Chapter 162: Ana's Reminiscence I: All Captains Moved to Tears

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In the Honkai World, within the Elysian Realm.

After this point, Ana did not accompany Raiden Mei further. Naturally, it was understandable; after all, Ana here was merely a memory fragment and had no obligations within the Elysian Realm.

She even had the right to remain silent or choose not to appear before Raiden Mei at all. However, despite being just a memory fragment, she desired to witness events firsthand and reshape the future herself.

Even though this is the Elysian Realm, any slight deviation would create entirely new memories and experiences.

During her exploration, Raiden Mei discovered some peculiar stones divided into two types: one with flames encased in ice, and the other with ice enveloped by flames. Strangely, the flames seemed almost illusory, while within the icy formations, faint sparks of fire appeared hidden, making them quite intriguing.

"Truly fascinating. Let's bring these back for Ellie and Ana to see," Raiden Mei thought to herself. Over these past days, she realized that although Ellie and Ana claimed they were keeping an eye on her, they wouldn't actually appear unless unexpected incidents or special circumstances arose.

This realization made Raiden Mei feel that perhaps they weren't constantly watching her after all. Hmm, how should she put it? Well, for now, she felt somewhat relieved.

Honestly, as a student, she didn't quite enjoy being under constant surveillance by her teacher, even though she understood the rarity and value of such attention.

Soon, Raiden Mei returned to the Paradise lobby.

Neither Ana nor Elysia were waiting at the entrance for her this time, which caught Raiden Mei slightly off guard. Humans tend to take precious and unique things for granted when exposed to them frequently.

Fortunately, as Raiden Mei scanned the area, she quickly spotted them in the resting zone nearby.

Elysia and Ana were seated together, chatting amicably with a book in hand.

"There you are."

"Hi there, welcome back!" Elysia lifted her head, her face beaming with her usual smile. She then gestured to the sofa beside her. "Care to join us? The sofas here in Eden are incredibly comfortable! And Ana's stories are truly captivating."

Upon hearing about Ana's stories, Raiden Mei's eyes flickered momentarily, but she shook her head.

"It's alright; I can stand."

"Don't be so formal. You're the protagonist of the Elysian Realm now; everything in this hall exists for your benefit."

"Does that include you as well?" Raiden Mei asked mildly.

"Of course," Elysia chuckled softly and then draped her arm around Ana's shoulders.

"But she's the exception. Naturally, it doesn't matter much since, as your teacher, she'll do her best to assist you anyway, right dear?"

Raiden Mei raised her hand, gently massaging her temples.

These two...

"Hmm." Ana calmly responded, placing a bookmark in her book before closing it securely.

"It seems like you have some important questions."

"Yes."

In front of Ana, Raiden Mei felt no need for reservations. She promptly took out the stone she had found within the Garden of Eden. Although this experience differed from the game, it wasn't particularly significant.

"Oh my, I was just about to mention them! Surprising to see you've already collected so many, Mei." As she spoke, Elysia cleared her throat with a soft cough.

"As mentioned earlier, the Elysian Realm is a realm woven from memories. However, some memories are sealed away in each individual's personal space."

Elysia's gaze shifted towards a nearby display cabinet containing a row of exquisitely crafted egg-shaped vessels.

"It could be secrets I didn't wish to reveal publicly, stories requiring prior context for understanding, or perhaps simply messages intended for my successors."

"By infusing the Kindlings you've collected into these vessels, you'll grasp what I mean."

"But..." Raiden Mei looked at the two distinctly different stones in her hand, feeling momentarily overwhelmed.

"Don't be surprised; the other type represents my memories," Ana said calmly.

"My memories stand entirely separate from those of the Heroic Spirits, often conflicting with theirs. As such, more instances appear naturally. Through these, you may gain a better understanding of who I truly am." Ana paused briefly, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face.

"However, there are certain things for which you should mentally prepare yourself. The tales of the Heroic Spirits belong to the past, but my story intertwines closely with yours, and even involves you directly."

"Additionally..." Ana took another moment before continuing.

"Most of my memories consist of vivid scenes, unlike Ellie's and others'. If possible, please try to collect as many as you can, ideally all of them. Otherwise, you might encounter highly abstract content."

"Quite abstract content?"

In the live broadcast chat, Brother Cake's eyes lit up. How should one put it? Humans often have a rebellious streak, especially within games. Since it was mentioned like this, it must be some sort of special easter egg.

Without any hesitation, Brother Cake immediately controlled Raiden Mei to reach the location of the Memories Vessel. Soon, a message popped up indicating that his memories were insufficient and fragmented, warning against hasty infusion as it could lead to undesirable consequences.

Nevertheless, Brother Cake clicked forward without a moment's pause.

Then—"Apologies, your Memories Vessel has been damaged."

"..."

Reading the displayed message, Brother Cake fell silent, deeply silent, questioning his very existence.

At that moment, the previously quiet viewers in the live stream suddenly jumped out to congratulate Brother Cake.

[Brother Cake, stunned, right? Wait, there's even more shock coming!]

[Hahaha, Brother Cake, now that it's ruined, collecting more won't matter for this game version, ha ha ha ha.]

[Just wait for the update reset, ha ha ha ha!]

[Satisfied, so satisfied! I thought I was the only disobedient one, but turns out the streamer also likes to defy convention, ha ha ha!]

["Can't take it anymore, I'm dying from laughter - this is pure entertainment gold!"]

Similar comments continuously flooded the screen, while Brother Cake remained stone-faced, not uttering a word.

After a brief moment, he abruptly stood up.

Just as everyone anticipated some extreme reaction from Brother Cake, he slowly sat back down, logged out of his account, and then signed in with another one.

Indeed, as a Honkai Impact 3 streamer, how could he have only one account? At the very least, experiencing the strength of average players helps him craft strategies tailored to their needs.

As for whales... well, with enough money thrown at it, even bricks can fly. If they still can't advance in the Abyss, it's recommended to seek help from any random streamer or even someone within their ship's crew who could easily handle it.

Brother Cake executed these actions smoothly without hesitation. The only unfortunate part was that this alternate account clearly hadn't been used in a long time, wasting some precious minutes. Consequently, tens of thousands of viewers watched him complete returnee tasks and replay previous storylines in the live broadcast.

Finally, after a while, Brother Cake caught up with the current progress. Fortunately, there wasn't a significant loss of viewers, mainly because many new viewers were also interested in seeing the latest Honkai Impact 3 return rewards.

It must be said, compared to the past, the game had indeed improved significantly. Some casual players felt tempted to return, while for newcomers, creating their own accounts was still highly recommended.

This time, Brother Cake didn't add any unique memories, but evidently, it still failed to form an image.

[Brother Cake, you don't have enough memory energy; you need to collect more!]

The bullet comments quickly reminded him. Stalling progress is a common tactic in almost all games, so there wasn't much surprise there. As someone newly engaging with the Elysian Realm, Brother Cake remained enthusiastic and could have continued searching on his own.

However, considering this was a live stream... well, truthfully, he was itching with curiosity and wanted to see the content sooner. Thus, he gathered up some courage and browsed through the ship's crew chat group.

Fortunately, the veterans were quite accommodating, and soon, Brother Cake borrowed an account.

Coincidentally, this account belonged to one of the first Captains across the web to fully collect the Memories Vessel energy from the latest update. Thanks to this, Brother Cake could directly access the content without delay.

And what unfolded before him was none other than—

Within the crumbling Virtual Space, a train roamed freely. Suddenly, it halted, and Ana emerged from within. The camera then zoomed closer.

In the distance, two figures engaged in battle. Upon closer inspection, they were revealed to be Himeko and the Herrscher of the Void.

Soon, the climax unfolded as the Gun of God pierced the Herrscher of the Void. Amidst her anguished cries, everything around began to shatter.

All this transpired under the watchful gaze of a girl effortlessly gliding through the air.

Quickly, the girl took action, catching the plummeting red-haired woman just in time. The scene froze here, gradually fading into darkness before slowly returning to the game's regular interface.

Witnessing this moment, Brother Cake's eyes widened, leaving him speechless for quite some time.

Meanwhile, the bullet comments exploded with excitement, flooding the screen with continuous streams of "WTF" and "Amazing," echoing incessantly.

Indeed, it was Ana who rescued Himeko from the collapsing Virtual Space.

At that instant, she wasn't yet a Herrscher but merely a Valkyrie, wielding the Second Divine Key—the Unnamed Locomotive.

From previous storylines, it was evident that Otto held immense value for the Second Divine Key. According to Honkologists' theories, the Second Divine Key also played a significant role in subsequent events.

Yet, Ana could wield the Second Divine Key to rescue Himeko, and Otto seemed unaware of her involvement in the rescue mission.

Of course, this is just from the first memory fragment, and even these memories may not be complete. However, they at least clarify one point: Ana is the one who turns impossibilities into possibilities.

It was she who saved Himeko, aligning with earlier speculations and the original plotline's intentions. Simultaneously, Captains now understand how Ana accomplished this feat.

Ana isn't divine; she's merely an ordinary Valkyrie! Despite the odds, she achieved the seemingly impossible by rescuing Himeko, leading to Himeko's eventual return as depicted previously.

Indeed, during "The Last Lesson," some Honkologists had speculated that Ana might have been the one to save Himeko. They eagerly awaited an official explanation, and now, finally, this plot hole has been filled.

However, the response came somewhat late.

After all, at present, Ana exists only as memory fragments.

Upon realizing this revelation, the previously lively live stream instantly fell silent. Only a few new viewers and novice commenters seemed puzzled, prompting them to ask questions via bullet comments.

For a bustling live stream suddenly going quiet with tens of thousands no longer chatting, it was indeed quite eerie.

Nevertheless, after explanations from several Captains, others quickly understood, leading to a profound sense of respect.

In the Honkai World's Elysian Realm:

A faint smile curved Ana's lips as she looked up towards Raiden Mei in the distance.

It's hard to describe. While doing these actions, she didn't feel particularly proud or significant about them. However, knowing that her deeds could bring tears and emotions to people like Raiden Mei and the Captains filled her with immense joy.

"Ellie, do you think my character might be somewhat wicked?" Ana stroked her chin, gazing at the graceful figure beside her.

"How could it be? In my eyes, dear, your character... is just like Eden!" Ellie replied with a warm smile.

Honestly, from Ellie's perspective, this was the highest praise she could offer.

"Thank you, Ellie," Ana said sincerely, feeling an even stronger urge to kiss the person before her, which she promptly acted upon, knowing Elysia would always reciprocate her affection.

"Mm-hmm, between you and me, there's no need for such formalities. It makes me feel distant and insecure," Ellie said with a slightly hurt expression.

"Apologies, my mistake." Ana quickly smiled, comforting Ellie.

"Yes, since you've erred, you must accept your punishment! Hmm, what should I choose?"

"How about a lovely date with me?"

Within the Elysian Realm, any experience from memories could be recreated upon desire. Both Ana and Ellie had visited numerous places, so theoretically, they could have a different dating location every day.

"Alright, alright, whatever you wish."

"Great—then let's embark on our adventure!"