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"Hi, Klein."
Outside the Elysian Realm, within a familiar conference room once used by Pioneers to discuss humanity's future, now lay deserted except for a single charming and diligent ELF.
Over millennia, countless successors and visitors ca here. Now, even the longest-staying visitor is about to embark on a distant journey, perhaps never to return.
"Hello, Ana."
Klein remained unchanged, too busy to lift her head.
"I'm preparing to leave the Elysian Realm, Klein."
"Uh-huh."
Klein's response was utterly indifferent, reflecting her disinterest—a typical attitude for her. After all, her mission is to stay and maintain the Garden of Eden until its demise.
In the original storyline, after the demise of the Elysian Realm, Klein also went to work on the moon. It seems being a working-class character is inevitable, regardless of where they find themselves.
"Don't you have anything else to say?"
"Goodbye."
"..."
Observing Klein's unchanged expression, Ana couldn't help but chuckle softly. However, she didn't hold any grudge against Klein; after all, she was just an ELF. The outside world's affairs had no bearing on her.
"Wishing you smooth travels."
Just as Ana turned to leave, a faint voice echoed behind her, eliciting a subtle smile from Ana...
As Ana concluded her journey within the Garden of Eden, changes were occurring not only in the world beyond it but even in the real world outside the ga.
The version update continued, and although only about five or six days passed within the ga world, significant plot developnts unfolded.
Version 3.9, titled "Chasing Dark Starlight," marked the highly anticipated debut of Durandal's initial S-rank armor. Compared to the original tiline, due to Ana's influence, Durandal's popularity surged further, albeit without revealing her true identity yet.
However, as one of Ana's official pairings, this alone significantly boosted her appeal among fans.
In particular, the exhilarating animated battle between Durandal and Kevin in the previous Chapter left Captains thoroughly satisfied, propelling Durandal's popularity to its peak.
However, this duel raised questions among many Captains: If Durandal could match Kevin evenly, wouldn't it imply that Ana would completely overwhelm him?
At this point, with Judgnt of Shamash still in Ana's possession, estimating Kevin's true strength was challenging. The Captains couldn't discern his hidden cards, as only what was visibly demonstrated mattered.
It's worth noting that Honkai Impact 3 had barely explored the concept of Artificial Honkais at this stage.
Undeniably, Durandal's portrayal in this update was flawless, but it ca at the cost of slightly diminishing Kevin's, the strongest warrior from the previous civilization, badass quotient.
In Brother Cake's live stream, viewers posed similar queries. After a brief contemplation, he cautiously shared his perspective:
"I think Kevin is holding back or doesn't want to escalate the situation." Observing the rolling bullet comnts, Brother Cake expressed his thoughts.
"Firstly, let's examine Kevin's recent achievents: effortlessly suppressing two Herrschers of Reason within the Sea of Quanta and defeating Fu Hua wielding Fenghuang Down even amidst her burning fury."
"While Durandal is formidable, I believe she still falls short compared to the relentless Elder Immortal."
Brother Cake's analysis swiftly garnered unanimous agreent from his viewers. At its core, Durandal was a newly introduced character. Despite being touted as Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Captains knew well that Ana had long held that title.
During their encounter, despite potential type advantages and the deliberate portrayal by the writers, even half-transford into a Herrscher, Ana managed to overpower three S-rank Valkyries and the Schicksal Bishop.
"Next, it's crucial to note... Kevin did not need to go all-out against Durandal, but she had every reason to give her utmost effort."
"This appearance of Kevin clearly sets up for his subsequent conversation with Otto."
This conclusion ca directly from Brother Cake observing Otto's final entrance. Otherwise, there would have been no necessity for Kevin himself to visit Schicksal's Northern Africa base; deploying World Serpent forces alone would have sufficed.
"Lastly, based on previous comic panels, we can assess their power levels."
"Thousands of years ago, when Su sealed Kevin, he possessed both the Star of Eden and Unnad Locomotive. Yet, even with these artifacts, he couldn't pose a significant threat to Kevin. If not for Kevin's voluntary cooperation, he likely wouldn't have been confined within the world bubble at all."
"In contrast, without the Star of Eden, Durandal faced severe disadvantages against Su. Although she managed to recover later, it was entirely because Su had no malicious intent; otherwise, Durandal would most likely have perished at his hands." Brother Cake paused montarily before calmly presenting this final argunt.
["Makes sense!"]
["Well-reasoned, indeed accurate!"]
["Brother Cake is truly an expert!"]
["Let's not overthink it though, don't want to risk getting blindsided by official plot twists!"]
The last comnt from the viewer wasn't unfounded. The Captains could all sense that there seed to be a change in writers, suspecting so earlier established facts were being quietly retconned or even stealthily removed by the developers.
However, truthfully, as Captains, they had grown accustod to such occurrences.
In fact, there were signs that even the developers seed reluctant to address certain plot holes, such as Kallen, Yae Sakura, and Jizo Mitama's storylines. Many fans eagerly anticipated the return of Yae Sakura and Hiyoshimaru.
However, disappointingly, these characters only made brief appearances during events. Over recent versions, their cao opportunities dwindled further, and their fan support couldn't match the enthusiasm for the Queen character arc. It truly felt like relics of a bygone era.
"Don't worry, Captains; we must learn to adapt to these changes. After all, discussing theories about the storyline is just for fun - what matters most is enjoying ourselves," Brother Cake said cheerfully. He himself had grown accustod to this over the years. During his two-year journey with the ga, he developed attachnts to various characters and endured so disappointing narrative twists, building up quite a high tolerance for frustration. In truth, any Captain who remained active through it all undoubtedly possessed a similar resilience.
Brother Cake's words resonated greatly with his viewers, so much so that one fan even edited this segnt into a video titled "How Not to Go Mad as a Captain" and posted it on a popular platform.
Returning to our main topic, swiftly approaching was Version 3.9.
In Nagazora City, a gentle breeze swept through as a graceful figure silently materialized, descending upon this ruined tropolis. Once thriving, it had been reduced to wasteland by the Third Honkai Eruption, overrun by hordes of Honkai Beasts.
Naturally, so survivors with no hope of rescue remained here, and among them, the most renowned was the "nest."
The nest, however, wasn't unfamiliar territory.
Established by Raven, it housed children bearing incomplete Stigmata. Due to their unstable condition and for their protection, Raven could only temporarily keep them here.
Not long ago, to provide Hiko with sanctuary, Ana also brought her to the nest.
Now, Ana returned, intending to have Hiko leave temporarily.
For Kiana, Hiko represented a potent catalyst, but it wasn't yet the right ti to unleash that influence. As soon as Ana sensed an opportunity to intervene, she hastened here without delay.
Based on timing, Kiana and Raiden i should have just arrived or be nearing Nagazora City now. Ana's schedule remained tight; she must swiftly take Hiko away and head to Coral Island—the destined place for the Herrscher of Ice's Ascension.
As she departed from the Elysian Realm, the sense of impending urgency intensified even more.
Ordinarily, Selected Ones wouldn't experience this feeling, but as Ana had already beco a Herrscher, she could directly perceive the influence of the Will of Honkai.
To elaborate, the concept of the Will of Honkai didn't inherently exist; it was created by i and Mobius from the previous civilization, primarily based on Protheus 17. This entity imposed shackles on the Cocoon of Finality's selection process, limiting its Authorities, thereby enabling humans a chance to resist the Herrschers while simultaneously providing an opportunity to actualize the Herrscher of Human.
Now, Ana could distinctly feel the presence of Protheus, although it has fully integrated with the collective consciousness known as the Will of Honkai. Given enough ti, utilizing the backdoor obtained from Mobius, she would be able to directly seize the Authority of Finality.
Drawing on her knowledge of Nagazora City, Ana swiftly arrived at the location of the nest—a cluster of shanties.
She had seen similar structures during her earlier days in the previous life; they were products of economic imbalance. However, here, these dwellings represented humanity's desperate response to Honkai.
Most Honkai Beasts lack flight capabilities, so constructing shanties atop cliffs provided so protection against their incursions.
This was one of the earliest solutions proposed by Raven, who could be considered an expert in survival strategies against Honkai.
With Murata Hiko's arrival, however, living conditions in the nest significantly improved.
An S-rank Valkyrie served as the fundantal safeguard for this place. With Hiko's current strength, she could effortlessly defend against even Archon-level Honkai Beasts like Benares.
In reality, it was highly unlikely for such formidable creatures to erge here.
Atop the highest shanty, Ana spotted a familiar figure.
"Hiko!"
Ana waved enthusiastically towards the silhouette. The woman turned around, reciprocating with a wave and a gentle smile. For so reason, seeing Hiko like this reminded Ana of another version of her from a different tiline.
Yes, this is where Hiko truly belongs.
She never needed to spill blood on the battlefield; she could have effortlessly beco an elegant artist or scientist. Everything she has achieved now is simply what she deserves.
"What brings you here?" Hiko smiled at Ana before her.
"I need you to leave temporarily."
Wasting no ti, Ana got straight to the point.
"Alright."
Hiko didn't question it. Ana's request must have had its reasons, as proven in the past. Trusting Ana was always the right choice—after all, she risked her life to save Hiko once; there's no way she would harm her now. However—
"Can you tell why?"
"Raiden i and Kiana are heading to Nagazora City soon," Ana succinctly explained. "Your presence serves as both a stimulant for them and a protective eagle nurturing young fledglings. If you were to appear now, it would inevitably impact their growth and judgnt." Ana stated firmly.
This hardly needed stating; both Raiden i and Kiana were forced to mature rapidly. In a short span of ti, they experienced far too much, enduring confusion and uncertainty along the way. Despite these challenges, they were finally on the brink of becoming independent.
At this critical juncture, if Hiko reappeared, would all their progress be undone?
Ana couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen, but she had to do everything possible to prevent such a setback.
Although Ana intended to bear the burden alone, just as Project Stigma served as a contingency for the Spark Project, Kia's and Raiden i's growth also acted as insurance for her own plans.
So, Kevin would ensure the execution of Project Stigma, while Ana would safeguard the implentation of the Spark Project.
In a sense, they were alike, even capable of foreseeing the scripts guiding their actions, ensuring those scripts remained unaffected by external circumstances.
"I understand, but..." Hiko turned back, looking at the children behind her with hesitation in her eyes. After spending so much ti together, leaving abruptly could deeply impact them...
"Don't worry, Raven is already on her way here. I'll just inform her," Ana reassured Hiko.
Indeed, Raven was another crucial character in this Chapter's unfolding events.
"With that assurance, I can rest easy." Hiko nodded, a content smile gracing her face. "I didn't expect you to consider everything so ticulously."
"Every step of our plan interlocks; there's no room for carelessness. We cannot solely rely on miracles," Ana said earnestly.
In reality, from God's perspective, the Spark Project entirely depended on a series of miraculous coincidences. Precisely because it hinged on such fortuitous events, Ana had to exert maximum control over variables.
If any single link faltered and caused deviations, the entire endeavor would beco irreparable. She knew Kiana could succeed, as their future was foreseeable or even experienced before, but whether she herself could triumph remained uncertain.
She couldn't gamble with her own future, relying solely on miracles.
The Spark Project, by itself, represented a favorable outco, yet Ana wasn't satisfied. She aspired to create an even brighter future.
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