Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players-Chapter 202: Sister Mei... I Don’t Want to Die...

These were merely spare bodies. For Kevin, Ana likely viewed them similarly.

"Hi, Kevin, looking quite well there! Remember to smile more," Bai Zhi greeted with a light laugh as she felt his gaze upon her.

Kevin nodded but didn't respond verbally; he had grown accustomed to silence. Honestly, he wasn't particularly skilled at interacting with other girls, even with Mei being...

Hmm, spending extended time with Mei recently made him even shyer. Fortunately, this aligns perfectly with her icy demeanor persona, leaving no obvious inconsistencies.

"You..."

"I'm here to spice up the Elysian Realm."

Before Kevin could fully articulate his thoughts, Bai Zhi preemptively explained herself.

"..."

Kevin didn't understand, feeling somewhat surprised. During their previous conversations, he recalled Ana expressing satisfaction with her plans for the Elysian Realm. So why the sudden need for adjustments now?

"A story must have its twists and turns to be truly engaging," Bai Zhi smiled, effortlessly reading Kevin's thoughts.

With that, Bai Zhi waved her hand and ventured through the dark alleyway into the realm of the Elysian Garden—seeking out Klein.

"Hi, Klein, we meet again."

When Bai Zhi found the ELF, it was still busy due to numerous issues arising from the Herrscher of Corruption's intrusion into the Elysian Realm. Additionally, Klein could no longer contact the Heroic Spirits or Mei.

"Hmm... Ah... Please don't disturb my work... Wait, is it you?"

After mumbling a few words, Klein lifted its head. Despite being an ELF, Bai Zhi sensed its surprise.

"Hello there, Klein."

"Weren't you supposed to be dead?" Klein asked, somewhat puzzled. It didn't genuinely concern itself with Ana's fate; she was merely a unique passerby after all. As for leaving memory fragments behind, that was solely the choice of the Heroic Spirits, not something involving Klein directly.

"Uh... That doesn't matter right now." Bai Zhi felt slightly awkward, though understandable given the circumstances. However, hearing such blunt remarks upon meeting... still felt... Well, considering Klein was an ELF, one needn't take it too seriously.

"In any case, I'm perfectly fine, but you mustn't tell them."

"Mm-hmm." Klein nodded, though it was unclear if he fully comprehended her request.

Most likely, he did understand. To Klein, the news that Ana hadn't died wasn't particularly significant. As an ELF, he couldn't truly grasp Raiden Mei's emotional attachment to Ana.

"I know there's been an issue with the Elysian Realm; a virus infiltrated it. To save it, we need to install antivirus software, does that make sense to you?"

"....."

"Oh, right, I forgot - you're an ELF, quite intelligent indeed."

"So please open the channel between the Garden of Eden and reality, allowing me to apply a small patch to my memory fragment," Bai Zhi said, smiling warmly.

Klein remained silent for a moment before ultimately choosing to trust Bai Zhi and following her instructions. With ease, Bai Zhi successfully deployed the patch.

It turns out, she genuinely seemed to enjoy nurturing chaos.

Alright, just kidding.

She simply wanted to experience transforming a memory fragment into a true Herrscher, becoming her authentic self once more. Naturally, this experiment was quite reliable; surpassing oneself is challenging, and moreover, she had indeed infused her own consciousness within the patch.

As her consciousness entered the Elysian Realm, upon merging with the memory fragment, Ana within would no longer be just a memory but possess an awareness akin to Raiden Mei's. Only then could she become the Herrscher of Corruption.

After all, memories alone cannot become a Herrscher.

"I hope they appreciate this gift," Bai Zhi silently thought as she watched Klein busily working. The "they" she referred to were the Captains from another world.

Additionally, turning the memory fragment into a conscious Herrscher offered one significant benefit: the Heroic Spirits residing in the Elysian Realm could now depart using a unique method.

Ana not only aimed to save the Elysian Realm but also sought to bring about some new changes within it.

In truth, as memory fragments themselves, they could have served as the foundation for the original Project Stigma. Transforming from memory fragments into new beings with Stigmata was feasible. Unfortunately, the current iteration of the project doesn't pursue this path, effectively blocking one potential avenue.

However, Ana's approach aligns closely with Dr. Mobius' research within the Garden of Eden. After all, she had promised to help him leave the realm.

This compromise might be understandable and acceptable to Mobius, considering their essence remains memory fragments, no longer truly human.

For now, the temporary changes within the Elysian Realm had no impact on the real world. Meanwhile, for the Captains, this period felt like sheer torment, as if ants were crawling all over them.

Nearly every Captain eagerly anticipated new story content, but the developers maintained tight secrecy.

However, what's meant to arrive will eventually come.

And so, Version 5.8 "Far Stars Unfurled" finally arrived! Not only did it bring fresh narrative developments, but it also introduced Griseo—the new character!

With Theresa becoming the Schicksal Bishop, Captains had long given up hope for a new Theresa armor. Despite Otto already having his own impression video and theme song, Theresa still lacked one; some Valkyries even had multiple by now.

This wave left Theresa fans devastated.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

But fear not, a new loli—Griseo—is here! Farewell, Theresa!

As for the storyline, although just a teaser, some Captains deduced the future direction from the name of the upcoming main quest arc. However, this wasn't surprising.

The initial outrage and emotional breakdowns mostly stemmed from the writers leading the Captains astray. Upon careful reflection and recalling the overarching plot, things became clearer.

Only the Herrscher of Corruption entered the Elysian Realm, while the Heroic Spirits have lived together there for fifty thousand years, fighting side by side throughout their past. How could they betray each other?

Naturally, even with such speculations, players still trusted what they saw firsthand. Only after the entire storyline unfolded would they truly know the full picture.

Unfortunately, Old Mi once again disappointed them, sticking to his trademark abrupt endings.

In the Present World, within Brother Cake's live stream:

On the screen, Kalpas, Su, and Hua were depicted. At this moment, Kalpas was roaring fiercely, seemingly intent on killing the two individuals before him.

Brother Cake remained silent; his heart raced anxiously. How should he put it?

He actually agreed with that Captain's assessment, but the unfolding plot genuinely left him puzzled.

However, in the next instant, as the truth was revealed, both Su and Brother Cake understood simultaneously.

Kalpas unleashed Finality's ultimate strike upon the ground, shattering the space of the Elysian Realm. It became clear...from the beginning, Kalpas never suspected any of the Heroic Spirits.

From the outset, he felt something malevolent had infiltrated the Elysian Realm.

Yet from the Captains' perspective, there seemed no direct interaction between Kalpas and Ana at that time. Of course, this scene wasn't crucial either, as Kalpas was not foolish; rather, he simply deemed it unworthy of consideration.

Kalpas was no fool; he initially sought out Ana merely to find answers and support. Later, when confronting Aponia, he posed similar questions, reflecting his consistent approach.

In the Present World, he simply chose to inquire from Ana right away.

He knew there were issues within the Elysian Realm and trusted Ana completely. After all, Ana's presence in the Elysian Realm was akin to Kevin's—she possessed absolute power. If she truly wished to betray or act against anyone, it would be swiftly accomplished without detection.

Although Kalpas suspected that Ana might have some knowledge, he did not opt to seek her assistance.

In truth, even Ellie wouldn't prefer relying on Ana's help if given a choice. After all, Ana wasn't one of the Heroic Spirits.

"It seems like Kalpas guessed the appearance of the Herrscher of Corruption," Brother Cake analyzed seriously amidst his shock, only feeling slightly awkward upon seeing the bullet comments.

[Alright, stop it, Brother Cake. We all know you just figured it out too.]

[Exactly, you're not any smarter than us. Don't pretend to be clever.]

[Brother Cake, let's get back to advancing the plot!]

In response to these bullet comments, Brother Cake felt somewhat inclined to plead his case—after all, he had noticed Kalpas' benevolence from the start, right? It's just that he was fully immersed in experiencing the storyline!

While this could serve as his defense, there was no clear way to explain it convincingly. In reality, the breakdown of streamers is often quite easy: misinterpretations and clinging onto minor details inevitably lead them to surrender.

"No...not possible..."

"Mei...Sister Mei...we need to leave here quickly!"

"In there...it's...it's..."

"It's Kevin's memory from when he disappeared..."

"The one who killed Kevin...is...is..."

"..."

"Heh...hehe...I...I'm best at this..."

"Sister Mei... I... I don't want to die..."

As Pardo's voice faded away, her figure disintegrated like shattered glass. She was the first Heroic Spirit to perish before Raiden Mei and the Captains' eyes.

And tragically, it had to be the most ordinary one—the relatable Pardo. This narrative twist hit home with chilling precision.

Until now, Brother Cake and the Captains in the live stream managed to maintain their composure, albeit barely. However, this revelation dealt a devastating blow, shattering all previous assumptions.

The traitor is Vill-V! It was Vill-V who killed Kevin! And now, Pardo!

Everything suddenly made sense! MiHoYo, you heartless bastards!

A loud thud echoed through the stream as Brother Cake leaped up, slamming his fist on the table. The last time he displayed such fury was during Ana's betrayal incident. Now, once again, he erupted in anger—not for any other reason but because of Pardo's character... What a goddamn brilliant choice!

Once again, he erupted in fury.

Not for any other reason, but simply because Pardo's character... was brilliantly chosen!

It can be argued that no other Heroic Spirit's death scene could have achieved this impact. Only Pardo, as the last seat, a mere mortal who struggled repeatedly with her choices before barely taking that decisive step, could evoke such emotion.

To everyone else, she posed absolutely no harm.

Pardo was a relatable character, whether one identified with Raiden Mei or herself.

And now, this beloved character met her demise cradled in Raiden Mei's arms. Moreover, prior to the storyline unfolding, nobody anticipated Pardo's tragic end at this point.

Undeniably, this narrative twist was exceptionally well-executed.

In a rare turn of events, even Ana refrained from posting bullet comments or stirring up controversy during this segment.

As someone who already knew everything, Ana had to admit that Vill-V's strategic planning and execution were truly impressive.

At least, when it came to scheming, she herself was not as adept.

Moreover, honestly speaking, there was no need to steer the narrative further; it wouldn't have much effect now anyway.

The chessboard has been set, and only by seeing this game through to its conclusion can the gears continue turning. In simpler terms—after painstakingly guiding the Captains to overturn their previous conclusions, with the villain right before them, how could they not seize the opportunity for catharsis?

This aligns neither with the writer's intent nor with the essence of Spiral storytelling.

Watching the fervent bullet comments flood the screen, Ana picked up her wineglass from the table edge, mimicking the elegant gesture of a certain individual, took a sip, and then—

"Cough! Cough! I actually choked on it. Seriously, damn!"

Next, all she had to do was observe as events unfolded, waiting for the next unexpected twist—and when that moment arrives...

Casually wiping away the spilled red wine, Ana's lips curved upwards.

Indeed, isn't that the very essence of watching live streams and following streamers - for these thrilling moments?!