ALL NOVEL 106. Integration
- Integration
“You don't remember me?”
Qiu Ran laughed.
Anna, knocked to 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 accident had damaged half her face.
“My face—how dare you touch my face, you bitch—”
She went berserk, clawing at Qiu Ran like a madwoman.
Slap!
Qiu Ran slapped her heavily on the same side of her human face.
“You can't even remember my name... you detained me for three years.”
Qiu Ran’s eyes were filled with red and black, her palm glowing red, the air around her distorting, but her heart was cold.
“Three years!”
She raised her hand, grabbed Anna’s disheveled hair, and set it 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 down and punching her fiercely in the face.
“This punch is for Nomi, that kind and lovely child, killed by your Calamity Armament!”
Bang!
Anna's head hit the ground, stars dancing in her vision.
“This punch is for Snow, who was 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, and set it 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. Compared to the agony in her heart, this physical pain was nothing.
Her fiery fist hit Anna’s jaw again, scorching 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 injected it into Anna’s neck.
“Ah—”
The intense pain snapped Anna back to consciousness, her pupils contracting and dilating wildly. Li Aozi took the opportunity to lift his long knife, aiming it carefully, and gouged out her right eye.
Slash!
“Ahhhh—ah—ahhhh—”
In an extreme state of clarity, Anna felt her eyeball being entirely removed by Li Aozi.
Qiu Ran stood up, unable to control her actions. 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.
Whenever they saw other college students with decent jobs, they would think of those high school years when, in their most helpless time, their elder sister had abandoned them and disappeared, seemingly living a carefree life.
They went to exams alone, with no one to accompany them. On the eve of exams, while other students were cramming, they were working, just to have enough for the next 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 absence in a fast-paced society meant everything had changed.
If they met again, would they still remember her?
Would they be able to forgive 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 was precisely because she lived for others that she could remain indifferent to her own hardships.
She clung to hope for the future, despite having long despaired of Frost-Plated Republic’s society.
Despair.
Li Aozi clutched his chest, hearing Nomi's determined vow echoing in his ears:
“I’m just a fool, a bumbling idiot. The instructor always says I’m often useless, just a little wildcat good for fighting.”
“But even a wildcat like me can’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 maintain the status 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 countryside ordered him: the family was poor, 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, working as a security guard in the county, dreaming of saving enough to get implants and become a GTB bounty hunter.
But laughably, even at the bottom, he wasn’t allowed to harbor resentment, eventually summoning spirits and inviting death.
The poor aren’t even allowed to lament 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-Plated people are born at the finish line, not needing to run, just dancing in D2000 hovercars, drinking wine, and tossing expensive fruit after a bite.
But for Qiu Ran and the original "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 can no 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 understood this reality.
“Thank you, Nomi.”
For Nomi and so many others fighting to overthrow Frost-Plated Republic, it was just a storyline for players.
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. Chen Siqi, Dimitri’s family, many in the Outlands… and “Li Aozi.”
They all suffered under the exploitation and oppression of Frost-Plated Republic and 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 around her, too many examples.
Her brother might already be unable to afford school, working at construction sites, taking out loans, working in factories, then losing jobs to AI.
Working as a sorter, real estate agent, or in desperate times, becoming a GTB bounty hunter, trading life for money, replacing body parts with weapons.
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, contracting diseases, dying exhausted.
They shouldn’t be like this.
They should be respectable civil servants, doctors, teachers, engineers, lawyers, contributing to society and living happily, not turning into mercenaries, exploited laborers, 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 compared to the professor.”
“You always think of yourself. Just one broken finger and a few punches, and you can’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. Flames burned her head and vocal cords as she stared at the descending blade with her remaining eye.
————————
【Main Quest Triggered—“White Frost-Plated Bones”】
【Type】: Destruction
【Duration】: Until death
【Difficulty】: Splendidstory
(Note: Splendidstory—Epic. At this difficulty, whether you succeed or fail, if progress reaches 30%, it will profoundly impact national, ethnic, and regional civilization, causing significant reactions and transformations, even spiritual awakenings.)
(This task is irreversible. Once chosen, it cannot be stopped. Enemies will hunt and persecute you relentlessly, using networks and media to mentally harass you, affecting 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-Plated Republic is rotten, disgusting; it has even enraged a narrow self-serving person like you.
Anyone with basic understanding should stand up and destroy this demonic nation.
First the farmers' land, 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 black crows that, along with cockroaches and maggots, are eroding people's souls.
May you have the courage and faith to never fade.
【Settlement Conditions】:
“Historical Progress”—Eliminate the current Frost-Plated Republic government.
Reward: [Tier Advancement Coupon]*1—Forcefully advance one tier, ignoring conditions and level limits.
- “Desire for Change”—Reconstruct Frost-Plated society and culture, restoring normal life for its people.
Reward: [Omega-Class Omega Energy Amplifier]*1—Evolves one of your Omega Energies to Omega-Class.
- “End the Evil”—Permanently eradicate problems in Frost-Plated Republic and the Outlands, ensuring people don’t overcorrect.
Reward: Omega-Class Omega Energy [Electromagnetic Force·Induction]
【Note】: Once started, this task cannot be stopped. Choose wisely—
【You have chosen to accept this task.】
【The future is open. Good luck.】
