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

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"How... How did you know?" Mobius's eyes flickered uncertainly, her usually sultry voice now tinged with a hint of frostiness.

"Could it be... Elysia?"

"Don't unfairly blame Ellie for this. Without her, your very existence here would lack purpose." Ana sighed softly, shaking her head. "What if I told you that the one who informed me is indeed the true Mobius?"

Mobius remained silent, but Ana could discern her shock from her expression and body language. Yes, she had every reason to be stunned. After all, as merely a Memory Fragment within the Elysian Realm, Ana had managed to orchestrate such unexpected schemes against the original entity.

Fortunately, it was Mobius herself, the true Mobius.

How could mere extensions of infinity ever outwit the genuine Infinite itself?

However, everything Ana said earlier was false, purely intended to unsettle Mobius and achieve her own objectives.

Even if they could return to their previous lives now, the author never revealed Mobius's true fate. The only certainty is that the Mobius from the Garden of Eden failed in her plan to manipulate the real Mobius.

Currently, Ana couldn't predict whether these events would become part of the storyline penned by the author. Nonetheless, despite being lies, she inadvertently provided the writer with potential material for future developments.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a genius move—preemptively covering the author's tracks!

"You... what else do you know?" After a moment, Mobius composed herself, looking at Ana as she slowly asked. However, the gleam in her eyes betrayed her inner turmoil.

Indeed, even someone like her couldn't remain calm after such explosive revelations.

"This doesn't concern you. Besides, even if you knew, what could you possibly do now?" Ana replied softly.

"Ha ha ha, Herrscher, you're trying to provoke me!" Mobius said coldly.

"Do you truly believe I need to resort to that?"

Ana sensed subtle changes in the surrounding atmosphere but remained unfazed. Facing Mobius posed no significant concerns for her.

"You..."

Mobius felt vulnerable once again. She scrutinized Ana, her serpent eyes flickering as she analyzed the truth behind Ana's words. She wanted to discern whether Ana genuinely possessed such power or was merely bluffing.

To be honest, Mobius understood that visitors had little reason to fear her. As long as they resisted her enchantments and didn't recklessly fall prey to them, she was largely powerless against them.

The other Heroic Spirits in the Elysian Realm were already cautious around her, especially Aponia, who posed a formidable challenge from the deepest depths, significantly limiting Mobius's various research endeavors.

If Mobius attempted anything here, failing to instantly defeat her opponent would likely prompt swift intervention from those pesky women, Aponia and Elysia, rescuing their ally before she could strike further.

However, these were merely theoretical concerns. What if... this Herrscher before her was merely bluffing? Perhaps it's all an act from start to finish, leveraging Kalpas' apprehension to make him yield. Wouldn't that present Ana with an opportunity?

Moreover, it wouldn't significantly impact her position.

After all, the Elysian Realm cannot function without Mobius, so any actions she takes would still be deemed within reasonable bounds. Her reputation among the Heroic Spirits is already well-established.

With a smile, Ana observed Mobius closely, fully aware that Mobius intended to engage her in combat.

Perfect timing, as Ana herself had been eager to test her abilities against a Heroic Spirit!

Her previous encounter with Kalpas hardly qualified as a true battle. If Mobius chose to confront her, then Artificial Honkai would be her only option.

Ana had never faced off against a MANTIS created through Artificial Honkai before. Engaging multiple opponents in the Garden, particularly Kevin, could provide invaluable experience for her.

Additionally, let's be honest:

Mobius ranks among the weaker Heroic Spirits, even after undergoing Artificial Honkai. However, one must not overlook her true capabilities depicted in the original narrative, despite her later prominence as a lightning-based mainstay character in the game.

"Indecisive and wavering, this isn't like you at all, Mobius," Ana said with a light chuckle.

"If you don't believe me, feel free to test it yourself. You'll soon see whether I'm merely a paper tiger or possess genuine strength."

"Should I interpret...this as your provocation, Herrscher?"

"For a scientific Heroic Spirit, surely there's no need for me to provoke you?" Ana shrugged innocently.

Mobius' veins began to bulge; she was genuinely getting angry now.

"Fine! Very well! You're the first person in many years to challenge me. I admire your courage, but as a MANTIS fusion warrior, I am not as weak as you might think!"

As she spoke, the ground around them started trembling. Green tendrils emerged from the shadows, converging on and merging with Mobius.

In the midst of these emerald shapes, Mobius vanished from her original position, transforming into a massive, humanoid serpent—the World-Devouring Snake.

"Ha ha ha ha—Come on, Herrscher! Show me your power, or you'll pay the price!"

"This is—the Moment of Ascension to Divinity!"

"Now that's intriguing!"

Observing the World-Devouring Snake before her and sensing its viscous yet slightly numbing energy, Ana's eyes sparkled with the desire for battle.

However, after briefly assessing it, she quickly gauged Mobius's strength.

Indeed, quite weak among Fusion Warriors. If using Kalpa as a benchmark, Mobius's power could almost be disregarded; she resembled more of a specialized attack-type Fusion Warrior like Pardo.

Thus, Ana concluded that engaging Mobius would be akin to slaughtering a chicken with a sledgehammer.

Rather than employing the power of a Herrscher, she opted to utilize something rarely used: the strength of a MANTIS Fusion Warrior.

During her previous Ascension, most of the holy blood's power was integrated, but the Kaslana lineage's strength remained untapped.

Moreover, this very ability was awarded during her journey through the Garden of Eden, and now she wielded the ancestral Kaslana Greatsword.

Instead, it would be beneficial to have Mobius, an expert, assess her progress compared to Kevin. How proficient was she truly as his descendant?

A thought crossed Ana's mind, and Judgment of Shamash materialized in her hand. With a surge of power, it instantly transformed into its Might of An-Utu form.

"Truly unexpected, Herrscher. I never foresaw this Divine Key falling into your hands."

The World-Devouring Snake spoke with astonishment, likely believing that even among the new generation, no one could genuinely wield such a Divine Key.

Moreover, considering Kevin couldn't have simply vanished from the new era, Ana's presence here was probably orchestrated by him, at least according to Mobius' perspective.

"Yes, it surprised me too," Ana replied with a smile. "So, Doctor, if you wouldn't mind testing its power for me?"

As she spoke, chilling waves emanated from her body, yet without any signs of Honkai Beast transformation. Observing the World-Devouring Snake before her, Ana pondered deeply.

Her Artificial Honkai seemed suppressed, or rather, the power of the Kaslana Stigmata was restrained. However, some effects were still evident—perhaps... perhaps the Kaslana bloodline accelerates the circulation and concentration of Honkai Energy, hastening my awakening as a Herrscher?

"If that's the case, I must bring this battle to a swift end."

Ana silently acknowledged to herself that she couldn't achieve Herrscher awakening within the Elysian Realm. This wasn't just about whether she could pass Ascension; it was about the possibility of creating another ice-bound Traveler akin to Senti.

However, even if a Herrscher of Ice were born similarly to Senti, they would never become her.

Firstly, Ana couldn't be a Herrscher of Consciousness, and secondly, there were not enough memories for her to imbue into a newborn infant Herrscher.

With these thoughts, Ana gazed at the World-Devouring Snake before her and took a deep breath.

"Ha!"

Unlike other Divine Keys, Judgment of Shamash lacked flashy power settings. Rather than saying it had none, its power levels manifested through changes in appearance and energy form, making it truly a pure weapon of destruction.

The current Might of An-Utu is essentially Judgment of Shamash in its transcended state. As Ana infused nearly Herrscher-level energy into Might of An-Utu, the greatsword underwent a transformation.

Similar to Abyss Flower empowered by holy blood, Might of An-Utu extended with flames embodying destructive force—a pinnacle of offensive capability.

Ana swung the greatsword, harnessing its terrifying extension effect, resulting in an attack encompassing all directions and domains.

No wonder Kevin had no choice but to eliminate both the Herrscher of Binding and the trapped fusion warriors within the barrier simultaneously; at this level of attack, it was impossible to control its scope or intensity.

The blazing light instantly illuminated the previously dim surroundings. Ana felt as if this might be the first time sunlight graced the Elysian Realm area in fifty thousand years.

Even the Infinite World-Devouring Serpent could not withstand such scorching heat, swiftly melting away amidst the inferno within moments.

Realizing this, Ana chose to restrain her power further.

Using the Herrscher of Wind's Authority, she created an Ideal Fluid barrier and rapidly compressed it. However, during this process, the fluid continuously suffered damage.

Despite being her own attack, once unleashed, it indiscriminately affected everything in its path.

Fortunately, Ana's mastery over wind Authorities had reached unparalleled heights.

Ultimately, she successfully suppressed Might of An-Utu's full-force strike, preventing the destruction of the entire Darkened Land region. Had that sword fully erupted with its power, the devastation would have far surpassed her previous Wind Dragon attack.

As the assault concluded, the damaged areas began to rapidly reassemble themselves.

Being within Mobius's domain, the restoration process was significantly faster than in the Forgotten City. In no time, everything returned to normal.

However, Mobius herself had vanished.

Ana scanned her surroundings and casually planted Might of An-Utu into the ground.

"Come out, Doctor. Snakes aren't creatures that succumb easily to death, especially since I held back ninety-five percent of my power."

As Ana finished speaking, a patch of verdant ground began twisting, revealing Mobius emerging from beneath. She had reverted from her World-Devouring Snake form.

Though it wasn't so much reverting as being forcibly ejected; even Ana noticed that Mobius seemed... somewhat smaller now, looking cuter than before.

The original Mobius appeared akin to a young schoolgirl, but now... she simply looked like a child.

It seems rebellion is limited to certain ages. Or perhaps one could say—when dealing with little girls, a firm lesson suffices.

"How do you fare, Doctor?" Ana suppressed her internal energy, smiling at Mobius.

"Hmph." Mobius let out a cold snort, acknowledging her significant loss this round.

Ana's power exceeded Mobius's expectations; it felt as though she wasn't facing a newly born Herrscher but rather Kevin himself.

Ana's output was comparable to the records Mobius had on Kevin. Even with Ana holding back ninety-five percent of her strength, such damage levels were still fatal for Mobius.

In essence, Mobius has always been incredibly fragile, with low base stats. Despite entering the Artificial Honkai state, her attributes did not significantly improve, remaining delicate.

The only difference was perhaps an enhanced ability to survive critical situations.

Unfortunately, even that level of survival capability paled in comparison to the immense power of the Key of Destruction. In short, Mobius was instantly defeated by Ana and now merely utilized her innate ability to respawn on the spot.

Honestly, this type of resurrection fell short compared to a reset-based revival. However, for Mobius, it didn't matter much; she considered it a lesson learned.

"Since you have no further objections, let's proceed with the transaction," Ana said leisurely.

"Hmph, as you wish." Mobius continued with her cold response, giving off vibes akin to a long-suffering wife, which left Ana feeling somewhat conflicted.

It was clearly Mobius herself who initiated these demands.

However, regarding their transaction, Ana felt somewhat disappointed.

"What are you looking at me for? I've provided everything you requested." Facing Ana's gaze, Mobius shrugged with a hint of a smile on her face. After enduring setbacks throughout their interaction, she finally gained a small victory now.

Indeed, what Mobius offered was purely information, which to Ana, lacking significant scientific aptitude, might as well be worthless scraps of paper.

"My part of the deal is complete, Herrscher Big Sister. It's time for you to fulfill your promise."