Honkai: It’s broken, I have become the Herrscher of Corrosion?

July 2017, 7, World Snake Headquarters

"This is... the living environment of pre-civilization..."

After Mei Raiden entered the paradise of the afterlife, she looked at the scene in front of her and was so shocked that she was speechless.

"Well, not strictly speaking. After all, this place has been renovated on a large scale."

Some familiar voices came from nowhere. After careful judgment, Mei confirmed that she and the owner of the voice were not acquainted.

"who are you?"

"I'll keep it a secret for now. How about this as a reward for your first exploration of the Paradise of the Afterlife?"

Although she said this, she actually had no intention of discussing it with Raiden Mei, and Mei, who came to this strange space for the first time, also needed guidance.

"When you say exploration...does it require defeating someone, or completing a certain goal?"

"Goal? There's no goal. Just follow the instructions and move forward. Even if you can't make it to the end, no one will blame you if you fail halfway. But... I don't really support surrendering on the spot."

"You are not the first Herrscher to arrive here... and you may not be the last. I am looking forward to how deep you can go on your own without Yingjie's help. Maybe... you can break the records set by other Herrschers."

"Other Herrschers... By the way, you just mentioned failure. What does it mean to fail?"

"Maybe you are defeated in the face of an insurmountable obstacle, or maybe you are lost in the erratic environment. It depends on you."

"With your Herrscher-level strength, at least for now, you don't need to consider the first point. However, after the transformation of the Paradise of the Past, some special monsters have appeared. If you accidentally enter the area where they are and don't find the corresponding method, you may be [killed] on the spot by them."

"But even in the worst case scenario, we can just come back here and start over. Well, let's end the opening remarks here. Let's begin Mei Raiden's adventure in the paradise of the past?"

A teleportation anchor point appeared in front of Mei Raiden. After she touched it, she arrived in a new space.

"This place... is a space made up of memories... It looks no different from reality. Perhaps it's similar to the data space under St. Freya's Academy... Although I've never been there..."

[Hey, don't be distracted! ]

The reminder from the second personality brought Mei Raiden back to reality from her contemplation. In front of her, several mechas that she had never seen before appeared.

Although in theory, if Mei Raiden wants to use the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, she needs her consent, but since she joined the World Serpent, she has been very generous in this regard, and Mei can use it directly whenever she wants.

Of course, from another perspective, her second personality in her body is basically in a state of lying down and doing nothing. Only when she doesn't notice a sudden change, like now, will she speak out to remind her.

In the face of the power of the Herrscher, the seemingly tall and mighty mecha was instantly defeated, and a second teleportation anchor point appeared in front of her.

"Wow, Mei is indeed the one who performed so well in her first battle. Can I give you a compliment?"

"But... from now on, the difficulty will gradually increase."

Mei Raiden fought her way through all the levels, but after passing more than ten levels, she gradually showed signs of fatigue.

"It looks like I've reached my limit. It's really amazing that I've achieved such a result in my first visit here. Next... close your eyes... and relax..."

Mei Raiden felt dazed for a moment, and when she regained consciousness, she found herself in a...hall. On the sofa, a girl who looked somewhat familiar was waving at her enthusiastically.

"She is... No, although she looks very similar to Enosia, other than that, she gives people a completely different feeling..."

Just like although Mei Raiden looks like Mei, but after Yingjie in the paradise learned of her arrival, no one would deliberately connect her with Mei. Similarly, Mei Raiden did not think that there must be any connection between the girl in front of her and Enosia.

The girl noticed her gaze and couldn't help but smile:

"If someone keeps staring at me like this, I'd feel shy too."

Mei immediately looked away:

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you. How do you feel now?"

“…It doesn’t matter anymore.”

"...As expected of a Herrscher, you are much more adaptable than the average person...Okay, seeing your expectant expression, I know what you are thinking. My name is Alicia. As you can see, I am a beautiful girl who lives up to my name. In our time, the name Alicia meant paradise. My friends all call me Ali, and you can call me that, too. It sounds cute... Hey, look who's here."

Mei followed Alicia's gaze and saw another girl who looked almost identical to her except for her hair color, eye color and clothing. She appeared beside her without her noticing.

"I seem to have come at the wrong time?"

"How could that be, Aino? You came at the perfect time. I just finished introducing myself to Mei."

Alicia stood up from the sofa and took Enosia's hand:

"But... next time you meet such an interesting girl, remember to introduce her to me as soon as possible. If you keep me in suspense, I will get a little emotional too."

"Alas, sister, you can't blame me. The reason I let Mei join the World Snake was to let her come here. It's just that Kevin outside said that she is not qualified to enter here, so she took off her clothes for a few months. Although I can bypass Kevin and come in directly, it is impossible for me to bring her in in advance."

"Sister? Enosia, this is..."

"Yes, you heard it right. My appearance and voice are based on hers. Now that we are both here, you should be able to tell."

"...No, I mean, why would Alicia be..."

"Sorry, this involves one of the secrets buried in the paradise of the past. It would be meaningless to spoil it before you explore it."

"...Okay. So the Herrscher that Alicia mentioned before, is that you?"

Enosia glanced at Alicia:

"What do you mean? I am indeed... the first Herrscher to come here in the current civilization. But if you mean setting a record, then that's Sirin. If Mei wants to challenge the record I set, there's no need. This is a data space, and the power of erosion can almost be called omniscient and omnipotent..."

"Seeing that you and your sister get along so well, I feel relieved and will not disturb your experience."

"Mei, at the end, I can tell you something. In the exploration of the paradise of the past, you will immerse yourself in a healthy, sunny and positive story."

After saying goodbye to Alessia, Enosia went straight into the wall.