The next day.
The heat around Honkai Impact 3rd across the internet was still skyrocketing.
Even with the momentum from Elysia's livestream helping to smooth things over,
there were still quite a few players who chose to quit—at least temporarily.
But thanks to The Final Lesson going viral beyond the gaming community,
a massive number of curious newcomers flooded into the game.
One left, ten came in.
Instead of the daily active users (DAU) dropping,
Honkai 3rd's numbers soared—
the growth curve so insane it made industry veterans green with envy.
They honestly couldn't understand!
Why was it that when they treaded on eggshells every day, desperately trying not to upset players,
their games still hovered between life and death?
Yet Honkai 3rd triggered such a massive outcry—
and it just kept getting more popular!
Was this even scientific?!
Some already-deranged industry people, their eyes bloodshot from jealousy,
even started seriously considering killing off characters in their own games.
But what they didn't realize was—
Honkai Impact 3rd's success wasn't just because of a cruel character death.
The most crucial reason was simple:
Honkai 3rd was fundamentally a great game.
There was no substitute for it on the market.
Its CG animations were brimming with sincerity and polish.
Every corner of the game overflowed with care and craftsmanship that other games simply couldn't match.
And finally, its emotionally resonant characters and well-structured storylines hit deep,
creating an explosion that wasn't just anger—
it was love.
[Current Honkai Impact 3rd User Stats: 2,757,233]
Having moved recently to a place closer to the miHoYo studio,
Hokuto crawled out of bed.
First thing after waking up,
he checked the system stats.
Seeing that steadily climbing number filled him with a sense of accomplishment.
But even so, it still exceeded his expectations.
Overnight,
Honkai 3rd gained over 400,000 new users!
And it was clear this was just the beginning.
From here on, the user base would skyrocket.
"Looks like I might finish my main mission way earlier than expected,"
Hokuto mused.
"Then I'll get to draw my next game...
Maybe even do a little custom 'magic editing'..."
A flood of exciting, happy problems filled his mind.
Brushing his teeth,
washing his face,
heading out toward the miHoYo studio.
It was Sunday today.
Technically, he didn't have to go in.
But honestly, he didn't have anything better to do.
If he stayed home, he'd just end up playing on his computer anyway.
Might as well hang out at the office.
Plus—
maybe he'd run into a few of the 'Valkyries' who thought like him.
Real, living Valkyries.
Months had passed,
but the excitement in his chest felt just as strong as it had the first day he arrived.
After all—
in this strange world,
they were the only people who still made him feel at home.
Before crossing worlds,
he would never have realized...
Hokuto found himself standing by the window,
gazing out at the city still half-shrouded in morning fog.
The concrete skyscrapers loomed like monuments,
engraving every soul's name onto their steel skins.
This was a city of over 20 million people.
Modern air filled every breath.
It looked familiar.
And yet...
there were always little differences:
A meme that sounded familiar but didn't quite match.
A reference that made everyone laugh... but left you half a beat behind.
And just like that—
you'd remember.
You were a stranger here.
"Good thing... I still have them."
"I'll bring the things I loved into this world too,"
he promised himself silently.
"Even if it's just games."
"At least when I hear someone shout 'bug queen' or 'rice cooker maid,'
I'll feel... a little less alone."
cough cough.
Hokuto quickly cut off his muttering.
Definitely could NOT let the others at the studio overhear that.
He wasn't suicidal.
He thought of Teresa hoping she wouldn't get bullied anymore,
of Mei's stunned reaction when the "Rice Cooker" nickname exploded,
and of the players swearing up and down they'd wait to personally see "Dog Otto" (Otto Apocalypse) get smashed into oblivion.
Honestly?
Hokuto was looking forward to that day too.
Cheers to the fools.
That tiny scrap of melancholy
was instantly washed away by the sheer glee of being a chaos-loving bystander.
Leaving his apartment,
he headed toward the small breakfast stand near the studio.
On the way,
he browsed the official forum Bronya had casually set up.
Thanks to Honkai 3rd blowing up,
this forum—which had been practically a ghost town before—
was now packed to the brim.
Threads popped up nonstop:
"How to Beat Herrscher Benares With a Potato Build""Best Abyss Team Comps in Current Meta""Honkai 3rd Spending Guide: Budget | Mid-Spender | Whale Edition"
And more.
But what really caught Hokuto's eye—
was a particular thread about Teresa.
[I recently made a Teresa sticker pack and wanted to share it with everyone!]
Curious, Hokuto tapped into the post.
The very first image—
Teresa's Wise Gaze.jpg.
And below it:
Eat my Judah!Did Kiana kick you in the head?Just passing through, world's cutest!
...
The comments started rolling in immediately:
Teresa Fan Club President (2nd floor):
✅ Collected! Thanks for sharing, OP.
Passing-by miHoYo Artist (3rd floor):
✅ These stickers… not gonna lie, they're dangerously addictive.
Kiana Must Protect Himeko-sensei (4th floor):
😂😂😂
I'm dying! No offense to Teresa, but this is too hilarious!
Teresa Is NOT Dumb! (5th floor):
⚡ You laugh again, 4th floor, and it's Judah time! (small bat) (small bat)
Kiana Must Protect Himeko-sensei (7th floor):
😭 Sorry! Please forgive me!!
It's All Otto's Fault (8th floor):
🔥 Bumping for quality! OP deserves a sticky!
Teresa Is NOT Dumb! (9th floor):
??????
Hokuto chuckled, quickly saved the sticker pack to his phone,
and, using his admin privileges, pinned the thread.
It wasn't that he meant to mock Teresa...
Fan creations were a vital part of Honkai 3rd's enduring success.
In fact, they were a big reason why the game had stayed lively for so long in his past world.
Maybe it's time to start setting up "Anti-Entropy," "Durandal," and "Tales of Folding Sword"?
Hokuto mused silently.
Otherwise, as future storylines rolled out,
new players might find the lore too dense and confusing.
What he wanted most—
was for everyone to experience a "perfect" journey through the game.
Lost in thought,
he wandered over to the roadside breakfast stall.
Ordered two buns and a bowl of porridge.
He was just quietly eating
when he noticed the shop owner glancing curiously at him.
Hokuto checked his face.
No stray rice grains.
So he asked directly:
"Boss, what's up?"
"Ah, nothing,"
the boss laughed sheepishly.
"Just curious.
You come here for breakfast every day without missing a beat.
Don't you ever rest?"
Hokuto shook his head.
"The girls at the studio are all working so hard.
How could I slack off?"
Hearing this, the boss's expression turned...
subtly envious.
"I heard your company has a ton of beautiful girls.
You must be... uh, enjoying some 'local advantages'?"
"It's not what you think," Hokuto replied with a perfectly straight face.
"I'm mainly running around coordinating work between them.
Actually, a few of them like teasing me for fun...
You could say I've got a lot on my plate."
Every word he said was true.
Completely true.
Running a studio full of 'problematic Valkyries'
was NOT the fantasy many people imagined.
Hearing this, the nearby diners exchanged meaningful glances.
Ah...
No wonder he looked so dedicated every day.
Turns out he was living the dream!
The boss, meanwhile, was so envious he looked like he could mix his emotions straight into the buns.
As Hokuto finished eating,
the boss grinned at him.
"Need me to pack some extra for the ladies at your studio?"
"No need.
They usually cook for themselves.
Some even offer to bring me lunch sometimes,"
Hokuto said, scanning to pay.
Then he turned and left with a cool swagger.
The boss watched him walk away,
a complicated light in his eyes.
Nearby diners whispered among themselves:
"Rich second-gen for sure.
Opening a game company just as a front to pick up girls."
The boss scoffed and pointed to a nearby office building.
"Open your eyes.
That kid built the studio from scratch.
Rumor says he just bought a place near here after making a fortune recently."
The diners:
"..."
Silence.
They chomped fiercely into their vinegar-drenched meat buns.
Tastes sour.
Tastes so damn sour.
Meanwhile, at a table nearby—
A red twin-tailed girl nudged the arm of a petite girl with messy hair.
"Tesla, could it be... we just bumped into the real deal?"
The other girl, Ai-chan—no, Einstein—adjusted her glasses,
wiping a bit of milk from her lips.
"Analyzing available data..."
"Given the current boom in Linjiang City,
there's only one studio making headlines—miHoYo."
"Of course," she added calmly,
"there's always a margin of error."
Einstein brushed dust from her clothes and stood up.
She turned to the boss:
"Boss, about that guy just now—
do you know what he does?"
"Seems like he works in gaming?
I'm not sure.
Sometimes I hear him chatting about game characters over the phone..."
"Mobile games?"
"That I'm not sure about."
Einstein mused for a moment.
But Tesla—
the ever-impulsive Tesla—
was already out of patience.
She shot to her feet, her vibrant red twin-tails bouncing.
Even wearing simple white stockings and a casual skirt,
her stunning looks still caught many secret glances from the surrounding diners.
"Einstein, no need to think!
It's gotta be miHoYo!
Let's go catch up!"
"Thanks for the info, boss!"
Einstein hastily thanked the bewildered shop owner.
The two of them rushed after Hokuto.
Tap tap tap.
The two beautiful girls quickly disappeared into the distance.
Leaving the breakfast stall full of silent, envious sighs.
"Boss, can you refill the vinegar here?
Seems like... I ran out again."