Chapter 145: Brand-New Version [Stygian Bloom]! Kevin Streams the License Revocation?
Under the meticulous preparation of the Honkai Impact 3rd production team, the preview livestream for the brand-new version, [Stygian Bloom], concluded perfectly. The players' expectations were fully stoked for the upcoming S-rank character [Stygian Nymph]and the Augment Core character [Twilight Knight].
Coupled with Su Mu's "insider leak" in Senti's livestream, everyone knew that the new version would feature another brand-new animated short. This left the players restless with anticipation. After all, the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 11 had them scratching their heads. They desperately wanted to know if Bronya would successfully rescue Seele and where Kiana would go after mastering the power of the Herrscher of the Void.
Learning that Seele would receive a new S-rank character only fueled their curiosity. Seele got a new power too? How? The Sea of Quanta was truly a miraculous place; Bronya got the Herrscher of Reason's power there, and now Seele was about to obtain a new strength? It felt like the Sea of Quanta was a "sacred land of feng shui," much like the cliff-jumping tropes in wuxia novels where characters fall off a ledge only to find secret martial arts manuals and become masters.
Some might argue: Didn't Old Yang jump in too, and instead of a manual, he got beaten up? Well, that's because Old Yang was the one who dropped the manual! Someone has to die at the bottom of the cliff first for the protagonist to find the treasure later, right? Old Yang's role was logical! He was the legendary "old man who drops loot."
Regardless, players were counting down the days until the update. The summer heat had faded into autumn, and as the temperature dropped, the cicadas along the road finally let their vocal cords rest after screaming all summer.
During this period, several things occurred. First was the continuation of the Synesthesia Beacon experiments with Herta and Ruan Mei. Su Mu had been using the beacon actively. The initial dizziness he felt when linking with Peppy had vanished with repeated use. Based on the experimental data, Herta and Ruan Mei improved the beacon daily; according to them, the progress made in this short time surpassed years of previous research. This was all thanks to Su Mu's assistance.
While Su Mu didn't think he was an alien, most people didn't possess a System or memories of a past life. Since his existence couldn't be explained by science anyway, he didn't care much about "brain development" metrics. As long as this world didn't have a Honkai eruption, everything was fine.
Additionally, under the influence of two unknown forces, Su Mu noticed his time spent with Bronya was increasing. Although they mostly discussed work, Su Mu could clearly feel that Bronya seemed happier lately. Seele had successfully implemented her plan—inviting Bronya out on her day off and having Su Mu stage a "chance encounter." Then, Seele would "suddenly" receive a call from "Elysia," claiming she needed to return to the office, leaving Su Mu and Bronya to hang out alone.
Of course, Elysia had no idea she was being used as an excuse. But she would have to take the blame regardless; she had done enough "mischief" that one more "crime" wouldn't hurt. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Mu and Bronya had a great time exploring Arc City.
Strangely, Su Mu found he had memories of the places they visited. He opened his phone and scrolled through his chat logs with Bronya from nearly a year ago. Back then, miHoYo's first game, Getting Over It, had just launched and gone viral. Kiana had mistaken the game's success for a failure and took him on a "date" to cheer him up. Bronya, who was working at the office then, had acted as Su Mu's "dating consultant."
It seemed Bronya was still somewhat bothered by what happened that day. She didn't just take him to the places Kiana had visited; she even suggested activities she and Kiana hadn't done. At the end of the day, Bronya and Su Mu went to a motorcycle shop she particularly liked. Unfortunately, the limited-edition bike Bronya wanted was out of stock, leaving her feeling a bit regretful.
"I didn't buy it, but thank you anyway." "Do you want to come back next time?" "I'll come to look.... Actually, I don't have a license right now." "?" "Some things happened, and my license was revoked...."
Su Mu immediately thought of the news report he saw on TV right after he awakened his memories... Good lord, so the one whose license was revoked was really you??
The evening breeze brushed against Bronya's face. Su Mu watched her profile, which looked gentle and peaceful under the twilight.
"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you out for a long time. Remember? You said we should skip work together and go out for a day of fun." Bronya stopped walking and looked at him. "Yes... but the company was always so busy, and you were always occupied, so I never spoke up."
Su Mu had always remembered that promise, but the constant stream of events had left him with no time to extend the invitation.
"No, I'm happy," Bronya said, looking directly into Su Mu's eyes. "I never imagined miHoYo could grow to this point.... It's all because of you. Without you, the company might have gone under, and I would never have realized my dream or fulfilled the promise to my friend."
"Promise to a friend?" "Yes. Have you heard the name 'Wolf of Punklorde'? The famous hacker." "Mhm." Su Mu knew the name; he had heard things about Silver Wolf from Firefly. He was curious, however, as he hadn't expected this world to have "two Ducks."
"She and I were once inseparable friends," Bronya recalled. "She was the hidden emperor of hackers, and I was a famous gamer. Later, wanting to change this boring game industry, I decided to give up my identity as a 'player' and join the industry as a developer, using my methods to create games that would change the world. I left her my title, 'Silver Wolf of the Urals,' and promised her that from then on, I would make a name for myself in the industry as Bronya. She, as the 'Silver Wolf of the Urals,' would continue to win victories and earn glory in gaming competitions. But later... as you know, under various pressures, I failed. I felt I had no face to meet that friend, so I never dared to contact her...."
Bronya recounted that past. The story that followed involved Kiana funding miHoYo, Su Mu joining, the company being brought back from the dead, and the launch of a story that would leave a lasting mark on the world's gaming history—the story of Su Mu, the girls, and Honkai Impact 3rd.
"I've always wanted to say thank you in person. To me, your appearance didn't just save miHoYo; it saved me at that time. Without you, I might never have had the courage to face Silver Wolf again.... But now, I feel I might have the courage to meet her and ask for her forgiveness in person."
Su Mu understood. From the moment he joined miHoYo, he knew Bronya had a knot in her heart. He never pried, not because he didn't care, but because he knew she needed time. Sooner or later, she would be willing to tell him the truth. It seemed the time had come.
"You don't need to thank me." Facing Bronya, Su Mu shook his head gently. "You and Kiana accepted me when I was just a fresh graduate hitting walls everywhere. miHoYo's rise was never my achievement alone. Bronya, you deserve just as much credit. You should hold your head high and be proud. After all... Honkai 3rd is our game."
Bronya's eyes widened at Su Mu's words. After a moment of shock, the corners of her mouth curled up. "I knew you'd say something like that.... After all, you've always been like this. Even though you're younger than me, you always act like a big brother."
"Mhm, Bronya is indeed 'big'." "Can Bronya take that sentence as you harassing Bronya?" "I was talking about age."
Looking at Su Mu, Bronya suddenly burst into laughter. She laughed unrestrainedly, her image forgotten, until tears even came to her eyes. This was the first time Su Mu had seen her laugh like this. In his memory, although Bronya didn't have a stiff face because her emotional circuits were burned out like in the game, her expressions were always subtle. A scene like this—laughing like a carefree young girl from the bottom of her heart... he had never seen it before.
"I thought you were stoic." "If you talk to a girl like that, I think you're asking to be flattened by Project Bunny." "Then I surrender immediately." "Hmph."
Bronya brushed back her silver hair. Her long hair danced in the wind, and her scent wafted toward Su Mu, leaving him momentarily dazed. "Let's go. Don't just stand there like an idiot. Aren't you hungry?"
"Your treat?" "My treat. But in return, you have to treat me on your next day off." "Deal."
Su Mu caught up with Bronya. It might have been an illusion, but he felt she deliberately slowed her pace, choosing to walk side-by-side with him once he caught up. The distance between them closed, and as if by a shared understanding, they remained silent. They were inches apart, yet there was still a distance between them. It was a subtle yet unique experience.
After they left, Elysia emerged from a nearby bush, a small sparrow even perched on her head. Having stayed in the bushes for so long, the sparrow had nearly made a nest on her. Beside her were Carole, swatting mosquitoes with a frustrated face, and Pardo, savoring the ambiguous scene between Su Mu and Bronya.
"They're playing the ambiguity game now, huh? I don't know what Seele did, but her assist was beautiful!" "But Brother Su Mu and Sister Bronya already had feelings for each other. They would have ended up together eventually even without us, right?"
Elysia suddenly sighed and asked earnestly, "Pardo, do you think you're a beautiful girl?" "....Eh?" Pardo didn't know how to answer. Answering "yes" seemed too narcissistic. "Ellie thinks Ellie is the world's number one beautiful girl." "To say something so embarrassing with such a serious face—you truly are Sister Ellie."
Elysia gazed toward the direction Su Mu had left. "But, do you think if Ellie stood in front of Su Mu, what would he do?" Pardo answered almost without thinking: "He would tell you to put your clothes on and tell you to cherish yourself more, Sister Ellie." Carole added: "Definitely. Director Su is that kind of person."
Pardo understood Elysia's point. "You mean, if we don't do something, Brother Su Mu might not even see Sister Bronya as a romantic interest?"
"Exactly. Haven't you noticed? Su Mu has never actively pursued a girl," Elysia analyzed. "In my opinion, Seele was likely the proactive one."
Carole nodded. Having interacted with Seele lately, she had gained a certain understanding of the girl. "Mhm. Although Seele looks fragile, she knows exactly what she wants and doesn't give up easily. It's normal for her to take the initiative after realizing she likes Director Su."
Pardo wore a troubled expression. "Sister Bronya is so reserved, and it's hard to expect Su Mu to make a move. They're clearly just one step away from breaking the tension, but that step is just too difficult..."
Elysia rubbed her chin; Detective Ellie was thinking fast. "Indeed. The biggest problem isn't a lack of affection; it's that neither Su Mu nor Bronya are the type to go on the offensive..."
Carole raised her hand. "Rather than that, can we talk somewhere else? I'm being eaten alive by mosquitoes." She pointed at the bites on her skin. "Elysia, Pardo, why don't you have any bites?"
Elysia replied with a grin, "Hehe, because mosquitoes can't bear to bite a beautiful girl." Pardo pulled out a sachet. "Actually, I prepared mosquito repellent sachets. Did you not prepare before coming out, Sister Carole?" Carole was helpless. "How was I supposed to know we'd stay here all day? You didn't tell me! You're so disloyal!!"
A week passed quickly, and the day for the brand-new Honkai Impact 3rd version, [Stygian Bloom], arrived. Bronya visited the Golden Courtyard as agreed. She had heard of its luxury, but seeing it in person was still a shock. Since it was a workday, there weren't many people around; Kosma and Griseo were at school. In the vast Golden Courtyard, there were only Eden, Pardo—and Kevin Kaslana.
Bronya had heard his name and knew he was a big deal—the King of Instant Noodles on the surface, but with close ties to the military in reality. But upon seeing him in person, Bronya froze. As mentioned before, her license had been revoked a year ago for dangerous driving. Back then, miHoYo was on the brink of bankruptcy; feeling down, she had taken her motorcycle for a midnight speed run in the suburbs. She was stopped by a traffic cop, her bike was impounded, and her license revoked on the spot. She remembered that cop's face...
Kevin Kaslana froze upon seeing Bronya too, and a hint of awkwardness appeared on his face.
"Mhm?? Kevin, did you and Bronya know each other?" Elysia asked curiously, looking at the two who had fallen silent.
Finally, Bronya couldn't help but ask: "Aren't you... the manager of the noodle factory?" Kevin replied: "Actually, I hold a position within the police system too. My friend in the traffic division had an emergency that day, so I patrolled in his place...."
He didn't continue, as Bronya knew the rest of the story. She lowered her head, her embarrassment so intense she felt like she could dig a hole through the floor with her toes! This is hell! I have to stream with the 'Uncle' who revoked my license? She desperately wished she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into!
"Mhm? I don't know why you're both standing there like idiots, but it's fine if you know each other." Elysia was unfazed, taking Bronya's hand with a smile. "Kevin is a bit of a blockhead and can be quite stubborn; Bronya, please bear with him, okay?"
Seriously.... That night, they had raced all the way out of the city. Kevin had been relentless, and they had chased each other for half the night. Bronya was only caught because she ran out of gas. Considering it was her first offense and the suburbs were empty at night, they only revoked her license.
"Alright, alright! Talk later! Sister Bronya, Boss Kevin, let's go to my room! The stream is about to start!" Pardo interrupted them and led them toward the room.
Bronya walked at the back, looking at Kevin's silhouette. She suddenly remembered that today's chapter featured a scene with Kevin. She hadn't looked at the script in a while since she wasn't responsible for that department, so she wasn't entirely clear on the details. But... when Su Mu saw her off this morning, she felt like his smirk was harder to suppress than an AK-47?
What's going on?
END OF CHAPTER
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