MGSFV?! Chapter 409. Elysia, Which Flame-Chaser Do You Most Want to See Again?
Although Jackal managed to escape in the end, Durandal and the other two had already obtained enough information from her to gain a clearer understanding of the situation.
"Kevin actually disbanded World Serpent's officers? He really trusts the Stigmata Plan that much?"
"Since we left the refuge, our exploration has been smooth all the way. In that sense, he's been consistent in his approach."
Some players even felt that what Kevin was doing now resembled Otto in certain ways.
At least in terms of structure:
Otto: Rewind time (destroy the world) → provoke others (draw aggro)
Kevin: Stigmata Plan → force others to confront him (draw aggro)
As for what would happen next—no one wanted to jump to conclusions just yet.
No rush.
Once the story progressed further, they'd probably get a peek into the true workings of the Stigmata Plan.
After all, this version of Honkai Impact 3rd—while often teased for having cliffhangers—was still much better than in Hokuto's previous life.
At least every update came with substantial and satisfying content.
Casual players usually took one to two weeks to get through a major story update. Hokuto always left generous room for pacing when designing missions.
Of course, that didn't apply to people like Elysia—
She preferred to binge the whole thing in one go.
But clearly, she didn't feel "burned out" by it. She was enjoying every second.
Ultimately, players' mindset was simple:
They played games to enjoy them—not to let the games wear them out.
If the grind was too much, they'd just take a break.
Anyway... back on topic.
After their discussion, Durandal's team didn't pursue Jackal.
They chose instead to continue exploring the nearby ruins.
Soon, Li Sushang discovered a strange broken bridge.
Durandal, using Geniuses, also detected spatial distortion.
"Wait... this reading... hmm?"
"What is it? Did you find something new?" Li Sushang quickly asked.
"Seems like it. Give me a second..."
Durandal walked a few steps closer to the broken bridge to double-check Geniuses' readings.
"...So it really is like that."
She suddenly turned toward Seele.
"Seele, come stand near me."
"Like this?"
Seele took a few cautious steps in her direction.
"Yes," Durandal nodded.
"Actually, come a bit closer."
Hearing that, Seele moved closer again.
[Wait—is it possible that Seele's Quantum Sea energy can materialize the "bridge"?]
[When did we just assume Seele has Quantum Sea energy??]
[She does freely travel in and out of it.]
["Freely travel," aka smashing her way through (lol)]
["When in doubt, quantum mechanics."]
The chat buzzed with speculation and memes—
Until Li Sushang suddenly said:
"Uh—hold on, hold on... broad daylight, what exactly are you two doing?"
Just like that—
One had to wonder what "Grandma Li" experienced between "The world is big—I want to explore" and now...
And then Durandal replied:
"It's fine. It'll be over soon."
[???]
["Broad daylight" → "It'll be over soon"]
[miHoYo's writers really get it, don't they.]
[Rita & Bronya: ???]
Of course, Durandal is a serious character.
Nothing strange was actually happening.
She simply used Seele's help to open Sumeru Seed and pulled the group inside.
There, they managed to reconnect with Dr. Schrödinger—
Who brought some good news:
Despite a major event on Earth, the Schicksal and Anti-Entropy HQs were still functioning.
Durandal felt much more at ease hearing that.
Rita... it seemed everyone was okay. That was good enough.
However...
Schrödinger had no way of returning the trio to Earth.
Instead, she offered a possible alternative—
There were micro-world bubbles near the Moon.
These bubbles might contain data related to the Stigmata Plan.
After some discussion, the group decided on their next step:
Durandal would stay within Sumeru Seed,
while Seele and Li Sushang would each carry a Geniuses device to explore different bubbles.
While the explanation was brief here, the in-game sequences were actually quite complex.
Quantum Sea, world bubbles...
Even though miHoYo paired each explanation with beautifully illustrated visuals...
It was kind of like when teachers thought flashy PowerPoint slides would help students understand—
But in reality?
Those who get it, get it.
It's not about how many pictures you add.
Li Sushang's line in the story perfectly captured the mood:
"...As expected, without experiencing it firsthand, I just can't really grasp what you're saying, no matter how well it's explained."
Exactly.
Better to jump into action than sit around confused.
So Seele and Li Sushang quickly set off with their respective Geniuses devices.
After they left—
Durandal continued her conversation with Schrödinger.
"Now it's a waiting game. But before that—
Dr. Schrödinger, was there something you couldn't say in front of the other two?"
Schrödinger looked a bit surprised.
"Oh? You've definitely gotten sharper since you were twelve."
She then admitted:
There were things she didn't say,
because they might crush Seele and Li Sushang's morale.
"I don't think you needed to hold back like that... but go on.
It's something troublesome, isn't it?"
...
"Feels like they're not going to tell us outright what happened,"
Elysia sensed where the story was going.
Hokuto: "..."
She was spot on.
The game screen suddenly cut to Seele's side.
"Hmph, I knew it."
Elysia smirked smugly.
"You're so good at guessing—why not guess what happens next?"
Hokuto asked from the side.
"Hmm..."
Elysia wasn't about to pass up the opportunity.
Setting up and knocking down flags was part of a good stream.
A boring, uneventful stream was the last thing a "veteran professional" like her would want.
She thought for a moment:
"Seele and Li Sushang have split up... and 'the other me' still isn't responding..."
Her brow slowly furrowed.
"Could something happen to Seele?"
"...Try again," Hokuto replied.
"Hmm... maybe not. After all, you wouldn't write such an obvious setup.
So maybe... the next part has nothing to do with Seele, Li Sushang, or Durandal?"
"Oh?"
"Did I guess right?"
Hokuto didn't say yes or no.
He just smirked.
"I can't say.
But... it's something a little unexpected."
Actually—
He had wanted to ask Elysia which Flame-Chaser she most wanted to see again.
But realizing that would give away too much, he decided not to.
"..."
Elysia didn't press further.
But now she was even more curious about what would happen next.
Hmm...
She probably wouldn't be disappointed.
In any case—
She turned her attention back to the game and expertly guided Seele through the Quantum Sea.
As she explored, Seele occasionally muttered to herself, visibly nervous.
She kept thinking about Bronya... and "the other me."
But whenever those thoughts surfaced, she'd shake her head hard—pushing them away.
She wasn't the weak little girl from before.
She could face these trials on her own.
Even in the Quantum Sea.
Even against monsters.
She could fight.
"I can do this!"
Holding that belief close—
She pressed onward toward the coordinates.
Durandal's voice came through Geniuses:
"Seele, report your current status."
Seemed she had finished talking with Schrödinger.
So...
Just what had they talked about?
The vagueness only made it more suspicious.
At least—some players were definitely curious.
But for now, the plot wasn't going to reveal that.
The game was in full tension mode (and would get more tense soon) as Seele explored the Quantum Sea.
She answered earnestly:
"Yes! I haven't found anything significant yet, but I also haven't encountered major danger."
"Understood." Durandal replied—
"Sushang is in the same situation so far."
"Also—according to readings from Sumeru Seed, the location you're in can link to the next micro-world bubble."
"I'll use Geniuses to amplify the signal and generate a transfer point. Please hold your position."
Moments later—
A round portal slowly formed before Seele.
"This kind of looks like the one Pardofelis maintained back then..."
Elysia muttered absentmindedly while sending Seele through the portal.
Hokuto: "..."
He wasn't sure if she was just observant... or if her sixth sense was absurdly strong.
...
"Good. Signal stable. You can proceed, Seele."
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Seele stepped into the portal and entered another space.
There, she cautiously began advancing.
"...!!"
She hadn't gone far before spotting two figures ahead.
Seele didn't recognize them.
But the players watching—
They recognized them immediately.
It was Mei and... hmm? That other one was...
"Is that the Bronya from the Previous Era?"
Elysia murmured aloud—and her question was quickly answered.
Because Prometheus' voice rang out.
"If the isotopic measurements haven't been skewed by unknown variables,
Then this ruin was constructed..."
"Approximately 200,000 years ago."
[Wait—wasn't that Prometheus' voice?!
So the one who looks like Bronya... is Prometheus??]
[So AI development didn't skip the double helix, huh?]
[Forget that—did anyone else catch what she said??
Is she implying that even before the Previous Era... there was a previous previous civilization? Or even one before that??]
[This is terrifying—just how many times has this world been destroyed??]
Yes.
If there was a civilization 200,000 years ago,
how many others rose and fell in that vast stretch of time?
"It's honestly a suffocating discovery," Mei admitted.
"...Are you afraid?" Prometheus asked.
"Of course I'm afraid. But—"
Mei paused, then said:
"At the same time... I also find it incredibly interesting."
To call it "interesting" after learning what it implied...
That's just—so Mei.
"Interesting?"
Even an AI struggled to understand.
Maybe because she was an AI?
"Yes."
Mei's face lit up with curiosity.
"Isn't it a mysterious and unknown phenomenon?"
Then came a truly powerful line—
"And...
The heavier the fate, the more worthy it is to resist—don't you think?"
Indeed.
As the saying goes...
"Destiny is a sleeping slave—
Courage is the hymn of mankind."
Even if the ending is predetermined—
If we've awakened and defied that fate with our own hands—
That alone is already victory.
This is the golden spirit of humanity.
Thinking about it...
miHoYo really is one complex, otaku company.
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