Chapter 230 Kongming's Eight-Digit Death Count! Almost Sent Otto to the ICU?
"What did I tell you? What did I tell you? Haters, speak up! Speak up!"
Senti instantly jumped from her chair, pointing at the camera and shouting at the top of her lungs.
"This is the Old Thief's classic trick! It's because you all cling to hope and believe in him that this move works every single time! If the Old Thief's conspiracy succeeds, none of you can escape! You are all accomplices to murder!!"
[Damn it? The streamer actually got it right?]
[Is the streamer a real prophet?]
[I'm completely numb! One second I'm dating Kongming, and the next you pull this dead end on me?]
[The Old Thief is getting more and more inhumane!]
[Haha! We all fell into his trap! This Captain is going to lose his life here today, waaaaah!!]
For a time, the viewers in Senti's room staged a farce that was both tragic and hilarious. You couldn't even blame them for their mental breakdown; that's just how Honkai Impact 3rd players are. It's perfectly normal. Damn it, who plays Honkai 3rd and stays sane! I'll punch the Old Thief's head off! Curse you, Old Thief, we're going to tear you apart, tear you apart!!
In Theresa's livestream.
Otto, who a second ago was immersed in Kongming's cuteness, now looked as if he had eaten an expired bento. His face shifted through every color of the rainbow—blue, green, red, purple. His ill omen had truly been confirmed!
Otto felt as if ten thousand "grass mud horses" were galloping through his heart. He should have known; how could Su Mu act like a human? He had suffered at his hands countless times, but the moment he saw the cute Kongming, he forgot everything...
Su Mu, you jerk, you did this on purpose! You knew I, Otto, could never refuse my lovely granddaughter, so you used her to make me lower my guard, only to knife me just as I reached the peak of joy! You brat! You are simply not human!!
"As I thought, saving Kongming isn't going to be that easy." Theresa sighed. she had felt something was fishy earlier; with all the dating and moe-moments, the entire atmosphere of the story had changed. she was a veteran player, after all; having been tricked by Su Mu so many times, she had learned her lesson.
she just didn't expect Su Mu to have zero humanity left. To let players drown in the sweet dating plot only to cold-bloodedly pull out a blade... even Theresa wanted to point at Su Mu's nose and call him a "born-yesterday" bastard.
The situation in the chat was no better than Otto's. When a person is intoxicated by a beautiful dream, their guard is at its lowest. A sudden strike at that moment leaves a scar that lasts forever.
Do you like my cute Kongming? One second you're dating, making lanterns, and praying for a bright future. The next second—SNAP—she's gone! Surprised? Disappointed? Happy?
The audience was so happy they felt an overwhelming urge to cry! Curse him, they had been played by this damn Old Thief again! Tragedy is the destruction of something beautiful right before your eyes—many players had finally grasped this truth from Honkai 3rd.
Conversely, seeing the wailing in the chat, Su Mu's smirk was getting harder to suppress.
Yes! Yes! This is the feeling! After all these years, only you guys can bring me such joy! Seeing you twist in pain, hearing your wails and tragic cries under the torture of this game. Seeing you break down and rant, cursed and screaming... I've never felt more alive!!
It was truly interesting, far too interesting! What he wanted to see was exactly this—players suffering until they were half-dead at his hands! Facing one's desires honestly is a noble trait. Initially, Su Mu had resisted, finding excuses and flowery pretexts to claim he was a "Warrior of Love." He thought he should maintain a developer's bottom line and not be so blatant. after all, if he laughed out loud during a stream while players were breaking down, his career might end (sad). At times like that, he had to cover it with a loud shout. Hmph-hmph-hmph, AAAAAAAAAGH—!!!
But now, Su Mu had laid his cards on the table. He was no longer pretending. He made no effort to hide that he was a developer with a "terrible conscience." He now understood why "Little Takas" in his previous life loved making Soulslikes, and why Gen Urobuchi loved the dark stuff...
Smiles do not disappear; they are simply transferred.
Back when he played Honkai 3rd, he was tortured by the "Evil Burning Chicken." Now, it was his turn to be the Burning Chicken! There must always be a Lich King in this world!
In Sparkle Studio, Sparkle—who was engaging in "Schadenfreude" activities just like Su Mu—was laughing so hard she couldn't close her mouth in front of her screen.
"Hahaha! What a riot! This is why I say you Honkai 3rd players are so much fun! Lady Sparkle has decided—I'm going to collaborate with Su Mu for a lifetime! Hee-hee-hee-hee—!!"
"Hello? Sparkle here? Vita, did you see today's stream? It's too funny, you can't miss it!" A "fun-seeker" had found her "fun-partner," suggesting they go find even more fun together!
Though in different places, at the same time, under the gaze of two... no, precisely three fun-seekers, the execution of the Honkai 3rd players continued...
In the game, after the third transfer, the Captain returned to the time of the date. Having prior knowledge of the explosion, he knew there must be explosives at the Pavilion of a Thousand Stars. To keep Kongming safe, he sent her to the bamboo forest; explosions happened in the city, so the outskirts were safer.
After settling Kongming, the Captain rushed to the Pavilion and told Rita about the explosives. He thought she would hesitate, but she trusted him immediately. she smiled and said that since the Captain said it, it must be true. Rita had long grown used to the "magical" quality the Captain possessed. With her help, the explosives were found. However, there weren't enough to cause the massive blast he remembered.
The Captain had a sudden realization and found the secret in the lanterns. The real killing blow was hidden inside them. When the lanterns hit the sky and lit up the city, disaster would follow. Following the Captain's lead, Rita quickly identified the culprit—a traveling craftsman who had recently arrived in the city.
Soon, they found him. The moment he appeared, the audience lost it.
[Is that Gray Serpent??]
[Whoa, this guy really is the mastermind!]
[He stopped the reinforcements before, and now he's making bombs... what is Gray Serpent trying to do? What's his goal!]
[No idea, but the culprit is out. As long as we catch him, this farce should end!]
The audience watched the Gray-Serpent-lookalike "craftsman" with hatred. They instinctively felt that catching him would solve everything. However, the cornered craftsman chose to commit suicide by poison. The lanterns were safe, the bomber was dead—everything should be over.
But for some reason, the Captain felt a surge of unease. A guard's reminder made him realize he hadn't confirmed Kongming's safety. Until he saw her, he couldn't be at ease.
On the other side, Kongming, worried that the Captain hadn't returned, decided to follow the path back to the city. In her rush, she accidentally bumped into someone. Just as she was about to apologize and step aside, the person grabbed her arm.
["Found... you."]That chilling voice rang in her ear. Before she could react, a black dagger was plunged into her body.
["Ah..."]
[Strength left her body instantly. A burning sensation spread from her chest, seizing her nerves like chains and pinning her in place. she couldn't speak; even her breath hitched.]
["Ugh... you are..."]
[Though she recognized his face, she did not know his name.]
[A low voice circled her ear as the man walked behind her as if nothing had happened, saying something.]
["Ah..."]
["How can this be..."]
[Everything before her eyes seemed to slow down tenfold—the swaying lanterns, the layers of the crowd...]
[she lost her balance and fell onto the stone pavement. she couldn't breathe, couldn't move.]
[A familiar figure seemed to appear, and though blurred, she was certain it was him.]
[But the lantern she had carefully guarded all the way now lay beside her, shattered.]
["Mr... Assas... sin..."]
["Quick... go... it's dangerous here..."]
[Kongming recalled fragments—scenes of people standing by her side, protecting her, indulging her, trusting her unconditionally.]
["This year's fireworks... I guess... I won't see them."]
The shadowy crowd and soft starlight merged into a blurred, distant glow. The cries faded until they could no longer be heard. As Kongming's consciousness sank into darkness, her life finally flickered out.
[F*!! I can't take it! I'm going to blow up Gray Serpent!]
[didn't Gray Serpent die? Why did he appear in front of Kongming again!]
[Are there multiple ones like in the main story? How do we even fix this!]
After Kongming's death, the man who looked like Gray Serpent began muttering cryptic, difficult words. The audience learned that he was the one who placed the poisoned wine in the first loop. The "karma" he spoke of left them baffled. But one thing was certain—there were more "black-clad men" like Gray Serpent! And they had been targeting Kongming's life from the start!
"Who are these people? Why must they harm Kongming?" Theresa was furious. This was the fourth time Kongming had been killed. How much hatred did they have to demand her death?
"See? What did I tell you? you thought the culprit was dead? Surprise! Another one popped out! I knew that bastard Su Mu wouldn't let the Captain save Kongming so easily!" Senti ranted in her stream, waving a hand. "Let's make a bet. How many times will Kongming die?"
[Wait, streamer, are you even human? you're taking bets on this?]
[To be honest, I also feel she's going to die a lot more... even if you're reluctant, you have to admit the Old Thief isn't letting us off that easy.]
[I'm literally numb! I know the ending is her being saved, but why... why do I have to be knifed even knowing the ending?!]
"If you ask me, I think she'll die at least this many times." Senti held up one finger. [Ten times? Streamer, you're a demon.] "Ten? I said a hundred!" [A hundred? Even the streamer is losing her humanity! Captain has to watch Kongming die a hundred times? you are a literal demon!]
[Exactly! A hundred times is too much! Your guess is too unrealistic!]
[Streamer, why don't you be the Old Thief? I don't think even he is that deranged!]
Most players found Senti's guess absurd. Kongming dying a hundred more times? How is that possible?
In Theresa's livestream.
Perhaps because of the previous loops, Otto's threshold was higher now. He could actually maintain a semblance of calm and perform rational analysis. "It seems this is a group effort. Protecting Kongming from so many assassins is indeed difficult..."
Theresa spoke up: "What if the Captain takes Kongming with him to meet Rita and solve the explosives? That way she might be safe!"
They looked at Su Mu for confirmation, only to find him smiling silently at them. In the game, the Captain had the same idea. After another transfer, he chose to act with Kongming. after solving the bombs and the craftsman, he thought it was finally over.
But. While Kongming was in the carriage changing her clothes, the horses were startled by an explosion and bolted out of the city. And... there, the Captain saw her again.
[The fireworks of Huanyue City were ignited, exploding simultaneously in the night sky. The bamboo forest was briefly lit, then returned to darkness.]
[In that brief flash, the Captain saw it...]
[More fireworks streaked across the sky, thousands of light points falling like meteors—stunningly beautiful. Everything before him was illuminated clearly.]
[Kongming was slumped against a rock in the bamboo forest. Her vacant eyes reflected the brilliant fireworks, yet she made no sound...]
[The fan lay at her feet. Her body was cold, and there was no light in her eyes...]
[The wind howled from all directions, mixed with distant explosions and the panicked cries of the citizens.]
[Countless fireworks bloomed, beautiful light covering the earth.]
[The world seemed to stop; the Captain's blood froze in that moment—]
["No—No—Mr. Kongming, KONGMING—!!" ]
Like a trapped beast, the Captain stumbled into another transfer. And so began his desperate loop.
Again and again. Cycle after cycle. No matter the effort, no matter the method, he could not stop Kongming's death. He could only watch helplessly as she died before him, his mind and soul being crushed by the hopeless cycle... yet his obsession made him repeat it mechanically. He couldn't stop. He couldn't accept this ending.
And—as the Captain looped frantically like a madman, the death count rose at a staggering speed. Then, on the game screen, hundreds of different death scenes for Kongming appeared. Each image was a unique CG, recording her death from various angles and in various ways.
Originally, Su Mu wanted to add more illustrations so players could feel the weight of her tragedy. the original few silhouettes were too few. But the person calling himself "Uncle Cold-Legs" had proposed a mad idea: "Hey Su Mu, why don't we draw a hundred illustrations to match a hundred ways for Kongming to die?"
Holy crap! Su Mu was amazed, feeling he had found a kindred spirit. "How did you know I wanted that too? But I'm worried about the deadline..." "Leave it to Old Sampo! I'll make it look beautiful! You just wait!"
Good lord, it really was Sampo... Su Mu felt it was weird; was it the real one? Regardless, finding a "friend" with the same vision was rare! With Sampo's guarantee, Su Mu agreed. The cost was higher, but it didn't matter! They weren't short on cash! And for the sake of a "good player experience," this small amount was nothing!
This is Su Mu's overflowing love for the players! everyone is moved, right?
Su Mu looked at Theresa and Otto. Their expressions went from grief, to despair, to numbness... finally, they looked completely shell-shocked. Accompanied by the Captain's desperate monologue, they stared blankly as the game cycled through "Kongming's Hundred Deaths."
[I gradually realized that no matter what I did, a force was always constraining me, yet I knew nothing about it.]
[The entanglements in this chess match are beyond my understanding and control.]
[If I could stand above and look down on everything as an onlooker, perhaps there would be a way.]
[But I am not the player; I am merely a piece on this board.]
[Who is the player? Are there other onlookers to this game?]
[Will they feel numb when they see this?]
[The ending I walk toward, they might see it in a glance.]
[I don't know where this story goes... or if it has no end at all?]
[If there are onlookers, how would they judge my actions so far?]
["This person is so stupid."]
["Why can't he do something so simple?"]
["If it were me..."]
["Why didn't he do that back then?"]
["Why can't you save everyone!"]
[...True, they are right.]
[only now do I realize, even if you call me the 'Mr. Assassin' who can 'certainly do it,' right now, I am just an ordinary Captain...]
[The Assassin you speak of isn't me... Mr. Kongming...]
"Ah... ah..."
Theresa's face was devoid of expression. Her hollow eyes were leaking constant tears; she had become like a dazed puppet. "You... you..."
Senti, facing her camera, couldn't even manage a single curse. Her earlier bravado was gone, replaced by uncontrollable tears... Similarly, in other Honkai 3rd streams, the broadcasters were under a spell, staring blankly at the hundreds of CGs, weeping. The entire platform fell into a bizarre silence. The Captain's despairing monologue combined with those deaths allowed everyone to feel... the deepest despair.
No one knew how many times he looped. No one knew how many times he watched her die...
And soon, the silence was broken by Otto's piercing scream.
"NO! THIS ISN'T REAL! IT'S NOT REAL! IT'S NOT!!!"
Otto clutched his head, feeling his entire brain vibrating. The images of Kongming's hundred deaths replayed before him. He began shouting and screaming like he had lost his mind.
"Su Mu! Yes, Su Mu, SU MU—!!"
Otto's eyes were bloodshot. He screamed Su Mu's name and clenched his fists. "Clench your teeth! This is for my dearest granddaughter Theresa! I'm going to tear you APART—!!"
Before Lord Otto's fist could land, the extreme grief and shock were too much. He began foaming at the mouth, his head lolled to the side, and he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. Even in his faint, his body twitched, muttering "Kongming, my Kongming"...
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Wake up! GRANDPA—!!" "Susannah! Call an ambulance! Grandpa is dying!!" "Grandpa, hold on! don't die!!"
With Otto suddenly collapsing on stream, a flood of question marks and exclamation points filled the chat! The whole situation had turned into complete chaos!!
At the Kaslana mansion: Kallen's scream brought Cecilia and Siegfried running. By the time they reached the room, Kallen was on the floor, twitching uncontrollably. Yet she still reached tremblingly for the controller. "N-no... I haven't seen the ending where Kongming is saved... I can't... I can't stop here!"
With that, Kallen finally gave in and fainted on the carpet. In the last second before passing out, she was still on the floor, reaching her index finger forward, reaching...
Yae Sakura was at MiHoYo, chatting happily with Carole, when a phone call brought the sky down.
What? Kallen fainted and was sent to the hospital? What? Otto also fainted and was sent to the hospital?
Sakura's expression turned bizarre. "...They fainted from the same 'mystery'?" she had no idea that by missing this stream, she had narrowly escaped a disaster.
END OF CHAPTER
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