Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 1

“What kind of story is Honkai Impact 3rd? It’s a classic tale of girls and girls—a story of growth, companionship, and beauty. Most importantly, it’s a wholesome, bright, and uplifting story.”
—Thus spoke the Ancient Greek God of Knives.

It was a dark and stormy night. In an unnamed university dorm, a certain Hyperion janitor (who could perform mid-air splits) had just finished replaying the Elysian Realm arc for the second time. Letting out a roar worthy of a certain boxed-meal Herrscher, he screamed:

“Roast Chicken-sensei, I’m gonna cuddle you to sleep tonight!”

But let’s start from the beginning.

Wang Luowei prided himself on having a high tolerance for emotional stories. So when friends recommended Honkai Impact 3rd by claiming its plot was “super sweet,” their sly grins made it obvious they were up to no good—yet he agreed without hesitation.

At first, things went as expected. Moments like “The Final Lesson,” “Meteor Across the Sky,” and “Everlasting Flames” moved him, but even the infamous “Chocolate Gate” scene couldn’t squeeze out a single tear.

That is, until he reached the Elysian Realm.

When he saw Kalpas, battered and broken, declare to Aponia, “Sakura was never a traitor,” the buildup finally shattered his tear ducts—dormant for years.

Disinterested in Mars-related plotlines, he replayed Part 1’s story on an alt account. Before revisiting the Elysian Realm, he assumed foreknowledge would dull the impact.

He was wrong.

Knowing the 13 Flame-Chasers died 41 times collectively, reliving their tragedies felt like resurrecting them just to kill them again. Noticing new details he’d missed the first time, he bawled even harder.

Even with spoiled endings, the journey still moved him. Beyond the Flame-Chasers, the Herrscher of Corruption—a villain so loathsome—also etched itself into his heart.

As a newcomer to the Honkai universe, Wang Luowei often indulged in wild what-ifs. What if a Herrscher’s host wasn’t human but something with preexisting powers? Or if a Pathstrider or Emanator from Star Rail wandered into Honkai Impact’s world?

…

“It’s almost 9:30 PM—time to check if I can rank up in Abyss… Huh? Why’s my score 18,000 now?” He’d reflexively closed the notification earlier but reopened it:

【Superstring Dimension Abnormality & Compensation Notice】

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me! Do you know how long I spent grinding for that score?! I just wanna lovingly hug our wise, brilliant, adorable planners to death!”

Ah, Abyss. Players merely need to time ultimates and retry stages, but planners? Their burdens are endless.

The story’s fantastic—the game itself? Debatable.

As the familiar pain-inducing BGM played, Wang Luowei reopened Superstring Dimension.

“Thank god it’s Physical weather. My Physical team’s fully geared—victory’s assured. Time to grind.”

Post-run, he ranked 7th—just 1 point below 6th place.

“No true Honkai player leaves a 1-point gap uncorrected.” He immediately queued again.

…

[Mirage, Fading as Dreams Do]
[Let’s Play Hide-and-Seek]

“SP’s at 175—next is Deathblow Senti’s ult. Stay calm, one more cycle and it’s over!”

[Bloom, O Florā]
(Desk HP -1)

Too invested to quit, he kept retrying—only to score lower. After countless attempts, he finally clawed back 3 extra points.

“See? Effort pays off. Games should be played with a smile—wait, why’s my rank unchanged?” He checked the clock:

22:01
(Desk HP -1)

“That’s IT! I’m punching the damn planners!” Rage consumed him as he slammed his fist onto his phone—which then erupted in blinding light, swallowing him whole.

“Dammit… I forgot to delete my several gigabytes of ‘study materials’…” were his last words before consciousness faded.

…

When Wang Luowei awoke, an endless snowfield stretched before him.

“Figures. Truck-kun’s not even mandatory for isekai these days?” Well-read in transmigration tropes, he stayed oddly calm.

Glancing down, he floated mid-air—limbless.

“What am I?” Drifting to a frozen puddle, he peered at his reflection… and froze.

His body was a single, crimson eyeball. A form he recognized instantly after the Elysian Realm.

“Oh no. I’m the Herrscher of Corruption?!”

“A Herrscher’s bad enough, but Corruption*?!”* He wanted to cry. In Honkai Impact, an ordinary human could survive by avoiding hotspots like Nagazora or Arc City. Becoming a Herrscher? High-risk.

“Whatever. Silver lining: as Corruption, I can save the Elysian Realm. The 13 Flame-Chasers might see a post-Honkai world.” After internal screaming, he accepted fate. Nearby, Honkai beasts and zombies gathered.

“Herrschers command Honkai creatures, so these must’ve spawned for me. Why only Chariot-class? Wait—focus. Since I didn’t manifest during Mei’s dialogue with the Will of Honkai, the timeline’s likely altered. If Otto’s still alive… I refuse to be his lab rat. Gotta think fast…”

Racking his brain for intel on Corruption, he recalled:

“The Herrscher of Corruption is an ultimate virus—infecting both organisms and electronics (making it a threat to both humans and Vocaloids). It can rewrite data in any system or lifeform… meaning I can edit myself*.”*

Action time. Wang Luowei began self-modification:

“Priority: Honkai energy signatures. With this authority, fooling Schicksal’s sensors should be easy… Done.”

His stats now registered as sub-Herrscher tier—any scan would label him merely “Honkai-resistant.”

Of course, this self-imposed seal restricted his Honkai energy usage. But he wasn’t foolish enough to trap himself permanently. The “seal” was his own doing; he could toggle it freely. After saving his current data as a preset, he could revert or re-lock his powers as needed.