Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players-Chapter 172: Ellie and Kalpa’s Deal, Unused Materials

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******

In the Present World, Brother Cake's live stream chat.

"Wow, I thought Ana would be a permanent character, didn't expect her to be limited-time only." Brother Cake expressed some disappointment as he read the on-screen text. However, he understood; Ana's appearance in the Elysian Realm was already a delightful surprise, so her temporary departure made sense.

Moreover, it wasn't truly a complete exit. The gameplay mechanics remained, and Ana continued to reside permanently within the Golden Courtyard. She just wouldn't appear in future plot dialogues anymore, or at least not entirely.

After all, Ana's Remembrance Stones were still dropping regularly, indicating that her backstory arcs persisted. This suggested that Ana hadn't fully departed but perhaps...transitioned into a hidden storyline?

If that's indeed the case, it's not bad at all!

A hidden storyline...that's perfect! It's bound to make Ana fans ecstatic! As expected, our favorite characters always have their moments of prominence.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

["Too bad, Ana's story arc has come to a temporary end."]

["Even though the story arc ends here, the emotional pain doesn't stop. Waaah, my poor Ana!"]

[Ana, our Ana is truly amazing! Now there should be a hidden storyline unfolding.]

[Chuckle, hidden storyline? What's the point? Ana's already dead—yes, she's gone!]

[Damn, you're cutting deep! Wait, aren't you just trolling?]

[Moderator, quick, mute this guy.]

In her exchange student dormitory, Ana watched as the bullet comment section got temporarily banned and shook her head.

"What's with these internet users nowadays? Getting triggered by such a tiny remark, seriously unamusing."

With a light laugh, Ana opened the search bar and began looking up information about the Elysian Realm plotline.

As the Lord of Finality in the Honkai World, she had little influence over entities like the Elysian Realm; her gaze could not reach within it directly.

Unless—the Herrscher of Corruption entered the Elysian Realm. The Herrscher of Thunder, Raiden Mei, for instance, couldn't attract her attention alone.

Thus, without any other options, if she wanted to keep tabs on the Elysian Realm, she would need—Bai Zhi to intervene.

However, after some thought, she felt it wasn't necessary.

The Elysian Realm remained relatively stable. Until the Herrscher of Corruption enters, there was no immediate concern. And once that happens, even He would be able to observe the Elysian Realm.

Moreover, her memory fragment resides within the Elysian Realm, and Ana had full confidence in it. At least, based on its performance thus far, it has been quite commendable.

It's somewhat ironic; despite being her own memory fragment and herself being the Lord of Finality, she can only monitor the Elysian Realm through this indirect method now.

However, there isn't much choice. Honestly, she could directly observe the Elysian Realm if she wished, but doing so would inevitably lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

The mere thought of Finality's arrival is terrifying; best not to casually add such undue pressure to the Honkai World.

With these thoughts, Ana once again turned her attention back to the live stream before her.

Although her presence wasn't immediately forthcoming in the subsequent storyline, there was still a significant amount of content remaining in Version 5.1. Logically, the protagonist for this version should be Miss Pink Elf, given that the version name is Flawless Paradise.

Of course, typically new characters align with the previous version, but in this case, the most active newcomer was Mobius, who debuted during this update.

Due to Ellie's precedent of joining the ship roster, players began speculating about the possibility of Mobius following suit. Coincidentally, as Brother Cake progressed through the story, he engaged in discussions with his viewers about it.

[I think Mobius will definitely join the ship, right?]

[If she does, that's fantastic! I can't wait to obsess over Mobius—ahh!]

[Tsk tsk, watch your language!]

[I want to savor...]

"User 'IWantToBeMobiusDog' has been muted by the moderator."

[Ha ha ha, hilarious!]

"Mobius should indeed join the ship soon, and it's not like Elysia was the first Heroic Spirit onboard, right?"

As Brother Cake progressed through the storyline, he engaged with his chat viewers. This part of the plot required completing various prerequisite tasks—a series of small quests—before unlocking scenes involving the Heroic Spirits.

Brother Cake navigated these sections effortlessly; after all, they were introduced in the previous update. Additionally, he genuinely found several Heroic Spirits intriguing.

While he was undoubtedly an Ana fan, it didn't mean he disliked other characters.

[Brother Cake is correct. The test server data already revealed two new characters: one is Mobius, and the other is Raven.]

[Wow, great, awesome! Finally, Raven is joining the ship! Excellent! Honkai's top idol returns! Time for Nappa to step down!]

["Wahh, my little Klabauter Raven, I can finally shower you with love now."]

["Yeah, and from the skills, it seems like a fire support character."]

["Great! Did the game designers finally realize the need for support in the fire team? With this messed-up weather, even Phoenix has to step up, yet still falls short compared to those adapting their strategies."]

***

With a cold gaze, Ana observed all this, just as she had in her previous life—her focus remained solely on the unfolding narrative. Soon, she found what she was seeking.

"Elysia... She gave me an unending war and... shackles borrowed from another woman."

"In other words... Elysia only wanted your power? No, that doesn't seem like her style at all."

"Hmph, who knows what that woman truly thinks?"

"I only know that until the very end, she never came to claim the reward for our deal."

"Calamity..." Ana's eyes flickered, deep in thought.

Many of Elysia's actions now seemed inexplicable; her methods were ingenious yet adhered to certain rules. As the daughter of a god and a natural-born Herrscher, it was plausible that Ellie's conversation with Kalpas wasn't merely jest but indicative of her true intentions.

Calamities... Indeed, she—or rather, He—currently requires such a material. This realization stemmed from her past experience as the Lord of Finality. Now, while controlling Cocoon of Finality, she faces immense resistance.

In comparison, being a Herrscher like Kiana, the Finality Herrscher, would be far more advantageous. It resembles how the Aeon's source power shapes destiny, yet destiny also constrains the Aeon.

This dynamic is observed in the Star Rail universe, where controlling the Cocoon simultaneously limits progress within the Honkai universe. To break free from these constraints, one must undergo tribulations.

Simply put, dispersing power becomes necessary. However, it's not just about straightforwardly creating new Herrschers, as the Cocoon differs significantly from the Aeon's destiny. At least, destiny itself cannot be directly observed, whereas the Cocoon exists tangibly.

Of course, this could arguably be considered a unique feature of the Honkai universe, albeit with its inherent drawbacks.

On the other hand, Calamities can be considered unique Herrschers. Although not officially Herrschers themselves, they possess comparable power and bear similar responsibilities.

In simpler terms, Herrschers belong to The Cocoon of Finality's realm.

However, Calamities are Herrschers under Ana, the Lord of Finality, or more accurately, her vassals.

Of course, these conceptual distinctions aren't crucial at the moment; what matters is that Ana requires entities akin to path guardians.

Currently, Kalpas seems to be the most suitable candidate for this role.

Firstly, his name aligns perfectly with the concept of tribulation. Secondly, as an extraterrestrial being, he inherently possesses formidable strength without needing any Metamorphosis Surgery. There are additional reasons, but they're less significant.

But these points aren't the main focus now; the key issue at hand needs resolution.

Kalpas was one of the Flame-Chasers, yet he himself had perished on the moon over fifty thousand years ago. Being an alien entity, even if reincarnation were possible, he wouldn't reappear naturally.

There would be no parallel to Kiana's connection with Kevin.

However, there might still be a chance to bring back Kalpas, and the opportunity creator is none other than Mobius.

Unfortunately, with Mobius herself deceased, it's uncertain whether that possibility still exists. It may require inquiries from World Serpent to ascertain its status.

Although the World Serpent underwent a change in leadership, practically speaking, there hasn't been much alteration.

Project Stigma remains as it was, with Bai Zhi and Kevin engaging in extensive discussions and research, ultimately concluding its feasibility.

At its core, Project Stigma is also designed to adapt to Honkai, albeit employing somewhat exploitative methods-a form of evasion. However, one must ask: Did the Holy Mark Civilization pass the test? Does it qualify as human civilization?

The answer is evident.

This time, compared to the original plan, Project Stigma takes even bolder steps. Now, all Stigma Awakened beings will be drawn into the dream realm, leaving only the selected Herrschers behind.

Honestly, Ana initially considered including the Herrschers too, but after thorough analysis and data review, she decided against it.

After all, the true plan needs to remain hidden from everyone. The original intent of Project Stigma was for the newly emerged Herrschers of Humanity to dismantle it, eventually confronting the mastermind behind the scenes-Kevin-to demonstrate their capabilities.

In this aspect, it aligns with the original storyline, except that there is no final act this time around - no graduation trip. One can only say, it's somewhat unfair to Kiana.

With this move, Ana effectively consumed Kiana's plotline moments. Whether MiHoYo will compensate her later with something new remains unknown to Ana herself.

Regardless, she isn't overly concerned about these matters.

Currently, her favorite pastime is trolling and baiting viewers in Brother Cake's live stream; after all, she feels indifferent towards such actions.

Being Ana, playing around with her own creations, what could possibly be wrong with that? Moreover, she doesn't need to worry about being doxxed or exposed, as both the System and her family in the Present World provide ample protection for her.

While the internet isn't entirely lawless, the issue is that she hasn't broken any laws either. If anyone has the guts, they're welcome to trace their way through the cables and find her!

The only thing Ana finds slightly regrettable is not encountering other trolls recently. Instead of personally engaging in baiting, she prefers staying behind the scenes, watching people argue amongst themselves - now that's entertaining, like observing a cricket fight.

Ah, what a truly wicked woman she is!

In the Honkai World, at the temple of the World Serpent...

Kevin sat on his throne as usual, but unlike before, an additional throne now stood beside it, creating an asymmetrical arrangement.

At that moment, seated on the new throne was Ana, wearing her mask, while below the thrones, Gray Serpent respectfully stood to one side.

Before Bai Zhi, there was another girl, and currently, Bai Zhi was playfully caressing her face. Normally, such an intrusive gesture would be met with resistance, yet this girl appeared utterly content.

Yes, simply because she was Cang Luan.

After being forgotten for some time, she finally returned, having also undergone ascension to become a Dharma End Rank Honkai Beast. The reason for this rank? Naturally, within this world, there were no higher classifications of Honkai Beasts available at present.

Wait, you mention Honkai Academy has more ranks? But what does that have to do with the Honkai universe of Honkai Impact 3?

"What is it? Speak," the man on the throne finally broke the subtle silence after several minutes. His face remained indifferent, devoid of any emotion, and his voice echoed the same coldness.

"Kevin, perhaps you should reconsider my previous proposal." Mimicking Elysia's tone, Bai Zhi spoke with a hint of resignation.

Kevin did not respond verbally, but the slight twitch in his expression betrayed that he was far from as calm as he appeared. Although his facial demeanor stayed unchanged, there was a subtle softening in his voice.

"Hmm, I understand."

The corners of Bai Zhi's lips curved slightly upward.

"Well then, let's not waste time. I'm here to inquire about something; maybe Gray Serpent might have some leads." As she said this, Bai Zhi turned her gaze towards Gray Serpent below.

"It is Gray Serpent's honor to alleviate concerns for our lord." Gray Serpent approached Bai Zhi, respectfully bowing, excitement evident in his voice.

Upon hearing his raspy voice, a hint of displeasure crossed Cang Luan's face, indicating her clear animosity towards Gray Serpent.

Primarily, it stemmed from Gray Serpent's smooth-talking ability, which often pleased their lord. Of course, there might also be an inherent rivalry, as he was a serpent and she a luan bird, natural adversaries since ancient times.

"Hmm, I'm interested to know if Dr. Mobius left behind any hidden collections or artifacts. Her research fascinates me," Bai Zhi said with a smile. She deliberately avoided mentioning Kalpas' heart directly. Given Mobius's nature, it was likely that she hadn't shared such information with the other Heroic Spirits. If this inquiry yielded no results, she would probably have to visit the world bubble and ask Mei herself.

Ah, just perfect - she'd take Kevin along on this trip. Who could find a better companion so genuinely concerned about their friend's well-being?