The tapping stopped, and three pairs of eyes turned toward him in unison.
Shinji held up the notebook in his hand, his gaze sweeping over them. "Once Kiana, Stelle, and March 7th arrive, I have a surprise—or rather, something for the prologue of our first project, Honkai Impact 3rd—that I want to show everyone."
Shinji's tone was calm, but a suppressed fire danced in the depths of his eyes.
"But before that," he looked at Dan Heng and Bronya, "based on the direction we discussed last night and this material I have in my hand, I need a preliminary technical feasibility assessment today on implementing '3D real-time action switching and ultimate evasion mechanics,' even if it's just a theoretical analysis. Don't worry about resources—just consider the logical limits."
Dan Heng and Bronya's gazes fell simultaneously on the thick notebook in Shinji's hand, and they nodded. "Understood."
He then looked at Mei. "Mei, I'll provide more detailed character descriptions later. By today, at least complete the first draft of the official character illustrations. They need to capture the characters' core traits and… their underlying sense of conflict."
Mei responded softly, "Alright, Shinji." She looked at him with a hint of curiosity in her purple eyes, though her focus remained sharp.
"As for me," Shinji said, sitting back in his chair, "I will organize this material into a clearer document and add more details."
With the tasks assigned, the office fell silent again. But this silence was entirely different from yesterday's lifelessness. It was a stillness brimming with readiness and clear goals.
The sounds of keyboards, brushes, and turning pages intertwined, carrying a hint of a concerto. Sunlight shifted slightly, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air and highlighting the shared focus on everyone's faces. They were waiting for their other three companions—and also for the "surprise" Shinji had mentioned.
"Bang!"
The office door slammed open, bringing a whirlwind of energy. Kiana Kaslana rushed in, her hair slightly messy. Her blue eyes were still hazy and watery from sleep, and a faint red mark from pressing against a pillow lingered on her cheek.
"Yaaawn—"
She let out a huge, unladylike yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Morning, everyone… I'm so sleepy… Captain, where's my breakfast?"
Her gaze habitually drifted toward Shinji's desk, but she only saw two empty meal containers—the sandwich wrapper and Mei's lunchbox. She pouted and was just about to complain when the door opened again.
This time, Stelle and March 7th walked in side by side. Stelle still had her signature messy, spiky gray hair, with a hint of inexplicable excitement on her face. March 7th waved energetically. "Good morning! The subway was super crowded today!"
Kiana immediately shifted her attention. "Hey, how did you two come together?"
Stelle cleared her throat, straightened her back, and tried her best to look more reliable. "Ran into a little situation on the way, and I… um, helped out."
March 7th giggled and added, "Stelle saw an old lady at the subway station carrying a lot of things up the stairs. She went to help, but almost tripped herself, and the old lady ended up catching her!"
Stelle's face instantly fell. "Hey! March! What happened to the 'hero saves the damsel' story we agreed on?"
"But that was an old lady, and she had way more energy than you!" March 7th said righteously, then turned to everyone. "Oh, right, right. I even walked my little sister, Long Night Moon, to school this morning! She was so well-behaved!"
Shinji looked up from behind his notebook, rubbed his tired eyes, and interrupted the morning chatter. "It's good that everyone is here."
His gaze swept over the groggy Kiana, the slightly embarrassed Stelle, and the lively March 7th, as well as Dan Heng, Bronya, and Mei, who were already in work mode. "I said I had a surprise to show everyone."
Shinji's voice wasn't loud, but it drew everyone's attention. He walked to a more open area in the middle of the office and stuck several key pages onto the whiteboard with magnets.
At the very top was a striking title: Honkai Impact 3rd Prologue Core Framework. Below it were sections: Plot Summary, Main Characters, Core Worldview, and Key Scenes. Everyone's eyes focused on it.
Kiana yawned and glanced at it casually at first, not paying much attention. Until her gaze landed on the first name in the "Main Characters" column and the brief description next to it:
Kiana Kaslana
Identity: Chiba Academy student, Schicksal B-rank Valkyrie (intern), descendant of the Kaslana Family.
Personality: Optimistic and cheerful, passionate and righteous, sometimes impulsive, hiding confusion about her mission and her search for her "father."
"Wait!" Kiana's yawn stuck halfway. She opened her blue eyes wide. "This… this Kiana Kaslana… is me?"
Shinji explained without changing his expression, "It uses your name and some… personality traits as inspiration. She is the beginning of this story. The first Valkyrie to lead players into the world of 'Honkai,' brave, kind, and fighting to protect others."
Kiana blinked, her sleepiness gone. She looked at the description, especially "passionate and righteous" and "fighting to protect others." Her lips curled into a smile, though she quickly tried to hide it.
"Hey! Captain! Did you get my permission to use my name and image? What about copyright fees?"
Shinji had expected this and replied calmly, "Of course I need your permission. But Kiana, think about it—here, you are the absolute protagonist from the start. You are the hero who saves the city, the first character countless players will control, and the first one they'll love. This is what we call a 'Dragon Aotian' start."
"Dragon Aotian?" Kiana tilted her head; the term was unfamiliar.
"It means you appear with innate talent, shoulder a great mission, grow along the way, and eventually become the core figure who saves the world—radiant and beloved by everyone."
Shinji continued, "Besides, although this story is about disaster and battle, its core is sunny and beautiful. It's an anthem about girls supporting each other and fighting to protect all the beautiful things in the world. Kiana Kaslana is the most dazzling beam of light in this story."
The most dazzling beam of light…
Kiana's cheeks flushed. She tried to suppress her smile but failed. She crossed her arms and cleared her throat, feigning composure. "Hmph, you sure know how to talk… Sounds not bad. Then… I'll reluctantly agree to let you use my name! But if you draw me ugly, or the plot isn't fun, I'm coming for you!"
"Don't worry," Shinji sighed in relief. The first step of his persuasion was successful.
"If you want to read advance Chapter.
Please Visit: https://www.patreon.com/c/Dinos2_0"