Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players-Chapter 209: Mei: Kevin, Something’s Off About You!

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"It seems I've lost my final reason to remain with the World Serpent."

In the profound corridor, Raiden Mei suddenly spoke, deviating from her usual dialogue in the original storyline. It wasn't that there was no conversation; rather, she simply didn't know where to begin.

The Kevin before her felt somewhat different from the one she remembered. He appeared to have changed, yet upon reflection, Raiden Mei also sensed that Kevin might never have truly altered at all.

He had always been this way; perhaps what she was witnessing now was the lesser-known side of Kevin. Based on her understanding from the Elysian Realm, this... might be the real Kevin.

Kevin did not respond to Raiden Mei's words, continuing his walk without acknowledging them.

His demeanor inadvertently caused some frustration for Raiden Mei. On the surface, it seemed as though she knew this man well enough, but upon closer introspection, it felt like she had only scratched the surface, revealing just the tip of the iceberg.

Raiden Mei sensed that there were still secrets hidden within him, crucial ones concerning herself and her companions.

But seemingly... she had lost the right to further explore those mysteries.

Her mission here appeared to have concluded, yet for some reason, it felt otherwise. Instead, her arrival at the Elysian Realm seemed to have brought calamity upon this place.

The concealed secrets, however, had already been fully unraveled months ago by her teacher—Ana.

If things proceeded as expected, the true last safeguard within the Garden of Eden now was none other than her mentor, who managed to evade involvement in the Heroic Spirits' game of Werewolf.

This only intensified Raiden Mei's curiosity about Ana, mirroring the same intrigue she felt towards her enigmatic teacher.

Since Ana knew the secrets of the Garden and had left behind various measures, many questions arose surrounding her demise. It felt as though Ana, much like Otto, orchestrated her own grand finale performance.

Using this farewell as a cover, she could discreetly vanish from everyone's sight, just like within the Garden of Eden, allowing her to pursue her own desires.

This was how Raiden Mei perceived reality unfolding before her.

Moreover, Kevin likely knew much about Ana-sensei, but it was evident that he wouldn't provide further answers.

"So, your true purpose for recruiting a Herrscher into World Serpent..."

"I have already accomplished it... No, rather, she achieved it long ago, didn't she?"

Kevin remained silent, standing still as if pondering a deeply challenging question. Indeed, it was a complex issue; originally, his plan had relied on Raiden Mei to fulfill this objective.

However, he never anticipated that while attempting to recruit Ana into World Serpent, she secretly infiltrated and completed the mission of the Elysian Realm ahead of time, even fulfilling their long-held aspirations.

Indeed... plans often fail to keep up with unforeseen changes.

But how should he convey this to Raiden Mei?

"Perhaps," Kevin finally responded ambiguously, genuinely feeling uncertain about the situation.

"...Hmm." Raiden Mei's eyebrows furrowed slightly at Kevin's answer. She sensed there might be more to it, but his words seemed definitive and closed off further discussion.

Could she persistently interrogate him? Considering her position, what right did she have? Her existence held no significance for Kevin; he didn't require anything from her. In other words, it was Raiden Mei who needed something from Kevin, yet she had nothing left to offer as leverage.

"Well then... let's leave it at that, Raiden Mei."

"Just go..." Kevin almost said, but then remembered - ah, he had already retired.

"As Lord of the World Serpent, I permit you to depart from the World Serpent."

Without waiting for Raiden Mei's response, Kevin swiftly departed. For him, his part in this drama was nearing its conclusion. Indeed, once he completes this final act, he can be forever with Mei.

Honestly, even Kevin was unaware of this hidden side of Mei. Well, not entirely unaware, but it was a distant memory for him, so remote that he had forgotten it, accustomed to her usual demeanor.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late.

They could still have a genuine child, not through IVF methods.

Yes, she is no longer the original Mei, but then again, is he truly the same Kevin? Has Kevin never changed? But is that really true?

Moreover, has Mei genuinely undergone transformation?

Throughout their long journey together, they have always been each other's lighthouse, and now, there's no need for them to remain separated any longer.

As Kevin hurriedly left, Raiden Mei's frown deepened further. Something felt off, yet she couldn't quite articulate what it was.

Now, she no longer felt as strongly about leaving World Serpent. However, Kevin's words just now subtly hinted at a dismissal, not giving her a choice but directly urging her to depart.

Wait!

Raiden Mei's eyes flickered; she noticed something peculiar.

Initially, Kevin seemed ready to say, "As the Lord of Serpents," but he changed his wording at the last moment. This implied that the current Lord of Serpents was no longer Kevin himself.

This realization shocked Raiden Mei, yet upon further reflection, it appeared quite plausible. Only if Kevin were no longer the Lord could his unusual behavior be explained.

But if Kevin isn't the Lord, then who could have taken over that position?

She strained her mind, trying to identify any possibilities, but found none. There seemed to be no direction to explore—no one surpassed Kevin in power or status, nor could anyone provoke such a change in him, except for—

Mei. But Mei could be immediately dismissed.

Because Mei truly was gone, with absolutely no chance of return.

Then who could be the Lord of Serpents in this world?

Raiden Mei was utterly perplexed, unable to fathom that the true Lord would turn out to be—her most revered Teacher?

However, before leaving the World Serpent, there were still some actions Raiden Mei could take. For instance, she could inquire from Gray Serpent, Jackal, and Raven.

Although, it seemed unlikely any of them would provide answers now, as she no longer belonged to the World Serpent.

Within the World Serpent's temple, Bai Zhi sat on the throne, casually reading a book - merely passing the time.

The birth of the Lord was drawing ever nearer, and His omniscient power gradually influenced other instances of Ana. Consequently, with a single glance at any text, Ana could comprehend its contents effortlessly.

Kevin swiftly entered the temple, approaching the foot of the throne without performing any formal greetings. He simply crossed his arms and stood silently.

There wasn't much to report, as the Lord's presence allowed Him to perceive everything. In essence, Ana already knew more about the changes within the Elysian Realm than anyone else.

"Oh my, acting is truly exhausting," Ana remarked, removing her mask to reveal her true face. With events unfolding as they were, there was no longer any need for such meaningless concealment.

"But then again, I've only been playing this role for a few days. Some individuals have maintained their act for five hundred years now; those are the truly commendable actors." Ana continued speaking to herself, while Kevin listened without offering any comments. It wasn't that he doubted her, but rather... it simply didn't concern him. At present, his sole desire was to endure this final stretch and make a swift exit.

One could say, over these fifty thousand years, Kevin had never yearned to flee as intensely as he did now.

"All right, Kevin, calm down."

Naturally, Ana couldn't miss Kevin's unspoken thoughts, and she wouldn't pass up the chance to tease him. After all, ribbing an iceberg is quite entertaining; if word got out, Raiden Mei would undoubtedly be astonished.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Raiden Mei suddenly sneezed. At that moment, she had just exited World Serpent's base, accompanied by Raven as her escort.

Of course, only Raven would perform such a gesture.

Neither Gray Serpent nor Jackal had a particularly close relationship with Raiden Mei. They not only ignored her departure but also showed no interest when she approached them earlier.

However, their attitudes were distinctly different.

Jackal's demeanor conveyed indifference, essentially saying, "Not my concern; don't bother me." On the other hand, Gray Serpent's attitude was more ambiguous.

For the first time, Raiden Mei detected an intense fervor in Gray Serpent's eyes - one filled with devotion and sincerity. This puzzled her, considering Gray Serpent was an artificial life form.

Most importantly, Raiden Mei sensed a newfound threat emanating from Gray Serpent, something she had never experienced before. It's worth noting that Gray Serpent's combat prowess had always been weak, almost negligible.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily eliminated by Rita back in Nagazora City. Yet now, Gray Serpent exuded a sense of threat and pressure towards Raiden Mei, leaving her genuinely astonished.

It's important to note that Raiden Mei's strength is already formidable, considered top-tier even among Herrschers.

Gray Serpent's response was somewhat arrogant, as if discussing this topic would be blasphemous against their current Lord. frёewebηovel.cѳm

In any case, Raiden Mei couldn't fully comprehend the level of existence the new World Serpent Lord must possess, enough to make Kevin willingly step down from his position.

Under these circumstances, could Anti-Entropy and Schicksal truly halt Project Stigma once it's initiated?

Through the Elysian Realm, Raiden Mei had gained a deep understanding of how Project Stigma came into being. However, the specifics of its execution were not extensively detailed within the simulation.

"What's wrong, Mei? Haven't you been outside breathing fresh air for too long?" Raven teased upon seeing Raiden Mei sneeze.

"No, I just felt like someone might be talking about me."

"Hmm, perhaps Miss Kiana?"

"I can't be sure." Raiden Mei pondered briefly, her cheeks flushing slightly—though it was barely noticeable. However, considering their long-standing relationship (not officially married, mind you), it seemed unlikely and unnecessary for such a reaction.

"Speaking of which, Raven, how much do you know about the current Lord?"

"Kevin? I'd say you probably have more insight than me," Raven replied casually.

"No, I'm referring to the newly appointed Lord."

Raiden Mei shook her head. Judging by Raven's response, there seemed little point in pursuing this line of questioning further—it was clear that Raven had no information on the matter. As a high-ranking member of the World Serpent, this lack of knowledge hinted at significant changes within the organization, causing Raiden Mei some concern.

With Otto's departure, the World Serpent now stood as the most formidable opposition against Honkai—or rather, the primary force related to its containment—in the world today.

Although Project Stigma... Gray Serpent hasn't made any moves recently, and Jackal has halted his human experiments, Raiden Mei still felt something wasn't quite right.

"A new Lord of the World Serpent? That news is genuinely surprising to me," Raven expressed, somewhat taken aback.

"How did you find out?"

Raiden Mei hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to inform Raven.

"Kevin told me."

Then, she recounted the scene from the corridor earlier to Raven.

As Raven listened to Raiden Mei's account, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"So, it seems like there indeed has been a change in leadership within World Serpent... Hmm, but that's none of my concern!" She shrugged nonchalantly.

"After all, I'm more like an off-duty staff member, and Gray Serpent handles most matters involving me. The identity of the Lord doesn't matter; as long as they provide suitable compensation, I'm content."

This was Raven, or rather, she had always been this way. However, such an attitude made it difficult for Raiden Mei to gather further information.

"But Gray Serpent does assign me plenty of dirty work." As she spoke, Raven produced a gift box.

"What is this?"

"To me, it just looks like an ordinary cell phone."

"Oh right, you're not part of World Serpent anymore."

Raiden Mei remained silent.

In the real world, following the conclusion of the Elysian Realm arc, many Captains experienced withdrawal symptoms. However, a new organization soon emerged, akin to the former An Gate - the Love Faction!

One could almost invariably find mentions of the Love Faction beneath comments on any Honkai Impact 3-related videos. Compared to other player groups, they were incredibly friendly, after all, their belief centered around Elysia, the one who loves humanity dearly!