You want me to write healing, and I wrote Honkai Impact 3rd?

"Mr. Otto, what are your thoughts on this competition?"

Kevin glanced at the cheat sheet tucked between his fingers and, following the usual format of previous years, asked for the judges' opinions.

Otto smiled faintly, picked up the microphone on the table with confidence, and spoke.

"I do have some knowledge of Shenzhou literature. The contestants this time include novelists, screenwriters, and various other professions, each with entirely different focuses. The contestant I favor most is No. 31."

"She pursues perfection in everything and has a delicate emotional sensibility. Since the theme this time is regret, there's no reason for her to be eliminated."

Contestant No. 31, an outstanding employee and maid of the Destiny Organization, Rita Rossweisse.

Although this was a Shenzhou competition, it had never restricted the identities of participants. The rule of letting the capable take their place applies anywhere.

Seeing Otto set down the microphone with an extremely confident expression, Elysia naturally picked up the thread.

"Adorable beauties can do anything, you know. Let's look forward to Contestant No. 31 achieving great results this time, shall we?"

"And Mr. Welt, could you share your thoughts with us? Please, please?"

Shifting the topic, Elysia tossed the question to Welt.

"I do have one or two candidates I favor." Pushing up his glasses, which reflected a gleam of white light, Welt spoke with feigned composure, sneaking in a bit of showmanship.

That look just now must have been pretty cool.

Still a chuunibyou at heart, Welt picked up the microphone and shared his insights.

"I'm more optimistic about No. 10, No. 14, No. 38, and No. 46. These are all talents skilled in writing science fiction."

Welt also wanted to sneak in some personal bias and recommend the talents from Anti-Entropy.

But clearly, those talents from Anti-Entropy were all focused on the sciences. When it came to creative writing, it wasn't that they were completely clueless—it was more that they had zero interest.

Of course, the key point was that time is money.

For others, this was a golden opportunity to gain fame. For those two, it was a waste of time.

They'd rather spend that effort on more research.

"Science fiction is humanity's vision of the future. In most people's eyes, sci-fi is a romantic genre, but in most sci-fi works, emotion isn't the main focus."

"It's very difficult to write regret that resonates. You have to ensure the sci-fi content holds up while controlling the emotion at just the right moments. But I believe they can handle and balance that well."

Based on their earlier performances, Welt gave a fair assessment.

Some contestants were clearly at a disadvantage facing a theme they weren't skilled at.

But this was already as lenient as possible. After all, the genre wasn't restricted. They were at a disadvantage, but the paths weren't completely blocked off, so talent wouldn't be buried.

"A very thorough analysis. Truly worthy of a veteran who's worked in the animation industry for years. Let's give him a round of applause and thank him for his generosity."

Finally, everyone held their breath and turned their gazes to Eden.

Even if Otto and Welt's insights had some reference value, they wouldn't have much impact.

But Eden...

This was the first time Eden had appeared in person at the competition venue, even serving as a judge.

In previous years, she hadn't been present, only appearing on screen to deliver congratulatory messages for the event.

The moment she spoke, she could shift the entire direction of the competition, without a doubt.

Her artistic mastery was still unmatched to this day, and her eye was undoubtedly just as sharp and incisive, able to pinpoint the most critical part of this themed creation.

As one of the judges, her insights were far too important.

She brought hope to people. She was the symbol of this era before its curtain fell.

Faced with the theme of "regret," what would Eden say?

The venue fell into a deathly silence once more. Everyone was waiting for Eden's next words.

Under such pressure, the veteran artist Eden remained elegant and composed. This segment had been rehearsed, and Eden had also seen the script prepared for her.

But since she was supposed to share her own insights, then...

Being a little willful and not following Manager Miss's arrangement probably wouldn't be too big a problem.

Eden understood the rules. She wasn't the kind of star who was foolish without realizing it.

She felt she should share her genuine feelings and understanding with everyone present.

Chapter 4, Far Ahead, Can't Even See the Taillights!

Regret... what exactly is it?

Eden had never truly experienced this emotion.

She had always been that shining star, arriving brilliantly.

Even when she left, it would be in splendor.

In this world without Honkai, she had never had any regrets.

Her close friends were all by her side. She symbolized this era, and this era had not yet ended.

Now, the word "regret" was far too distant for her... and far too ethereal.

"I have never experienced regret. Many people believe... that regret is loss—loving yet unable to attain, leaving the heart unwilling to let go."

"But now I believe that the greatest regret is not loss, but failing to seize the present."

There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes.

Regret is different for different people.

Regret can be an unresolved ache, a wistfulness when looking back. But Eden believes that one should not let people remain stuck in regret.

This time, the theme is regret, and the difficulty is not low.

Emotion is unique to humanity—every person has joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

But to stir emotion and evoke resonance is extremely, extremely hard.

Music can give each listener a different insight through its rhythm.

But story-based works cannot rely solely on emotion; emotion must be anchored to a story.

How to compose a brilliant story, rather than lingering on emotion and neglecting what truly matters?

That balance is the challenge. Just now, Welt spoke somewhat cryptically, but he also mentioned focusing on a sci-fi story as the main body, with regret as a secondary emotional layer.

Eden made the most important point clear.

People must keep moving forward. Her artistic mastery has already reached the pinnacle of the current era, yet Eden is still searching—where can she improve further, and continue to do something for this world?

That is why she sponsors this competition, continuously investing.

She wants to nurture shining new stars in other fields as well.

That is her wish.

As her voice fell, thunderous applause erupted in the venue.

"Is Eden's charm just that great? Thank you for sharing your perspective with us. Do you have any contestants you're keeping an eye on?"

Elysia continued to inquire, maintaining the atmosphere. The crowd's applause even drowned out the microphone.

The same scene was likely playing out online right now.

Whenever Eden speaks, the audience's enthusiasm is hard to extinguish.

"If I had to go by my personal preference, I rather like contestant No. 13's work from the previous competition."

Eden pondered carefully. "His work lacks detail, like a rich fine wine with a trace of impurity. Yet that flaw does not ruin the wine's flavor; instead, it fades away, becoming an aftertaste lingering in the throat."

Fine wine is one of the few things Eden truly likes.

Fans who know Eden understand this is extremely high praise—an unparalleled honor!

[Feels like the champion of this round is already set! No. 13, didn't expect you to be a dark horse!]

[True, Su Nian's previous works were classics too, but online, I still have to say he needs more practice]

[I think even the worst script, performed by Eden, could become a timeless masterpiece]

[Join the Eden Church, shining like starlight—official fan club, thank you meow~]

[I want to watch No. 13, but I also want to watch Eden. Why can't a person have two heads!]

"Eden admires him so much, it almost makes me jealous." Elysia teased Eden, adding a bit of playfulness. After this small interlude, she steered everything back on track.

"But I imagine the contestants haven't settled into their rhythm yet. How about we turn the camera to Studio No. 13 and take a look at that contestant?"

According to the schedule, it was indeed time to check on the contestants.

Eden had been here all along, and the audience's eyes were glued to her, unwilling to look away—clearly a situation that had been anticipated.

This wasn't ideal, since the brightest stars of this competition should be the contestants themselves.

Su Nian was fortunate enough to become the first contestant to catch the public's attention, undoubtedly reaping a massive wave of exposure.

Popularity is crucial for contestants with real talent.

Many brilliant works are buried in obscurity for various reasons, failing to persist until the day they shine due to a lack of encouragement.

This competition is an opportunity for them, a platform, a springboard.

It's not some kind of gladiatorial contest where the last one standing tramples over countless peers, nor a scene of "one achievement built on ten thousand bones."

The entire tone is love and peace—a healthy competitive environment is essential.

The big screen in the stadium began to switch feeds, and the audience instantly saw the scene inside Studio No. 13.

Even though the timing wasn't ideal, there were still millions of viewers online. News of Eden's presence had just spread, and the viewer count was still climbing.

Countless eyes were now fixed on Su Nian.

Unexpectedly, only a short ten-plus minutes had passed since the contestants entered the studios and began creating.

Most contestants were at a loss, unsure what to write, scratching their heads in agony, deleting and rewriting, writing and deleting, unable to produce anything useful.

Others pretended to be calm, putting on a composed front, but their anxiety showed through their actions.

Smoking while their legs wouldn't stop trembling, brows furrowed so tightly they could crush two flies...

A few contestants managed to remain unshaken, as if a mountain were crumbling before them. At least they weren't overly anxious, but they weren't writing either.

Only at Su Nian's spot, she was hunched over the table, the paper in her hands already covered in dense, cramped handwriting.

[Whoa, she's already starting to create?!]

[Using the pain mask to trick the opponents, huh, not pretending anymore now!]

[I've been watching from the start, and that pen hasn't stopped! But writing like this is pretty slow, why not use the top-tier computer the production team provided?]

[You wouldn't get it, would you? Writing while thinking, it's just right, isn't it?]

Su Nian was completely absorbed in her creation, jotting down the general content she knew.

Only then did she begin to write in detail, according to her own ability.

In other words, what she was writing now was the so-called outline and character setting cards.

The main text hadn't even started yet, but this already far surpassed all the other contestants.

If this were compared to a car race, then... the other contestants couldn't even see her taillights!

And the preparation time hadn't even ended yet!

The camera zoomed in, letting them see the timeline of the Previous Civilization that Su Nian had sorted out.

"This prompt is no simple matter. I didn't expect the first contestant to be so swift, already having conceived to this extent."

"The story's outline is beginning to take shape. To achieve this level in such a short time, she is excellent."

Eden's unreserved praise stirred the barrage to life as well.

[I watched from start to finish, and she never even paused her pen!]

[Amazing, even in previous seasons there wasn't a talent like this, right?]

[I bet a pack of spicy sticks! Betting on Number 13 to be this year's champion!]

[I watched this book being written, from now on I'm an old fan!]