After getting home, Su Yu tossed his backpack into the corner of the couch, sank his whole body into the sofa, and let out a long breath.
These past stretches he'd been running all over the place, System missions coming one after another, and he'd very nearly been killed over and over inside the consciousness space by the Herrscher personality—though he'd turned the tables and slain it in the end, the mental exhaustion was utterly real.
After that came spiriting Nuwa away, resolving the family dispute between Cioara and Bronie, having to fend off Fuxi's teasing, and then, without a moment's pause, throwing himself into the work of building up the studio.
You could say that through this whole string of events, he hadn't even had time to catch his breath.
Back when he'd been a salted fish slacking through college, he never could have imagined that one day in the future he'd go from a salted fish to a dog—literally "as busy as a dog."
He turned his head and looked to the side.
Kiana was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, pulling things out of a shopping bag.
First she took out two boxes of pizza, then potato chips and cola, and finally a pack of… bitter melon juice.
Her movements were slow, her fingers pinching that pack of green drink, her expression a little conflicted.
"Hey, Su Yu."
Kiana held up the pack of bitter melon juice, her brows knitting together.
"This… you bought this?"
Su Yu propped himself up from the sofa and took a glance.
"Supermarket promo, buy one get one free. I figured, well, you drinking this stuff… has a remarkable effect anyway."
Kiana's lips twitched.
She stuffed the bitter melon juice back to the very bottom of the bag, as if to seal it away.
"Remarkable effect my foot!" she muttered. "That taste is basically poison… buy this again next time and I'll pour it into your coffee."
"…Never mind, let's eat first."
She tore open the pizza box, and the aroma of cheese instantly wafted out.
Su Yu watched her break off a big piece and cram it into her mouth, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's.
Outside the window the sky gradually darkened, and the city's lights came on one by one.
This kind of peaceful, everyday life sometimes gave him an illusion—as if all that Honkai, those Herrschers, those life-and-death struggles, were just stories from another world.
Before he could even take a sip of water to wet his throat, that translucent blue light-screen popped up before his eyes without warning, accompanied by a burst of cheerful sound effects, like clearing a level in a game.
[System Upgrade Complete! Ver 2.0 "Even Big Bro Wei Isn't as Rich as Me" Edition is now live!]
[SYSTEM UPDATE COMPLETE]
[miHoYo Game Studio · Community System 2.0 Officially Live]
The interface unfurled like a scroll, and the once-scattered tarot cards were now neatly arranged within a brand-new UI framework labeled "Studio Members."
The background was the downtown Tower Block A he'd just gotten his hands on, with a giant Homu avatar photoshopped onto the top floor—looking at once grand and ridiculous.
Su Yu rubbed the spot between his brows, his gaze sweeping from left to right across these glittering golden cards.
This wasn't just a roster—it was more like the dominion he'd carved out since coming to this world, or rather… the bonds he'd forged.
Nice—now the Phantom Thieves' The Boss (Kobe) had evolved into miHoYo's The Boss (Kobe)! Not bad!
[0. The Fool]—Kiana Kaslana
Position: CTO / Chief Motion Capture / Mascot Girl
Bond Level: ??? (Bond Locked)
Studio Bonuses:
[Paramecium's Intuition: When working on action design and tuning the impact-feel of combat, she's practically divinely guided. Any counterintuitive, anti-human design will be seen through at a glance by her (and roasted).]
[Paramecium's Luck: Luck stat bonus UP. She can win the grand prize in a mall lottery, or recruit hidden bigshots just by randomly picking a few applicants. Is this the luck of someone who saved the world in a past life?]
[Paramecium's Lingering Charm: An all-hands morale aura. As long as she's at the company—even if she's just sitting there eating pizza—everyone's San-value recovery rate +50%, stress resistance +30%.]
[Comment: Your initial persona mask, and the starting point of everything. The Fool may not sound very smart, but in the tarot it represents "infinite possibility" and "a journey starting from zero."]
[Note: Her brain may be small, but she's the miracle of this world. She's also the strongest trump card in your hand. Don't let her go hungry—remember that well.]
[VII. The Chariot]—Kevin Kaslana
Position: CEO / Chief of Administration / Deadpan Mascot
Bond Level: Rank MAX (Friend to the Death / Best Frenemy)
Studio Bonuses:
[Heavenly Fire Unsheathed · Administrative Edition: Deals true damage (on the mental level) to any client or troublemaker who tries to stall the schedule or kick up an unreasonable fuss. Negotiation success rate +200%.]
[Frozen Throne: When he's in the office, everyone's work efficiency rises and no one dares to slack off. Comes with a built-in air-conditioning cooling effect, saving a huge sum on the electricity bill in summer.]
[System Note: A gorgeous turnaround from Office Slave to domineering CEO. He's always wanting to go on strike, but for the sake of never having to go back to eating instant noodles, he'll be your most reliable steward. Remember to buy him that limited-edition instant noodle—it's his life.]
[VII. Justice]—Fu Hua (Fenghuang?)
Position: Motion Capture Team Lead / Martial Arts Director / Security Consultant
Bond Level: Rank 5 (Both Mentor and Friend)
Studio Bonuses:
[Inch Force: Open Heaven: The professionalism and hardcore quality of action design is raised to top-tier levels. Any clipping or physics-defying motion will be forcibly corrected by her.]
[Fenghuang's Protection: Studio safety factor MAX. Invincible on the physical level—any petty thief who comes in standing upright will be carried out lying flat.]
[System Note: For these few measly coins… ah no, for the revival of the Tai Xu Sect, even an immortal has to work a day job. Such is the weight of life. Give her a bigger bonus—she really is strapped for cash.]
[XIV. Temperance]—Nuwa
Position: Art Director / Figurine Maniac
Bond Level: Rank 4 (Fellow Enthusiast / Creditor)
Studio Bonuses:
[Nuwa's Clay Figures: Art-asset output speed doubled. Give her enough figurines and Happy Water and she can do the work of a whole art team all by herself.]
[Absolute Territory: An OCD-level pursuit of modeling precision for beautiful-girl characters, especially leg and foot details. LSPs rejoice.]
[System Note: Beware her wild imagination. If left unchecked, she might turn the game into Dress-up Nikki or a figurine simulator. You need to keep an eye on her at all times.]
[XVIII. The Moon]—Bronie (H.B.)
[Position: CISO (Cybersecurity) / Intelligence Officer]
[Bond Level: Rank 2 (Accomplice / Tsundere Little Sister)]
Studio Bonuses:
[Labyrinth Hack Bunny: Network defense at military grade. Any hacker attack will be reverse-traced and physically struck down right along the network cable.]
[Cyber Ghost: Intelligence-gathering ability MAX. Whether it's the movements of competitor companies or the menu for the next Crazy Thursday… ahem, in short, there's nothing she can't dig up.]
[Navigator Protocol: When Kiana is carrying out an infiltration or combat mission, if Bronie is present (or remotely connected), Kiana's pathfinding efficiency increases by fifty percent and her trap-avoidance rate increases by eighty percent.]
[System Note: She talks tough, but she actually craves praise. Buy her some of the latest gaming peripherals and she'll work herself to the bone for you.]
Su Yu's gaze kept sliding to the right, coming to rest on a new card that radiated a brilliant golden light, its border even inlaid with gems.
The glow was almost blinding—the exclusive special effect of a big-spending whale.
[NEW!]
[The Empress]—Eden
[Position: Angel Investor / Music Director]
[Bond Level: Rank ? (Confidante / Patron / ???)]
Studio Bonuses:
[Hymn of Gold: Infinite cash flow (pseudo). As long as the project is solid, a thing called a "budget" simply doesn't exist. The whole studio's salary and benefits +50%, happiness +100%.]
[Swan Song of Ages Past: Music quality maxed out in an instant. A couple of casual hums from her are Grammy-level material. BGM emotional impact +300%, players' tear-duct collapse rate +500%.]
[Star Effect: Comes with top-tier promotional resources. The moment she posts a single "looking forward to it" on Weibo, the servers had better get ready to scale up.]
[System Note: The highest realm of eating soft rice the hard way. Much as you don't want to admit it, you really have been kept (strikethrough) invested in. Also, beware Elysia's jealousy—that's something more terrifying than the Honkai.]
Scrolling down again.
The previously gold-glittering interface suddenly changed its art style.
Countless virtual pink petals drifted down from the top of the screen, even accompanied by that iconic "Hi~" that seemed to be whispered right against your ear.
A card cradled amid crystals and fresh flowers spun and leapt to the center of the screen.
[The Lovers]—Elysia
[Position: Chief Beta Tester / Promotional Ambassador / Vibe Squad Leader]
[Bond Level: Rank 2? (Ambiguous Observer / Interesting Human)]
Studio Bonuses:
[Magic of the Pink Elf: Charm stat MAX. A social terrorist. Whether it's tricky media, picky players, or rigid review boards, they'll all automatically lower their defenses before her. Everyone's favourability-gain rate +50% (but it may trigger a love-rival bloodbath).]
[Flawless Blessing: As a beta tester with the "perfect" setting, she can spot those "not cute enough" bugs. Any version she's blessed has its player retention rate +200%, because no one can resist her wink.]
[System Note: Representing choice, bound up with temptation. The very existence of Miss Pink Elf is a kind of allure. Be careful getting along with her—the start of a relationship often springs from "interesting"—and one more piece of advice from your foster father: when you're with her, mind the movements of the Paramecium behind your back. To avoid a hatchet-murder ending, struggle hard, young man.]
"Phew…"
Su Yu let out a long breath. Looking at that line "Rank 2?" and the note, his heart actually settled down quite a bit.
Good, good.
If the bond level had turned into "Rank MAX (Unswerving Until Death)," then he could probably fast-forward straight to Makoto's Ending.
This state of "more than friends, less than lovers," or rather "treating you as a beloved toy / pet / object of observation," was the safest of all.
After all, being liked by Miss Pink Elf was an honor, but being loved by her… that might take the resolve to save the world.
His gaze continued downward.
There were no flashy special effects, only a tranquil starry-sky background and a few brushstrokes—innocent as a child's doodles, yet brimming with an inspired, spiritual quality.
[The Star]—Griseo
Position: Specially Invited Art Consultant / Soul Painter
Bond Level: Rank 3 (Trusted Big Brother / Exclusive Model)
Studio Bonuses:
[Scroll of Painted World: Color perception MAX. The concept art she paints can be directly extracted as high-precision textures, and can even give viewers the immersive illusion of being there in person. Art-style uniqueness +100%.]
[Guidance of the Stars: When the production team (mainly Nuwa) falls into a creative drought or aesthetic fatigue, a single painting of hers can instantly light up the inspiration bulb. San-value recovery (targeting the art team).]
[System Note: She's a true genius, and also a blank sheet of paper. Although the things she paints sometimes understand more than you do (referring to certain indescribable doujinshi), at her core she's still a child who needs protecting. Please be sure to protect this minor, and don't let her be corrupted by that weird auntie Nuwa. Also, she relies on you a lot—don't let her down.]
[THE HERMIT]—Mei
[Rank: 3 (Technical Backbone)]
[Studio Bonuses:
[Seeker of Truth: Studio R&D speed +50%. Unlocks the "black-tech R&D" tree.]
[Aura of Absolute Reason: When the project hits a major crisis, Mei will provide the optimal solution (though that solution may be utterly devoid of human warmth).]
[System Note: She's a woman standing at the pinnacle of human wisdom. As long as you don't let her into the kitchen to cook, she can build you a Star Destroyer. Remember, she's Kevin's remote control in every sense of the word.]
"Perfect."
Su Yu mentally gave himself a thumbs-up.
Elysia was in charge of stirring up trouble and promotion, while Griseo was in charge of elevating the artistic taste.
Add to that the hardcore tech team from before.
This Honkai Impact 3rd production team was, quite simply, out to seize both commercial appeal and artistry with both hands—and both hands had to be strong.
That said.
There were still heaps of things that needed handling right now.
First was the on-site inspection of the studio and the question of renovations.
Su Yu had spent the whole day brainstorming, and had pretty much recorded the bulk of the members' opinions and requirements.
But whether actually putting them into practice would be the same story was hard to say.
"When the cart reaches the mountain there'll be a way through; rather than fretting over things that may or may not happen, let's just eat first."
A little later, Kiana and Su Yu finished washing up in turns.
As the night gradually deepened, the chirping of cicadas outside the window thinned out somewhat, leaving only the occasional sound of traffic passing in the distance, like the breathing of this city as it slept.
Su Yu took two cans of ice-cold Happy Water from the fridge and casually handed one to Kiana. She said thanks and kept staring at her phone—
She was watching a renovation video, something called "The Hundred Little Tips You Must Know About Renovation"—except this short-video UP-loader was a sly one: the title claimed a hundred, but each episode actually only covered a single one.
He walked over to the coffee table, opened his laptop, created a new document, and typed a few big characters for the title.
"All right, stop watching those little videos over there."
Su Yu sat down on the carpet, his back against the sofa.
"Since we've taken Sister Eden's massive investment, we ought to do some real work too. Otherwise, if we can't produce anything when the time comes, Sister Fuxi will really come storming to our door."
Kiana lifted her head from the belly of a HOMEI plushie, a lollipop still in her mouth.
"Mmgh… work?"
She blinked, looking especially innocent.
"Now? This late? Isn't it supposed to be bedtime?"
"Sleep nothing—get up and get hyped."
Su Yu said grumpily, turning the computer screen toward her as he spoke.
"These past few days we've been busy running the map, rounding up the party, and doing infrastructure—but the main storyline hasn't budged an inch."
He pointed at that blank cursor on the screen. Although a lot of the miscellaneous settings had already been gathered as material, the most crucial part—the main storyline—was still stuck at Kiana and her group returning to St. Freya Academy.
Next would be Honkai Impact 3rd's Chapter Two—"Voice in the Dream"—which was also the St. Freya that Kiana missed the most, yet could never return to.
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