章 64: Side Story: Otto and Ana

As the first light of dawn pierced through the windows of one of Mihoyo's towering office buildings, the hum of activity within was a stark contrast to the quiet streets outside. Unlike most companies, this particular establishment was a hive of activity 24 hours a day, with employees diligently working in shifts to keep the wheels of innovation turning.

In one of the numerous rooms, a figure was engrossed in organizing a stack of proposal files. His long, blonde hair cascaded past his shoulders, catching the soft glow of the overhead lights. His eyes, a striking shade of green, were focused intently on the task at hand. He was dressed in a simple yet stylish ensemble of a gray sweater and pants, the latter being a comfortable and practical choice for everyday wear.

The chill of the early morning had prompted him to opt for clothing that offered good insulation against the cold. Despite the cozy attire, there was a certain weariness about him that couldn't be concealed. A nametag hung around his neck, bearing the name "Luocha". The dark circles under his eyes were a silent testament to the unconventional working hours at the company, hinting at the dedication and hard work that went into keeping the gears of Mihoyo running smoothly.

With a sigh of exhaustion, Otto sank into his chair, the soft cushion barely offering any comfort. He glanced at the clock, the neon green digits glaring back at him - 4:34 am. The room was silent, save for the occasional hum of the air conditioner. Otto sat there, as still and silent as a statue, lost in his thoughts.

His mind was a whirlpool of thoughts, but one memory stood out starkly against the rest. It was the day he had been coerced into joining this company. The memory was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

Otto had been brought here by a rather eccentric lady from Schicksal, with the promise of a job as a voice actor. Little did he know, his job description would soon expand to include tasks that were far removed from his original role.

He found himself assisting a colleague in a side room, debugging a game. Before he knew it, he was overseeing all the projects in production. It was a far cry from the voice acting job he had envisioned.

The staff at the company was predominantly female, and Otto often found himself at the receiving end of unwanted attention and invitations. The employees seemed to work tirelessly, viewing attractive men like Otto as mere objects of desire. Otto contemplated reporting the harassment to the person in charge, but the situation was complicated.

Most of the women involved were key players in important projects. Replacing them would not only be difficult but could also potentially disrupt the workflow. Otto was caught in a dilemma, unsure of how to navigate this complex situation.

Despite the challenges, Otto decided to persevere. He saw the company as a vast repository of information, a gold mine waiting to be tapped. He was determined to extract every bit of knowledge he could, even if it meant enduring until the end of the world. After all, if Schichal were to disclose any public information, the staff would be the first to know.

The first character Otto lent his voice to was "Otto Apocalypse", a character who bore an uncanny resemblance to him in the game. The similarity was so striking that some of his colleagues were taken aback. The character designer even approached Otto, asking him to serve as a reference for the character's model. However, some coworkers were less surprised, having noticed that other characters seemed to be modeled after real people as well.

Otto had mixed feelings about "Otto Apocalypse". Who wouldn't? The name tag he wore read "Luocha", but that was just a pseudonym. His real name was Otto, and perhaps "Apocalypse" was his last name. He suffered from amnesia, and his memories were a jumbled mess. The world around him seemed to view him as a game character, adding another layer of complexity to his already complicated existence.

As Otto delved deeper into the voice acting sessions, his confusion regarding the character "Otto Apocalypse" in the game only seemed to grow. It was like trying to solve a complex puzzle with missing pieces. This was largely due to the fact that the script he received was fragmented, and he was unaware of the overarching plot. However, once the game was launched, he was able to piece together some of the story. Much to his dismay, he discovered that his game character was portrayed as a villain.

Regardless of how he was depicted in the game, Otto's primary concern was identifying the person behind the script. In the game, he was portrayed as a bishop, a role that was filled by Kallen in the real world.

Otto reasoned that Bishop Kallen might have information about him. From the moment he was roped into the company and asked to voice act his own character, things had seemed off. The most plausible explanation was that they were already aware of his true identity. After all, an organization that had been in existence for hundreds of years wouldn't be easily fooled by a hastily concocted false identity.

Despite his unexpected promotion to the role of supervisor for several game modules, Otto found himself at a dead end. He was unable to unearth any useful information. The production process at the company was peculiar, to say the least. It operated at a breakneck speed, unlike anything people had seen before.

In most companies, the process of preparing the plot and storyboard and transitioning to the production stage could take several days or months. However, this company was an anomaly. It was as if the writer's ideas were instantly transformed into a tangible product, ready to be consumed by the audience on the same day.

The pace was so rapid that hacking into the company's mainframe for information seemed futile. Otto concluded that it would be more prudent to wait until the information was fully processed and ready to be served, much like a meal waiting to be savored.

While the game's plot offered some insights, Otto realized that it couldn't be relied upon as a reference for real-world events. Elements like the protagonist's parents or his own portrayal as a villain in the story were purely fictional. After all, he was an amnesiac in reality. In the game, it appeared as though he had taken over Kallen's role as the bishop.

how can this good guy agree and do experiments in the tower? he's a good guy okay.

Speaking of the tower, it seemed to have a real-world counterpart. Otto was puzzled by Schicksal's decision to expose their own shortcomings in such a public manner. Could it be a form of reverse psychology, he wondered? It was yet another mystery in a long list of unanswered questions.

While Otto's mind was still a whirlwind of thoughts, he was interrupted by the sound of his office door creaking open. A young woman stood hesitantly at the entrance, her hand still resting on the doorknob.

"Excuse me, Director? May I come in?" The voice was familiar to Otto, and he instantly recognized its owner. "Of course, Ana. Please come in," he responded, giving her permission to enter.

As the door swung open, a young woman with ash-blonde hair and striking magenta eyes stepped into the room. She was dressed in casual office attire, a blend of comfort and professionalism. In her hands, she held a stack of documents that looked ominously thick.

Otto glanced at the documents and let out a resigned sigh. His brief moment of tranquility was over. His morning leisure time had come to an abrupt end.

Ana, noticing Otto's expression, offered a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry for disturbing your leisure time, Director. But this is a new game proposal from our superiors. The good news is that you can 'somewhat' relax while working on it and no longer need to supervise Honkai Impact 3." With that, she walked over to Otto's desk and placed the pile of documents on it.

"Would you like some coffee, Director?" Ana's voice broke through Otto's concentration. He glanced up from the document he had just started perusing and responded with a simple, "As usual." Ana acknowledged his request with a smile and a nod, then made her way to the coffee maker situated at the far end of the room.

With his coffee order taken care of, Otto turned his attention back to the document in front of him. He began to read, his eyes scanning the pages with a focused intensity.

"Otto Fantasy… Kallen Fantasy…? Two games?" Otto found himself taken aback by the titles of the proposals. Seeing the requests for a boss and bishop beneath, he realized the significance of these two games.

He delved deeper into the premise and summary outlined in the document, reading with a newfound seriousness. To his astonishment, the games were about him and Kallen! His mind raced at the implications, but he quickly tried to regain his composure. "Calm down, Otto. It's just a game. Just a game," he muttered to himself, attempting to quell his rising anxiety.

He continued to sift through the stack of papers, which detailed the rough plot, funding, and the team involved in the project, among other relevant details. As he read, he tried to make sense of the information, piecing together the puzzle that was laid out before him.

The production of the Honkai Impact 3 game was meticulously planned and executed, with stringent measures in place to prevent any leaks of information. Each aspect of the game was compartmentalized, ensuring that staff members were only privy to the parts they were directly involved in. Even the voice actors were given fragmented scripts, devoid of any context.

This approach ensured that no single person had a complete understanding of the project. Everything was brought together at the end of the production process by an independent team, separate from the rest. Even if someone managed to get their hands on some information, it would be practically useless. The time gap between the completion of production and the game reaching the consumers was a mere 1-2 days. Anyone attempting to leak spoilers would risk incurring the wrath of Schicksal.

In stark contrast, the prospective game that Otto was currently reviewing had a complete script, detailing the full plot from start to finish. This was a significant departure from the approach taken for Honkai Impact. Instead of working with fragmented pieces of information, Otto had the entire storyline at his disposal, allowing him a comprehensive understanding of the game's narrative.

The plot of the game left Otto speechless. He sat there, staring at the document in front of him, unable to utter a single word. It was as if he had turned into a malfunctioning computer, frozen in time.

In the midst of Otto's silent reverie, Ana returned with a cup of steaming coffee. Seeing Otto in his trance-like state, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Director, don't just sit there staring. Your coffee will get cold," she said, offering him the cup.

Otto snapped out of his stupor at her words. "Haha, sorry Ana. I was lost in thought," he apologized, quickly accepting the coffee from her.

Ana then pulled up a chair and sat down next to Otto. She reached for some of the documents on the table and began to skim through them, occasionally stealing glances at Otto.

As she read, her mind drifted back to the first time and before she met Otto. Ana Schariac, as she was originally known, was a Valkyrie of Schicksal with a B-class early learning. However, hard work doesn't always yield results. Despite her efforts, her potential as a Valkyrie was limited. Being from a distant branch of the Schariac family with low blood purity didn't help either.

(no otto meant shariac blood dilutes rather than strengthens)

She found a way around her limitations by becoming a spy Valkyrie and infiltrating Anti-Entropy as a game programmer. She was one of the core members there. Despite the challenges, she had managed to carve out a place for herself in the organization.

Ana had a dedicated team at Anti-Entropy, affectionately known as the Snow Lotus Squad. She was never quite sure why her team members preferred the term "squad" over "team", but she didn't question it. Perhaps it was their way of fostering a sense of camaraderie and unity.

She found a certain level of contentment there, working alongside her team. However, this period of happiness was cut short when she received a call from Schicksal. They were in need of experienced programmers and game developers, and a Valkyrie with such skills was considered invaluable. They emphasized the need for loyalty, preferring to rely on their own rather than outsourcing.

With a heavy heart, Ana made the decision to return to Schicksal. She bid her team farewell, using the excuse of a higher-paying job offer as a reason for her departure. Her team was understandably saddened by her decision, but Ana knew she couldn't refuse the orders from her superiors. She left behind the Snow Lotus Squad, stepping back

Upon her return to Schicksal, Ana was filled with questions. She couldn't help but wonder why Schicksal had chosen this particular course of action. Wouldn't it have been more beneficial for her to remain an infiltrator within Anti-Entropy rather than working directly for Schicksal? However, the moment she stepped into Schicksal's subsidiary company, Mihoyo, she was presented with a contract. The contract stipulated that she was not to disclose any information about her work there, among other clauses.

As she delved deeper into her new role, she discovered that the game they were developing was classified as "top secret". The game, titled "Honkai Impact 3", proved to be the most challenging project Ana had ever undertaken even more difficult than fighting the Honkai beast. It wasn't the scale of the game that made it difficult, but rather the unreasonable deadline.

The deadline was absolutely ludicrous. The idea of creating a game of this magnitude in just one month was nothing short of a nightmare. Ana's initial apprehensions were soon confirmed. She found herself working tirelessly to meet the deadline, even going without sleep for three days straight to fix bugs. It was a grueling task, one that tested her resolve and determination to their limits.

Ana was under immense pressure. The news of the disbandment of the Snow Lotus Squad felt like being struck by two buildings simultaneously. The squad, once a symbol of unity and strength, was now suspected of espionage. Anti-Entropy had discovered that Ana, a member of the squad, was a spy from Schicksal. This revelation shook the very foundation of the team, leading to its dissolution.

A wave of guilt washed over Ana. She was tormented by the thought that she was the cause of her team's downfall. It was a heavy burden to bear, the feeling of being responsible for the demise of others, especially a team that was more like a family to her.

The depression from losing her team, coupled with the persistent bugs in her code, weighed heavily on Ana's shoulders. However, amidst this turmoil, she found a glimmer of hope, a prince from a fairy tale.

One morning, after a late-night coding session, Ana woke up from a dream where she was she was solving the bug. To her surprise, she found a man sitting next to her desk, engrossed in debugging on her PC. She noticed a blanket draped over her, a thoughtful gesture from the man who must have been concerned about her catching a cold while sleeping in the office.

Curious and slightly alarmed, Ana immediately got up and approached the man. She observed him closely, trying to understand what he was doing on her PC. She hoped that he hadn't tampered with her spaghetti code or caused any further damage.

To her astonishment, she found that the man had managed to fix the collision bug that had been plaguing her for days. Tears welled up in Ana's eyes as she looked at her code. Not only had he fixed the bug, but he had also tidied up her code, making it more maintainable.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Ana turned to the man and asked, "Can I know your name?"

The man looked up from the screen and replied, "My name is Luocha. Greetings.... I apologize for accessing your computer without permission. I couldn't resist the urge to check the logs on your screen." He then started rambling about Ana's code.

Despite his intrusion, Ana couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Luocha. She knew she had found her prince, the man who had come to her rescue in her time of need.

MAMA I FALL IN LOVE (to the man who solved my bug)

and that's the reason why Otto was dragged down this rabbit hole.