Chapter 1: A Temporary Worker Playing Honkai Impact 3 While Living in Honkai Impact 3

Chapter 1: A Temporary Worker Playing Honkai Impact 3 While Living in Honkai Impact 3

"Technician Hokuto, welcome to Schicksal Airport."

"I, Rita, welcome you on behalf of Bishop Otto. Let us work together to protect the future of humanity!"

At the ruined entrance of Schicksal Airport, Hokuto was welding the facilities that had been destroyed by a Herrscher. The midday sun was scorching, and he couldn't help but take off his helmet to fan himself. As a cool breeze brushed past, he recalled the welcoming speech Rita had given him with a warm smile when he first joined. That maid's sweet smile and gentle voice had truly left a good impression.

Of course, that little bit of goodwill had almost faded after not seeing her for so many days.

Who would have thought that after waking up from home quarantine, I'd find myself inside Honkai Impact! And the worst part? I was penniless! I ended up in the body of a poor guy who had just graduated and immediately found himself unemployed, scrambling to find a job just to survive.

One day, I stumbled upon a job advertisement posted on a telephone pole. I contacted the agency listed, and before I knew it… I was standing face-to-face with Archbishop Otto's Gentle Face!

Oh hell. Screw this damn gacha luck!

As a veteran captain with max-level experience, Hokuto knew all too well what awaited anyone who worked under Schicksal.

Unfortunately, the treatment for temporary workers was just too good to pass up. Compared to sweatshops, this place offered full benefits—five types of social insurance, a housing fund, a five-day workweek, and no real education requirements. As long as you weren't dead, you could keep working.

Of course, no matter how good the benefits were, there was always a hierarchy. With no skills and no connections, Hokuto could only settle for being a lowly welder. After a brief training period, he became a full-time temp worker, welding every day like his life depended on it. However, there was still no sign of a promotion or a raise.

Sigh… The last major story event had just ended recently. When Kiana awakened as the Herrscher of the Void and brought a horde of Honkai Beasts and Benares to wreck and burn down Schicksal Airport, he was barely lucky enough to escape unscathed.

At this rate, with danger looming ever closer, how the hell was he supposed to get promoted, get a raise, save for retirement, marry a rich and beautiful wife, and finally reach the peak of life?!

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on obtaining the Honkai Impact 3 Game Live-Stream System!]

"Eh?"

Hokuto stopped fanning himself and looked around in confusion. "Did I just hear a system voice?"

[That's right.]

!!?

Hokuto was stunned speechless. This… this was some next-level good fortune!

So I get thrown into Honkai Impact without my golden finger activating, but the moment I complain about not getting promoted or a raise, it suddenly awakens?!

I don't even know how to feel about this…

Hokuto put his helmet back on and spoke to the system in his mind, "Alright, this sounds ridiculous, but since we're already bound together, what exactly do you do?"

[The host can earn Crystals by live-streaming Honkai Impact 3. Crystals can be used for gacha draws, which include cash rewards and special abilities.]

Oh? So I can live-stream gameplay and earn rewards? But it's limited to Honkai Impact 3, meaning I won't get any benefits if I stream other games?

Meh, doesn't matter. Honkai is fine. After all, getting to play Honkai Impact inside the Honkai universe is a pretty novel experience.

That said, I still have a few questions.

Who am I even streaming to?

[The system will automatically project the live stream to very special viewers.]

How long can I stream each day?

[There is no time limit, but Crystals can only be earned through donations, triggering audience emotional fluctuations, and similar engagement methods.]

Can I reveal my real identity?

[Yes, but the system strongly advises against it. The host is fully responsible for any consequences resulting from personal actions.]

"So basically, if I expose my real name and address, I could get hunted down and killed without any protection? Damn, live-streaming is dangerous these days... But as long as I get my Crystals, it's all worth it."

Hokuto looked at the steel plate he had almost finished welding, then pulled out his phone. He asked the system if he needed any special equipment for the live stream, and received a positive answer.

[The game has been successfully installed. The host may now launch it.]

"Alright, let's get started. I finished my work ahead of schedule today, so I've got about two hours of free time."

Hokuto tapped on the familiar Honkai Impact 3 icon.

[Live stream begins.][Broadcasting... Broadcast successful.][The host has started streaming. Please adhere to live-stream etiquette and maintain a civilized broadcast.]

With the system's notification, the game's CG intro played on screen.

A dimly lit city street. Drizzling rain. A helpless girl shivering as she hugged herself in the cold.

Sensing something, she suddenly turned around.

Under the pale streetlight, three Honkai Beasts with glowing purple eyes leapt down from an overpass, shields raised, rushing toward her.

Panic surged through her as she turned to flee, but the Honkai Beasts closed the distance in an instant.

The screen went black.

The sound of wind fanning flames echoed.

As the girl opened her eyes, she saw the street ahead engulfed in fire. Space itself seemed to crack like a broken mirror, and from within the flames, a red silhouette slowly emerged.

Her blue eyes trembled with emotion…

"Kiana, what are you waiting for?"

With those final words from Teacher Himeko, her figure dissolved into embers and faded away.

At the end of her long journey of self-exile, the girl found her resolve.

"Teacher Himeko… I won't run away anymore."

As the CG concluded, the familiar login screen of Hyperion Bridge appeared.

Hokuto sighed at the nostalgic animation, realizing that the game was currently in one of the transitional versions before Skyfall. This was the period when Bronya first accepted the Herrscher Core and became the Herrscher of Reason, while Mei had yet to awaken as a Herrscher.

This arc of the story was one of the darkest and most heartbreaking—but it was also a necessary trial for Kiana on her journey to becoming the Flame-Chasing Moth.

Has it really been that long since she turned Schicksal HQ upside down?

Hokuto rotated his phone horizontally and started playing Honkai Impact 3 within Honkai Impact 3.

This was too surreal. Playing Honkai inside Honkai and live-streaming it…

I wonder if the audience will find this fascinating or downright terrifying when they realize how much this game mirrors their own world…

While playing, Hokuto glanced at the live stream window. Seeing the tiny viewer count, he felt a little disappointed.

Just then, a system notification popped up.

[Welcome, my beloved sister Bronya! Hard work always pays off. Today's performance was almost perfect—joining the live stream room now.]

Seele? Durandal? Fu Hua?!

Wait a damn minute—these usernames...

"System, are you insulting my intelligence as a veteran captain?"

[...]

A single comment floated onto the screen.

"Was that the Captain just now? No… was it an illusion? Whose figure disappeared into the night…?"

End of Chapter 1