Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm working on. I upload at least 2 times daily for most novels - There are at least twice as many available chapters on Patreon, compared to here on Webnovel.
Additionally, there are also free extra chapters available for Free Members, so head on over:
Patreon.com/ThatGreatStuff
******
In the real world, Brother Cake's live stream chatroom:
["Huh?"]
["What?!"] x100
Nearly all viewers were puzzled by Honkai Impact 3's abrupt cliffhanger ending.
["WTF! Old Mi, you son of a bitch, leaving us hanging again! Can't handle it, huh?!"]
["Exactly! Hurry up and deliver the next part; I want to see rivers of blood flowing!"]
["Rivers of blood? (Sweating nervously) No, my wife is just breathtakingly beautiful, okay!"]
["Your wife? That's clearly MY wife (dog emoji)!"]
While the live chat debated endlessly, streamer Brother Cake remained remarkably calm. Well, if anything, he had simply grown accustomed to Old Mi's notorious cliffhangers—whether one liked it or not, as an old captain, there was no escaping them.
The intense reaction this time stemmed primarily from the plot involving Ana. Had it been about Kiana instead, fans would have reacted similarly but perhaps with less urgency.
"If everything goes as expected, Ana should appear next," Brother Cake confidently stated, rubbing his chin. However, even his prediction was cautious speculation, given that Old Mi could always pull off unexpected twists like sending Durandal or introducing a new character.
Brother Cake couldn't help but recall the previous wave of controversies that had affected numerous voice actors; it was truly a dark chapter he wished to forget.
"What do you mean 'should'?! It's definitely going to be her!"
"Hey, hey, hey, since when did our Church Leader An become so hesitant?"
In response to Brother Cake's cautious tone, other viewers began teasing him playfully. This indeed contrasted with his previously bold and fearless demeanor; now, he seemed somewhat subdued, as if his sharp edges had been worn down.
Despite once being unafraid of anything, there was no real need for him to feel intimidated anymore.
"Haha, being cautious isn't bad," Brother Cake smiled, acknowledging that deep down, he was genuinely fearful.
Online trolls and cyberbullies—despite his wealth, even Brother Cake felt apprehensive. His family merely had some resources, but confronting these individuals would likely prove futile, akin to hitting cotton without any significant impact. Ultimately, their political influence fell short, or perhaps those above simply weren't interested in dealing with such trivial matters. However, addressing the toxic online environment was indeed necessary, though it wasn't within his power to effect change.
[Brother Cake, did you attend Old Mi's Creation Festival?]
Suddenly, one viewer steered the conversation towards another topic, quickly garnering many responses. After all, with the main storyline concluded, it was now time for smaller events and a period of downtime.
[Brother Cake, at the Creation Festival, there was this divine An Goose cosplaying couple. Waaaah, they were so sweet together.]
[White River Dolphin, can you stop seeing couples everywhere?]
[Is the commenter above dumb? They themselves admitted to being a couple.]
Seeing such comments appear, Brother Cake's eyes twitched. Before his moderator could intervene, he swiftly muted the troublemaker himself. Despite having taken a break from streaming earlier, these toxic remarks still managed to sweep through his live broadcast room inevitably.
[Well done! Brother Cake is awesome!]
[Where's the moderator? Why should Brother Cake handle this nonsense? Step down immediately! Let me be the moderator!]
[Oh? I just went to pick up my delivery, and someone wants to stage a coup already?]
Under the moderator's guidance, the discussion in the chatroom quickly shifted course, much to Brother Cake's relief. He nodded approvingly, feeling somewhat satisfied.
It wasn't that he couldn't hire professional moderators; it simply wasn't necessary. Fortunately, his current moderator didn't disappoint either.
"I had some family matters during the Creation Festival, so unfortunately, I couldn't attend," Brother Cake said with a hint of regret.
"However, I did see those two cosplayers' performances, and they were undeniably spot-on, 100% accurate. I doubt any other cosplayer could surpass them; if so, then disregard my words."
In the end, Brother Cake didn't forget to cover his bases.
[Indeed, those sisters were incredibly beautiful. And according to my friend from Shanghai University, one of them is mixed-race, while the other is Austrian. Both are genuine young ladies.]
[Austrian... that makes me think of...]
"If that's true, it indeed seems like authentic portrayals." Brother Cake nodded slightly. While foreign or mixed-race cosplayers were rare, they weren't unheard of. On their platform, there was a well-known Ka-san, though she originally wasn't a professional cosplayer but simply pursued it out of interest.
Of course, this situation isn't unusual. In recent years, with the mainstream popularity of two-dimensional culture growing, many bloggers have jumped on the bandwagon to share in the attention, although some genuinely do it for love.
[I think the highlight must be their perfectly fluent and natural accents, almost as if voiced by actual voice actors.]
[For the commenter above, as someone with insider knowledge, I can reveal a bit: One of those young ladies actually provided Ana's voiceover, but it seems she only contributed partially, perhaps just for fun.]
["Wow, seriously? Is this for real?"]
["Yes, it's accurate info straight from Da Wei himself."]
["So, did tech enthusiasts ultimately bow to capital after all? (sob)"]
["Don't be ridiculous. She's an angel investor; apart from receiving dividends, she never interferes with company affairs. Instead, she actively invests and helps with promotions. If all investors were like her, who wouldn't appreciate that?"]
["666, alright then, is anyone willing to invest in me too? Send me ¥50, and I'll appoint you as my great general!"]
["Whoa, buddy, can't quite tell what your angle is here. What's up with your profile page, bro?"]
As Brother Cake watched the bullet comments, his eyes flickered.
Indeed, he had some knowledge about that Young Lady, but his family had warned him strictly against revealing any details publicly.
Given the immense influence of her family, taking down his own would be effortless, so offending them was out of the question.
"How about this! At the next comic convention, I'll definitely attend in person, okay!"
A moment later, Brother Cake announced in the live broadcast.
Honkai Impact 3, when it came to streaming, generally offered average viewing appeal, especially after completing the main storyline. It often felt monotonous, akin to just clocking in for work. Filming at comic conventions not only catered to his personal interests but also served as a treat for his viewers, providing them with additional entertainment value.
In reality, only a select few viewers had the opportunity to attend comic conventions. Most Captains didn't get such chances; however, many preferred not to comment online, giving the illusion that more Captains were attending these events than actually did.
[Yes! This means we'll have a chance to catch Brother Cake offline, right?]
[Absolutely! Can't wait for Brother Cake to witness my cosplay as a female character!]
[Dude, can I talk to you privately? I'm thinking of...]
As expected, the audience overwhelmingly supported Brother Cake's decision to visit the comic convention. After all, everyone loves some good trolling, and there's no shortage of opportunities at such events.
[Brother Cake, will you do a cosplay?] A viewer posed a profound question, instantly sparking enthusiastic reactions and flooding the chat with comments.
"Definitely! Consider it a belated reward for reaching 100,000 subscribers," Brother Cake replied with a smile. In truth, he had dabbled in cosplay before, just not typically cross-dressing. He felt no psychological pressure about it. At heart, despite being from a well-off background, his upbringing was quite ordinary, without any significant societal burdens. His parents were also relatively open-minded.
[Yay! So what character will Brother Cake cosplay as?]
[Brother Cake! Let's swiftly engage in fencing!]
While Brother Cake's live stream remained relatively calm, the videos featuring Ana and Bianka swiftly gained popularity, sparking discussions about their identities among netizens.
Some individuals reignited debates by linking them to international students and Ni Ge, but quickly, experts uncovered that Bianka was the princess of a wealthy consortium providing substantial investments to China. Moreover, she herself was highly talented, having published papers in international journals.
Her presence at Shanghai University, rather than suggesting any prestige for the institution, implied that the university might be fortunate to have her, given her expertise in fluid dynamics.
Despite this revelation, keyboard warriors did not cease their attacks. Additionally, foreign spies covertly stirred up chaos amidst the situation. In essence, some people simply thrived on stirring controversy without regard for the truth, showcasing the diverse range of online behaviors.
Ultimately, the government intervened, aided by capital forces, effectively quelling the farce. The state began taking steps to address internet disorder, implementing measures such as mandatory real-name registration for online activities - though these developments unfolded later.
In the Honkai World, Ana remained oblivious to all this. Even if she were aware, she would likely just smile it off, treating it like idle gossip. After all, not every world has access to an omnipotent system backing its characters.
In a secluded corner of Tianqiong City—though "corner" might be misleading, as it referred to a rarely visited iron bridge that once served as a crucial route leading into the city.
However, with Honkai Beasts constantly invading, Tianqiong City had abandoned this path due to its extreme danger; it was virtually impossible to avoid attacks from Honkai Beasts here. To combat them, all available mechas were deployed by the city's forces.
The inhabitants relied on even less advanced machinery than Ana scorned—the Titans—to protect their city. These mechas primarily depended on manual human control, essentially risking lives every time they piloted them.
A Void Gate materialized out of thin air, and Kiana, struggling slightly while supporting Rita, emerged through it.
Rita's face was pale, her body trembling. After being affected by the Honkai Suppressing Serum, her ability to control Honkai Energy significantly diminished, causing rapid exhaustion from her Shadow Iron armor. She endured unimaginable pain.
Kiana's condition wasn't much better either. Using the Herrscher of the Void's power accelerated its awakening process. Currently, Fu Hua maintained most of the Herrscher's seals.
But now that the Herrscher of the Void had awakened, this seal's effectiveness was diminishing rapidly. Even when dormant, the Queen posed formidable challenges; fully awakened, she was even more dangerous.
If not for Himeko sacrificing her life to inject Kiana with the Gun of God, this personality might have vanished long ago.
"I never would've guessed..." Kiana panted.
"You look so cold and collected, yet you act so impulsively."
Kiana was ribbing Rita about crashing the cargo ship into the industrial district. However, from a higher perspective, it wasn't actually a poor decision.
The cargo ship was expendable, and there were no Valkyries left onboard anyway. To handle the situation, Rita had brought out all her team members as well.
Using an unmanned cargo ship to collide with the industrial area created opportunities for herself and her teammates while drawing Schicksal's attention to their plight. In Rita's view, it was a profitable move.
However, at that moment, Rita had no inclination to explain these circumstances to Kiana. Her eyelids felt increasingly heavy as the backlash from the Valkyrie Armor surged through her. Previously, she could have easily endured it, but now, weakened by the serum, she was practically half-fragile human.
If not for sharing Durandal's Stark Drive power, Rita would likely have collapsed by now.
"Hey, don't tell me you're feeling down because so many of your people got killed or injured?"
Seeing Rita's prolonged silence, Kiana assumed she was too distraught to respond. A powerful Valkyrie like Rita surely wouldn't break down and cry, though.
"To prevent any more rash decisions, let me assure you—I've done my best to save as many of your team members as possible."
"Don't worry, Miss Kiana. I never make sacrifices without purpose." Taking a deep breath, Rita tried her utmost to keep her voice steady. Of course, she felt sorrow and grief, but someone like her would never act impulsively based on emotions. It echoed her behavior during the Legacy Chapter—her actions weren't due to indifference towards Durandal; rather, it was simply fulfilling her duty.
Her lack of response served two purposes: resting momentarily while simultaneously planning and strategizing their next move.
They were in Tianqiong City, territory controlled by the World Serpent. With relations now openly hostile, they needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario and devise a meticulous plan to escape from this place.
Perhaps due to Kiana's earlier display, Rita had gained newfound respect for her. Instead of addressing her as "Herrscher of the Void," she used the more courteous title, "Miss Kiana."
Despite their opposing positions and missions, Rita saw no issue with temporarily allying herself with Kiana before returning to Schicksal.
"Considering the number and deployment of our enemies, we could be targeted at any moment within this city. Therefore, I propose creating a false scenario where both sides perish, buying us some time."
"Do you think that'll fool them?" Kiana pondered aloud. In her view, it seemed impossible to deceive World Serpent.
"Just concealing such a significant disturbance will require considerable effort on their part. Regardless of whether it fools them or not, it will distract our opponents."
"While World Serpent hasn't yet discovered our trail..."
Before Rita could finish, a terrifying wave of backlash surged through her body. She let out a muffled groan and promptly lost consciousness, as if the exertion moments ago had drained all her strength.
Indeed, it was nothing short of miraculous that Rita had managed to stay conscious long enough to make such precise judgments.
As Rita fell unconscious, footsteps approached from afar. Familiar yet alien, they evoked memories of relentless gunfire...