MGSFV?! Chapter 465. Shady Corporation? World Serpent; Great God of Earth
This World Serpent of yours—
why not just rename it Distillery Serpent?
Well, to put it more politely... let's call it a difference in principles.
Still, there's something oddly cool about how this organization works.
In a way, it totally fits the public image of a mysterious underground group.
Mistelin, despite deciding to join World Serpent, didn't seem to care much about what kind of group it actually was.
Nor did she care what version of the Stigma Plan they were even on.
Hmm...
Maybe the constant iteration of the Stigma Plan also symbolized Mobius's concept of infinity? Infinite possibilities?
Mobius: "Interesting... but barely."
"..."
Fair enough. Back on topic.
So, when Grey Serpent brought up how the Stigma Plan had reached Version 16,
but a certain Jackal was still fixated on Version 1...
Mistelin simply replied indifferently:
"...That's your freedom."
After all, for her, things had already reached the worst kind of disappointment
(just finding a gravestone, unable to transcribe Alexandra's story).
It was no wonder she'd later describe the whole deal as "rather absurd."
She gained nothing and gave up everything—
what else could you call it?
"That's fine."
Grey Serpent didn't seem to mind her attitude.
He nodded, then casually brought up something else:
"Oh, by the way, your codename in the organization was also given by that same colleague."
"—Hokuto. That'll be your codename from now on."
[No offense, but Jackal's naming taste is so bland—completely overshadowed by Duck Mom's.]
[Feels like naming agents after animals is World Serpent tradition.]
["World Serpent" (strikethrough) "Zoo Serpent."]
[Grey Serpent, Jackal, Owl… then there's Black Dodo, Red Sparkling Lizard, and White Kiana Cat.]
[Hey you in the back, stop mixing in weird stuff! Don't insert headcanon!]
[I believe our great Flame-Chaser Herrscher will grow cat ears for her believers one day—Kiana sect, unite! (prayer hands)]
"..."
Let's be real:
Flame-Chaser Herrscher's not doing that.
But…
If it were the Great Earth God, now that's a different story!
...
While players were busy roasting Jackal's naming style,
Mistelin frowned upon hearing her codename, clearly displeased.
"I won't interfere with your systems.
But I will only go by one name—Mistelin."
Names matter.
They may just be vessels of identity—
but they're also expressions of self, proof of one's existence in the real world.
For Mistelin, a conceptual being born from the Saniyat ideal, this held even greater weight.
A name represented how she faced the world.
So she would never change it lightly.
For instance, she'd just emphasized how Stigmata aren't easily altered—
and she, being a crystallization of such, all the more so.
[Looks like Mistelin only recognizes the name Duck Mom gave her.]
[Because it's the name she gave me—I'll never change it. (kinda romantic)]
[In that case, Duck Mom really is amazing—she managed to change a crystallized Stigma.]
Indeed.
Isn't that a kind of miracle, too?
[But if Mistelin rejected the codename "Hokuto," then why is she happily using it now (on the Moon)?]
[Yeah, good point—why?]
Some viewers raised this question in the chat,
prompting others to start thinking...
And right on cue, the upcoming story immediately answered them.
Though...
Whether the answer brought joy was another matter.
In the story.
After firmly stating she wouldn't use the codename "Hokuto,"
Mistelin followed up with a question to Grey Serpent:
"Also, the original question… you never answered it."
[The original question: What will happen to me when the Stigma Plan is completed?]
Grey Serpent, for once, gave a relatively straightforward answer—without rhetorical flourishes.
"When the Stigma Plan is officially launched, as part of the verification process—
you'll be given an opportunity to transcribe yourself..."
That didn't sound bad at first.
But then came the second half of his sentence.
What happens after Mistelin transcribes herself?
"...At that point, you'll completely vanish, and be reborn through metamorphosis."
"Unlike what we do to other subjects, the result of your self-transcription—
she will have your form and nearly identical abilities.
But ultimately, she'll no longer be the same will.
The curse you bear now... will also disappear."
[Wait what? You're saying the real Mistelin is actually dead already? And the Hokuto we know is just a self-transcribed copy??]
[No way. No way!]
"She'll know your past.
But to her, it'll be like a song drifting on the wind—
a vague echo, devoid of deep emotion."
That one line basically confirmed it.
[...]*n
The livestream chat froze momentarily.
Then, at last, came the surge of reactions.
[So this is Mistelin's true ending? After all that pain and struggle, she finally "got her wish" to sleep eternally?]
[No wonder Hokuto's personality is so different—no wonder Mistelin refused the codename but Hokuto accepts it.
Mistelin Saniyat... is already dead.]
[Getting hit with this out of nowhere... it hurts so much. I never expected Mistelin to go out like that.]
Honestly...
Players had assumed Mistelin would die in a way that tied into the Stigma Plan—
maybe something like orchestrating events so Bronya would have to destroy her.
That would fit with miHoYo's signature trauma-heavy writing style.
But this?
Mistelin had already been dead… in reality?
Just. Like. That?
Only the writers could've come up with this. (...)
[Personally… I liked the first Hokuto more.]
[+1 +1 +1]
[Such a shame.]
It was natural players preferred Mistelin.
Not just because they sympathized with her from recent plot events—
But because her conduct was more relatable than Hokuto's aloof "non-human" demeanor.
And humans tend to be wary of what they don't understand.
...
Mistelin herself, however...
For her, just knowing she would truly die one day was enough.
She wasn't concerned about her inevitable end—
what mattered was minimizing the harm she'd cause to others before it came.
"..."
How fitting for the crystallization of Saniyat's concept of Salvation.
Her selflessness put others to shame.
And made her fate all the more tragic—because she was already gone from the real world.
Such a kind soul...
In this scene, Grey Serpent finally gave her a bit of comfort:
"World Serpent doesn't lack places for confinement.
We're fully capable of containing the Honkai beasts you spawn.
In fact…"
"You see—I'm still here. I'm still 1904."
That's right. 1904 had made contact with Hokuto... and didn't die?
How?
"After a period of exposure to you... though not yet widely applicable,
World Serpent has gradually developed ways to avoid your influence."
Hearing that, Mistelin's expression visibly softened.
At last…
"But."
Grey Serpent abruptly changed the subject.
Mistelin: ?
"Don't worry.
I just wanted to mention something about the organization.
World Serpent can't keep you locked away forever.
In rare cases, we may assign you field work—of course, only if you volunteer."
Framing "volunteer" in brackets like that makes it very suspicious.
[Field work? What does World Serpent need field work for? Hunting Herrschers?]
[Maybe they'll send Mistelin to Elysium Realm for two years of training?]
[Sounds more like study abroad than field work.]
[...And I don't approve of the "two and a half years" part.]
This time, Mistelin was just as curious as the players.
"What kind of assignments?"
"For example, your first job."
"So eager already?"
Of course Grey Serpent's words lacked credibility—
what happened to "rare occasions"?
Why was the first task already lined up?
Like a boss telling you the company's chill with plenty of time off—
and then assigning you overtime on your first day.
"Oh, we do have unlimited snacks in the break room—
as long as you have time to go there."
Good thing Mistelin was a "rookie employee."
A seasoned veteran would've already been halfway out the door.
Or like Raven—always either slacking off or on her way to slack off.
Ahem...
Back to the story.
In-game, their conversation remained serious.
Mistelin's question didn't faze Grey Serpent.
He calmly explained:
"Due to the nature of this mission,
World Serpent needs someone to travel to the Yukon Delta in Alaska.
There, during a rare opportunity, you will investigate a being similar to yourself."
"Similar to me? Who?"
A question both she and the players wanted answered.
Of course, speculation was already rolling:
[Could it be Bronya??]
[What's thirty million minds when Auntie has seventy billion—thank Auntie! (doge)]
[Impossible—Bronya's still a newborn baby. Must be Old Yang. Joyce would already be gone by now.]
[Right, our Old Yang was discovered by the Overseer 50 years later, meaning First Gen died 50 years ago in this timeline.]
Grey Serpent soon confirmed it.
"You've mostly been in Siberia, so perhaps you're unaware—
among the Herrschers, one is particularly resilient.
He possesses traits similar to yours…"
"I'm not interested." Mistelin cut him off.
However...
"Just hear me out.
You can reject it afterward."
???
Déjà vu.
So much for volunteering.
This was more like manipulated consent.
It was obvious Grey Serpent was banking on Mistelin agreeing in the end.
Completely calculated.
"In fact, it was because of him that we made efforts to recruit you immediately upon discovery."
Mistelin: "..."
After a pause, she couldn't help but ask:
"Is he… also a monster hated by the world, like me?"
She wanted to know if this "similar" being suffered as she did.
"No. Quite the opposite."
"Far from reviled—he's revered by countless people.
He became a symbol. A legacy."
[...]*n
The moment he said that, some players already sensed trouble.
Because...
Mistelin would definitely feel jealous of the Herrscher of Reason.
Even if logic told her not to, emotions are hard to suppress.
Despite having the same traits, he didn't bring disaster to others like she did.
She was labeled a monster—
while he, born as a Herrscher, was hailed as a hero.
Such cruel irony.
Born of Saniyat blood, from the heroic Cecilia's Stigma—
Mistelin brought ruin.
But the First Herrscher of Reason…
became a legend.
"...?"
Sure enough—
Mistelin's eyes widened.
"See? I told you.
Listen first, then decide if it's unfair."
"Enough talk. Who is it?" Her tone had grown urgent.
"He has a human name, just like you.
But most people know him as…"
[Old Yang.]
[Yang "rise from the grave" Welt.]
"Anti-Entropy's Leader—Herrscher of Reason."
Grey Serpent's slow delivery finally arrived.
[Ah yes, the great Herrscher of Reason!]
[You guys calling him "Old Yang"—how old do you think he is??]
[Sorry, sorry—slipped fingers! (serious face)]
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