Chapter 208: "Labor of Olympus, Honkai Energy Seal, Fully Released!"
[Wait? The Old Thief is so ruthless he's even going to knife us players?]
[Exactly, this is just too inhumane, isn't it?]
[If the Old Thief keeps going crazy, will he one day end up knifing himself?]
[Brothers, the story hasn't even reached that point yet. Are you already certain the Old Thief wants to knife the MC? Surely not?]
[Is the person above new here? don't you know the streamer and the Old Thief are thick as thieves? she knows exactly what he's like!]
[Uh, 'thick as thieves'? Are the streamer and the Old Thief siblings?]
"What do you mean siblings! At the very least, it should be older sister and younger brother!" Senti crossly retorted to the chat. "And if anyone's the older one, it's me!"
After engaging in high-intensity interaction with her viewers for a while, Senti finally explained "calmly" why she felt Su Mu was going to operate on the protagonist.
"It's a simple logic. everyone has played Honkai 3rd for so long; you can clearly see that Old Thief Su Mu's scripts have specific foreshadowing! To suddenly drop a side story related to the APHO protagonist at this junction... he's most likely going to pull the knife!"
"Moreover, Mei is frantically raising death flags. I don't believe for a second that nothing is going to happen!"
"After all, no matter how strong Mei is, she is facing Otto—or someone who dares to plot using that hated face! I ask you, can anyone look at that face and not panic?"
[True, the streamer has a point.]
[Just seeing Otto's face triggers my PTSD.]
[I can suddenly understand Old Yang's feelings; it's like seeing a ghost.]
[Seeing a ghost is a small thing. The scary part is if that bastard Otto really isn't dead. That would be terrifying...]
[That's our Honkai 3rd arch-villain. Do you have a villain like this? Just someone impersonating him is enough to scare the main cast half to death like startled birds... Truly a villain among villains!]
Back in the livestream of MiHoYo's #1 Idol, Ai-chan.
The plot had progressed to Squad 3 being deployed. Theresa sent a communication to hold a briefing with Mei regarding the mission. Facing Theresa's attempts to dissuade her, Raiden Mei replied:
["Mhm. But I just... don't want to wait restlessly anymore. I don't want to rely on the help of others reaching out. I don't want... that kind of thing to happen again."]
["Even if it's just for her words—'To fight for all that is beautiful in the world'—I will keep going."]
["As long as there are things I need to do, I will do them. As long as there are people I need to protect, this blade will not rest."]
Mei's tone was exceptionally firm, her words revealing her resolve. Clearly, the "person" she referred to was undoubtedly... Kiana Kaslana.
[Sigh...]
[After parting with Kiana, Mei has really changed a lot.]
[Yeah, the reason she's so aggressive now is probably because of Kiana's departure.]
[Waaaah, Tuna, my Tuna! I wonder if she's doing well on the moon, if she has food, if she's bored!]
[Instead of that, shouldn't we worry about Squad 3? Mei has so many flags stacked on her; is she really going to be knifed in APHO?]
[Wait, that would be too much of a 'bastard' move. she just awakened as the Herrscher of Thunder; you're going to knife her now? don't you want to sell more cards, you damn Old Thief!]
The audience lamented Mei's transformation. On second thought, it made sense; parting from someone important changes a person deeply. Her shift toward a more radical attitude was predictable. In the main story, Mei after becoming the Herrscher of Thunder was exactly like this—even if she knew she was doing something dangerous, she was willing to take the risk for Kiana's sake.
Before departure, Theresa gave Mei her final instructions: ["And... that person, it definitely isn't Otto Apocalypse. So don't worry about me. Go!"]
One could imagine the conflict Theresa went through to say those words. Otto might be an irredeemable villain, but perhaps regarding Theresa, his feelings were genuine. In fact, Otto had taken care of Theresa meticulously... from childhood until now. Others had many reasons to hate him, but Theresa could never forget the fact that he was one of her few relatives in this world.
Otto's departure was undoubtedly an unimaginable blow to Theresa. Even in the main story, as a granddaughter, she rebelled against him and loathed his actions—yet, in the eyes of many players, Otto had been remarkably indulgent toward her. As a villain with a singular obsession, a madman, he left his sincerity for Theresa. Even when she led the Far East Branch in rebellion, Otto initially only tried to persuade her. He could have used the students of St. Freya as leverage, but he didn't. Was it a sudden spark of conscience? No... simply because Theresa was his dear granddaughter; he couldn't bring himself to use such despicable methods against her.
Some players remarked that if Otto had lived in a peaceful world where Kallen hadn't died, he would have turned from a madman into a doting "granddaughter-con." Then, those players saw the story of Magical Girl Teriri and the Schicksal Conglomerate behind her and their jaws dropped. ...Alright, no need for theories. Real-life Otto is an absolute granddaughter-con!!
In the stream, Elysia controlled Squad 3, clearing monsters along the way. At some point, the monster density in St. Fountain had spiked; the streets were crawling with them. The city was now a battered ruin, sending a chill down the players' spines. The sky had turned an eerie red due to the radiance of the Skycastle.
On the way, Carole invited the MC to do a preliminary scout. They discovered that the Honkai detectors at three locations had picked up abnormal golden energy fragments. Data comparison showed the energy signatures were identical. These three locations were places where Herrschers or Divine Keys had previously appeared. As for whether this was the mastermind's doing, there wasn't enough intel to conclude.
Squad 3 passed through St. Fountain and reached the bridge area. Blocking the way to the Skycastle was the monster named Death. After eliminating it, the team gazed at the Skycastle. The increased resistance and number of monsters told them one thing: the enemy knew they were coming.
["This is too strange, isn't it?"]
["Yes. It seems our movements are under enemy surveillance."]
["Then we're in trouble! He must be waiting for us with full preparation!"]
Even so, the situation didn't allow for retreat. After a short rest, Squad 3 officially stepped onto the Skycastle. In the game stage, Elysia had been wondering how to ascend to the floating city. As she moved her character to the end of the bridge, bricks began falling from above, automatically forming a staircase. In-game Mei reported this to Theresa, but there was no response.
["Oh, she probably can't hear you. Sorry, I should have told you."]The reply came from an unexpected yet familiar voice. ["I intended to remain silent, but you are being too sluggish. Caution is good, but rest assured, this path will be unobstructed, bringing you directly to me."]
["So come quickly, I am waiting."]
The camera zoomed out as the stairs converged. The floating Skycastle finally revealed its face—grand and majestic, yet under that eerie light, it exuded a sickening sense of gloom. Elysia had a sudden whim while playing and tried to turn back—only to witness her character fall off the stairs... and reappear at the starting platform moments later.
"Oh, so if you die here, you just have to walk it again..." Elysia's curiosity was boundless.
Re-ascending the stairs, they safely reached the summit. At the platform, a blond man had been waiting for a long time.
["Welcome—children of Schicksal. You certainly kept me waiting."]Because he wore a mask, his features were obscured, but everyone knew this was the "Otto" who appeared before Welt!
["I wish to express my gratitude to the three of you. Thanks to you, I have finally fished out the Herrscher of Reason—now, Lucheni, lend me your servant. Use it to entertain our great benefactors."]
With a snap of the masked man's fingers, a terrifying monster descended onto the platform. The entire structure trembled violently! This alien monster was horrifying, with four legs protected by unknown metal plates. The sheer thickness of its armor gave off a sense of helplessness! It was like a city wall, looming over Squad 3!
Without a word, the monster named The World obeyed "Otto's" command and began attacking frantically! As the final boss of APHO 1.0, The World was easily the hardest boss yet. its HP pool was massive, it possessed a headache-inducing shield, and it could summon drones to harass the player. Failure to break the drones' hit-count shields resulted in various debuffs!
On Hard mode, the drones' interference even messed with the lock-on system! It also applied multiple slows and continuous HP/SP drain. While its health was low, the hit-count shield made it impossible to burst down quickly! Even Elysia, with her decent talent, was beaten to a pulp. Her characters rolled around under the monster's iron hooves.
"This... this is too hard..." Even Carole was shocked by the Hard difficulty. Between drone harassment and a tanky, "super-armor" mad dog boss, it felt like pure torture. Carole hadn't designed the boss's move set; she only did Mei and herself. she didn't know "The World" could be this punishing!
Watching Elysia use over ten revive needles, the chat began to gasp for air. [Wait? Why is this boss so toxic? What is the Old Thief doing?]
[Maybe the Old Thief is returning to his roots? his first game, 'Getting Over It,' was designed purely to torture players.]
[At least he gave you a difficulty choice, right? If you can't beat Hard, just lower it. He definitely expected this!]
While the chat vented, a prompt appeared on Elysia's screen after her tenth death: [High enemy strength detected. Automatically adjusting to Normal difficulty for you.]
Elysia wanted to be stubborn, but remembering the torture of Hard mode, she shut her mouth and accepted it. The person who proudly said she'd choose "Very Easy" next time had become: Elysia (Being Honest).
Even on lowered difficulty, it took effort to beat The World. However, the boss wasn't completely destroyed; it stood up again!
["Very well, you owe me a favor, Lucheni..."]The masked man waved his hands, and a terrifying shockwave erupted, blasting the MC and Carole away! Raiden Mei gripped her blade, standing before the battered pair, glaring at the man.
["You will not hurt my squad members!"]The man gave a soft chuckle. ["Mhm, then as you wish."]He extended his right hand. Golden chains flew out, binding Mei and making her unable to move! ["The most troublesome enemy should always be dealt with first, right?"]
The next moment, The World's massive mechanical arm pierced through Mei's abdomen and lifted her high into the air! Blood splattered, and the MC and Carole below looked on in horror.
["Her Herrscher energy is valuable; don't leave a single drop. Let us go and open the Star Gate for the Sky People."]With that, the man turned and left the platform. He didn't even give the MC or Carole a second glance, assuming they were no longer a threat. A protective barrier expanded around the monster's body. Raiden Mei, suspended by an invisible force, was having her Herrscher energy continuously drained!
"Aaaaah!! Put my Mei down!" Seeing Mei treated like this, Elysia's fists clenched hard!!
"Since when were Mei-senpai and Ellie this close?" Carole looked at them strangely. Mei looked embarrassed; if Kiana had said that, it would be normal. But Elysia? There can only be one "Lich Queen" (enthusiast); any more would be chaos!
[Mei!!]
[Put her down!]
[Where are the teammates? Save her!]
[No, I have to kill this boss today! How dare it hurt Mei!]
The chat was filled with rage. Everyone wanted to jump into the game and kick "The World"! And punch the masked man! Regardless of whether he was Otto, anyone using that face to hurt Mei had to die!! But on the other hand, they were shocked by his power—easily defeating Squad 3.
[Also, those golden chains... they're part of Oath of Judah, right?]
[But they should be Mimicry Judah. The real Judah should be with Theresa, right?]
[The only one who can use Mimicry Judah is Otto, isn't it?]
[Wait, no! Otto uses Void Archives! He uses its power to mimic Divine Keys!]
[So... the person who turned into Otto... is Void Archives?]
[That's actually possible! Void Archives has its own consciousness; it tried to tempt Otto five hundred years ago!]
[And the detectors in St. Fountain picked up Herrscher or Divine Key reactions. It's very likely Void Archives!]
[Right, and he knows everything about Schicksal. No one but someone who stayed by Otto's side for so long would know this much!]
From the clues, players pieced together "Otto's" identity. In the game, Elysia was pushed to a dead end. Mei was dying. Carole was exhausted. only the MC, "Su Mu," was left struggling.
In his injured state, the MC's performance plummeted. HP was at 1, and his vision was dimming. Elysia tried to attack the barrier, but the recoil sent him flying! Yet he adjusted his stance instantly, propping himself up with his sword. The UI now only showed the yellow energy bar and the basic attack button. Heavy breathing and exhaustion signaled he was at his limit. As Elysia clicked, the bar filled, and he stood again to attack the barrier untiringly! only to be blasted back again!
["Hold on...!"]Vision grew darker. The audience felt the helplessness and struggle of the MC. After being repelled once more, his body slammed into the ground. Everything went black. Is it over? ...Apparently not.
Through the blur, Raiden Mei's image appeared. It was her past instruction. ["This sword was custom-made... it can absorb, store, and release energy... like a Honkai beast... remember, you are prone to danger from overdose... promise me, do not push yourself..."]
As Mei's last words fell, fine Honkai patterns crawled up his face. Though his body felt like lead and every breath felt like being torn apart, his eyes burned with fire.
["Sorry, Captain. The thing I promised... I have to break that word."]
Crimson energy spread across the blade of Labor of Olympus. He gripped the hilt tightly. As the seal broke, the weapon shed its disguise, roaring like an awakened beast!
["Labor of Olympus, Honkai Energy Seal—Full Release!!" ]
END OF CHAPTER
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