Iion

  “You don't remember me?”

  Qiu Ran ughed.

  Anna, ko the ground by a punch, was jolted awake by the searing pain on her face.

  “zx-140…”

  She murmured, trembling as she touched her burned cheek.

  Not even the zx-102 experiment act had damaged half her face.

  “My face—how dare you touch my face, you bitch—”

  She went berserk, g at Qiu Ran like a madwoman.

  Sp!

  Qiu Ran spped her heavily on the same side of her human face.

  “You 't even remember my name... you detained me for three years.”

  Qiu Ran’s eyes were filled with red and bck, her palm glowihe air around her dist, but her heart was cold.

  “Three years!”

  She raised her hand, grabbed Anna’s disheveled hair, a on fire, causing Anna to scream like a madwoman as her scalp burned.

  “You bastard! Beast! Scum! You piece of shit!”

  The normally cheerful, gentle rural girl now acted like a fierce lioness, pinning Anna doung her fiercely in the face.

  “This punch is for Nomi, that kind and lovely child, killed by your Camity Armament!”

  Bang!

  Anna's head hit the ground, stars dang in her vision.

  “This punch is for Snoas just a baby, experimented on and stripped of her body!”

  Bang!

  Qiu Ran tore a piece of cloth from Anna’s clothes, held it in her palm, a on fire, her furious fist hitting Anna’s face, tearing it open, the stench of burnt flesh and pus spreading.

  “This punch is for my younger siblings. In the most crucial time of their lives, because of your mistakes, their futures were stolen!”

  Bang!

  Qiu Ran raised her fist, her burned hand feeling no pain. pared to the agony in her heart, this physical pain was nothing.

  Her fiery fist hit Anna’s jaw again, scorg her remaining good half of her face. Just as Anna was about to pass out, Li Aozi lifted his hand, took a syringe of adrenaline from his pocket, and ied it into Anna’s neck.

  “Ah—”

  The intense pain snapped Anna back to sciousness, her pupils trag and diting wildly. Li Aozi took the opportunity to lift his long knife, aiming it carefully, and gouged out her right eye.

  Ssh!

  “Ahhhh—ah—ahhhh—”

  In areme state of crity, An her eyeball beiirely removed by Li Aozi.

  Qiu Ran stood up, uo trol her as. Fortunately, she had vented once before with Nordley, but now she crouched on the ground, struggling to calm down.

  Her three years didn’t matter, but her siblings’ lives could be ruined.

  Whehey saw other college students with det jobs, they would think of those high school years when, in their most helpless time, their elder sister had abahem and disappeared, seemingly living a carefree life.

  They went to exams alone, with no oo apany them. On the eve of exams, while other students were cramming, they were w, just to have enough for the meal.

  “It doesn’t matter what happens to me... My life is already ruined, but my siblings are good people. They shouldn’t have to suffer like me.”

  Qiu Ran held her head, realizing that even if she returned.

  Three years of absen a fast-paced society meant everything had ged.

  If they met again, would they still remember her?

  Would they be able tive her?

  Qiu Ran's silent sobbing made Li Aozi bow his head, his face darkening.

  He could hardly imagine someone who, even now, was thinking of others.

  This always cheerful, naive, and kind girl was bearing more pressure than he had ever realized.

  Or perhaps, it recisely because she lived for others that she could remain indifferent to her own hardships.

  She g to hope for the future, despite having long despaired of Frost-Pted Republic’s society.

  Despair.

  Li Aozi clutched his chest, hearing Nomi's determined vow eg in his ears:

  “I’m just a fool, a bumbling idiot. The instructor always says I’m often useless, just a little wildcat good fhting.”

  “But even a wildcat like me ’t tolerate the world turning into this.”

  “I don’t know if others will make better choices. Maybe there will be tyrants, new officials, and the world might get worse—but I’d rather make hundreds of mistakes than maintaiatus quo.”

  And then there were the memories of "Li Aozi" from this body.

  —In early September, a long-awaited call from his mother in the tryside ordered him: the family oor, so after vocational school, he had to work to pay off debts and support his sister's high school education.

  He left home with less than 200 Derbies, w as a security guard in the ty, dreaming of saving enough to get impnts and bee a GTB bounty hunter.

  But ughably, even at the bottom, he wasn’t allowed to harbor rese, eventually summoning spirits and invitih.

  The poor aren’t even allowed to ment their poverty without being told, "Why don’t you work harder? You’re poor because you don’t work hard enough."

  Life is a marathon; some Frost-Pted people are born at the finish line, not needing to run, just dang in D2000 hovercars, drinking wine, and tossing expensive fruit after a bite.

  But for Qiu Ran and the inal "Li Aozi," they were running full speed, bleeding, while carrying their families.

  …………………………

  This isn’t a game anymore.

  Nomi is dead, Snow suffered for years, Qiu Ran might never go home; people endure such hardships…

  This isn't virtual data; it’s real blood, anger, sorrow.

  “Whether I admit it or not, I o longer see this as a virtual world. What I see, the emotions I feel, the sorrows I witness—if this is fake, then what is real?”

  For the first time, Li Aozi truly uood this reality.

  “Thank you, Nomi.”

  For Nomi and so many others fighting to overthrow Frost-Pted Republic, it was just a storyline for pyers.

  But truly immersing himself in this world, he felt the silent screams and tears of those at the bottom, deafening cries for justice.

  Nomi, Qiu Ran, Snow, Dr. Siqi, Dimitri’s family, many inds… and “Li Aozi.”

  They all suffered uhe exploitation and oppression of Frost-Pted Republid the four nations.

  【I’m not a savior, not a good person, but that’s why I should do something that makes the world look better, something that makes me feel better.】

  Qiu Ran dared not think too much, but reality was all arouoo many examples.

  Her brht already be uo afford school, w at stru sites, taking out loans, w in factories, then losing jobs to AI.

  W as a sorter, real estate agent, or in desperate times, being a GTB bounty hurading life for money, repg body parts with ons.

  Killing, stealing, risking their lives, just to support their family.

  Her once lovely sister, to survive, might end up as a dancer, singer, or worse, trag diseases, dying exhausted.

  They shouldn’t be like this.

  They should be respectable civil servants, doctors, teachers, engineers, wyers, tributing to society and living happily, not turning into meraries, exploited borers, and prostitutes.

  “It’s all my fault... If I had stayed, this wouldn’t have happened…”

  Qiu Ran, head buried, cried silently.

  At this moment, she heard a calm judgment:

  “Anna, I thought you had some skills, but you’re nothing pared to the professor.”

  “You always think of yourself. Just one broken finger and a few punches, and you ’t take it—look at Qiu Ran! She endured so much for others; she’s the one who’s truly tired.”

  Qiu Ran was stunned, looking up.

  Li Aozi, having taken Anna’s eye, raised his long knife high, like a judge lifting a gavel, and said solemnly:

  “This strike is for Qiu Ran.”

  Anna could no longer speak. Fmes burned her head and vocal cords as she stared at the desding bde with her remaining eye.

  ————————

  【Mairiggered—“White Frost-Pted Bones”】

  【Type】: Destru

  【Duration】: Until death

  【Difficulty】: Splendidstory

  (Note: Splendidstory—Epic. At this difficulty, whether you succeed or fail, if progress reaches 30%, it will profoundly impaational, ethnid regional civilization, causing signifit reas and transformations, even spiritual awakenings.)

  (This task is irreversible. Once chosen, it ot be stopped. Enemies will hunt and persecute you relentlessly, usiworks and media to mentally harass you, affeg others’ views of you. For your mental health, choose wisely.)

  【Description】:

  “Gods only protect the rich; White Frost only gilds the bones of the poor.”

  Frost-Pted Republic is rotten, disgusting; it has even enraged a narrow self-serving person like you.

  Ah basiderstanding should stand up aroy this demoniation.

  First the farmers' nd, then women’s wealth, then men’s power, then the lives of babies, and finally, everyone’s soul.

  You won’t regret it, even against the four nations. Rather, you should feel proud.

  If you die and fail, you’ll be a legendary figure.

  If you win and succeed, you’ll be a hero of epic proportions.

  Go light a fire, drive away the bck crows that, along with cockroaches and maggots, are eroding people's souls.

  May you have the ce and faith to never fade.

  【Settlement ditions】:

  “Historical Progress”—Elimihe current Frost-Pted Republic gover.

  Reward: [Tier Adva Coupon]*1—Forcefully advane tier, ign ditions and level limits.

  “Desire for ge”—Restruct Frost-Pted society and culture, rest normal life for its people.

  Reward: [Omega-ega Energy Amplifier]*1—Evolves one of your Omega Energies to Omega-Css.

  “End the Evil”—Permaly eradicate problems in Frost-Pted Republid the Outnds, ensuring people don’t overcorrebsp;

  Reward: Omega-ega Energy [Eleagic Fordu]

  【Note】: Oarted, this task ot be stopped. Choose wisely—

  【You have chosen to accept this task.】

  【The future is open. Good luck.】

  FAL