Chapter 123 Senti: If I Can't Play Legend of the Xuanyuan, I'm Gonna Die!!
Afterward, under the guidance of the Arinyeva sisters, the group successfully met with Cocolia. Cocolia informed them that the Gem of Desire was currently adrift in the Sea of Quanta. To retrieve it, they would need to stay in the Deep End for a period of time. The trouble was that Schicksal might constantly invade during this window, so Theresa and the others had to protect the Undersea City.
When discussing the history of the Deep End, Einstein told everyone that both the Moonlight Throne and the Undersea City were technological products of a Previous Era continent known as "Mu." According to records, Mu was once the most technologically advanced continent, housing one-sixth of the world's population. However, such a highly developed civilization was defenseless against the power of the Herrscher of Earth; it was eventually completely swallowed by a man-made black hole.
While the specific details remained unclear, the result lay bare before them. A Herrscher was not an existence that could be controlled at will... Einstein believed Otto's actions were tantamount to playing with fire. Therefore, Theresa and her team had to find the Gem of Desire and stop Otto's plan!
[The Mu continent, with such advanced tech, was destroyed so easily by the Herrscher of Earth??]
[Were the Previous Era Herrschers all this strong?]
[Wait, compared to them, the Herrschers of this era seem like a big 'L' is written on their faces, don't they?]
[True, true!]
[It seems normal for the Previous Era to collapse if every Herrscher was that broken... that's terrifying!]
[The Previous Era could even build portals to the Sea of Quanta. Their tech tree was clearly leagues above this era. To think they still perished—the Honkai is too scary!]
The viewers were profoundly shocked by Einstein's explanation. They had thought the Herrscher of the Void's power in "Queen's Descent" was terrifying enough. But in the Previous Era, a single strike from the Herrscher of Earth had swallowed an entire continent... In comparison, the Herrscher of the Void seemed almost manageable.
As for what the Sea of Quanta actually was, Einstein explained it like this: Everything in the world is composed of quanta, which possess uncertainty. When a quantum is observed, it collapses into a specific universe from an infinite number of parallel possibilities—a nod to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
If the universe is viewed as a cup of water, there are countless identical cups around it. If the water overflows and flows along the walls of the cups to form a small puddle on the table, that puddle doesn't belong to any specific "cup," but every drop within it could have come from any one of them. A magical dimension exists between parallel worlds; this "puddle" is called the "Sea of Quanta." The Undersea City was built by the Previous Era as a portal to link with it.
[LMAO, I don't understand, I don't understand at all!]
[Is Old Thief Su Mu just flexing his education? Does he really want to teach us quantum mechanics?]
[According to Einstein, the worlds in the Sea of Quanta are infinite. Does that mean we can go to other worlds through it?]
[When in doubt, use quantum mechanics! If you can't explain it, use time travel!]
[Hey, do you think the worlds the Captain observes using Divine Keys are also worlds within the Sea of Quanta?]
[That's definitely a possibility!]
The audience was surprised that Honkai Impact 3rd was beginning to sketch out a blueprint for parallel worlds, introducing quantum mechanics into the game. Although they didn't quite grasp the physics, it felt inexplicably cool. With quantum mechanics involved, it was hard to imagine how vast the game's worldview would become... Su Mu's ambition was truly staggering!
"Brother Su Mu is a total genius..." Pardo scratched her head and grinned. "Even though Pardo doesn't understand what they're saying... it sounds high-class, right? Anyway, next Theresa and the others should be entering the Sea of Quanta to find the Gem!"
Beside her, Bronya was full of anticipation. "Mhm. Entering the Sea of Quanta might lead to finding Seele's trail."
Seele, however, looked worried. "But Dr. Einstein said the Sea of Quanta is dangerous, and that terrifying 'Snake' is sealed there... I'm worried about Bronya-oneesama and the others entering it."
Pardo laughed optimistically: "There's always a way when the car reaches the mountain! Besides, Sister Bronya isn't fighting alone! I believe she can turn any danger into safety!"
[Hey, Pardo! Don't jinx it!]
[Yeah, don't you know Old Thief Su Mu? What if he decides to 'stab' the Duck here?]
[Totally possible! That's exactly something that dog would do!]
Many players had PTSD regarding Su Mu's writing. This "gutter-born" writer was simply not human; after finishing off characters in the main story, he moved to side stories, and every character's backstory was more miserable than the last... Writing a character out of the story at the Undersea City was definitely something he was capable of!
"Hehe, you can rest easy about that! Pardo got a piece of 'authorized leaked intel' from Brother Su Mu—Bronya's highlight moment is coming soon! There will be an amazing animated short too!" Pardo chirped, dropping the reveal Su Mu had given her earlier.
[Holy crap? Animated short? Again?]
[Wait, brother, wait, I'm starting to panic!]
[Mei took an L in 'Queen's Descent,' Himeko went missing in 'Final Lesson.' If the next short is about Bronya... and Pardo says it's her highlight, does that mean Seele is going to get stabbed?]
[No no no no! Seele isn't even playable yet! Su Mu, you bastard!]
The players with psychological scars didn't feel reassured by the leak; their first instinct was to worry about Seele's safety.
"Haha..." Seeing the panicked comments, Bronya let out a helpless laugh. She understood their feelings. She was the first person to see Su Mu's scripts, after all. To be honest, even she was startled when she first read "Final Lesson." But lately, now that the project team was stable, she hadn't looked at the fine details as closely as before, though she knew the general direction.
Bronya's primary job wasn't writing; she was the Vice President and Head of HR. Managing personnel was more complicated than it looked, and she occasionally had to act as a support programmer since her coding skills were top-tier, even back at Anti-Entropy.
Pardo continued the main story. In the subsequent plot, the Arinyeva sisters took Bronya on a tour of the city while checking for damage. There were remaining enemies, but Theresa and the others cleared them out.
["Eh? Theresa looks small, but she's surprisingly capable."] Rozaliya sized up Theresa with interest, even leaning in to sniff her. ["Ugh! Bleh... bitter melon scent! I hate it!"] Theresa loved bitter melon juice, but Rozaliya hated it more than anything.
Watching Theresa and Rozaliya get along, Bronya felt a bit helpless. For some reason, the Principal always managed to blend in with children effortlessly.
[Is it because Theresa looks like a child herself?]
['How tall is she?' Hey, do you want to get crushed by Judah?]
[Wait, I can hear the voice acting in this text...]
The interactions between Rozaliya and Theresa had everyone laughing. Later, the group followed Cocolia into the depths of the city to select someone to enter the Sea of Quanta. Einstein prepared to go alone. Although Theresa was worried, she had been experiencing physical discomfort since entering the Deep End—a symptom of being "rejected" by the Sea. Symptoms varied from mild discomfort to coma or even death. Although Bronya showed no abnormalities, Einstein didn't want her to take the risk.
And so, the candidate for the Sea was decided. As time passed and night fell, Theresa remained in the training room, practicing relentlessly. Since the battle at Schicksal, she had realized her own lack of strength and hadn't slacked for a moment. ...She simply didn't want to lose anyone important due to her own weakness again.
At this junction, Einstein found Theresa to deliver a "request"—she had checked Theresa's armor, Blood Knight: Moonlight, and found no backdoors, meaning Schicksal couldn't use it to track them. However, Einstein found a sub-project called "Gleipnir," a limiter system on the armor's skills.
Theresa learned from Einstein the origin of the Vishnu factor in her body: it came from a Honkai Beast that grew by devouring other beasts. It was classified as Emperor-class only because it possessed that level of power when it was slain, but it could have kept growing. The true function of Blood Knight: Moonlight was to activate the Vishnu genes in Theresa to unleash extraordinary power. Because of the Gleipnir limiter, Theresa could only use 15% of her full potential!
Rather than a suit of armor, it was a cage sealing the Vishnu within. Once the limiter was removed, she could release unparalleled power. But even Einstein didn't know what would happen when the activation factor reached 100%...
[15%? No, is that stat for real??]
[That means Theresa's strength has never been complete... she's always been nerfed?]
[Does that mean she could be over six times stronger? That's insane!]
[If there was no limiter, could Theresa actually have stood a chance against the Herrscher of the Void??]
The viewers speculated wildly on how much power Theresa could unleash once the limit was broken. Theresa asked Einstein to remove the limit, clearly realizing a grueling battle lay ahead. To locate the Gem of Desire, Einstein had to race against time. While she worked, Rozaliya and Liliya performed a script they wrote and spoke about the current state of the orphanage. They took Bronya to a small island that had broken off from the city to set up tombstones and pray for three children who had died in the Great Honkai.
Although the twins brought a sense of levity to the story, the viewers realized through their words just how much hardship they had endured on the road. Even the twins had nearly died. Afterward, Cocolia arrived, wanting to reconcile with Bronya. However, Bronya could not forgive Cocolia's past actions, and the two failed to clear the air, parting on bad terms. The twins tried to comfort Bronya, but Liliya suddenly fell asleep. Rozaliya explained that it was a side effect of their modification; Liliya always fell into a deep sleep at 7:00 PM.
Once Liliya was asleep, Rozaliya dropped her usual airheaded smile and looked at Bronya.
["Liliya and I both know the experiments Mother did caused Bronya pain."]
["But we have to admit, without those experiments, we wouldn't have been saved."]
["After Seele and you left, Mother often locked herself in her room. She was sad. Even though she acted like nothing was wrong in front of everyone, we could tell at a glance."]
["I think Mother must regret it deeply. After all... she cherishes you."]
This was why the twins stayed; they felt that if they could help Cocolia, the orphanage children might be saved and Liliya's illness cured. Cocolia wouldn't have to do those experiments she hated anymore. Rozaliya's hidden maturity moved the viewers. Even if she looked like a "No-Brain" idiot, it didn't mean she understood nothing. Simultaneously, the audience's perception of Cocolia began to shift.
Admittedly, Cocolia's actions were unforgivable. What she did to Mei, causing the deaths of millions in Nagazora, and Wendy's death... these crimes could not be washed away. But her love for the children was real. During the Third Impact, her goal wasn't just to obtain Mei's power, but also to use that power to save her beloved daughter, Seele...
[Sigh... everyone has two sides. Cocolia can't be judged by simple good or evil.]
[True, to Mei and the millions who died because of her, she is a demon.]
[But to the orphans, she is 'Mother Cocolia' who saved them.]
[Human nature is always contradictory.]
[Cocolia might love the children, but her love is too heavy; she only wants to love them her way, ignoring how they actually feel.]
This segment made Bronya recall her own time with Cocolia. In reality, Cocolia had also been too self-centered, wanting to love her children only in her own way. She had initially opposed Bronya joining the game industry, as her military background made her see games as a distraction. This led to Bronya's rebellion and her leaving to study elsewhere. Bronya's resistance made Cocolia realize she had to change for her daughters. She stopped opposing Bronya's passion and eventually provided significant support for her career.
"Though Cocolia and I had our friction, we eventually understood each other... Her love for us was never fake; that part won't change." Bronya took a deep breath. "But reconciling with the Cocolia in the game... I might need a long time for that." After all, putting herself in that environment, it would be hard for anyone to forgive Cocolia so quickly.
In the subsequent gameplay: Einstein was attacked by a mysterious figure who then activated the Eye of the Deep. All Honkai beasts in the Pacific were drawn to the massive energy fluctuations. Due to the danger, Cocolia decided to abandon the city. She stopped Bronya from entering the interior. But Bronya's rebellious streak was triggered by her conflict with Cocolia; she refused to evacuate and chose to search for Einstein inside. Cocolia was forced to send the twins to support her.
A dark figure appeared beside Cocolia—it was the ever-present Gray Snake! It turned out Cocolia had long ago made a deal with him. The twins' modification surgery had been performed by Gray Snake! After Bronya, the twins, and Theresa regrouped, they fought to eliminate the beasts within the city. But more and more kept coming, rushing toward the Eye. To protect the city, Theresa told Bronya to take the twins away. Though the timing was poor, she had no choice but to release the true power of Blood Knight: Moonlight.
Once the armor was equipped, Theresa used the power to clear a massive number of beasts in a short time. However, a giant monster, Tlaloc, crawled out of the Eye. Through the efforts of the four, Tlaloc was repelled. But the Eye's energy was fading and it was about to close. No one except Einstein knew how to restart it. Soon, the Schicksal forces drawn to the area would surround them, and they would lose any chance of reclaiming the Gem.
As a final chance, Bronya resolutely chose to jump into the Sea of Quanta. A CG began to play.
[As Bronya enters the Sea of Quanta, she opens her eyes to find herself in a peculiar space.]
[A boy stands before Bronya, reaching out his hand.]
["You are?"]
[Bronya looks at the suddenly appearing boy in surprise.]
[A notebook with a butterfly clip floats in the Sea. Its appearance seems to portend that Bronya will finally reunite with her most important person...]
As the CG ended, Chapter 10 officially came to a close. Seeing the "To Be Continued" text, Pardo was unfazed. "Another cliffhanger... Brother Su Mu really knows how to play his cards."
At the same time, in the Schicksal branch office: Senti had to prop herself up to keep from falling. Thinking about Bronya meeting a mysterious boy after jumping into the Sea, and that butterfly clip notebook—her curiosity was exploding! What would happen to Bronya in the Sea? Who was the boy? Did the butterfly mean Seele was finally coming back? She was desperate for the next chapter, but the cliffhanger left her reeling.
"Huh? Another cut? Another one? Su Mu, I, Fu Senti, beg you to be human! Stopping here, are you trying to drive me to my grave? I won't let you off even if I become a ghost!!"
Looking at the dizzy Senti, Fu Hua sighed. Truthfully, she was looking forward to the next chapter too, though her reaction wasn't as extreme. Senti patted her modest chest and comforted herself: "If I actually took that guy away, who would finish the rest of the game?"
Fu Hua scrolled through the in-game announcements. "Mhm... I remember this version has an event called 'Legend of the Xuanyuan,' right?"
Senti's eyes lit up: "Right! I almost forgot! The main story is important, but the Old Timer's Azure Empyrea and that event are the real main course!" But then, seeing the announcement state the event would open in half a month, Senti collapsed like a withered eggplant.
"No, I can't take it! Old Timer, why don't you just punch me unconscious so I can wake up in two weeks!"
Looking at the twitching Senti, Fu Hua felt black lines on her forehead. Now she's truly become a Honkai Impact 3rd addict.
END OF CHAPTER
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