Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players

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In Tianqiong City, within a luxurious hotel's opulent presidential suite, Ana slowly sat up from the bed, pressing her hand against her slightly throbbing forehead. Her clothes had been changed to more comfortable nightwear.

Undoubtedly, this was Rita's doing.

Near the soft, plush bed, there stood a chair, and judging by the lingering scent, Rita must have rested here earlier.

"Rita?"

Ana gently called out, but there was no response. Clearly, Rita had already left.

Closing her eyes, metallic armor materialized on Ana's arms as she tapped into the Gem of Desire's Authority. Instantaneously, the power of wind enveloped the entire Tianqiong City.

It was still nighttime; she had likely slept for only about an hour.

Within moments, Ana located Rita's whereabouts effortlessly.

"I suppose some things truly cannot be avoided, can they?" Sensing Rita's location, Ana couldn't help but sigh.

Rita's current position coincided precisely with that of the Gray Serpent.

No, it's not just about Gray Serpent; rather, it should be referred to as the location of Tianqiong City's information broker, Gray Serpent. That cunning fellow has multiple hideouts and numerous aliases.

Rita needn't have sought out Gray Serpent. Besides, prior to World Serpent's return, Gray Serpent always operated with strong business acumen, let alone the fact that Ana herself already possesses Kiana's intelligence.

Tianqiong City, built by the people of Shenzhou region as a high-tech refuge, was primarily driven behind the scenes by Divine City Pharmaceuticals. And the primary financier for Divine City Pharmaceuticals? It was Ana.

In other words, Tianqiong City is also her domain, granting her similar access rights as Gray Serpent. Anything he can obtain here, she can as well.

Regarding humanoid machines...the mechanical transformation technology is indeed beyond Ana's expertise; it's a specialty and patent held by the World Serpent. However, her authority over humanoid machines remains unchanged.

It's worth mentioning that, at present, she could arguably be considered part of the World Serpent, albeit in a loosely bound capacity, much like Little Miss Blasta on her boutique island. This situation partly reflects Gray Serpent's habits, but also signifies her current standing, allowing her direct dialogue with the World Serpent.

As long as Kevin remains absent, her theoretical power surpasses even that of World Serpent, leaving little to worry about.

"Speaking of, it's just about time for Raven's boutique island explosion."

Ana stroked her chin, a hint of amusement flickering across her face.

"Why not... pay her a visit sometime? Heh heh he—"

Indeed, Raven had it rough. After painstakingly amassing enough wealth through World Serpent and mercenary work to secure a comfortable future, she purchased a small island and nearly completed its development. Then, the Major Honkai Eruption submerged it all, sending her back to square one.

If Raven didn't throw a fit over this, Ana herself wouldn't be too pleased either.

With these thoughts, Ana casually activated her communication device, initiating a holographic projection. Soon, Otto's figure appeared on the video screen.

Compared to their last meeting, Otto seemed even more exhilarated. Judging by the background behind him, he indeed left Schicksal Headquarters, likely heading straight to Saint Freya Academy to retrieve Unnamed Locomotive.

"Otto, I don't need to spell out my question, do I?" Ana lazily played with a stuffed toy on her bed, her voice carrying a chilling undertone.

"My friend, don't be angry. She approached me herself, claiming it was your order. So, I merely provided some necessary information—it's not my fault." Otto shrugged innocently.

This time, he indeed bore little culpability. He had rushed enthusiastically to the Far East Branch when Rita contacted him, and naturally, he answered her call promptly.

Rita invoked Ana's name while asking for minor details that were readily available, so he swiftly obliged, sending over the requested documents.

"..."

Ana knew Otto wasn't at fault here. After a brief silence, she ended the communication and angrily tossed the doll in her hand onto the ground.

Aaaaaargh! She was truly furious, with no outlet for her frustration.

That bastard Otto! Even though he clearly messed up, why couldn't she vent her anger on him?! Unfair! Unfair! Unfair!

Unable to contain her indignation, an idea formed in Ana's mind, prompting her to establish a connection with Jackal this time.

"Everything is progressing smoothly. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up; I'm quite busy too," came Jackal's weary voice as soon as the link was established. It seemed everyone except her had been deprived of sleep.

As soon as the connection was established, Jackal's weary voice came through from the other end. It seemed that while Ana had enjoyed a good night's sleep, no one else had been so fortunate.

Oops— Suddenly feeling somewhat vindicated.

"I heard you have a life-sized punching bag modeled after Otto?"

"..."

Jackal didn't respond verbally, but Ana could sense her breathing change, hinting at the secret being uncovered.

But to Ana, did such trivial matters between her and Otto really count as a secret?

She had witnessed the entire incident firsthand, fully aware of what transpired. And for something so insignificant, did it warrant creating dedicated punching bags? Notably, this information came from Gray Serpent.

Alright, Ana remained oblivious that she was just as petty as Jackal, even more so, over a mere trifling affair.

Initially, Jackal had merely embarrassed Otto by wasting a single Divine Key bullet, robbing herself of a chance to show off later.

In contrast, her own involvement... well, had virtually no impact; all she did was run errands.

"Yes, yes, I knew you'd have one."

"Hurry up and arrange one for me too! Deliver it to Hotel XXX!"

"Wow, didn't expect you to have such intense tastes, Boss!" Jackal shuddered, likely imagining its purpose akin to a two-dimensional body pillow. Dressing Otto as a man, sure! Absolutely works!

Well, even cross-dressed, I could still give it a go...

"What are you thinking?" Ana glared at Jackal, slightly annoyed.

Initially, during her first encounter with Jackal while progressing through the storylines, she found this woman quite formidable. However, as they interacted more, Ana increasingly realized that Jackal was just a hardcore fool, reminiscent of a certain Herrscher of Sentience lady—but let's not forget their respective statuses. Naturally, Jackal would eventually get kicked aside.

"Just do as instructed."

With that, Ana promptly ended the communication. She had no intention of revealing the full details to Jackal; let the dimwit figure it out herself! If Jackal dared to spread nonsense, Ana would enlist Hare's help to teach her a lesson.

Wait, what do you mean she can't find Hare now? Come on, even if the monk flees, the temple remains, right? Unless Hare completely frees herself from the Schariac Stigmata, she will never escape her bond with Ana.

"Forget about it. Next, I should go negotiate with Gray Serpent."

As Ana spoke, she swiftly got dressed, stepped out of the hotel, and vanished into the night...

"You made a mistake..."

In Tianqiong City, at the designated meeting spot for their transaction, Gray Serpent pressed his hand against his wound while weakly speaking to Rita before him. Despite his frail state, there was no trace of fear in his voice; instead, it carried pure excitement—an utterly inappropriate reaction for someone on the brink of death.

"Now... you're also within the serpent's gaze..." Gray Serpent collapsed onto the ground, blood pooling beneath him as he drew his last breath. With Rita's precise strike, death was inevitable from the outset.

Rita frowned slightly, gazing down at the fallen Gray Serpent.

"Serpent?"

She had never directly interacted with the World Serpent; her limited knowledge came solely from Otto. However, even he hadn't explicitly mentioned the World Serpent, and any more detailed information seemed vaguely familiar from Ana's files.

At the time, she hadn't paid much attention, so she couldn't recall the contents of those documents.

Rita took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the bloodstains from her blade.

At this point, she had no other choice but to take things as they came.

Although Gray Serpent was dead, it didn't hinder Rita from obtaining information. As a bioengineered cyborg, his body parts could still serve as verification tools.

As long as the authentication process didn't require facial expressions or specific movements, most checks could be completed using his remains.

"Death marks the beginning of the next transaction?" Rita softly repeated Gray Serpent's words.

"You're right, Mr. Gray Serpent. This deal is one you cannot refuse." With that, Rita leaned down and retrieved some items from Gray Serpent's person...

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit office on the other side, two individuals sat facing each other. One of them was completely shrouded in a cloak, wearing a mask with red light emanating from its eyes.

Across from him, the young girl lounged casually, her pale pink eyes reflecting a hint of blue glow. She gently picked up a cup of tea from the table and took a sip.

"Gray Serpent, this doesn't seem to align with your taste."

She smiled teasingly, and on a screen hanging nearby, the scene of Rita killing Gray Serpent moments ago was playing.

"Different teas represent different lives," Gray Serpent spoke slowly in his raspy voice. "Occasionally experiencing varied lifespans can indeed be intriguing."

"But you're clearly indulging in multiple lives at once," Ana chuckled, gently criticizing him.

"They may bear my name, Gray Serpent, but they are not me," he replied mildly.

"Your Lord, Kevin, has already emerged from the world bubble."

"That cannot serve as leverage for our deal."

"How about Chiyou then?" Ana asked with a light laugh, casually dropping a sugar cube into her teacup. As per Western preferences, she naturally favored sweetened tea. In her previous life... well, occasionally she enjoyed jasmine tea.

"The Lord's return from the Sea of Quanta will leave him incredibly weakened, while I can offer you Chiyou's remains."

Ana smiled.

In the original storyline, the remnants of Chiyou were acquired by the World Serpent, which should have been assets of the Far East Branch. However, now that Ana controlled the Far East Branch, it belonged to her.

"You must understand that attempting coercion or force against me would be futile."

"Of course," Gray Serpent responded promptly. As he observed the young girl before him, he found their interactions increasingly intriguing. Despite being merely a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old, she possessed the world's greatest power.

Her pink eyes seemed capable of penetrating all secrets; even someone like him, adept at concealing his thoughts, felt as if she could read through him effortlessly.

Moreover, she appeared to have intimate knowledge of the World Serpent, almost as if she had once been one of its high-ranking officers.

There was another interesting aspect - she shared some connection with the boy Raven brought back. Nonetheless, Gray Serpent had no intention of acting on it.

The person standing before him was, at the very least, on par with Miss Sakura, perhaps even comparable to the Lord himself. Attempting petty tactics against her would be meaningless; instead, it was wiser to seek alliance.

"So, shall we agree to a fruitful collaboration?"

"A fruitful collaboration indeed."

With his gloved hand, Gray Serpent gently took Ana's, symbolizing a deepening of their partnership.

Indeed, death was merely the beginning of another transaction. After Gray Serpent's demise, Rita forcibly completed the original deal, marking the start of a new one.

Similarly, following Gray Serpent's death, he and Ana embarked on a different transaction, initiating yet another form of exchange. However, this explanation somewhat forced the connection to Rita's earlier actions.

"Apologies for any offense caused by my dear Rita; please bear with us," Ana said calmly as she withdrew her hand.

"No worries, it was indeed the best outcome for him," Gray Serpent replied.

Gray Serpent showed no concern for the fate of other instances of himself. As creations of Mobius' artificial life, each Gray Serpent possessed both individual consciousness and collective awareness.

When the Tianqiong City informant Gray Serpent chose this path, he had prepared himself for all eventualities, leaving little room for further discussion.

As for seeking accountability? It never existed in the first place.

Recalling the past, Sakura had killed numerous instances of Gray Serpent, yet she remained his most esteemed friend until tragically not surviving into the current era.

However, not witnessing the final judgment at Finality's end could be considered fortunate for Sakura, couldn't it? The despair when facing the Herrscher of Finality is something no one would wish to experience again.

The most despairing aspect, perhaps, was the deaths of her comrades. One can only imagine what Kevin endured during those times...

"Hmm, if you see Hare, please tell her I miss her dearly."

Ana nodded, her face once again displaying its usual warmth and playfulness.

"No problem."

Gray Serpent gave a slight nod. Strangely enough, he too enjoyed seeing Hare express herself differently; it brought a peculiar joy even to him as an artificial life form, which wasn't easily achieved.

Thus, he willingly agreed to Ana's request.

"Great! Then, unless there's anything else, I'll take my leave now."

As Ana stood up, ready to depart, she suddenly paused, turned back around, and called out:

"Hey, Gray Serpent, do you still have more of this tea? Get me some too!"

Caught off guard, Gray Serpent looked at Ana, momentarily unsure how to respond.

As the head of a powerful consortium, coming here to take advantage and mooch off me—what's the meaning behind this? And who do you think you're underestimating?