Chapter 181 Main Story 16: Storm Brewing! Why is Raven's Island Flying?
Over the past year, Raiden Mei had visited MiHoYo many times. Especially after Cocolia visited Su Mu on behalf of ME Corp, Mei's father, Raiden Ryoma, began discussing potential collaborations between ME Corp and MiHoYo with his daughter.
Although ME Corp was primarily a high-tech science and technology enterprise, its hardware and software capabilities were top-tier, making them perfectly suited for MiHoYo's game production needs. Thus, MiHoYo and ME Corp established a close partnership. As the saying goes, "The pavilion closest to the water gets the moon first"—as Kiana's best friend, Raiden Mei was naturally able to sign the contracts firsthand.
At first, Raiden Mei didn't quite understand why ME Corp was so adamant about collaborating with MiHoYo. But after looking into it, she realized that her father and Cocolia were acting on the instructions of Welt Yang.
In the gaming industry, "Old Yang" was a highly respected senior figure, but his true profession wasn't in game development. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been a formidable rival to Schicksal for so many years. Anti-Entropy Entertainment was merely a product of his personal interest. However, he had clearly taken this industry seriously and put effort into managing it.
Welt Yang had a long-held dream: to see more good games in the world so that he, as a game lover, could enjoy them. Consequently, he had been dedicated to investing in various game studios, sometimes even at a loss. In the industry, he was known as the "Angel Investor."
Among the countless studios, only MiHoYo had stood out and given him a massive surprise. Moreover, in the young man named Su Mu, he saw the future of the gaming world. This was why he supported MiHoYo—and specifically Su Mu—so unreservedly. Basically, any MiHoYo-related matters were given priority.
Of course, Welt had another selfish motive. Everyone knew his prized student, Bronya, worked at this company, and her relationship with Su Mu was very close. As they say, "A teacher for a day is a father for life." As Bronya's background support, Welt felt he had to provide tangible backing to give her confidence.
After consolidating information about Su Mu from Bronya, Kiana, and his own investigations, Raiden Mei became increasingly curious about him. Among his peers, Su Mu had absolutely emerged as the outlier; the revenue myth he created was truly unprecedented. As for whether there would be successors, Mei felt that the only person capable of surpassing Su Mu would be Su Mu himself.
Admiring the strong is a universal human trait. Children who see a superhero flying through the sky naturally feel admiration and a desire to become like them. In the adult world, a person's strength is judged by their ability and the value they bring. Su Mu, having created such a terrifying myth in the gaming industry, was already a household name within the circle. Even those outside the industry paid close attention to this game with its incredible monetization power.
Naturally, Raiden Mei was filled with curiosity. Having received an excellent education, she had always been a top student in the eyes of her teachers, even at St. Freya University. Even after entering the workplace, she had been invincible. Backed by her father, she had already attained a high position within Anti-Entropy.
Carrying the hopes of so many, the pressure on Mei's shoulders was significant. At some point, she noticed the worries on her face increasing. The expectant gazes of others often made it hard for her to breathe. only on rare rest days could she truly relax.
Later, Kiana moved to Arc City and ran a company. However, she played the role of a hands-off manager, constantly inviting Mei out to play on her days off. Shopping and spending with Kiana became a way for Mei to vent her stress. But once the weekend ended, she had to return to the grind, bearing the weight on her shoulders and working hard.
It was during this time that she began to hear Su Mu's name from Kiana. This was the catalyst that made Raiden Mei want to understand the man. After researching his background, she was stunned into silence. she thought her own burden was heavy enough. But after seeing how Su Mu had saved MiHoYo from the brink of death step-by-step and created a myth, she had a realization.
she wasn't the only one working hard in this world. The man named Su Mu possessed talent no less than her own and a resilience far beyond the average person. Yet, he always maintained a heart of passion, approached his work with enthusiasm, and faced all difficulties with optimism.
This passion and optimistic attitude toward life served as a lighthouse for Raiden Mei as she navigated through confusion and darkness. Although she had only met him a few times, the image of this man fighting for his dreams had left a deep impression in her heart. Her heavy, dull daily routine seemed less suffocating when inspired by his story.
Because of this... upon hearing that Kiana had moved near Su Mu's house, the first thought that entered Raiden Mei's mind wasn't that Kiana had become independent. That was the second thought. The first was that she might be able to see Su Mu whenever she visited Kiana.
"Mei, Mei? You've been dazed for a while. What are you thinking about?" Kiana's voice snapped Mei back to reality. she looked up at the confused Kiana.
"Nothing, Kiana... I heard Su Mu chose the lineup for this livestream?"
"Oh, that? I don't really get it either..." Kiana scratched her head. "Bronya said something like, 'Su Mu has his reasons, this is good for Sister Mei, and it might help with her work later'."
Senti, standing nearby, giggled. "I know why! Su Mu is doing this to help Mei build up her fame!"
Raiden Mei froze. "Fame?"
Senti nodded. "Yeah! Mei-senpai, this is the internet age—traffic is king! You don't know, but Bronya's two sisters, Rozaliya and Liliya, were just idol trainees. But since Honkai Impact 3rd blew up, they've successfully debuted as idols!"
Mei's eyes widened in disbelief. "I-Idols?"
she wasn't shocked because the Olenyeva sisters became idols, but because she hadn't realized Honkai 3rd had such power to influence the real-life prototypes of its characters. Being a smart woman, she quickly connected the dots, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.
In the age where traffic is king, the fame from Honkai 3rd was feeding back into the prototypes. How much power did it have? It was no exaggeration to say that becoming a character in the game granted one terrifying amounts of traffic... and this traffic could, to an extent, manipulate public opinion.
Su Mu frequently let these prototypes appear in public and even helped Senti and others become streamers. He was using this traffic to nourish them, aiming to make them "famous" and turn them into "idols" on the internet. Raiden Mei already had great ability and her father's background; with this massive wave of traffic and public support... her career advancement was practically guaranteed.
As long as she didn't mess up and seized the opportunity, becoming a major player would be easy. After all, people tend to trust those they think they know. Many ordinary people don't understand the technical quality of a product, but if they see their favorite idol endorsing it, they click "buy" without hesitation. This was the power of the idol effect.
Thinking of the logic behind it, Raiden Mei felt a chill. Did Su Mu plan this from the very beginning? Or even before he made the game? Is this why he used so many real-life prototypes for characters? He wanted to build his own network, an "interest group" where the chosen few gathered around him, their fates tied together.
Yes! That would explain why his prototypes spanned every industry. Right now, Su Mu was surrounded by talent from all sectors, and through Honkai 3rd, he had bound them firmly to himself!
This strategy, this calculation... truly terrifying!!
Raiden Mei finally understood why Welt Yang valued Su Mu so much. Even Schicksal's Otto Apocalypse favored him. Such terrifying methods didn't seem like the work of a young man! If he wasn't some ageless monster, then he was a literal... genius!
As the saying goes, "Three men make a tiger." Su Mu himself didn't know he was being rumored as an "old fox" in some circles. These complicated motives were never in his mind; he made Honkai 3rd out of pure nostalgia and a desire to see the prototypes' expressions when they played it. Simply put, it was just his own "malice" or twisted sense of humor.
As for the traffic feeding back to the prototypes, Su Mu hadn't anticipated that initially, though he began utilizing it once he realized its potential to help those around him. And binding them all to one ship? He did think that way—not for industrial dominance, but because he was a "collectionist" who wanted to gather more characters.
But even if Su Mu wanted to explain, it would be futile. People usually only believe the answers they want to see. Raiden Mei closed her eyes. With these premises, she began to feel that Su Mu's motive for joining MiHoYo was no longer simple. He chose it because he had researched Kiana and knew he'd get immense power to do his own thing. MiHoYo's near-bankruptcy was the perfect starting point for a myth; turning a failing firm into one with a hundred-billion-credit revenue was unheard of.
Now Su Mu possessed fame and a massive network... What is his next step? Raiden Mei pondered. To her surprise, she wasn't afraid; she was excited. If her theories were true, she was witnessing the rise of a legend! And she might be the only one who saw through it... The thought made her ecstatic. A mysterious man naturally possesses a charm that makes women want to explore him further.
Su Mu had no idea he was being "targeted" by the eldest daughter of the Raiden family.
Su Mu watched Senti's stream. As the time arrived, the maintenance ended. Senti appeared on screen, greeting the camera. Then, as per routine, she introduced Kiana and Raiden Mei. The audience was happy to see Kiana, but when Mei appeared, the "Mei-bullying" comments instantly drowned out the welcomes.
[Does Mei really cook that well?]
[Bullying Mei again? Still bullying her??]
[Mei appears in APHO too! That mature Mei looks just like the one on camera!]
[Get out of the way! I am Queen Mei's dog!]
[Mei, can you perform that line? You know, the 'I can't do anything!' one?]
Watching the chat persecute the "Cooking Queen," Senti put her hands on her hips. "Hey, that's enough! If you scare Mei away, I'm not giving you any 'good juice' (rewards)!"
[Streamer, I want kiwi juice!]
[Isn't it 'little sister juice'?]
[What is 'little sister juice'?]
[That's obviously, hehe—]
Senti expertly banned several "Lords of Madness," finally restoring the chat to the previous... uh, "Mei-bullying convention." From a "madness convention" back to a "bullying convention"—is that a good or a bad thing?
"Enough talk! I've been waiting for the main story forever. We'll discuss the other new content later; the priority is the story!" Senti closed the announcement and expertly clicked the main story stage.
Main Story 16: Storm Brewing.
As she clicked the first stage, Chapter 16 officially premiered. The story opened at the end of Chapter 15, on a plateau outside a Schicksal lab in Maghreb, North Africa. Raven was holding the Third Divine Key, monitoring the Herrscher of the Void as she fled the desert. she didn't want to let her go, but Gray Snake told her that the Great Lord had ordered them to give Kiana time.
["A grain of wheat is but a grain of wheat if it dies, but if it falls into the earth, it bears much fruit."]
["Her shackles have been removed. Time will tell... if the power in that body can take root, sprout, and bear fruit."]
The dialogue between Raven and Gray Snake made Senti pause. "Eh? So Kevin didn't want to kill Kiana from the start?"
[Maybe he changed his mind after seeing Fu Hua?]
[But I feel Kevin was aiming for Fu Hua from the start. He didn't look surprised when she appeared to protect Kiana.]
[Are the shackles referring to Fu Hua? Did Kevin want Fu Hua to stop constraining the power inside Kiana? Does he, like Otto, want Kiana to grow stronger?]
Theories flew in the chat, but everyone realized Kevin's goal was far from simple. While Raven and Gray Snake spoke, the meeting between Otto and Kevin continued. In a space created by Otto's mysterious golden fluid, there were only him and Kevin. Kevin's purpose was to collaborate with Otto. Once the golden fluid dissipated, Gray Snake ordered Raven to holster her weapon.
The deal between World Serpent and Schicksal was complete.
[I'm anxious! What kind of deal did Kevin make with Otto?]
[Dammit, I wanted to see Kevin beating Otto with An-Utu! But he's here to talk business?]
[The deal is actually done? Kevin is in cahoots with Otto now?]
[World Serpent aren't good people, and Otto clearly has a scheme. Their collaboration is bound to cause a storm...]
[Sigh, I'm suddenly glad our world doesn't have the Honkai.]
[True, people in that world are suffering; you never know when you'll be caught up in an incident...]
[Heh, to big shots like Otto and Kevin, civilian lives are just numbers, right?]
Many viewers weren't surprised by the collaboration. Once Otto appeared and the fight between Durandal and Kevin stopped, negotiations were inevitable. They were just surprised it went so smoothly; Kevin hadn't even tried to smash Otto's head... though it wouldn't have mattered, since Otto's body was Soul Steel and easily replaceable.
The scene shifted to the Helios, with Tesla and Raiden Mei. Over the past months, they had been searching for Kiana and Himeko. Intelligence from all over the world was archived, filling the conference room. They had heard of the attack on the North Africa lab and knew Kiana had escaped. Although she was missing, she wasn't in the hands of World Serpent or Schicksal.
Tesla saw that Mei was troubled. The red-headed, hot-tempered scientist spoke bluntly to the grieving Mei.
["There's no one else here. Speak your mind."]
["Kiana... she's changed a lot. I don't know how to describe it. Grown up? Mature? None of those feel right."]
["she can never stay quiet; she was always the loudest in a crowd. Since I met her, she's never been still; she has to involve herself in everything."]
["The old Kiana was rowdy but comforting. But in Arc City, I realized she's changed..."]
[Mei's expression grew heavy along with her voice.]
["she's become... very quiet... quiet in a way that isn't her."]
["How much must a person go through, how much pain, to change this much? In four months, anything can happen."]
["Right now, she must be wandering somewhere, enduring trauma beyond imagination alone..."]
["I just want to find her quickly..."]
Mei's words made the atmosphere in Senti's stream heavy. They knew exactly what Kiana had endured in Arc City. Growth is accompanied by pain; Kiana had surely gone hungry and cold during those months, all while evading Schicksal and blaming herself for Himeko's death. Furthermore, the Herrscher was constantly torturing her, trying to seize her body at every moment... such inhuman torture would have broken her if not for Fu Hua pulling her back from the brink every time.
Senti couldn't help but sigh: "Old Timer really is my hero! Without her, Kiana would have met a terrible end long ago!"
"True... the Class Monitor really helped me out a lot." Kiana (real life) didn't argue. she was confident, but she knew that if she were in the game, she wouldn't have endured that torture. Without Fu Hua, she would have lost her body and destroyed the world long ago.
Senti continued playing. Mei and Tesla found a Herrscher reaction in Nagazora. Learning Kiana was there shocked Mei. she couldn't understand why Kiana would return to that city. After landing, Mei began searching, helping Tesla set up sensor arrays.
Returning to Nagazora, Mei's heart was in turmoil. This super-metropolis of millions was now a submerged ruin overrun by beasts and zombies. And it was all caused by the Eruption triggered by her own awakening as the Third Herrscher. Tesla comforted her, saying it wasn't Mei's fault—the culprit was Cocolia.
["Regardless of fault, it cannot replace what this city lost. Three years ago, I was the one who became the Herrscher. I often wonder: if I hadn't been so weak and hadn't yielded to the Honkai, would the tragedy of Nagazora have happened?"]
["I know there are no 'ifs' in this world. I only hope that when facing future choices, I can remember this disaster."]
["This is a responsibility I must bear."]
["...And for Kiana, it is the same."]
Tesla detected a Herrscher reaction nearby—right beside them. Looking at Mei, she realized:
["Ah—I forgot... Even though the Gem of Conquest is gone, there are still faint traces of Herrscher energy in you."]
This matched Einstein's diagnosis. A similar symptom appeared in the Anti-Entropy Sovereign, Welt, and no one knew why. Mei also couldn't control this power. Excluding Mei's reaction, there was nothing special here. On the way to the next location, Mei saw a giant hole in a building. she had caused it.
Three years ago, Mei, Kiana, and Bronya were fleeing Nagazora when they encountered Himeko's squad. Mei had thought Himeko was an enemy, leading to a clash... For viewers who had seen the Second Eruption Chronicles, they knew it was more than just a "clash." Himeko had been using the Hyperion's energy cannons against the Herrscher of Thunder. The scene was intense. During that fight, Mei's power went berserk, and Himeko used every method to suppress it. The Hyperion had to go into dry dock afterward, and its experimental shipboard weapons were scrapped. Himeko nearly faced disciplinary action, but Theresa took the fall for her.
On the run, Mei had been terrified of her power. During the rampage, she thought it was the end, but she woke up in a warm bed. Himeko stood before her, unconcerned about her identity. she said she would train Mei into a warrior capable of controlling her power—that was why Mei became a Valkyrie!
[Wuu-wuu-wuu! Himeko-sensei! Himeko-sensei!]
[Both Kiana and Mei were saved by Himeko-sensei!]
[Himeko-sensei is incredible! A mortal fighting two Herrschers!]
[Sigh, I'm thinking of 'Final Lesson' again...]
[It seems Himeko is not only Kiana's 'White Moonlight' (ideal/unreachable love), but Mei's too!]
[Himeko-sensei is MY 'White Moonlight' too!]
Mei's memories dealt another "blade" to the audience. The more they recalled Himeko's past kindness and strength, the more they couldn't forget her burning herself to save Kiana in Final Lesson...
In the subsequent plot, Mei and Tesla encountered an unconscious child while tracking the energy. Although they didn't know who she was, they couldn't leave her behind, so they took her back to the ship. Upon waking, the child revealed she was a Nagazora refugee named Sora. she had grown up in the city and fled to the East District after the Eruption. Aside from her, there were over a dozen children, the oldest being sixteen, who had lived in the ruins for three years.
This shocked Mei. Schicksal had sent three branches for joint rescue operations in Nagazora; were there really refugees left behind? These children lived together in a place called "The Roost," managed by a woman Sora called "Teacher."
Raiden Mei helped Sora find her companion, "Mark II," and followed her to The Roost. It was a dense shantytown built high above the water levels using skyscrapers as pillars. Mei didn't remember this place existing before the Eruption. Clearly, the "Teacher" had built it.
Through Sora, Mei learned more about this person. Three years ago, she helped Sora and the others build this home. The Teacher went out often, bringing back food, supplies, and occasional gifts. When she was away, the children scavenged the city for emergencies. Mei asked about Kiana. After helping a child retrieve a lost necklace, she learned Kiana had headed toward the West District.
Though Mei wanted to find Kiana immediately, it was late, so Tesla suggested they rest. Mei agreed but said she wanted to scout the path a bit before nightfall. Guided by Sora, Mei explored a distance before preparing to return, but stopped when she saw the ruins of Senba Academy. she told Sora about her past—the pain of her father's imprisonment, the helplessness of falling into darkness, and the hand Kiana reached out when she wanted to end it all.
["Kiana, Kiana Kaslana."]
["In that disaster, she was the one who saved me."]
["she reached out and gripped me as I was falling into the dark."]
["Her arms were so thin, yet they seemed to possess infinite strength. Gravity pulled, dragged, and tangled, yet it couldn't move me an inch from her hand."]
["I watched her with curiosity. Under the sun, her blue eyes were innocent yet reliable, headstrong yet sincere."]
[—"I won't let you die!"]
["she said she would save me while fighting desperately to pull me back from the edge of death."]
["It was strange. We were strangers; she couldn't have known my past, my life, or my pain."]
["But I... felt she wasn't lying. For the first time, I, who had closed my heart and feared people, wanted to believe in someone."]
["In the end, I left Nagazora with her."]
["So much happened since then; I met so many people."]
["Family, companions, a place to belong, a future... the things I once lost returned to me piece by piece. Unconsciously, I had a place in this world again."]
["Thinking back, perhaps it was that moment..."]
Recalling the past, Mei gave a faint smile. she had rarely smiled in these months. But in this moment, her smile was pure and happy, like a girl who had never known worry...
Upon returning, Sora was delighted to eat Mei's cooking, wishing her Teacher could cook like that. The Teacher was great in every way, but her cooking was... unlovable. Tesla asked Sora why the Teacher hadn't taken them out of the city in three years. Sora recounted the Teacher's past.
["Teacher wasn't born with money or status. she had a tragic childhood and started with nothing."]
["But she worked hard to climb up, dealing with all sorts of people in various countries. After over a decade, she finally accumulated her own wealth."]
["she used most of her savings to buy a private island in a distant country... I forgot the name..."]
["she planned to build a big house on it and live a free, peaceful life."]
["Of course, she was going to take us and other people she saved with her."]
["The house was almost finished, and we were so happy for her. after a lifetime of work, she finally had a place to enjoy life."]
["But no one expected tragedy to strike."]
["Four months ago, a Great Eruption occurred."]
["Teacher was in Nagazora at the time. Beasts appeared one after another; she fought them alone to protect the Roost."]
["The turmoil lasted hours before subsiding. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But then, terrible news came from afar—"]
["...Teacher's island had sunk forever in the Honkai..."]
["I still remember what she looked like then."]
["Her face was expressionless, and she was silent, but she kept pacing, running, and rolling around the room... she kept muttering 'it's fine, it's fine,' but large tears kept falling."]
["Finally, she couldn't take it and rushed out, wailing toward the end of the sea, crying as sadly as a child..."]
["she cried and cried until her tears ran dry and her throat was hoarse before she stood up."]
["I'll never forget that moment, the oath she made toward the sunset—"]
["No matter the cost, humanity will defeat the Honkai...!!"]
Sora's story left Mei and Tesla in silence. The detailed description was a bit much—one could practically imagine the Teacher's despair.
"Uh, why does that sound so familiar?" Senti stared at the screen, scratching her head in confusion. "Isn't that what Kevin said? Wait—tragic childhood, starting from nothing... having the power to fight the Honkai while hating the Herrscher, and most importantly, that specific line..."
Senti's eyes widened. "Is the Teacher Sora's talking about... Raven??"
END OF CHAPTER
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