according to Seele's wish, he felt he owed Seele.
"Don't be so tense. Seele won't eat you, honestly." Seele pouted. "Do you think Seele is that petty? From now on, Sister Bronya and I are going to live happily with you together. Sharing your love with her is enough for Seele."
Looking at her, Su Mu dazed out for a second. "Seele..." What an absolute angel. Too considerate!
"Seele, what's in the bag?" Seele blushed. "Turn around first." "Eh?" Su Mu was confused but complied, turning his back. "These are clothes Sister Elysia made for Seele," her voice came from behind him. "Clothes?" "Based on Seele's in-game outfits. They're called... [Stygian Nymph]?"
Seele opened the bag and took out two different sets—one white and one red. The quality and material were clearly high-grade. "Why would Elysia suddenly make you qipaos...?" Su Mu was puzzled. Seele answered: "Sister Elysia said that since Brother Su Mu is from Shenzhou, he must like qipaos very much."
? Wait. Su Mu slowly typed a question mark in his head. I do like them, but coming from Elysia, it sounds... suspicious. Giving her these outfits now—what is she playing at?
Before Su Mu could speak, he heard the rustle of fabric. A bad feeling surfaced. Is Seele changing right now?
After a few minutes, he heard Seele let out a soft huff, her tone shifting entirely. "Turn around, dummy."
Su Mu turned and was instantly stunned. The keyhole opening at the chest revealed a hint of skin; the tight qipao hugged her waist into a beautiful curve, and the exposed shoulders and back showed flawless white skin. Compared to White Seele's outfit, Black Seele's red qipao was much bolder. The high slit reaching the waist left nothing of her long legs to the imagination. Black lace-up heels with a single thigh ring emphasized her sexiness and allure. The pale legs flashing through the swinging slit left Su Mu breathless.
"Hehe... how is it? Completely mesmerized, aren't you?" Black Seele turned in a circle unreservedly, showing the front and back of the outfit. she had a smug expression, seemingly enjoying Su Mu's reaction.
"Hehe... Su Mu, remember what Seele just said? she was lying. Guess which part?" Black Seele's gloved hand caressed Su Mu's face while the other pushed his chest, making him lean back into his office chair. Looking into her misty eyes, Su Mu thought for a second. "The part about 'Seele isn't that petty'?"
"Congratulations, you're wrong. The answer is the previous sentence... 'Don't be tense, Seele won't eat you'. Do you know why?" Black Seele's tongue flicked over the spot where Bronya had kissed him, then she leaned into his ear. "I'm not like Seele. I don't like my things having other scents on them, not even 'Onee-sama's'..." "It's lunch break, right? No one will disturb us." "As for what was wrong with that sentence..." she blew warm air into his ear, her fragrance overwhelming, making Su Mu dizzy. "It's that I am going to eat you."
The cosplay was on, it was lunch break, and Bronya had just been intimate with him... This hit every one of Black Seele's "strike zones"! The sense of forbidden thrill was through the roof!
It's over! I'm doomed! Su Mu despaired. He hadn't even reached the canteen to taste Kalpas's lunch, and now he was the lunch!!
Time flew, and the day for the new version update arrived. This time, Senti invited Kiana and Raiden Mei as guests to her stream. But the moment she saw Kiana, she noticed the dark circles and her half-asleep state. Although she was clean and her hair was combed, her exhaustion was evident.
"Kiana, what happened to you?" Raiden Mei asked with concern. she had heard from Bronya that Kiana was living alone. The thought of a clumsy Kiana living by herself made Mei anxious, fearing she might starve to death.
"D-don't mention it... Mei, you have no idea! Su Mu... Su Mu isn't human! He's a beast!" Kiana threw herself into Mei's arms, crying into her chest.
Senti, looking at that "stunning mountain range" and then at her own "flatboard," had a face as black as coal. "W-what exactly happened?"
Raiden Mei was also at a loss at Kiana's sudden outburst. "I only found out yesterday that Auntie Himeko's apartment is haunted! Apparently, a tenant was stabbed by his girlfriend, and she died with him from gas poisoning! You can hear a girl's ghost at night!" "I was too scared to sleep alone, so... I took my blanket to Su Mu's house, hoping he'd sleep in the living room and let me have the bed..." "And then? He looked at me like I was mentally challenged and just slammed the door! He wouldn't open it no matter how I knocked!" "In the end, I couldn't sleep a wink at home because I felt like someone was touching my feet..."
Listening to the wailing Kiana, Raiden Mei felt a wall of black lines appearing on her forehead. "Kiana, you should be glad Su Mu is a good man. If you stay over at a man's house in the middle of the night, anything could happen."
"That may be true... Mei-senpai, I'm not putting Kiana down or anything," Senti cut in. "But I feel Su Mu has zero interest in Kiana. After all, you know... he probably doesn't like dummies..."
Mei paused, then looked at Kiana again with a deep, knowing gaze. Recalling Kiana's past behavior, she sighed. "You're right. I heard Bronya describe this situation once: 'Sleeping with a dummy is illegal'."
"Wha—Even Mei too!!" Kiana broke down. What is with this feeling of the whole world siding with Su Mu!!
END OF CHAPTER
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