To create Honkai Impact 3rd in a world where Kallen exists.

"Huh? Hard? I only know my fists are hard. What, who said that? Want to try?"

Qianjie turned around and sneered.

He stared directly into Alicia's face, his clenched fist seemingly brimming with boundless power.

To confront erosion head-on and then claim that the other party escaped... in either case, it demonstrates the opponent's toughness.

Luo Mo fell silent, as if chilled to the bone.

Wait... that doesn't seem to be what he said? Strange, why is he habitually taking the blame?

Even if there is such a thing, it's just something he said while surfing the internet. Why should it concern me?

"Hey, hey~ Möbius, aren't you curious about that... question too?"

Ignoring Qianjie's question, she had only caught a glimpse of it by chance; how could she possibly have any candidates?

So, Alicia approached Mebius with a curious expression and asked him.

This was naturally seen as somewhat provocative by Mebius, so she could only mutter in a low voice.

"If you don't want to, get out."

Mebius's indifference did not dampen Alicia's enthusiasm; on the contrary, it made her even more eager to try.

"Tsk, Dr. Mebius is shy too. Well then... Gretchen, how does it feel?"

"I knew it. Luo Mo definitely didn't have good intentions. He let you take control and you witnessed your brother Qian Jie's... Qian Jie's death. Speaking of which, isn't this hierarchy a bit strange? So, when Gretchen, Qian Jie, and Mebius are all around, what do you call them?"

Alicia's mind was as unconventional as ever; she always liked to poke this person and tease that person.

She's just like a playboy from a novel... or, to put it another way, a gold digger.

But she truly loved everyone in the world.

—At most, I have a slight preference for cute girls.

"Um... you're calling her the same way you do when Grandma Mebius and little sister Alicia are here? Don't you find that strange?"

Greta put down the controller, rubbed her temples, and felt that when she was controlling the story's direction, she was always worried about going too fast or too slow...

It wouldn't be good if it upset everyone.

As for Alicia's question, she had something to say about it for a long time, but... why did she accept that suggestion in the first place?

Grandma Mebius looked terrible.

A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. Perhaps... she liked this warm atmosphere; the playful bickering brought back familiar memories.

"However, judging from the plot, Aponia's mother was also infected by the Herrscher of Corruption, so I find it hard to guess who else can survive."

“Sister Alicia… if you, in your current form, were to encounter the Herrscher of Corruption, could you possibly survive?”

Greta asked a question with some concern.

She feared that all of this would be shattered by the Herrscher of Corruption in reality. Judging from the information and games mentioned in the documents on the Ark, there are still Herrschers of Corruption now or in the near future. So... what should she do?

"This...you'd have to ask a professional."

Alicia subtly pushed Mebius forward, bringing him to her side.

Go for it, Mebius!

"...Alicia, don't bother me unless it's important. Just leave me alone when you need something."

Mebius rolled his eyes at her, but he seemed to have some interest in Gretsch's question, answering without hesitation.

"There's no hope. To be precise, most ordinary people are also no hope against the Herrscher of Corruption. But they won't die instantly like in the game, unless they have a high compatibility like Alicia, in which case they can still put up a fight. As for Thousand Calamities? Going there will still result in death."

"..."

A thousand calamities were filled with uncontrollable rage.

"Mebius, have you been wanting to get smaller lately? Oh, I forgot, you don't even have that ability anymore, do you?"

"Hehe, it's not impossible. I've already modified the Stigmata to suit me perfectly... Death? It's still far away for me."

Mebius curled the corners of his mouth and squinted at the other person.

Grand Gretchen could only sigh silently to herself; they always found a suitable topic to start arguing about without any basis...

Well, it's still the same as always.

Like the moth that chases the flame back then.

Others may dislike them, but they loathe each other's existence even more.

...

The perspective shifts back to the Raven's side, or more precisely, to the Herrscher of Corruption's side.

Initially, neither the Honkai God nor the Herrscher of Thunder could complete the backup, but it could attach itself.

It sensed the abundant nourishment of its former paradise and decided to settle down here peacefully.

Purple joy, blue anticipation, green curiosity...

It constantly follows Mei as she experiences the world, and it also constantly backs up its own traces along the way—that's its instinct.

Until... the fear struck.

It did not yet understand death; death was a foreign concept to it. But the ten days of death that Aponia spoke of were not a figment of its imagination, which filled it with fear.

As for Qianjie, when that punch came, it began to regret it from the bottom of its heart. Had it made the wrong choice?

still is……

Should they all remain outside of Paradise?

Then it experienced a terrifying reality—the external backups were disappearing rapidly, until that number plummeted to…0!

It stopped moving.

It will not be restored.

This symbolizes that it has no other way out, death... death, death!!

Thus, anticipation transformed into a desire for life, curiosity into longing, and countless joys embraced him, leading to his sole yearning at that moment.

——Survive.

And so, the nascent Herrscher found his purpose and lived under the guidance of reality.

Therefore... it will no longer make the wrong choice.

Everything is just for the sake of living.

Therefore, when that hidden personality extends an olive branch, tells it they are friends, and craves trust, it is unwilling to believe it easily.

Until... when she helped herself to lure that incredibly powerful man to his death.

The wicked Velvet revealed her plan to Kevin, and... let the Herrscher of Corruption listen in the whole time.

Of course, Kevin was told that the other party could not eavesdrop, and that he planned to use the surrender to the Herrscher of Corruption to confirm Alicia's current situation and temporarily shut her down.

"Okay, I understand your plan."

The white-haired, blue-eyed man nodded indifferently, seemingly unaware of anything amiss.

"But there's still one question... Who are you?"

He posed this question, looking at Vervie in front of him.

"Who...am I? Is this the joy of victory?"

Looking at the huge mirror in front of her, Wilvi couldn't help but smile bitterly; she felt a terrible headache.

The things I remember from the past feel unfamiliar.

why?

Isn't she Velvi?

But her hand involuntarily touched the mirror in front of her, which reflected another memory.

Under her insidious gaze, she set her sights on dealing with another troublesome person—Mebius.

She had a smart approach to dealing with intelligent people. Through a series of conversations, she convinced the other party that they had a plan after surrendering to the Herrscher of Corruption, and that things would end smoothly in the end.

Mebius remained unmoved, looking at her indifferently.

Finally, a cold remark,

"who are you?"

Mebius's cold eyes flashed as she silently questioned Vervie before her.

Warning? Or reminder?

Unaware of this, Wilvi instinctively clutched her head and let out a series of screams.

Then... she gradually transformed into Raiden Mei, standing in front of the mirror, covering her head. She had just experienced two memories about the villain Velvet, including the two parts about Kevin and Mebius's causes of death, which inexplicably appeared in her mind.

They even... mistook themselves for the other person.

But why?

Just now... wasn't I still locked in a life-or-death struggle with her?

[A scheme within a scheme, Virvie belongs to either side!]

[Using Vivi's appearance to trick Kevin into killing him, as a pledge of loyalty?]

[But didn't Mebius notice anything amiss? ...Wait, was that last sentence a memory, or was it said to Mei?]

Chapter 82 Virvi's Id

"This is the origin of the Herrscher of Corruption? It's quite... peculiar. I've been following Mei all this way."

Alicia commented, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

She never viewed the Herrscher's past from a third-person perspective. For the Herrscher, who was like a blank sheet of paper at birth, the desire to survive forced them to learn everything.

Unfortunately, they were frightened by Aponia and Thousand Calamities.

But that's a step that's bound to happen sooner or later, unless... someone takes it under control early on.