Chapter 31: Elysia! Reporting for Duty!
The moment Su Mu submitted the debut PV for Honkai Impact 3rd to the pink-themed video sharing site and confirmed that it had passed review, he finally let out a long sigh of relief and slumped back into his chair.
Before this, Su Mu had registered an account named "Phantom Iron Game Studio," which operated under the umbrella of miHoYo. Since deciding to create Honkai Impact 3rd, he had chosen to make the relationship between Phantom Iron and miHoYo public.
A lot had happened over the past three months. Under the nomination of Welt Yang, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy had successfully fought its way through the competition to win both the "Best Indie Game" and "Best Game Art" awards.
"Undoubtedly the Ninth Art." — Anti-Entropy Entertainment, [Welt Yang]. "A blend of Sisyphus's absurdity and happiness." — The Intelligentsia Guild, [Dr. Ratio]. "No other game depicts the concept of 'death requiring a start from the beginning' so brilliantly." — Schicksal Consortium, [Otto Apocalypse].
Even Anti-Entropy and Schicksal—two conglomerates usually as incompatible as fire and water—had reached a consensus on the excellence of Getting Over It. It was clear that the game possessed a unique charm. Thanks to its impact on both the gaming and streaming industries, Phantom Iron Studio had garnered massive attention, and its follower count had surged to over a million. This number wasn't massive in a world with a highly developed entertainment industry, but gaining a million followers in such a short time was a solid achievement.
Inside the miHoYo Game Director's office.
Looking at the newly verified "Blue V" official account for Honkai Impact 3rd, a wave of intense exhaustion washed over Su Mu. He closed his eyes. For months, he had been like a spinning top, never stopping for a single moment. Developing Honkai Impact 3rd was a massive undertaking; it was not something that could be completed simply by talking.
While he had received the source code and technical support for the engine from the system, Su Mu still had to type out every single line of code himself. It could be said that he had single-handedly taken on the roles of planner, writer, and lead programmer. Fortunately, he only needed to complete the most core components; the rest could be delegated to the team.
It was also thanks to Bronya and the previous cooperation with the HOMU Game Platform that they were able to recruit a large amount of talent in a short time. Among these recruits were even the members of the "Post-Honkai Odyssey" trio that Su Mu was familiar with—though he had been too busy lately to properly interact with them. Now, Honkai Impact 3rd was basically complete and undergoing its initial internal testing within the company.
It was lucky that Bronya had brought the AI, Project Bunny; otherwise, finding all the bugs in a large-scale 3D action game would have been a headache-inducing task. Thinking back, when Su Mu first suggested that Bronya use Project Bunny to help, her expression was one of clear surprise followed by worry.
"The development trend of AI is inevitable."
Su Mu had used his experience from his previous life to tell Bronya that in his time, AI writing and AI drawing had had a huge impact on their respective industries. The most typical example was AlphaGo in the game of Go; after AlphaGo appeared, many players began using AI for training, and their skill levels improved by leaps and bounds. Ultimately, even if Bronya hadn't introduced the multi-functional game assistant—the Project Bunny AI—someone else would have eventually introduced something similar.
According to Su Mu's understanding, AI already existed in this world, but in terms of intelligence, it was nowhere near the level of Bronya's Project Bunny. Therefore, Bronya didn't need to carry too much of a burden, because there are things humans possess that AI simply cannot imitate. For instance, the "abstract" humor of his previous life would be impossible for an AI to analyze. Why were people obsessed with certain street memes, or specific styles of abstract art? Abstract art was still far too early for AI to grasp.
"This is also the first step in bringing Bronya's technology into the public eye," Su Mu smiled. "If Bronya has to bear the infamy, let us bear it together."
True, Su Mu knew that as a masterpiece of integration, Bronya's Project Bunny would certainly attract criticism and vitriol from others. But he understood Bronya's dream even better.
"Thank you, Su Mu."
Bronya was overwhelmed with emotion, and those complex feelings eventually condensed into a simple word of thanks. However, even Su Mu hadn't expected Project Bunny's capabilities to be so terrifying. Honestly, without Project Bunny, creating a large-scale mobile game in three months would have been a total pipe dream. Of course, it also wouldn't have been possible without the support of everyone at miHoYo.
While Su Mu was pondering the future development of the project, a pleasant scent suddenly hit his nose. Elysia tiptoed into the office, holding a pink air-conditioning blanket, which she draped over Su Mu.
"Elysia?"
Su Mu opened his eyes and looked with some surprise at the Pink Elf standing not far away.
"Oh? You're awake?"
The beautiful elf's face broke into a smug smile, looking like a proud little butterfly. "No need to thank the Pink Elf~"
Looking at the blanket, which carried Elysia's scent, Su Mu realized it was likely the one she usually used herself.
"Thank you."
Su Mu knew the situation; Elysia probably thought he was asleep and didn't want him to catch a cold.
"Thank-you time is over! Now it's time for Elysia's lecture!"
Elysia put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks, putting on a cute, angry face. "You really don't know how to take care of your body! Do you know how worried little Kiana has been about you lately?"
"Eh?"
"She's very angry right now! And I, Ellie, am angry too! Also, Brother Kalpas said if you don't start eating properly, he's going to come to your house and cook for you personally!"
The thought of Kalpas showing up at his door, masked and carrying bags of ingredients, forced a wry smile from Su Mu. Since Kalpas joined miHoYo, the catering conditions of the entire company had improved significantly. Although Kalpas seemed difficult to get along with, he was actually a genuinely good person with a bit of a "motherly" vibe. Looking at the pouting Elysia, Su Mu felt a warmth in his chest. Elysia really was a good girl to worry so much...
"I'm sorry, I know I was wrong. I'll make sure to rest more from now on."
Facing Elysia, what else could Su Mu do? He could only obediently raise both hands and surrender to the Pink Elf!
"As long as you know your mistake! Then I'll let you off!" Elysia returned to her usual self. "Actually, Su Mu, I wanted to ask you a question..."
"?"
"Why are you working so hard? Your feelings for Honkai Impact 3rd seem... unusual."
"Why?"
Su Mu thought about it. Yes, why? Was it because he wanted to tell the world a story of [Regret]?
A story of an ordinary person who loses everything—friends, lovers, career, even their own identity—yet still chooses to shoulder the responsibility of saving the world. May civilization be passed on like a flame; may this world be as glorious as gold. The MOTHs, humans who threw themselves into the fire like moths, yet used their lives to compose heroic epics—
A teacher, to save her students, willingly used her body to open a path to tomorrow. A girl, after going through countless hardships, discovers her entire life was a lie. Even so, she still chooses to confront fate. A guardian, who watched the seas turn into mulberry fields over fifty thousand years, witnessing endless joy, sorrow, and parting. Even so, she still chooses to uphold her beliefs.
"Step forward! This is the signet of... [Deliverance]!" "This is my final lesson..." "With this fire, I shall cut through all that is uncuttable!" "Waking, I fear it was but a dream; origin and self all forgotten, where is my home?"
Those scenes flashed through Su Mu's mind, and he couldn't help but let out a laugh. He looked at the curious Pink Elf before him.
"Henceforth, the stars shall shine, for I have arrived. Henceforth, flowers shall bloom, for I have never left."
These words brought a look of surprise to Elysia's face.
"Nothing much, I just want to tell a story—a long, long story."
The story is too short to tell of their magnificent lives. The story is too long, carrying all their joys, sorrows, and partings. This story is called Honkai Impact 3rd.
END OF CHAPTER
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