Side Story: You're Not Needed Anymore(Extra Chapter)

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(TL/ Note): This is not from the original Fanfic, but an additional chapter for my amusement.

And a Payback.

Enjoy.

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Waking up from his bed, Luo Mo stretched his arms with a yawn. Yesterday marked the great success of the Elysian Realm story. Players now felt a deep attachment to the Flame-Chasers after learning more about them in the game.

It wouldn't be long until he started executing the next phase of the story—the death of all Flame-Chasers and the end of the Elysian Realm.

The emotional attachment players had built for the Flame-Chasers would serve as the fuel for his emotional points when the time came.

Luo Mo couldn't help but grin as he imagined how many points he would gain by the end of this patch.

"Now, let's see what's new in the system, huh…?"

One of the daily habits Luo Mo enjoyed every morning was checking the system's shop and gacha pool to see if there were any updates.

Surprisingly, something caught his eye:

[Dorm Supply Tickets: 100]

Dorm Tickets were rewards he earned whenever he completed a story arc or mission. They were also something he accumulated when pulling in the main gacha pool.

He looked at his current number of standard Tickets with interest. It was something he had ignored at first, dismissing it as unimportant.

The reason was that these Tickets were used for another gacha pool called the Standard Pool.

Unlike the main gacha pool, which provided stigmata cards, outfits, weapons, and random items, the Standard Pool only offered stigmata cards and random items.

But the real difference lay in the pity system. In the Exclusive Pool, a 4-star stigmata was guaranteed within 50 pulls. However, in the Standard Pool, the guarantee was set at 100 pulls.

What's more, the 4-star stigmata obtained from this pool were early-game stigmata with lower stats compared to late-game stigmata.

"Let's just try it and see," Luo Mo muttered.

Without overthinking it, he decided to use all the Tickets and see what he could get. In the end, he pulled eight 3-star stigmata cards—some of which he already owned—and one 4-star stigmata.

"This…?"

[Stigma: Kafka]

[Tier: 4-Star]

[Stats: +100 Physical Damage, +100 Honkai Energy Resistance]

[Requirement: Writer]

[Description: Known for her absurdist novels, she crafted many wonderful stories. Among them: a man turning into a beetle before dying, a mysterious castle governed by unseen powers, and a purple crow accompanying her on her journey of writing.]

Luo Mo's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected his luck to be this good, pulling such a great stigmata. What made it even better was that this stigmata was perfect for him as a scriptwriter.

Without hesitation, he equipped the newly acquired stigmata. Feeling the overwhelming energy coursing through him, his stats increased significantly.

"Looks like today is going to be a great day."

He smiled happily, clenching his fist as he felt his newfound strength. He then glanced at the other stigmata cards he pulled, which were of no use to him.

Seeing no reason to keep them, he decided to give them to Kallen later. They might help Schicksal with their research. The more samples they had, the faster they could find another solution to defeat the Honkai.

...

...

[Hidden Effect. Triggered.]

------

When Luo Mo arrived at the company, something felt off.

The moment he stepped inside, the place was quieter than usual. Walking toward his office, he noticed far fewer coworkers present. This was odd, as the company was typically bustling with activity and noise.

"What's going on?"

He murmured, noticing one of the workers staring at him with a strange expression before quickly turning away, avoiding eye contact.

Reaching his office, he called for Su Lu.

---

"Is there a problem today?"

He asked his assistant, who stood on the other side of his desk with a stoic face.

"No, there's nothing wrong with the company, Boss," she answered flatly.

"Then why did I see fewer workers today when I arrived? Is today a special occasion or something?"

"Isn't it obvious, Boss? Many have quit their jobs."

"..."

Silence filled the room. Thinking he must have misheard, he asked again.

"Wait, wait. What did you say?"

"I said, many workers have quit the company and resigned."

"WHAT!?"

He shouted in panic, confused and unable to understand why they would quit. Was it their salaries? Impossible. He had ensured everyone received a fair amount. Unlike other CEOs, he wasn't greedy about money.

"But why? What went wrong?"

Seeing her boss's reaction, Su Lu asked, "By any chance, have you not seen the comments in the community, Boss?"

"Huh?"

"Comments? What comments?"

Su Lu raised an eyebrow, surprised by her boss's cluelessness.

"I think it's better if you check."

Following her words, Luo Mo quickly opened the Honkai Impact 3rd community website on his computer and scrolled to the latest posts.

When he found the new comments, his eyes widened in disbelief.

---

[Honkai impact 3rd is becoming more predictable and annoying]

[The writers are obviously wants to stab us in the back many times. Such a heartless monsters.]

[Seriously MiHoyo, when are you going to stop lying to us and just give us a happy ending. Just how many times do we "players" have to suffer for your enjoyment?]

[I'm telling you guys, the CEO of Mihoyo is a lot worse than Otto himself. First they makes us love Himeko before killing her. then they saw us how pitiful Otto's story is at the end, after making us hate him. And now, they are trying to make us love the Flame-Chasers. It so obviously where this is going to go next.]

[You think we are stupid MiHoyo? throwing all those small hints at the end? Yeah we knew you plan to kill all the Flame-Chasers!]

[You want to kill Elysia again? And not just her, but every Flame-Chasers. Yeah, I'm out!]

[As a follower of Goddess of Beauty, We do not accept this! There is only one way to save our Goddess]

[Stop playing Honkai impact 3rd!!!]

[If Elysia and the others are going to die in the next patch, and I can't be saved, then there is only one way we "players" can do!]

[Otto: If no one plays Honkai impact 3rd, MiHoyo can't make the next patch of the story]

[No players = No new chapter = No death]

[Genius! What a brilliant idea! 1000IQ]

[Everyone! Let's save the Elysian Realm by not playing the game!]

[Agree!]

[YEAAAAH!!]

[I'm confused here. If we need to stop MiHoyo from releasing the next story chapter, shouldn't we just stop spending money instead?]

[.....]

[.....I didn't think that way]

[Good idea. Then let us all criticize the Company itself and forced them to stop killing our favorite characters!]

[YEAH! Let's send a death threats to everyone who is working at MiHoyo. If they have less workers, then they wouldn't be able to make the next story!]

[Guys, I know 5 people who works at MiHoyo. I will link their information here "Link..."]

[I too know someone who works there, and he is my sister's husband. Sending you his pictures and information]

[Send...]

[Send Link...]

[Grafic Designer worker information, Link...]

---

Luo Mo's jaw dropped as he stared at the comments. Seeing his reaction, Su Lu coughed and added,

"This isn't the only problem. Aside from many workers receiving threats from players and fans, sales have also dropped by 90%. Most players have stopped spending money on the game, and many have switched to being free-to-play."

Luo Mo sighed in frustration, massaging his forehead.

"When did this start?"

"After the last part of the Elysian Realm story."

Luo Mo leaned back in his chair, resting his head as he tried to think of a solution. Should he give players what they wanted by changing the ending? Of course not. The story needed to stick to its original direction. Changing the ending would ruin Mei's character development and the others.

Just as he thought the day couldn't get worse, he received a message from the Overseer of Schicksal.

--------

At the Schicksal Headquarters

Two hours later, Luo Mo arrived at the main base of Schicksal to meet Kallen, who had sent him an urgent message.

The message was short:

"Urgent. Come to headquarters. It's about the results of the stigmata card research and the World Serpent."

Luo Mo had no idea what might have happened with the stigmata card research he had given to Kallen, nor could he understand the mention of the World Serpent.

He wasn't alone on this trip. Walking beside him was Theresa, who had accompanied him on the ship. She, too, had no clue why her grandmother had called both of them here.

"I heard your company is in crisis," Theresa remarked with a smirk.

"...We'll manage it," Luo Mo replied curtly, not looking at her as he walked forward.

"Heh~"

Luo Mo was feeling more than annoyed today. His morning had started with good luck after pulling from the gacha system, but it quickly spiraled downward with the revelation that his company was nearing bankruptcy—all because players didn't want the Flame-Chasers to die!

Just what made these players think he wanted to end the Flame-Chasers? It's not him who made the story originally, even that event did already happen in another timeline. His job wasn't to make a sad story, but to share it.

If they want to complain or blame someone, Blame the Honkai!

"Sigh... Let's hope today doesn't get worse."

Luo Mo sighed heavily as he passed through the gates of the Schicksal headquarters with Theresa.

Unfortunately, the moment they reached Kallen's office, he was struck by yet another terrible revelation—one he never expected to hear.

---

"I'm planning to shut down MiHoYo," Kallen announced.

Both Luo Mo and Theresa were stunned.

"W-What? B-But why?" Luo Mo stammered, his voice trembling. His mind spiraled into chaos with countless negative thoughts.

Why? Why now? Where did everything go wrong?

Kallen, having anticipated his reaction, sighed as she began to explain.

"Don't get me wrong. The reason for shutting down the company isn't just its financial troubles. It's also because we don't see the need to continue the game anymore."

Luo Mo's eyes widened in disbelief. Schicksal didn't need Honkai Impact 3rd?

"But this doesn't make sense! Isn't the game critical for helping people understand more about the Honkai and the Herrschers?" Theresa interjected, aligning herself with Luo Mo. After all, she enjoyed the game herself.

Kallen sighed again. Instead of answering directly, she called Amber into the office.

Amber walked in and activated a large holographic projection. "Let me explain the situation."

The screen displayed the company's financial performance.

"As you can see, revenue soared after the game's release. Over time, the company gained more sponsors and partnerships, benefiting from advertising, merchandise, toys, figurines, and more."

The image shifted, showing red scales plummeting downward.

"However, after the conclusion of the Elysian Realm story, player spending sharply declined as most of them stop spending money on the game. Daily playtime dropped from 10–9 hours to just 2–3 hours."

Amber continued, "Another significant issue is that many of our partners have ended their contracts, starting with Anti-Entropy, which was the first to pull out."

"Wait, even they stopped supporting the game?" Luo Mo's shock deepened. Mr. Welt was a known video game enthusiast and hardcore player. Why would he abandon the project?

"Oh yes," Amber said, tapping on her pad to bring up another report.

"We received a formal statement from Anti-Entropy. It appears their leader is developing a new game. Bronya Zaychik has volunteered to lead the project, joined by Susannah, Anna, and several former MiHoYo employees."

Luo Mo's eyes turned hollow. His own workers had defected to Bronya's team?

"And that's not all," Amber added. "There are numerous reasons for the company's decline: complaints and criticism about the story's unfairness, concerns from parents about gambling mechanics, death threats to MiHoYo employees, and more."

Amber displayed multiple holographic screens filled with hate-filled messages and threats aimed at the company. Luo Mo and Theresa stared in disbelief.

Amber then shifted to a website created by fans. The title read: "Vote to Save Elysia and the Flame-Chasers."

"This site was created by 27 individuals—20 players and seven from the gaming industry. It allows players to vote on whether to stop the story or continue supporting MiHoYo and let the Flame-Chasers suffer."

Amber displayed the voting results:

---

1. Continue supporting the game and let MiHoYo proceed with killing off the Flame-Chasers (including Elysia).

Votes: 6

2. Stop supporting the game, threaten MiHoYo to shut down, and save the Flame-Chasers.

Votes: 1,230,980,932

---

"The website's creators also gained support from 32 world leaders, all of whom agree that the game should cease development."

Amber finished her presentation and stepped back. Kallen resumed speaking.

"As you can see, Schicksal has received countless reports criticizing the game's direction. That's why I've decided to shut down MiHoYo and hand over the game rights to Anti-Entropy."

Kallen explained. Since the game has many fans and players who have spent alot of money on it, she came to a conclusion to hand over the right to the game server to Anti Entropy who are planning to make their own game, and also shutting down the company to resolve the player's anger, since 90% of the MiHoyo's workers have quit the job and moved to Anti Entropy.

Luo Mo was frozen in place, unable to comprehend what he'd just heard.

"But... you can't do that! There's still so much story left to tell! Doesn't Schicksal and Anti-Entropy need the game to share information about the Honkai and the Previous Era?"

"Kevin has already provided us with all the data we need," Kallen replied firmly.

Luo Mo wanted to argue further. He needed the game to continue—to generate the emotional points he depended on.

But then, Kallen revealed news from the World Serpent leader that left him even more stunned.

"Yesterday, I received a call from the World Serpent leader himself," Kallen began. "He informed me that they plan to stop the continuation of Project Stigma and join forces with us and Anti-Entropy. He even offered to share all the knowledge and secrets they possess about the Previous Era and the Honkai."

Luo Mo's eyes widened in shock.

Did Kevin really give up on Project Stigma? The same Kevin whose resolve even Su couldn't break? The same Kevin Mei failed to convince, even during their final battle on the moon?

Theresa, too, was taken aback by the news. She knew the World Serpent had the same goal as Schicksal—to defeat the Honkai—but their methods were always at odds with those of the Valkyries, just like in the game. For this reason, she had never considered them allies.

"That is... with the condition that we stop continuing the game's story since it has revealed too many secrets to the public."

Kallen dropped yet another bombshell, leaving Luo Mo speechless. His jaw practically hit the floor. Even the great Kevin was against the continuation of the story?

But it made sense. The game had unveiled countless details about the Previous Era and the Honkai to the public. Combined with the Herrscher of Dominance's minor incidents across multiple locations, people had begun to notice the eerie similarities between the game and real-world events.

While this might not pose a significant problem for Schicksal or the World Serpent, it could become a major issue if the enemy used this information to their advantage. The Herrscher of Dominance had already managed to hide for months, infiltrating the company undetected.

What if the next Herrscher did the same—lurking in the shadows with foreknowledge of their eventual defeat, gleaned from Honkai Impact 3rd?

Kevin wasn't about to let that happen again.

As Luo Mo processed this, his disbelief was written all over his face. Noticing this, Kallen pulled something out from under her desk—a sleek metallic black box.

"After the call, they sent me this box. It contains a replica of a stigmata card," she explained, opening the box to reveal a transparent card. It bore a stigmata symbol shaped like a star within a circle.

The card exuded an aura similar to the real stigmata cards the System produce, though it felt slightly weaker.

"Schicksal researchers, along with Einstein and Tesla, analyzed the card. They confirmed that it functions at about 87% of the original stigmata's power, with no side effects."

Both Luo Mo and Theresa's eyes widened in astonishment. Luo Mo hadn't expected the World Serpent to replicate the cards generated by his system so soon.

He reached out to touch the card, and the system promptly displayed its details:

---

[Stigma: Replica]

[Tier: 3-Star]

[Stats: +10 Physical Damage, +5 Honkai Energy Resistance]

[Requirement: None]

[Description: A replica of the original Stigma card. Although it's not as perfect as the original, it is still suitable for anyone to equip.]

[Side effect: None]

---

Luo Mo's eyes widened further as he read the description. With this, humanity's chances against the Honkai would greatly improve.

"I also received news from the two Flame-Chasers scientists. They've successfully created three additional copies of the stigmata cards," Kallen added.

Luo Mo said nothing. He gently placed the replica card back into the box and looked at Kallen with a conflicted expression.

"What about... what about the money?" he asked, grasping for anything that might convince her to change her mind. But deep down, he knew it was futile.

Kallen, feeling sympathy for Luo Mo, answered calmly.

"Thanks to your game, Schicksal not only recovered its budget deficits but also earned enough profit to fund future developments for the stigmata cards."

"...I see."

Luo Mo lowered his head, his heart sinking. It was all over. His dream of building a grand Honkai series in this world had come to an abrupt end.

What should I do now? he thought, lost in despair.

--------

Three Days Later

The announcement came: MiHoYo was being shut down by Schicksal's overseer, and the rights to the game's servers were being transferred to Anti-Entropy's newly formed A.T. Game Company, which planned to develop its own new game.

The news sparked mixed reactions from the player base.

Many celebrated the downfall of the "evil company" that had repeatedly tricked its players, stabbed them in the back with tragic endings, and killed off beloved characters.

Others, however, expressed disappointment. They had been eager to see how the next chapter of the story would unfold. Still, if shutting down the game meant saving the Flame-Chasers and Elysia, they were willing to accept it.

At the very least, they could still play the existing game on their phones.

---

Meanwhile, at Theresa's place.

Inside his room, Luo Mo lay on his bed, his face filled with despair. The room was a complete mess, littered with trash and leftover junk food.

"Man, you look so miserable and dead," a voice said from the doorway.

Luo Mo turned his head to see Bronie standing there, a look of disgust on her face as she pinched her nose with her fingers. Behind her were Luna, Kongming, Irene, and Delta.

"Captain…"

The group stepped inside, surveying the chaos of the room and their captain's pitiful state. Their faces filled with a mix of complicated emotions and pity.

"What do you guys want?" Luo Mo asked lazily, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, showing no intention of getting up.

"Mister Assassin, we… have something we need to tell you," Kongming said, stepping forward.

Hearing her somber tone, Luo Mo immediately sensed that something bad was coming.

"We had a long discussion about the current situation," Kongming continued. "And in the end, we decided to…"

She trailed off, struggling to find the words to continue.

The heavy, serious atmosphere made Luo Mo sit up in bed, frowning as he looked at them. His mind raced back over the past three days:

His company had been shut down, players hated him, his coworkers and subordinates had betrayed him, and even his most trusted assistant had abandoned him to work with Bronya.

Not only that, but Kiana, Mei, Fu Hua, Senti, Elysia, and the others—his original voice actors—had left for Anti-Entropy's new studio to voice a new game.

Surprisingly, the title of the game was called Genshin Impact.

"We've decided to leave this world," Kongming finally said.

Luo Mo's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Another blow struck his already crumbling reality.

"W-what… why?" he asked, his voice trembling as he tried to process the news. His face lowered, hiding his expression.

"Just why…?"

His voice grew louder, filled with rage and despair.

"Why, why, why, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY!"

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!" he screamed, clutching his head. His mind spun, unable to comprehend why everything he had worked for was falling apart.

"You know exactly why," came a cold, detached voice.

Luo Mo froze. He looked up and felt a chill run down his spine as he noticed the others staring at him.

Their expressions were cold and emotionless, devoid of the warmth he once knew.

"What are you—" Luo Mo began, trying to rise from his bed, but Irene's next words made him stop in his tracks.

"We already know you're not our Captain."

Luo Mo's heart pounded wildly. His eyes widened in terror as his body trembled. It was as if his darkest secret had been exposed.

His breath caught in his throat, unable to respond.

[You Have Failed to Save This World]

A system panel appeared in front of him, startling him.

[Because the Host was unable to finish the game and was exposed,]

[This Timeline Will Be Deleted.]

"What?!"

Luo Mo's surroundings began to crumble. His room was being erased, vanishing into nothingness. Luna, Kongming, Irene, and the others disintegrated into digital particles before his eyes.

The entire world was disappearing.

Feeling a strange sensation on his left hand, Luo Mo looked down to see it dissolving into digital particles. His body was being erased along with the world.

'Is this… the end?'

Half of his body had already disappeared, the erasure creeping up to his chest. He could do nothing but watch helplessly as everything was consumed by the void.

His story had ended.

...

...

...

---

"No… no."

"NO!"

Luo Mo jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath.

Looking around, he realized he was still in his room. The world hadn't been erased.

"It was just…"

"A dream?"

He murmured, running a hand across his forehead as he tried to process the nightmare. The details were already slipping away, leaving only fragments behind.

He remembered feeling happy at first, then confused, sad, angry, betrayed, and despairing.

And finally, he remembered feeling fear.

The scene of everyone looking at him with cold, empty eyes lingered in his mind, sending shivers down his spine.

No matter how hard he tried, the rest of the dream remained a mystery. With a sigh, he gave up on trying to recall it.

"Whatever. It's just a dream"

He said, as he stood up from the bed to start up his day.