Chapter 187: New Version "Thunder Over Nagazora"! The Herrscher of Thunder Returns?!
With the New Year holidays over, MiHoYo employees gradually returned to work, and Su Mu resumed his post. Following a discussion between Su Mu and Bronya, Kiana was supposed to step forward and distribute "red envelopes" to every employee—at least, that was the plan. However, before Kiana could even open her mouth, the employees began handing red envelopes to her one after another.
Staring at the mountain of red envelopes piled in front of her, Kiana mentally typed a string of question marks. Wait, everything is backwards! I've only ever seen bosses give red envelopes to employees, never the other way around! Kiana immediately cast a pleading look at Su Mu, who simply sighed and told her to accept them. Such was the treatment of a mascot.
Unlike the gloomy atmosphere of other companies returning to work after a break, MiHoYo's staff immediately snapped back into their high-efficiency routine. Some employees even grumbled privately that staying home for the holidays felt like they were rotting away, and only by shining at their workstations could they realize the meaning of their lives!
Bronya had previously worried that everyone's state of mind would be sluggish after the break, but she had clearly underestimated the determination of the office workers. With MiHoYo's current benefits, there truly wasn't a second company like it in the industry. If they didn't work hard and the company went under, where else could they find such a place?
After the New Year, the Honkai Impact 3rd team had to start organizing the livestream for the new version, "Thunder Over Nagazora." This update would feature Main Story Chapter 17 [Thundering Over Nagazora], the opening of the brand-new open world [A Post-Honkai Odyssey], the release of the animated short "Lament of the Fallen," and a new visual novel Anti-Entropy, which would reveal the story behind the organization's founding.
As Raiden Mei of the Trio regained her power and transformed into a Herrscher, this version gave her immense prestige. Amidst worldwide anticipation, the preview livestream officially began!
As a loyal player, Senti was waiting in the livestream room early, accompanied by many viewers from her own channel. Since every Honkai 3rd stream caused a massive surge in traffic, the platform encouraged players to watch through other streamers to alleviate server pressure. Even so, the official stream frequently went black or disconnected. This spoke volumes about the sheer size of the player base.
As the countdown ended, the stream officially started!
"It's here, it's here!" Senti rubbed her hands together, unable to wait to see what "big move" the new version had in store. "I bet my life that this version will be Mei's highlight! Chapter 16 laid the groundwork for so long; Mei is definitely going to ascend!"
While boasting about her game knowledge to the chat, Senti refreshed the page. "Holy crap, this is so laggy! The page takes forever to refresh. Exactly how many people are watching this?" Even though it was past the start time, her page was still loading, much to her frustration. "Every single time! Can't the video site just add more lines?"
[True, but normally the site doesn't need this many server lines.]
[Exactly. It's only during a Honkai 3rd stream that the heat reaches these heights...]
[Sigh, just wait. The site posted an announcement saying they're urgently adding new lines.]
[Streamer, why not try another room? I see some other streamers already have the feed!]
Following the advice of her viewers, Senti searched for other rooms and selected one named [Wolf of Punklorde]. To her surprise, the stream there was perfectly smooth. Wait, why is this streamer not lagging at all while everyone else is? Senti was baffled and typed a question in the chat.
[Newbies don't know? The streamer is a top-tier hacker! she hacked an entire dedicated line from the site to watch the stream!]
[Whoa, for real? Isn't that illegal?]
[The streamer is overseas anyway; they can't catch her!]
Senti's eyes widened. I didn't expect foreign hackers to be so concerned about Honkai 3rd. This game really is a global hit. As for the legality, Senti only had one thought: That is so cool! she found the idea of hackers moving freely through the digital world fascinating. Not all hackers are criminals, right? There are white-hat hackers who build firewalls, too.
Ignoring the minor details, the priority was the stream. Fortunately, despite the delay, the stream had only just begun. Elysia, acting as the brand ambassador and guest host, was greeting the audience with her classic "beautiful girl Ellie" acting-cute routine. The chat was instantly flooded with "Ellie Ellie!" It seemed the "Church of Ellie" was already deep-rooted in the minds of players.
After the opening remarks and some banter, Elysia arranged for the director to play the promotional PV for the new version.
The familiar MiHoYo logo appeared. Heavy rain poured from the sky, accompanied by thunder. Amidst the downpour, Raiden Mei's voice, filled with sadness and reluctance, rang out.
["If back then, I had enough power..."]
Beneath a ruined highway, Raiden Mei watched the rain. After a swift transition, the Hyperion fleet appeared; Theresa and Einstein stood side by side, their destination clearly being Nagazora.
Her light glows faint and quivers in the rain.
In a series of rapid clips, Raiden Mei met up with Tesla, headed to Nagazora, and after many trials, finally brought back the unconscious Kiana. Viewers understood this was a recap of the previous plot.
Then, the scene shifted.
["My situation isn't good, right? Don't hide it from me. I know my own body better than anyone."]
Kiana and Raiden Mei were separated by a wall—one in the light, the other gradually stepping into the darkness. Kiana's words made Raiden Mei weep. A single tear fell, creating ripples. In the darkness, a voice spoke:
["It seems you have made your choice."]
At that exact moment, the PV's background music reached its climax. Amidst high-pitched female vocals, Raiden Mei, holding a katana, erupted with a terrifying aura! Appearing before her was the Imaginary Construct: Nihilus! The humanoid creation held a frightening clock-hand greatsword, swinging it down at Mei. However, the energy erupting from Mei parried the strike, causing the construct to stumble.
In a fierce battle, Mei gripped her blade, closed her eyes, and focused all her power into a single strike! Her body crossed with Nihilus, splitting the entire screen in two in an instant! As the construct fell, Mei opened her eyes, which were now swirling with the lightning that split the sky!
That single look from Raiden Mei sent chills down the viewers' spines, their blood pumping!
[Holy crap! HOLY CRAP! Mei is so cool!]
[Did Mei take back her Herrscher power? Is she awakening?]
[This BGM is god-tier! MiHoYo Music Company confirmed!]
[The monster Mei is fighting looks so oppressive! It looks like it's related to a clock?]
[Did you guys notice! The place where Mei is fighting is the cherry blossom path of Senba Academy from the 'Second Eruption' Chronicles!]
[Talk about a hawk-eyed detailer. Hey, I found something too: there's a fallen Benares near where she's fighting!]
[Bella has a role in the main story too? I knew that dragon wouldn't die that easily after flying through the battlefield every day!]
The chat was in an uproar. Many Mei fans were in tears. That thunder didn't just split the sky; it split their hearts! Was the Lightning Queen finally returning? Ten-year Mei fans were weeping! Do you know how long they've waited for this day!
After the PV ended, Elysia introduced the new open world, [A Post-Honkai Odyssey](APHO), and played its related PV. The strange sights of the massive open-world city, St. Fountain, had viewers shouting about technical upgrades. The characters in APHO actually had a jump button and featured extensive aerial combat modules! Watching the footage of three characters switching to perform "Ace Combat" style moves, everyone understood—this was another action game for pros to show off!
[Wow! Grown-up Mei looks so good too!]
[The 'wife' vibe is even stronger!]
['Madam, you wouldn't want Kiana to be in danger, would you...']
[Japanese netizens, please calm down!!]
[Does no one think the MC's moves are cool? Fire + Greatsword, every hit is flaming, right?]
[Wait? Can I ask, are there only three characters in APHO: MC, Carole, and Auntie Mei? Will others be released later?]
[There has to be a grown-up Bronya! There just has to be!!]
Faced with the chat's demands, Elysia explained that only the first chapter of APHO was opening, with more content urgently in production. Viewers were also curious about the setting. After all, this was a story set "eight years after the Honkai disappeared from Earth." Does that mean this is after the main story's end? Or is it another parallel world line? Regardless, the fact that the "Honkai" that plagued both eras actually disappeared was a shock. How did humanity solve it? Did Otto fulfill his wish? Did Kallen come back?
There was a lot of content in the livestream, but the players' curiosity and doubts only grew. They felt a restless heat, unable to wait to play the new version, "Thunder Over Nagazora"! After the stream, the community was fully ignited. Discussions about the new main story and APHO dominated every forum.
[It looks like Mei took back the Herrscher power, but how?]
[Isn't the Gem of Conquest still in Kiana?]
[I'm guessing Chapter 17 will be a classic 'It's my turn to save you' plot! Mei becomes the shonen protagonist, defeats strong enemies, gains new power, and saves Kiana whose life is like a candle in the wind!]
[If Mei really becomes a Herrscher again, the Trio will finally have three Herrschers! That power level is terrifying!]
[Will the Trio then team up to beat the crap out of Otto?]
[Hurry up! I can't wait to see Otto get crushed!!]
[So anxious! The Old Thief hid it too well! We only know Mei awakens, but we have no idea what the Herrscher of Thunder actually looks like!]
[The secrecy is too good! The Herrscher of Thunder is the banner character next version, but he's hiding it until launch day?]
[Wait, after awakening, shouldn't Mei get a dedicated boss? Like Bronya vs. Tlaloc...]
[Nihilus was defeated by Striker Fulminata, so who will be the Herrscher of Thunder's opponent?]
Similar discussions filled the boards. Seeing everyone's excitement for Mei's performance and their beautiful hopes for the future, Su Mu began to laugh.
The players were laughing because they were looking forward to the new version. Su Mu was laughing because he knew what was coming next.
On the day of the update... it was time to give the players a little "Lament of the Fallen" shock!
END OF CHAPTER
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