"After half a century of peace, how would the young people know what war is?"
"War has become a legend, romantic and glorious. It's nothing more than stories in books and paintings in museums, filled with dashing cavalrymen in splendid uniforms, charging like the wind across the battlefield."
"They see it as a grand, heroic adventure, a thrilling, wonderful experience. That's why they cheered and eagerly boarded the trains heading for the front."
Clap!
The sound of a book being closed.
Lin Wei froze, turning his head with a sigh.
"Kun-ge, what was that for? You scared me."
His roommate, He Kun, tossed the book he'd snatched back onto the table with casual indifference. He plopped down onto his own bed, stretched luxuriously, kicked off his shoes, and propped a foot on the ladder rung. His tone was lazy, almost bored.
"I should be asking you that. It's the National Day holiday, and you're still buried in a book? Haven't even started packing. What're you gonna do if you miss your train?"
He Kun shot him a sideways glance.
"Fei-ge already texted me, said he's on his train. And you're still messing around here? I thought the plan was for me to have the dorm all to myself this holiday?"
Oh, right. It's the National Day holiday today. I booked a train ticket home for this afternoon... He glanced at the time. It's almost noon already, and I haven't packed a single thing!
A jolt of panic shot through Lin Wei. He scrambled off his bed. I'm gonna be late!
But thinking about the "Fei-ge" He Kun had just mentioned, Lin Wei couldn't help the strange feeling creeping back in.
Even though they'd been roommates for years and knew each other inside out, he still found it hard to keep a straight face whenever Fei-ge's name came up.
Fei-ge's full name was Zhang Fei. And just like his namesake from the Three Kingdoms period, the guy was built like a tank – big, burly, with a round head to match.
Combined with the fact that Lin Wei had also met guys named "Huang Zhong" and "Ma Chao" at university – also famous generals from the same era – he often wondered if he was losing his mind or if the world itself had glitched.
The sense of dissonance was just too strong!
(Author's Note: I swear I'm not making this up for cringe factor, this is a true story: My university roommate really was named Zhang Fei. A good buddy in another department had a Huang Zhong in his dorm. I even saw a Ma Chao on the student union roster, though I never got to meet him. Who knows if there were a Liu Bei, Guan Yu, or Zhao Yun lurking around campus too? Given my gacha luck with historical names, it wouldn't surprise me.)
Anyway, back to the story.
"So, Kun-ge, you're really not going home? You'll be the only one left here."
"Nah. It's great having the dorm to myself, total freedom. Hungry? Cafeteria. Sleepy? Back to bed. Rest of the time? Play some games, admire my latest waifu pull... Perfect, right? Going home just means dealing with a bunch of family drama. Too much hassle."
He Kun whipped out his phone and waved it impatiently.
"My Lunar Vow waifu's banner is about to drop! When the new wife arrives, no outsiders allowed~"
Your waifu, your waifu, they're all your waifus.
In your dreams!
Lin Wei rolled his eyes, thinking this guy was a lost cause.
Wait, something's not right. When did Kun-ge start playing Honkai Impact 3rd?
The thought flickered through Lin Wei's mind and vanished just as quickly.
Somehow, the current situation felt... normal. As it should be.
"Oh, new version's out?"
Lin Wei leaned over curiously. It was the familiar bridge screen, with the familiar pink-haired girl.
"Shoo, shoo, get lost! Don't you dare jinx my luck!"
He Kun glared at him suspiciously.
"I swear, if I lose the 50/50 on this banner, you're paying for my meals for a week after the holiday!"
"I haven't even played in ages," Lin Wei said, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"That won't do either!" He Kun glared at him. "Scum who abandon their waifus are even more prohibited from coming near me!"
Go jump off a cliff, you damn otaku!
Lin Wei felt like spitting blood.
This idiot. Can't he be serious for once, like me?
Lin Wei rolled his eyes again, deciding not to engage further. He went back to packing his things for the trip home.
It was only for a few days, so he didn't need much: ID card, student card, phone charger, and a few changes of clothes. That should be enough.
Just going home, no need to buy any souvenirs.
Lin Wei pulled his backpack out from under the bed, unzipped it, and emptied its contents. Then, holding the now-light backpack, he walked over to his locker, took out his key, and opened it. Seeing what was inside, he froze again.
It wasn't filled with bedding or clothes. Instead, it was crammed full of figurines, merchandise, and collectible cards. Nothing else.
How did I get all this stuff?
"Whoa, Da Wei Ge! You finally decided to let your little bro admire your treasured collection?"
He Kun peered over, his voice full of awe.
Shut your mouth!
Lin Wei felt like he was caught in a whirlwind.
That's not me! I don't have these!
He felt completely out of sorts. In the dorm, everyone called each other "-ge," and your seniority level shot up when fetching meals, but Lin Wei was an exception. He found "Wei-ge" unpleasant, and after repeated protests, his roommates reluctantly switched to "Da Wei" (Big Wei).
But when the names "Great Wei" and "Wei-ge" fused together so much, the nature of it completely changed!
Do you have any idea the responsibility you bear calling me that randomly?
Don't blame me if your gacha pulls go wrong!
Ignoring He Kun, Lin Wei picked up a cardboard box that had somehow replaced his backpack in his hands. He didn't notice the change, nor did he find it particularly strange. He carefully picked up an exquisite figurine and gently placed it in a corner of the box.
Even though he didn't know when he'd acquired these things, they were here, and they belonged to him.
Something feels really weird today...
Lin Wei felt a hazy, dreamlike sensation wash over him. The scene before his eyes started to waver and drift, like smoke on water.
"If this is a dream..."
Lin Wei's consciousness was muddled. Right now, he just wanted to wake up. Whether waking up would lead to another layer of dreams or somewhere else entirely, he had no concept.
His eyes darted around, searching for an escape route. Suddenly, something caught his attention. He focused his gaze. It was a figurine placed in the deepest part of the locker, squeezed amongst various other merch and figures, looking unremarkable.
A small, pink-haired girl sat gracefully on a cherry blossom branch. Her long fox ears drooped slightly, lazily. Her eyes seemed to gently gaze towards him. Amidst the swirling mist and watery haze, she looked incredibly real, strikingly conspicuous.
It was Yae Sakura.
Lin Wei's mind suddenly cleared. This is what I'm looking for, he thought. He reached deep into the locker, wanting to grasp her in his hand.
"Ah! Elysia! My Elysia!"
A jarring voice broke through. The mist dissipated, the watery haze vanished, and the sense of dissonance instantly disappeared. Everything felt solid and real again.
Lin Wei fell back into the dream.
He turned his head. He Kun had somehow taken a pink figurine from the cardboard box and was now holding it close to his face, giggling foolishly.
"Your Elysia is dead."
Lin Wei snatched the poor figurine back from him, his face expressionless, his tone devoid of mercy or grief.
"This is my Elysia."
He even took a tissue and wiped the figurine down, disgusted, afraid of getting any of He Kun's crazed drool on it.
"Stingy!"
He Kun protested but kept his hands clean this time, simply marveling at the dazzling array of trinkets.
"Did you clean out the entire miHoYo store or something? How do you have everything? Look at this one, and this one! They've been sold out for ages."
He Kun pointed here and there, as if accusing a whale of heartless spending.
Lin Wei remained unfazed. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to have these things?
Wait? Is it really normal?
A strange feeling surfaced in Lin Wei's mind again.
He continued packing his items. Then, as if spotting something odd, he carefully placed the box on the floor and reached back into the locker, rummaging around until he pulled out two small badges.
One badge had a deep blue engine design and a golden number "3" as the base, with "1st" inscribed over it in white trim.
The other was green, featuring only a cartoonishly beat-up, bandaged, and utterly dejected face of Otto Apocalypse.
Aren't these in-game items? How did they end up in reality?
"Kun-ge, do you remember when you started playing this game?"
Lin Wei felt something was seriously wrong. He remembered He Kun being more of a normie, preferring card games like Sanguosha over Honkai Impact 3rd. He couldn't recall him ever playing this kind of anime game.
Moreover, Lin Wei vaguely remembered being the only one in the dorm who had ever played Honkai Impact 3rd.
And even he had already quit.
After the finale, Lin Wei hadn't been interested in the subsequent story arcs. He'd only seen bits and pieces online – "Oh, they released a female Su," "Oh, Seele became a Herrscher."
Wait a minute, wasn't the Honkai supposed to be over? How are there new Herrschers?
Slightly curious, he'd clicked on the comments once.
Oh, Herrscher of the Sea of Quanta, what a weird new setting...
Tsk, whatever. The writers have the final say.
Before he transmigrated, it seemed they had released the adult Theresa battlesuit, the one He Kun was planning to pull for, and adult Griseo, who had only appeared briefly.
Hold on, transmigrated?
Lin Wei felt something flash through his mind again, but he couldn't grasp it, no matter how hard he tried to remember.
"Tch, a day-one player, huh? What's there to brag about? How old you are?"
He Kun curled his lip and felt that Lin Wei's expression was detestable. "I joined late. I started playing after the Firefly version. What's wrong with that?"
Lin Wei shook his head, saying it was nothing. The sense of incongruity flickered, making him uncertain. He lowered his head and continued packing.
He thought back on his own gaming history.
He was indeed an old player of Honkai Impact 3rd, but not a particularly hardcore one.
In 2016, he saw a stunning video on his phone: a white-haired girl leaping from the sky, piercing through clouds, streaking like a meteor under the sunset glow. That prompted his first download. But the controls felt awkward, and he couldn't understand the plot.
Why does everyone start with these established relationships? What happened before? He knew nothing. The gaming experience was terrible, so he quit for the first time.
Later, hearing that Honkai Impact 3rd had added open-world maps, he returned for the second time. He finished the Sakura Samsara storyline and found it pretty good. He even managed to clear the Xuanyuan and Chiyou arcs just as the maps were about to close.
After that, he returned again during the Celestial Hymn Theresa release. Thanks to good gacha luck, he easily maxed out this new S-rank Theresa, which kept him playing much longer, right up until the Schicksal HQ storyline. The stages became too difficult; his Vermilion Knight Himeko couldn't beat the boss version of Shadow Knight Fu Hua no matter what. The frustration from the game, combined with real-life obstacles, made him quit for good.
And then it was the monotonous life of reality, studies, exams, family conflicts, being bullied, disputes, resistance, graduation, and leaving etc.
He didn't really care about the games for a long time. He just saw some scattered pieces of information online. He found out about things like, animated episodes were being released; Himeko died; Honkai Impact 3rd was also called "Fu Hua 3," etc.
Much later, when Lin Wei finally had the leisure to play games again, it coincided with the birth of the Herrscher of Flamescion.
That sword strike, filled with boundless passion, cleaved through the gloom that had long shrouded his heart.
Only from that point on did he truly fall in love with the story, participating continuously until the very end.
He wasn't interested in participating in the new story after the finale. Their story had ended, but he had his own story to live. So, he decided to say goodbye once more.
But now...
Thinking about He Kun's words, it felt a bit too coincidental, Lin Wei mused.
"Yo yo yo, look! Griseo grew up!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, someone's probably gonna cry. I won't say who."
His thoughts interrupted again, Lin Wei looked towards the voice with a strange expression. He Kun had somehow returned to his bed and was now shouting while looking at his laptop.
Heh, making fun of Fu Hua again, huh?
Lin Wei chuckled inwardly. He knew the "8 > 50,000" meme, and he knew about Lunar Vow Theresa and adult Griseo appearing.
It is pretty funny. Lin Wei smirked in understanding. Just as he was about to reply, alarm bells screamed in his head. He felt a huge "危" (Danger) symbol pop up above him, warning of imminent peril.
What's going on?
Lin Wei was baffled. But this felt like a clue. He decided to tempt fate – maybe this was the key to breaking whatever strange situation he was in?
"What's there to cry about? In this era of inflation, having a flat chest is a rare resource. It's competitive. Others can't be jealous of that."
Huh? Strange, did I just hear a cold snort?
Or maybe nothing happened at all.
Was it my imagination?
Lin Wei scratched his head, feeling a vague sense of unease, as if someone was about to hit him with an Inch Punch: Skull Cracker.
But nothing was actually happening.
"Tch, as expected of Da Wei Ge. Such unique taste."
He Kun gave a perfunctory "mm-hmm." Seeing that the gacha banner wasn't open yet, he got bored and started looking for fan-made works online
I told you not to call me that...
Lin Wei sighed. He never used to call me that before.
I really can't handle this!
An awkward silence fell over the dorm. He Kun browsed the web, while Lin Wei continued packing his "luggage."
"Tsk tsk tsk, there's really a ton of fan creations."
He Kun's voice suddenly took on a sly, teasing tone. He turned to look at the oblivious Lin Wei and asked,
"If you transmigrated into this story, would you also be thinking about saving this person, helping that person, and then living with a harem, enjoying the blessings of all?"
"Who wouldn't want the blessings of a harem?" Lin Wei felt proud of his honesty, puffing out his chest slightly before rolling his eyes at He Kun. "Daydreaming about it is one thing, no one can stop you there. But that kind of harem? Forget it. Those Valkyries can punch out guys like you with one hit. Look at your scrawny self."
Lin Wei looked He Kun up and down disdainfully.
"With your stats, trying to be a 'time management master'? You'd probably get KO'd instantly, wouldn't even get a chance to whimper before you drop dead."
"Hmph, what if I had some kind of cheat ability?" He Kun retorted, unconvinced.
"Then who are you, really? Are you yourself, or a slave to some 'cheat'?"
Lin Wei didn't know why He Kun was asking him this, but since he seemed serious, Lin Wei felt he should answer seriously out of respect.
"If that was a real world, and these girls were no longer just two-dimensional characters on the screen, but were all real people with thoughts, souls, and their own selves,"
"If that's the case, then shouldn't you at least maintain an attitude of mutual respect? A harem? What, you really think you're the protagonist? That the whole world has to revolve around you?"
He Kun chuckled, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. He asked slowly, "Never thought about getting involved? Never thought about reversing certain outcomes? Saving some damsels struggling in distress?"
-----
Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Ma Chao are all extremely famous historical figures from China's Three Kingdoms period (around 220-280 AD), legendary generals renowned for their might in battle. Finding university students with these specific, iconic names is like going to college in the West and having roommates or classmates named King Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin all at once.
Adding "-ge" (哥) after a name means "older brother" in Chinese. It's often used informally between male friends or peers as a sign of closeness and respect, similar to calling someone "bro" but with a slight seniority implication. Lin Wei disliked being called "Wei-ge" (蔚哥), likely finding it awkward sounding. His friends switched to "Da Wei" (大蔚), meaning "Big Wei," as a nickname. When He Kun calls him "Da Wei Ge" (大蔚哥), he's mashing the nickname with the "-ge" suffix, which sounds overly chummy, a bit silly, and excessively familiar, hence Lin Wei feeling it's "too much" and cringey.