Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players

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The Version 3.0 update quickly concluded, giving way to Version 3.1, titled "Dreaming Twin Stars." This update introduced sisters Rosalia and Liliya, along with new combo techniques and parry mechanics, adding fresh excitement to the game.

Of course, to the less skilled players, these updates might not have seemed significant. However, what was truly enviable was that upon their introduction, both characters came with dedicated side stories, reminiscent of Kallen's Fantasy—a delightful addition.

Considering the strained relationship between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, organizing such an idol debut competition felt utterly improbable.

Nevertheless, Captains viewed this as a response from the developers, showing they were listening to suggestions. The side stories indeed deepened Captains' understanding of the sister duo. Additionally, there were official comics and extra chapters, demonstrating ample dedication from the creators.

Both updates took place in Seabed City within Anti-Entropy territory, featuring characters associated with Cocolia's faction. Combined with the previous Dark Blue Sea comic and Seele's prolonged absence, it heightened Captains' anticipation for her return.

Although Seele hadn't appeared yet in Honkai Impact 3's storyline, as a character carried over from Honkai Academy, she maintained a high level of popularity. From a character attribute perspective alone, she filled a notable gap in Honkai Impact 3's roster.

As for Tianqiong City and the situation involving Ana and Kiana, with Seele's potential appearance on the horizon, it seemed less significant by comparison. Instead, players became more invested in Himeko's whereabouts.

Next came the highly anticipated Version 3.2 update, "Illusory Rhymes." In this version, Bronya dove into the Sea of Quanta, arriving at another world—an entirely different realm—where she encountered Seele.

For old captains who had played Honkai II, this update felt like a celebration. Compared to fans of other characters, Seele enthusiasts were notably quieter, but why was that? Naturally, because her armor remained unreleased, and there was no new content featuring her storyline either.

After countless updates seemingly jumping ahead of hers, the Seele fans finally welcomed their princess—the A-rank armor Swallowtail Phantasm!

In terms of character design and power, Captain satisfaction with Seele was high.

With its unique quantum attribute, stable damage output, and excellent gameplay feel, Seele quickly became many Captains' go-to choice for tackling challenges. Subsequent updates also included Seele as part of newcomer and returnee gift bundles, distributing numerous character fragments.

Even in later versions, Seele remained formidable. Compared to Stygian Nymph introduced subsequently, Seele indeed held its value better.

As for the storyline, Version 3.2 continued focusing on Bronya and Seele, with this trend expected to persist.

Following that was the peak moment for Duck fans—Version 3.3, "Angel Reconstruction." Our ultimate invincible MotoDuck, Herrscher of Reason, made her grand entrance! This revelation wasn't surprising, as Herrscher of Reason had already appeared in the CG at the end of the previous version.

The accompanying animated short also aligned perfectly, mirroring the treatment given to Herrscher of the Void earlier. This consistency solidified Captains' understanding of mihoyo's approach.

However, in the PV for Version 3.3, despite being the protagonist of this update, Herrscher of Reason only appeared towards the very end. Prior to her were two other main characters—the Amplification Core for Kiana's Void Drifter, Tianqiong Drifter, and Moonlight Knight's new story-themed skin.

Indeed, it seemed like the planners and writers realized these popular characters had been sidelined for too long, prompting them to introduce an Amplification Core and a skin in this version.

In the outskirts of Tianqiong City, Ana walked alone along the road. With the arrival of the Major Honkai Eruption, everyone had gathered within the city limits to avoid the roaming Honkai Beasts.

Before long, several Red Sakura Charge-class Honkai Beasts appeared before Ana and attacked her relentlessly.

Without even glancing at them, she casually drew Judgment of Shamash from her waist. In a blink, it transformed into the Might of An-Utu greatsword. With one effortless swing, the Red Sakura Charge-class beasts disintegrated into dust.

Such is the power of Might of An-Utu.

But why would Ana use it here? Naturally, to send a message to Gray Serpent that Judgment of Shamash now lies in her possession. If he wants it back, let him come and claim it!

As for whether Gray Serpent will see this display—there's no way he won't.

Gripping Judgment of Shamash, Ana strolled leisurely down the path, seemingly as carefree as if wandering in her own backyard despite being in such a perilous area.

Fortunately, there were no Tianqiong City guards nearby; otherwise, they surely would have intervened.

Ana strolled absent-mindedly forward. It had been some time since her return from the United States. Prior to this, she also visited Nagazora City to observe Himeko's activities with the children.

Himeko interacted well with those unfortunate kids. Despite her fondness for alcohol, she was indeed an excellent and dependable teacher. With the new Red Knight Armor and Ji Lin's Stigmata, she could protect them from harm by Honkai Beasts.

Additionally, it allowed her to provide practical combat training as their teacher.

After all, even as a dedicated educator, Himeko couldn't personally care for every child in the nest. Their future was another concern; she couldn't watch over them forever. They needed to learn independence eventually.

During Ana's visit, she spent a day looking after the children too. As a former teacher at Saint Freya Academy, guiding these youngsters came naturally to her, and due to age proximity, they gravitated towards her easily.

At night, after tucking the children into bed, Ana and Himeko sat together under the moonlight, sharing wine and engaging in a long conversation.

During their conversation, Ana realized some issues she had been grappling with.

There were certain matters where her excessive scrutiny wasn't necessary. Given the circumstances, it was impossible for everyone to consider every detail meticulously. The decisions made at that time were already what they believed to be the best choices.

From the perspective of hindsight and as someone who has experienced those events, she might see flaws, but indeed, there was no need to dwell on them excessively.

She had invested unnecessary emotions and overlooked some aspects.

Ana lifted her head, gazing at the moon above, then gently touched her Ultimate Knight Armor. An Honkai Crystal popped out, resting quietly in her palm, emitting a soft blue glow under the moonlight.

This crystal held the key to the Ultimate Knight Armor's immense power—the Gem of Desire, symbolizing the core of the Herrscher of Wind.

Typically, exposing such a core would cause widespread Honkai contamination in the surrounding area. However, in Ana's hands, this gem remained remarkably docile—a testament to the strength of her holy blood.

As she looked at the Gem of Desire, Ana couldn't help but recall Himeko's words:

"We lack experience dealing with Herrscher personalities; we can't provide much assistance in that regard..."

As Himeko spoke, she took another swig of wine.

"This path, she must walk alone..."

Indeed, when it comes to confronting her Herrscher personality or facing Sirin, Kiana had no prior experience whatsoever; she was entirely clueless.

As the benevolent aspect of Sirin, these burdens were thrust upon her unwillingly. In the past, one could blame Otto, but now, that cunning man has conceded before her.

Moreover, the System hasn't issued any warnings for quite some time, and its Correction Force is no longer active.

From this, it becomes apparent that those so-called System warnings and the Correction Force were merely tests from the world itself, meant as safeguards for her.

Had she deviated from the original course, she wouldn't have stood a chance against Otto, ultimately leading to her futile demise with no lasting impact.

Therefore, as a transmigrator, within the bounds of what the narrative allows, I can provide Kiana with greater assistance.

Or perhaps—instead of pushing Kiana to be the hero on display, why not let someone else become the hero?

To me, Himeko, Kiana, and Kevin are heroes. So, why can't I save them, save everyone, and truly embody the essence of a hero?

After all, she's just an outsider here. Her true family in this world is no more; she stands alone. Even her beloved girls don't necessarily need her interference.

Bianka... Rita can be by her side, and Fu Hua... once Senti is born, that girl will accompany her too. I've already gifted them the Scroll of Nuwa.

As for Kevin, that fool, he could easily anchor himself to his world bubble like Bianka did and stay with Mei. None of these tragedies were inevitable! If only Kiana herself would...

Become the hero of this world, while also being a hero to a few individuals—these goals aren't mutually exclusive.

It's merely about filling gaps, saving more people... That's all.

She isn't inherently great or fearless; she knows her own weaknesses. Yet, if she has made up her mind and sees an opportunity to save even more lives, why not seize it?

There's still time!

"Let's begin now!"

Ana gazed at the Gem of Desire in her hand. She wasn't sure how others had conducted their gem fusion experiments, nor did she currently have access to the necessary resources.

If she approached the laboratory and told Grandpa Magi about her intention to fuse with the Gem of Desire, he would never agree. Rin had tragically died during such experiments, so Ana knew she must proceed secretly, away from everyone's knowledge.

Fortunately, it wasn't entirely a leap of faith for her. As the chosen one destined to become a Herrscher, she inherently possessed exceptional resilience against Honkai energy. Additionally, she carried holy blood within her veins. Should anything go awry, she could always halt the process...

"Alright... let's begin!"

Gripping the Gem of Desire tightly, Ana infused it with her own Honkai Energy, forcefully activating and communicating with the gem.

This method was akin to using a Divine Key.

The difference lay in the core: the cores within Divine Keys were inactive, while the gemstone she held was genuine and fully potent.

As more Honkai Energy flowed into the gem, its vitality surged stronger. The Authorities within began leaking out, temporarily granting Ana access to the gem's power, much like how armor assists functioned.

Her pale pink eyes once again shifted to the cyan hue indicative of partial Herrscher transformation. With a gust of wind, Ana vanished from her spot instantly.

On the other side of Tianqiong City, a girl wearing a baseball cap raised her head curiously, gazing in the direction where Ana had vanished.

"Class Monitor, over there... There seems to be a strong Honkai Energy signature; it feels like..."

Kiana didn't finish voicing her suspicion.

"Hmm."

Fu Hua materialized beside Kiana, also looking towards the distant point where Ana disappeared.

"She... still chose to take that step," Fu Hua observed quietly.

"What?" Kiana was somewhat puzzled, though not entirely; she just couldn't believe it.

"By fusing with the Gem of Desire, she became the Herrscher of Wind. She's gambling..." Fu Hua hesitated briefly before continuing, "She's betting on her success so that you can learn from her experience. In fact, she already knew you were nearby."

"Ana-sensei..."

Gazing into the distance, worry filled Kiana's eyes as memories of Teacher Himeko involuntarily surfaced. Just like Himeko, who gave her life for Kiana, now Ana-sensei also...

Why... Why do all these people who care for her have to leave?

Kiana was unaware that Ana had participated in rescuing her initially, so she only felt gratitude and guilt towards her teacher. Now, through Fu Hua, Kiana understood who stood by her side.

"Don't worry; Ana is even stronger than me. If she can't succeed, then perhaps..."

Fu Hua glanced at Kiana beside her, her gaze somewhat hesitant.

"I won't be able to either, right?"

"Yes."

Reluctantly, Fu Hua nodded. In her view, Ana was among the most powerful Valkyries, both physically and mentally resilient, having controlled the Gem of Desire for some time already. If she couldn't become a rational Herrscher of Wind, it would indeed be challenging for Kiana.

Fu Hua didn't realize that Ana carried the absolute debuff of holy blood, with even the Kaslana Stigmata acting as another hindrance. Meanwhile, Kiana herself hadn't yet awakened her Kaslana bloodline or Stigmata.

If Ana successfully becomes the Herrscher of Wind, it would signify her Ascension immediately. Following that, perhaps even the Herrscher of Ice might undergo another Ascension.

After two Ascensions, her power would likely surpass the Finality versions of the main trio, making her the strongest below Finality itself.

However, considering how challenging Bronya's single Ascension was, the difficulty for Ana to experience two Ascensions is unimaginable.

These burdens remain unknown to others, solely carried by Ana herself.

Unbeknownst to Fu Hua and Kiana, Ana has quietly reached her destination. Before her eyes, lush mountains and clear waters unfold like a picturesque utopia.

A winding mountain path ascends from the base, leading straight to the summit.

Adjacent to the path stands a massive boulder, inscribed with prominent ancient Goshen characters: Taixuan Mountain. Indeed, this is Fu Hua's ancestral home, Taixuan Mountain.

The reason for Ana's visit here lies twofold: first, there are restrictions set by Fu Hua, and secondly, numerous Fenghuang Downs encapsulating Fu Hua's memories reside within.