The year is 2013. Schicksal Headquarters floated silently in the skies above Europe.
In a lavishly decorated room, a man slowly opened his eyes.
He was a man so beautiful he could be mistaken for a girl.
With blond hair and green eyes, his long hair was tied into a single ponytail draped over his left shoulder. He appeared to be in his twenties, with fair skin and exquisite features.
He wore a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, covered by a purple, gold-trimmed coat with a mantle, complemented by gray trousers and brown boots.
His name was Otto Apocalypse, the current Overseer of Schicksal.
Over five hundred years old, with no living parents. A lone wolf.
However, at this moment, this particular Overseer was staring blankly around his room.
Where is this?
His gaze fell upon the dark screen of the computer in front of him. Faintly reflected on its surface was a somewhat familiar face.
Who is that?
He raised a hand to touch his own face.
This is... me?
Wait.
This face... isn't this Schicksal's Overseer Otto from Honkai Impact 3rd!?
"I've transmigrated?"
The handsome face shifted from confusion to shock, then to elation, then to existential dread, finally turning pale and bloodless.
After a long silence, he collapsed into his chair, a look of utter despair on his face.
He had accepted the fact that he had crossed over into the world of Honkai.
But why did it have to be as Otto?!
If he had started as a normal person, he could have used his knowledge of the future to cling to the thighs of Kiana and Fu Hua. He might have even gotten to hear Bronya breathlessly call him "Captain."
But not as Otto!
Otto was the mastermind behind countless tragedies in this world. A man driven mad for over five hundred years by his desire to resurrect Kallen. If he had a health bar, he'd be the kind of final boss that countless people would use cheat engines to obliterate!
In Honkai fanfiction, both wrecking Otto and doing Otto were popular, profitable tropes!
What terrified him even more was that the old schemer Otto possessed many bodies.
Now that he had occupied this one, could the real Otto be in another body? Was it possible he was hiding in the shadows right now, sadistically spying on him?
Just the thought of it made his ass clench.
And even if the real Otto didn't cause trouble, there were plenty of other people and organizations who had their eyes on him. For example, Anti-Entropy, the other major anti-Honkai organization, was filled with people who wanted Otto's head.
He was Overseer Otto now. Even if he ran up to them and insisted he wasn't the real Otto, they would never believe him. They'd just suspect it was another one of Otto's insidious plots to deceive them.
It couldn't be helped. Overseer Otto's credibility was just that low.
Tsk, he was truly beset by dangers both from within and without.
Putting me in charge of a massive organization like Schicksal... it'd be like making Fu Hua wear one of Rita's bras.
Does she have what it takes?
Do I have what it takes? ┑(￣Д ￣)┍
---o---
[Ding! Dong!]
Just then, a mechanical, emotionless synthesized voice rang out in Otto's mind.
["OTTO" System has been bound. This system will now officially commence its service for you.]
It's here! It's finally here!
The transmigrator's best friend, the almighty System, has arrived!
With a system, he could pummel Kevin and kick Welt's ass. Having Kiana on his left arm and Rita on his right wouldn't be just a dream!
Otto's panic vanished instantly. He sat comfortably in his chair, even finding the composure to pick up a glass of red wine from the table and take a small sip.
"Truly high-class."
The flavor of the wine spread across his palate. Savoring the rich aroma, Otto set the glass down.
He then placed his hands before him and spoke to the empty room.
"Hello, System. Could you introduce your functions?" Otto proactively greeted his new companion.
[This system will issue daily and main story missions. The host can complete these missions to obtain Crystals and Friendship Points. Crystals and Friendship Points can be used to pull from the supply gacha, where you can obtain items such as weapons and stigmata.]
A common gacha system, then. Otto nodded in understanding.
But this synthesized voice was really grating. Weren't systems supposed to be cute, or mature and seductive, or even capable of warming his bed?
"System, can you switch to a more pleasant voice pack? Duck-flavored or bug-flavored would both be fine."
Hearing Otto's request, the system fell silent for a few seconds.
[Language pack successfully changed, da~]
It's Bronya!
It was as if Bronya herself were whispering in his mind. Otto took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress the urge to have the system breathlessly call him "Overseer-sama."
"Right, where's my newbie gift pack?" Otto asked with practiced ease.
[...]
Perhaps because Otto was so proficient, the system couldn't quite keep up with his pace. It fell silent for another few seconds before responding.
[The newbie gift pack... should I give it to you?]
Otto was a bit puzzled. The system was actually asking him a question? It was clearly a rookie fresh off the assembly line.
He might very well be this system's first man.
"Of course you should give it! All mature systems provide a newbie gift pack."
Fleecing the system was a sacred duty for every host, and Otto was no exception.
After another few seconds, the system responded: [Newbie gift pack has been sent to the host's inventory. Please open the system panel to view it yourself.]
At that, a screen of light that only he could see materialized before his eyes. It was an interface etched deep into his DNA.
The bridge screen from Honkai Impact 3rd.
The ID in the top-left corner was Otto Apocalypse. In the top-right were two currency icons: one was for Crystals, and the other was the Friendship Points symbol—a green heart encased in what looked like a pair of white panties.
There was no Valkyrie standing on the bridge. On the left was a single [Missions] button, and on the right were three buttons: [Valkyries], [Inventory], and [Supply].
He went straight to the inventory and found his prize—a Random Divine Key Pack.
A Random Divine Key Pack!?
Otto froze. The Divine Keys were thirteen ultimate weapons created during the Previous Era to fight the Honkai, forged from the cores of Herrschers. Just one of them was enough to let you run rampant in this world, and the system was just handing one over from the get-go.
Was this for real!?
The system might be a rookie, but it was certainly generous.
He was in love.
Otto tapped on the Random Divine Key Pack, and a roulette wheel appeared before him.
Void Archives, Cosmic Juggernaut, Seven Thunders of Retribution, the 4th Divine Key, the 5th Divine Key, Abyss Flower, Might of An-Utu, Fenghuang Down, Star of Eden, Xuanyuan Sword, Oath of Judah, Jizo Mitama, and "????"
The names of the Divine Keys lined the wheel as a pointer spun rapidly, its momentum gradually decreasing, threatening to stop at any moment.
Fenghuang Down, Jizo Mitama!
Otto's eyes locked onto those two. They were the ones he wanted most, incredibly practical Divine Keys. Those who know, know. Those who don't can go take a master class from a certain forum moderator.
As for dangerous, fiery weapons like the self-destruct button that was Might of An-Utu, Otto was afraid he'd use it once and that would be the end of him.
But the pointer slowly passed Fenghuang Down, then Jizo Mitama. It almost stopped as it crawled past Void Archives, and Otto held his breath, but it crept just beyond it.
Finally, the pointer came to a halt just a hair past Cosmic Juggernaut.
What Otto had drawn was... the 3rd Divine Key, Seven Thunders of Retribution!
He let out a breath of relief and leaned back in his chair. While Seven Thunders lacked the offensive and defensive versatility of Fenghuang Down or Jizo Mitama, it was an incredibly powerful weapon. Used by surprise, it could even one-shot one of Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries.
This was a top-tier prize.
[Congratulations, Host, for drawing the Divine Key, Seven Thunders of Retribution. Would you like the system to retrieve it for you now?]
"Retrieve it."
Otto said casually, reaching for the wine glass on the table. But his hand froze mid-air.
His body suddenly stood up on its own.
Otto: ?
He was stunned.
His body kicked the office door open and sprinted outside, nearly colliding with a white-haired girl wearing orange, crystalline goggles.
"Overseer!?"
The girl's surprised cry reached his ears, but his body didn't stop. It broke into a dead sprint, launching itself like a cheetah into the white clouds beyond the edge of the floating island.
Otto: ???
His body plummeted, the roar of wind tearing past his ears.
"What the hell!?" Otto finally processed what was happening.
His body had just jumped off the floating island and was now in a high-altitude freefall.
Where's the parachute?!
"System, what did you do to me!?" Otto screamed internally. The rushing wind forced his eyes nearly shut, and he didn't dare look down, afraid one glance would make him pass out.
[Please remain calm, Host. The system is currently in the process of retrieving your reward.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
Since when is suicide the method for collecting a system reward?!
Otto struggled frantically to regain control of his body, but no matter how much he fought, it was useless.
His body twisted in the air, shifting from a head-down dive to a feet-first descent.
He smashed into the ground. The impact disintegrated his leather shoes and the cuffs of his trousers into dust, but his feet were completely unharmed. Clearly, these were no ordinary feet.
Standing before him was a stunned young woman.
Her beautiful face held a seductive charm, with a beauty mark accenting the left side of her cherry lips. She had short, slightly wild gray hair, and her tight leather suit traced the curves of her enchanting figure, adorned with numerous feathers and straps.
This girl's name was Raven.
She was the "current" owner of the Seven Thunders of Retribution.
His left hand clenched into a fist and shot forward. Otto's fist slammed directly into the spot just below Raven's left breast. The bewildered young woman's eyes rolled back into her head. The sudden blow caused her heart to stop, and she passed out instantly.
No one would ever expect someone to suddenly fall from the sky and punch them.
With a single punch, Raven's soft body slumped against Otto's. A sweet fragrance filled his nostrils as he reached out and snatched the object slung across her back.
It was a dark purple sniper rifle.
This sniper rifle was the predecessor to Raiden Mei's power, the 3rd Divine Key, Seven Thunders of Retribution.
[The 3rd Divine Key, Seven Thunders of Retribution, has been delivered. Please confirm receipt, Host.]
Control of his body returned.
But Otto was dumbfounded, completely baffled by the system's methods.
Beat the original owner, and their stuff becomes yours. The logic was sound, he supposed.
But seriously, System, you're giving me someone else's property as a reward? Could you be any more shameless?
Looking at the Seven Thunders in his hands and the unconscious girl, only one thought surfaced in Otto's mind—thank god I didn't draw Fenghuang Down.
Otherwise, Schicksal would probably be planning a funeral banquet tomorrow.