Mo Li didn't pay much attention to the comments online urging him to update.
He had no plans to update Genshin Impact the way Honkai Impact 3rd had been handled in its early days.
After all, compared to Honkai Impact 3rd, Genshin Impact had a much slower game rhythm.
If updates came too fast, players wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace of new versions.
So, in response to players' urging, Mo Li simply dropped a teaser for the upcoming Honkai Impact 3rd story chapter.
It was, in a way, piggybacking off Genshin's heat to advertise Honkai.
At that very moment, players were gathered under miHoYo's official account, deep in discussion.
Out of nowhere, a new announcement popped up.
[Honkai Impact 3rd New Chapter Teaser Animation: "~Return"]
The moment they saw the announcement, countless Honkai players' eyes lit up, and they rushed to click in.
Even some gamers who only learned of Honkai 3rd through Genshin Impact were drawn in by the sudden teaser.
——
Meanwhile, in Elysia's livestream room.
Ever since Genshin's open beta, Elysia and Eden had been completely hooked.
From time to time, she would go live, dragging Eden along to play Genshin together.
During this period, Elysia often called Mo Li, asking all sorts of Genshin-related questions.
And with her recent playtime, she had picked up quite a few tricks and team-building methods.
That night, Elysia once again pulled Eden into her livestream.
Her viewership was still holding steady at over 4 million.
Many people were playing the game while watching Elysia's stream at the same time.
"miHoYo just released a template for a new character?"
Seeing the barrage message, Elysia's curiosity was piqued.
She quickly tabbed out of the game, logged onto miHoYo's official site, and saw the latest announcement.
The moment she clicked in, she was greeted with the image of an adorably mischievous girl.
Elysia exclaimed instinctively:
"Ahhh~ isn't that Hu Tao~?"
On the image, Hu Tao's introduction was written clearly:
[Hall Master of Liyue's Wangsheng Funeral Parlor – Hu Tao]
[Pyro DPS Character]
"Wow~ didn't expect our little cutie Hu Tao to appear in Genshin!" Elysia right-clicked the image and saved it.
"What a lively, adorable girl~ I definitely need to keep this picture~~"
At this moment, Eden spoke up softly:
"Looks like there's another picture below."
Elysia chuckled:
"Eden, you're so observant~ even I didn't notice that~~"
Eden shook her head with a helpless smile. It was clearly visible at first glance, but Elysia still found a way to sneak in some self-praise.
That was just like her.
As Elysia scrolled down, a bright and cheerful face popped into view—Klee's.
"Waa~~ it's Klee-chan!!" Elysia's eyes sparkled.
[Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius – Klee]
[Pyro DPS Character]
Even Eden was charmed by Klee's radiant smile.
They met her back when they went to miHoYo for "voice work."
Her lively and bubbly personality made her impossible to dislike.
Elysia, who rarely got close to other pretty girls, always brought gifts that little lolis would like whenever she visited miHoYo, and gave them to Klee.
In her own words:
"Little Klee is a gift bestowed upon the world by the heavens, and she'll shower you with blessings as bright as fireworks."
At the time, Klee didn't fully understand, but still grinned ear to ear.
When the two of them chatted, it was like one was tuned into the toddler channel, and the other to the literary channel—yet somehow, they had no trouble communicating.
Mo Li had been dumbfounded just watching them talk.
Now that Elysia learned Klee would be joining the gacha pool, she was beyond excited.
Just as she was about to call Mo Li to ask when Hu Tao and Klee would be released, another new miHoYo message popped up.
[Honkai Impact 3rd New Chapter Teaser Animation: "Return"]
Elysia and Eden were immediately drawn in.
If Genshin Impact's open-world exploration was what kept them hooked—
Then Honkai Impact 3rd's story was what they truly cared about.
They eagerly anticipated not only the future plot but also the long-awaited release of Elysian Realm.
"Elysia, let's watch this story preview~"
"Since it's my sweet little angel Eden's invitation, of course Elysia won't refuse~"
Saying so, Elysia clicked open the new announcement page.
"As expected, another anime short!"
Countless viewers in her livestream grew just as hyped.
As the animation began, the familiar miHoYo logo appeared on screen.
Then came the sound of rushing water through their headsets.
Hua, clad in her Moonblade battlesuit, seemed to be sleeping at the bottom of the sea, her body slowly sinking.
At the same time, her narration began.
"In the boundless depths of this dream, I gaze upon a face I no longer recognize… my own…"
Instantly, the screen was filled with scrolling barrage comments.
By now, plenty of quick-fingered players were already on their second or third rewatch.
["All Members Get Wrecked"]
["The three-year promise is fulfilled—Immortal returns!"]
["Hua-husband is goddamn gorgeous!!"]
…
The comments cluttered the screen, disrupting the viewing, so Elysia casually switched them off.
Epic music swelled in the background.
The scene shifted to Schicksal HQ, where an explosion erupted.
Durandal, clad in her S-rank battlesuit, plummeted from above, tumbled twice across the ground, and finally stabilized her stance.
But before she could react, a dark figure rushed her at lightning speed.
Durandal's expression turned solemn as she summoned a barrier to block the incoming punch.
And then, the audience finally saw the dark figure's face.
"…That's Hua?" Eden gasped. Why was Hua shrouded in black mist?
Did she… turn into a Herrscher?
No way. After Kiana, Bronya, and Mei all became Herrschers—Hua too?
And she was beating down Durandal!
Was this her revenge against Schicksal?
Before they could recover from their shock, the scene shifted again.
Inside a strange space, explosions rang out as the dark Hua clashed with Kevin wielding the Skyfire Greatsword.
"Friend or foe. Choose."
At this, the viewers' blood boiled with excitement.
Elysia and Eden also began to understand the barrage comments they'd seen earlier.
A Hua who had lived for fifty thousand years, now becoming a Herrscher… just how powerful would she be?
"The past has only ever led to failure!"
"All I wished to protect… has crumbled to dust!"
With each scene, the music surged toward a climax, Hua's narration growing sharper, more forceful—completely unlike her formerly calm and measured tone.
Durandal was defeated. Even Kevin furrowed his brows.
"Only through the agony of regret can one be reborn!"
Elysia couldn't help but shout out in awe.
"Wow~ Hua's insane! She actually beat Durandal, and now she's trading blows with Kevin!"
Eden thought for a moment:
"A fusion warrior combined with Herrscher powers… actually makes sense."
So far, everyone only knew Kevin was strong, but not the full extent of his strength.
So in their eyes, a Herrscher Hua could indeed stand toe-to-toe with him.
Before they could discuss further, the screen shifted again.
On a stormy night, Bronya was zooming across a viaduct on her beloved little motorcycle.
Seeing this, Elysia burst into laughter like silver bells:
"Haha… Bronya's driver's license is back~"
Eden also found the gag amusing and smiled faintly.
But then, Hua appeared—wreathed in murderous aura—riding on… a rocket?
Before their stunned eyes, she crashed her missile straight toward Bronya.
"Hahahahaha…"
"Now… I will reshape this world with my own hands~"
Her laughter and words carried a twisted, yandere-like edge, in stark contrast to her old modest demeanor.
The screen switched once more, this time to Kiana.
She gazed at the shadowed Hua, fierce winds whipping at her braids.
"You… Class Monitor??"
Hua turned slowly, a proud smirk on her lips.
"What's wrong? Can't recognize me anymore, Kiana~?"
The screen went black.
"I will… reshape all creation!"
The two-minute video ended.
From start to finish, it showcased Hua's return in all her domineering glory.
"That was amazing!" Elysia clapped with delight.
But Eden was more pensive.
"Something feels… off, about Hua turning into a Herrscher…"
Elysia just shook her head carelessly:
"Don't worry, Mo Li will definitely give us an explanation~ no need to overthink it."
Eden nodded.
True enough. Since Honkai 3rd's launch, the story had never disappointed.
Though the last chapter felt weaker, Eden believed that was only because Ice Herrscher's character hadn't been fleshed out.
Killing off two unfamiliar characters just couldn't resonate with players.
But now, she worried—was this another tragedy arc?
Hua was so strong… would another character be sacrificed? Or even Hua herself?
Sure enough, the barrage exploded with debate.
["What is an Immortal? This is Immortal Hua!"]
["miHoYo, just rename the game to Hua Impact 3rd already!"]
["Pre-dark Hua soloed Herrscher Sirin. Post-dark Hua is trading blows with the strongest of three factions! Hua Immortal OP!!"]
["Why?! After resisting Honkai her entire life, Hua ends up becoming a Herrscher?? That's way too ironic!"]
["miHoYo, I beg you—be merciful!! (angry)"]
["Bronya's license revoked again (lol)"]
["Traveler, is Honkai fun~?"]
["Ah Qing: It's awesome! These Honkai powers put Vision users to shame!"]
…
The screen filled with waves of memes and banter.
Elysia closed the page, planning to hop back into Honkai.
"Aiya, I haven't played for days~ Kiana must be waiting for me. I need to log in and say hi~~"
Eden covered her mouth with a smile:
"At this point, Kiana's probably playing Genshin too."
"Is that so?" Elysia opened her friends list to check.
"Sure enough, she's online… eh? Mo Li's online too~"
As if struck with inspiration, she quickly pulled out her phone and called Mo Li.
"Hee~ it's Miss Pink Fairy!"
A chuckle came from the other end:
"And what business does Miss Pink Fairy have with me today?"
Elysia giggled cheerfully:
"Wanna explore Teyvat together with a beautiful girl?"
"Haha… if you want me to carry you, just say it."
"Poking at a girl's little secret crush will make her lose affection for you, you know~"
"True… but I believe Elysia would never get mad at me."
"Fufu~ caught me again~"
Their banter was, of course, heard by the livestream audience.
["What? Otto's invading Teyvat now?"]
["Otto, draw your sword!!"]
["Damn you, Boss Mo Li—are you planning to kill off Hua??"]
["So even miHoYo's boss plays Genshin?"]
…
The chat filled with speculation.
If the miHoYo boss had an account, how stacked must it be?
Then again, after thinking it through… at best it would just be full constellations with R5 weapons.
Back on stream, Mo Li applied to join Elysia's world.
Glancing at chat, she noticed many people wanted to peek at his account.
"Well then~ let's see if he's made his character info public."
She clicked his profile card.
Only Keqing was displayed.
Adventure Rank 55.
Seeing this, Elysia was shocked:
"Boss Mo Li, how are you already level 55?"
…
Mo Li's voice quickly came through the call:
"I wanted to play alongside everyone else, but my employees kept bugging me to carry them… so I had no choice but to make a high-level account for myself."
The audience grew even more curious.
Elysia skimmed the barrage, then laughed and added:
"Yep~ all the girls at miHoYo are playing too. Who knows, maybe one of your co-op teammates has been them all along~"
At that moment, Mo Li finally loaded into her world.
"So, what bosses are we hunting?"
Elysia checked her characters' ascension mats:
"Hmm…"
"Cryo Regisvine, Electro Hypostasis, and that big doggy."
Mo Li: "…That's the Wolf of the North."
"Hehe~ same thing~"
"Let's start with Cryo Regisvine then." Mo Li suddenly thought of a fun idea.
"Elysia~"
"Yes? I'm listening~"
"You've leveled Bennett and Sucrose, right?"
Elysia nodded with a smile:
"Mhm~ I took your advice to heart. I've invested a lot in both Bennett and Mona."
Mo Li chuckled:
"Perfect. Let's try something fun."
"Something fun?" Elysia's eyes sparkled.
"Is this some new trick that uses Bennett and Sucrose?"
"Exactly. Bring those two, and just follow my lead~"
After Mo Li explained, the players realized he was showing them a new playstyle—the Nuke!
In many games, there were skills that dealt massive burst damage.
But few games bothered with a support role.
Most developers figured, instead of making a "help others" character, why not make strong DPS to bait players into pulling?
So since Genshin's launch, nobody paid much attention to supports like Mona or Sucrose.
But Elysia was sharp.
After a brief explanation, she understood the principle right away.
The two headed into the Cryo Regisvine's cave.
Mo Li controlled Diluc, using his E skill to chip away at the shield.
Then Elysia swapped to Sucrose, spread Pyro with her E, and in doing so stripped the last layer of shield.
Next, she dropped Sucrose's burst, which immediately absorbed Cryo from the Regisvine.
With that setup complete, she switched to Bennett and placed his burst at Mo Li's feet.
Mo Li instantly swapped to Mona, popped her burst, and then quickly swapped back to Diluc—waiting for just the right moment.
As soon as Sucrose's burst triggered again, coating the Regisvine in Cryo,
Diluc unleashed his ultimate.
"Your sentence… is passed!"
[Melt]
[162,900]
A massive crit of 162k damage flashed across the screen.
The viewers were floored.
Their own damage numbers were still hovering in the hundreds, maybe thousands.
Even hitting tens of thousands was rare. Yet with Mo Li's combo, the damage skyrocketed to 162k!
Elysia was equally stunned.
"Waaah! Did I see that right? 162k??"
Mo Li smiled:
"Yep. A 162k crit Melt."
"Honestly, that's not even high. The main issue is your support investment. With proper builds, you could hit 300k easily."
"Oh, and by the way—this is just a C0 R1 Diluc. Normal players can pull this off too, once they reach the right levels."
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