This was a beautifully crafted bait—a trap.
If they truly believed that just because most of the scenario followed the plot of Honkai, it meant the game itself could be treated lightly... then disaster was imminent.
The corruption level was visible to all players simultaneously—and naturally, it would also be noticed by the Herrscher of Corruption.
She wasn't foolish. Sudden growth would inevitably trigger a counterattack. So instead, she chose to steadily expand her base, continuously generating more and more viruses, using the player data to multiply herself, all while letting the enemy be lulled by a soft offensive.
This was something Bronya realized the moment she saw Bronie successfully exploit a cheat.
Because, theoretically speaking, ordinary hacking techniques in the real world couldn't possibly affect the Herrscher's occupied nodes. Even with Bronie's unique talents, she shouldn't have been able to do that.
The only explanation was—the Herrscher of Corruption wasn't even maintaining those nodes anymore.
"That's why... we have to move fast and clear more levels… It looks like we don't have much time left. She's about to occupy two-thirds of the system."
Luo Mo felt cold sweat on his back. This was a serious oversight on his part.
Even though he had constantly reminded himself that this wasn't just a game—and that he shouldn't view things through a "gamer's perspective"—his instincts had still led him to rely on familiar strategy guides. Like with the corruption rate—it wouldn't warn you at 99%. Once you realized it, it was too late for a comeback.
A preemptive strike.
The opponent had too big of a head start.
"Exactly, boss. We have to come up with a new plan," Bronya nodded firmly, cradling her Homu doll in one arm. Her delicate face now showed a rare seriousness.
She raised her other hand, and from the bracelet on her left arm, a translucent blue 3D projection appeared in the air. It displayed densely packed data and a statistics chart.
"According to Bronya's calculations, based on the growing number of players, we might be able to keep the corruption rate stable for the next few hours. But people have fatigue levels. A long-term battle will only drag us deeper into the abyss."
"Only if we can bring the corruption rate down to below 50% on the first day, will we have a solid chance of winning."
She took a deep breath, her small face darkening.
"But the enemy... doesn't seem willing to give us that chance."
"..."
"I don't understand the technical stuff very well," said Kongming, pausing her in-game actions.
"But the enemy does seem to be following the strategy Bronya mentioned—avoiding direct confrontation, expanding quietly, then launching a surprise attack when we're unprepared..."
She didn't play games much; if it weren't for Luo Mo, she wouldn't have touched this one either. What she focused on wasn't gameplay, but the intel the game offered about their enemies.
For example, she had learned a lot—like one certain pink-haired girl weighed 55kg, but looked like she was only 52kg Luna. That Irene girl? 56kg. Hmph, just a bunch of chubby women.
(Of course, for convenience, she may have rounded up or down here and there.)
As for herself? Lately, her appetite had improved a bit—she'd even gained a little weight.
"This is turning into a real problem," said Kallen, narrowing her eyes and tapping lightly on the table as she ran through strategies in her head. Then she offered:
"How about I send out another announcement and promote the event a bit more? Maybe even offer bigger prizes?"
She looked to Luo Mo for approval.
But he shook his head, rejecting the idea outright.
"That kind of method is starting to lose effectiveness. We've already announced school-wide holidays to let people play this thing. Besides, publicity isn't working much anymore."
"What we need now is something that truly motivates players to act of their own will... something with real engagement."
As he spoke, he scanned the room, eyes falling on each person in the house.
He had actually been stuck on one problem for a long time—how to release the game while hiding the truth about Honkai from the public. Schicksal had been working on this for a while, but curiosity is hard to contain. People kept asking questions. The number of people who suspected something was rising.
After all, too many things in reality mirrored the game too closely—especially the random Honkai Beast appearances. Anyone who had witnessed it couldn't help but believe.
(T/C: just tell the truth. Evil Ellie wants to delete HI3. The church of Elysia's follower will answer)
On the map, you could find the name "St. Freya," remembered by who knows how many people. However, the reason Honkai Impact 3rd remains so popular has never just been because of its gameplay mechanics. It's due to how it builds its characters, and the powerful, emotional collisions that happen when these vividly unique personalities come together in the storyline.
"So, Kiana— all of you— become idols to save Honkai 3rd!"
Luo Mo thought back to when Fu Hua mumbled the words "popularity," recalled Bella's earlier title as the "Dragon Queen" live-streamer, and remembered how Elysia was about to become the top-tier host during the Summer Event before the Golden Courtyard arc… The answer was right there.
Let's all become idols together— to save the world!
Smiling, he turned to everyone and said it out loud.
Compared to sneaking around, taking on missions anonymously… this time, he was thinking about publicly announcing everything to the world. Reveal the truth and rally the players to fight for their own lives. He was seriously considering this idea.
After all, when people are told "this is just a game level," their attitude is completely different from when they know "this is life or death."
Faced with such an out-of-nowhere idea, the girls all had various surprised expressions on their faces.
"Ehhhhhhh???——"
Kiana, Mei, even Bronya and Luna were visibly stunned. Kallen, however, was deep in thought about this bold plan. She glanced at Luo Mo but didn't object. After all, it was the final Herrscher. In the end, she too understood—humanity's systems didn't help much against beings of such high-dimensional existence.
Maybe revealing everything now wasn't such a bad idea.
"Become idols? Luo Mo, is this seriously your idea? It sounds kind of fun! Eden, let's join them too! Let's become idols together ♪~"
Just as they were discussing, a pink-haired girl appeared at the doorway. Her long hair swayed behind her, her soft pink eyes sparkled, and her flawless face looked untouched by the world's dust. Standing there, she was like a scene from a dream.
"Ellie, this time you'll be the one to shine under the spotlight again," Eden nodded slightly in agreement.
"Maybe it'll be a worthwhile experience. And if you need anything, I'll be by your side."
"If it's Elysia…" Luo Mo nodded. After all, she was always the most dramatic and energetic one around—her being here was nothing out of the ordinary.
"But don't say I'm not idol material, okay? ♪~" Elysia pouted and placed her hands on her hips, staring down at Luo Mo. She didn't want her passionate idea to be doused in cold water—not even by him.
"How could I say that?" Luo Mo shook his head solemnly and replied sincerely, "If Ely became an idol, who wouldn't want to be the founder of her fan club? Compared to that green-haired Bao Tai Tou guy, one sentence from you would blow him away!"
"Elysia, I'm totally your fan!"
"Wha—! You don't have to be that enthusiastic… but wait, who's Bao Tai Tou?" Elysia blushed and glared at Luo Mo. He always brought up some strange, slightly embarrassing cult references. Still, when it came to popularity, she was very confident—at least not less than Kiana and the others!
-----
St. Freya Academy – Dormitory
Meanwhile, Wendy also saw the latest "Honkai 3rd" in-game event announcement. As a Valkyrie and also a Herrscher, she had access to more insider info. The academy had already suspended classes and was encouraging students to participate in the stage-clear challenge.
Clearly, this was an emergency situation related to the Herrscher of Corruption.
Even though she had enough credits as a top Herrscher student, she didn't mind helping out. At that moment, she lay on her bed, swinging her legs, staring at her phone's game screen with a pouty expression.
She couldn't help but laugh a little in disbelief.
There had always been rumors about the "Triple Boss Fight Rule," but now the game's new content took it to a whole new level. What did she just see?
She alone had to fight three major faction leaders at once?
Was this serious?
---
[In-game narration:]
[Wendy was locked in a fierce duel with Welt when suddenly—an enormous flaming sword surged in from behind Welt and slammed into Wendy's location. The ground split open, scorched with flames, radiating terrifying power.]
["Herrscher. Step forward." said a cold, silver white haired man, raising his greatsword. His expression was stern as he stared at Wendy through the storm.]
[He controlled the very winds of heaven and earth. If this continued, the resulting catastrophe would be unthinkable—he had no choice but to interrupt Wendy's spell.]
["Ah, so the World Serpent's Lord has come too? Then maybe I don't need to do anything. Oh? Anti-Entropy's leader—long time no see, Welt." A sarcastic voice came from behind Welt. He instinctively turned slightly, not daring to show his back to this new foe, even though they were all facing a common enemy.]
[Even the Schicksal Overseer had descended to this battlefield. He looked across the field with a mysterious smile. "Such a grand gathering… it seems this trip was worth it."]
[He bowed slightly and raised a golden pistol toward the sky. His gaze passed over both Welt and Wendy before finally locking onto Wendy.]
["Miss Herrscher, right here… please die." he said coldly, aiming directly at her.]
[BANG —]
---
"Haa—haa—"
Back in bed, Wendy gasped for breath. Her mind was full of 10,000 unanswered questions about the storyline.
She had just barely worn Welt down to his last sliver of HP, and then suddenly—a massive sword had descended out of nowhere and crushed her final hope.
Frustrated and annoyed, she couldn't help but roll around restlessly on her bed. The soft mattress and blanket offered no comfort at all. A heavy feeling sat in her chest, stuck and unrelenting.
"Ughhh—Why?! What did I ever do to deserve going up against the three strongest bosses at once?! This is even worse than that Kiana vs Kevin fight that went viral!"
She tried pulling the blanket over her head. Just moments ago, she had watched her own character completely sweep the floor with ease. But now? Looking back calmly, if she was supposedly that dangerous, why did it feel so easy when she was the one in control? Was there a problem with their intel or what?!
She wanted to ask that very question—but there was no point. What she just experienced had only been the scenario introduction.
Still, Wendy couldn't help but question how she, of all people, ended up soloing the top bosses of three entire factions. Did she even have that kind of power? Could this corrupted Herrscher scenario really be part of the Honkai canon?
The plot was so richly layered, tightly written, and unusually coherent—even the eerie pacing was perfectly consistent. And somehow, they'd made her into a supremely powerful Herrscher. Did this Herrscher of Corruption really miss her that much?
Even though she was annoyed, she couldn't help puffing out her cheeks. She kept rolling side to side in bed, before finally sitting up and continuing the stage.
She still had plenty of time left to play. Though she was a Herrscher who had oddly ended up re-enrolled at the academy with the underclassmen, Wendy still felt awkward inside. She'd been through so much and had very few real friends. Even after reaching out to Kiana and the others, it had been hard to truly connect.
But she genuinely loved this game.
While playing, it felt like she had gone on so many adventures with Kiana and the others. The friendships she formed in this virtual world felt so real. Every time she saw them in class, it gave her this strange, warm feeling. That's what made her look forward to the game studio behind it all.
The in-game class content was fun, too. Most of it was new to her, and it helped her open up a bit more. Later, Sister Su Lu told her that Herrschers could apply to the Mihoyo Company with a special fast-track and exemption from written tests.
That was the first time she started to see her identity as a Herrscher in a new light.
Compared to endangered species, Herrschers were even more rare and tightly controlled. Her mind wandered through all sorts of thoughts—she had no idea how many times she had already failed the challenge.
Luckily, the three bosses didn't attack her at the same time. Welt retreated first, and then Kevin took over. Otto, on the other hand, didn't seem interested in joining the fight. Ironically, his presence alone made the injured Welt too cautious to act recklessly.
In a way, this scenario really did reflect reality.
---
[In-game scenario narration]
"To me," Kevin said, "a newly awakened Herrscher of Wind is a threat. But you, Welt... you're also a roadblock in my plan."
Kevin's health was also being gradually chipped away by Wendy. Otto, standing off to the side, didn't interrupt—yet Welt seemed anxious, and in that moment of hesitation, he rushed in too far.
Otto immediately seized the opportunity and attacked without mercy—striking at the back of Welt's head with a precise blow. Anyone watching would've flinched from phantom pain at the sight.
Kevin watched quietly, not interfering, but his wariness toward Otto visibly increased.
"In the face of a greater enemy, Otto—you would still..." Welt blocked the strike, but it left him seriously wounded. Dragging his battered body away, he shouted in anger but didn't hesitate—he retreated.
He hated Otto. But at some level, he also trusted him.
After all, standing before them was a Herrscher that needed to be stopped, no matter what. Otto would make sure that happened, using any means necessary.
Wendy struggled against the combined might of Otto and Kevin, until finally... in the scripted ending, she fell—plunged into a bottomless abyss. Her consciousness slowly faded...
---
"So I actually managed to defeat the two of them in the end... but the script killed me off anyway."
Wendy wiped the sweat beading on her forehead, only to realize that at some point without noticing, she had already straightened up into a proper sitting posture. The battle just now had been extremely intense.
Fortunately, Kevin wasn't in that video-mode form, and the main enemies were Otto and Welt. Still, the whole thing had taken quite a bit of her time—altogether, she had focused her mental energy for nearly an hour. Her mind was feeling a bit fatigued, and just as she cleared the level, she decided to take a break and relax a little.
Then, right on Mihoyo's Official Website, she saw a piece of shocking news.
Kiana, Mei, Theresa—Luna, along with Elysia and the others—were live-streaming!
What's more, it was officially endorsed by both Mihoyo and Schicksal through dual authentication.
Even though Wendy herself was already completely convinced these were the real girls, for normal people, this wasn't a small matter. It meant the final layers hiding the truth behind Honkai were down to just one thin page.
She clicked into the stream. Inside, the heat and excitement was already climbing sky-high.
[What?! There are people who look this much like the game characters?! Wait, Elysia?!]
[My dear Ellie... I've always... always believed you were real! Huhu...]
[It's the super invincible ultra freaking adorable pink treasure! Quick, use your smart brain to solve the quiz!]
[Theresa looks exactly as expected—brimming with wisdom. She really is our Headmistress!]
[Luna... I really did manage to bring back that moonlight, didn't I?]
[This is too similar! Also, what is this Schicksal certification thing? Are they really confirming they're the actual characters?!]
---
The live chat was in total chaos, a wild mess of excited fans and theories.
But at the same time, something else quietly happened—a signal went directly to the Honkai Impact 3 game launcher.
Kiana and the others didn't say a word. They weren't even used to it yet. But they still opened the game window and started clearing stages.
Clearly, on Kiana's end, she was facing a rare level quiz challenge—and the character she had to play was... herself.
She was taking part in a Valkyrie qualification test.
(T/C: ....I'm Jealous)