Chapter 172
Thirdly.
Consciousness suddenly sank into endless darkness.
"..."
"..."
"Um???"
This feeling...
Stiff, silent, stagnant, empty.
There are no thoughts or ideas, no visual, auditory, tactile, or even any real-time sensory feedback. Not even dreams.
Deep fainting?
Sleep? Low-temperature hibernation?
Or is it a state of being severely injured but not completely dead? Could it be that the awakening of [Heaven's Gift] has forcibly brought the life of the dying 'me' back?
At that very moment, just as Vera was pondering to herself, the [stream] belonging to the Eight 'Vera', which clearly resonated but had no ripple feedback, trembled as if a soul had returned, and a dynamic color rose from the stagnant abyss of darkness.
The sudden effectiveness of real-time Remembrance keeps pouring in.
Hearing, vision...
"Peace, freedom, eggs and bacon—it seems perfect, but... what if everything disappeared?"
Accompanied by an impassioned voice, an abstract cartoon character wearing a blue uniform with gold trim appears.
The cartoonish white male, with slightly curly blond short hair, is giving a thumbs-up and rambling on about promoting and urging people to buy shelter products to prevent Nuclear War.
"My friend, your future may not be as safe as you think. Where will you be when a nuclear bomb falls? You can reserve a location in a state-of-the-art shelter built by Vault-Tec Corporation to protect your family's safety."
"Yes. Take immediate action to protect your family from the horrors of a nuclear disaster... Sign up now and prepare for the future."
As the synchronized Remembrance continued to flood in, a realization flashed in Vera's eyes.
So that's how it is. That was a post- Nuclear War wasteland, and I was still sleeping in a cryogenic hibernation pod.
Fourthly.
Midwinter.
The world was covered in silver, with snow and ice, a vast expanse of white.
This is a Slavic Deep Freeze Season that freezes all life in the forests and the earth.
A majestic castle built in frozen soil, with a sunlit courtyard at a constant temperature.
The courtyard is filled with fragrant Sea Pinks.
The young Royal Military Governor stood with his hands behind his back on the terrace, gazing at the sky, which was tinged with strange colors.
Humanoid steel knights, wielding halberds and spears, lined up side by side, filling the audience avenue outside the palace. Amidst the changing of the guard, the sound of the High-Mobility Drive Wheel scraping against the ground was neat and orderly.
"Finally, I'm no longer an orphan... I didn't bring death to my parents? Envious that I have nearly a hundred blood relatives and brothers and sisters? Cough, what are you saying? Apart from my mother and a few 'plastic' sisters with whom I have a passable relationship, the others, hehe, are lucky if they don't wish me to suffer a setback on the Eastern Europe battlefield. As for that father, well, at least on the surface, my relationship with him is okay... After all, I need to be especially grateful to him for leaving me the status of a legal heir."
Silent soliloquy.
I turned around and looked at the flag spread out on the wall at the far end of the sunroom.
The background consists of a blue background and a red cross, with a badge in the center surrounded by green leaves and ribbons. The badge features an eagle-lion and a snake, with the eagle-lion and snake submitting to and protecting a crown.
It tells us what kind of political system the country under this flag will have.
The Holy Britannian Empire
As the clock struck 6 p. m., a crisp knocking sounded along with the church bells outside the window.
Thump thump thump—
"Come in."
"Your Third Princess, Grand Duke Venance and the leaders of the four great knightly orders have arrived. The highest war meeting between European Britannia is waiting for your arrival to begin."
[Resident Evil]
It seemed like only a moment, yet it also seemed like a long time had passed.
In the CEO's top-floor office of the Military Science Building, Vera gently put down the unopened, bloodless SSS-grade Owl sword belonging to Kishou Arima, instantly snapping out of her reverie and regaining her composure.
"Nine Heavens, huh?"
Clenching her fist, Vera felt the vibrant life force emanating from her limbs and bones. She smiled slightly, and her bright indigo eyes, which had been tinged with a deep, multicolored hue, seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"International Gene Technology and Masrani Global, the European Germany that broke free from the shackles of the Cold War and regained its sovereignty to start fighting again, Vault-Tec Corporation, the Britannian Royalty... quite a diverse range of positions indeed."
Also, regarding the book recommendations from fellow readers, * the Wandering Earth * and the Three-Body Problem are fine, but they're not suitable for my writing. The various characters and events involved are likely to be censored. Writing about them would probably result in a lot of interruptions, homophones, and pseudonyms throughout.
168
Chapter 168 Progress, progress, or is it still his precious fairness!
What is the cheapest, most intuitive, and most effective way to regulate your body in the world?
--sleep.
Sleep is the catalyst for the 'best medicine' that cures everything.
The same applies to Vera. Although finding and embracing the 'self' of the [Multiversal Lifeform] can also be seen as the unification of the 'other self' without any question of deep integration, there is still some subjective adaptation and harmony in her mind and objective physical body.
This is an elevation of the essence of life.
"Zzzzz..."
Vera opened her eyes.
The familiar ceiling and the exceptionally luxuriously decorated bedroom.
"Call..."
Vera let out a long sigh, straightened up on the bed and stretched. Her bones cracked and popped, and her muscles and bones relaxed. She felt refreshed and light, as if every cell was bathed in the vibrant air. She felt relaxed and invigorated!
He rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom.
Whoosh—
Warm water splashed on Vera's face, then flowed down her smooth cheeks. During her wash, she accidentally broke her toothbrush while trying to maintain her daily routine. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and a playful look appeared in her indigo eyes.
Vera's slender, fair fingers tightened subtly as she watched the high-strength polymer toothbrush handle gradually wrinkle and break under pressure, being crushed into powder. The polymer powder was then washed away by the running water. Vera smiled calmly, rubbed her fingertips, and washed them clean. The outer skin was completely undamaged and without any marks.
"I must say, climbing with positive feedback is truly addictive. Climbing the extraordinary long staircase..."
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Vera slowly reached out her hand, and the aloof woman in the mirror also reached out her hand, their fingertips touching. A lingering echo seemed to resonate in her ears.
To any third party, the bathroom might appear to be empty except for Vera, who is murmuring to herself as if she is organizing her day's tasks.
But Vera doesn't see it that way.
A faint, double image shimmered in her pure indigo irises.
One, two... multiple illusory figures gradually solidified in the mirror image before Vera, perfectly blending yet remaining independent of each other.
A weary, paper-bound figure—she in [Cyberpunk]—
Sigh, Elder Sister 'Elder Sister' truly lives up to her name.
They get up earliest and go to bed latest.
He's either in a meeting or on his way to handle the management affairs of Night City Arasaka Tower.
She has participated in many Arasaka Board of Directors meetings as an observer alongside Michiko Arasaka. She also needs to handle challenging and demanding tasks unilaterally delegated by Saburo Arasaka.
It truly can withstand pressure, stress, and hard rolling.
Unlike the physical body, the improvement in mind after high-adaptive cyber transformation is not as intuitive and significant.
In recent times, as her status has become increasingly prominent and her power has grown, the Western Free State Alliance has been re-established, and Arasaka has resumed her offensive strategy in the Pacific Rim region, especially in North America. A flood of affairs— Arasaka's, allies', rivals', public and private—almost have overwhelmed her leisure time.
While he may lack the strength to handle the situation, or be clumsy and inept, he is still Super Soldier possessing the power of the Five Elements.
But time is indeed significantly reduced, leaving less room for leisure, and the brain is constantly working at high capacity, inevitably leading to fatigue.
Of course, the rewards are also substantial and immediate.
The name 'Arasaka Grandson' became increasingly well-known at the Arasaka Tokyo headquarters tower, and his position became increasingly secure.
This kind of unscrupulous, diligent style of governance, reminiscent of Qin Shi Huang, Hongwu Emperor, and Yongzheng Emperor, has silenced many ambitious aspiring workers in Tokyo Tower who wanted to compete with or even create a semi-replica of it. They simply couldn't compete, no matter how much they consumed stimulants and treated tranquilizers and sleeping pills as desserts.
Even the most stubborn and conservative old-school manager, Arasaka, had to admit that Lord Saburo truly lived up to his reputation as an investment god; his vision was truly excellent!
Also, I heard that Lord Norinobu has been quite stressed lately, and he's even stopped calling geishas and courtesans.
And now, the power of the five "Wei" has been upgraded to the power of the nine "Wei".
Yes, the feeling of being in control is back, and the fatigue has vanished.
They can take on even more responsibilities now.
With a smile, Vera then looked at the other dynamic silhouettes of light and shadow.
Amidst the throngs of people and the roar of construction machinery on a massive urban construction site, she is the character from Call of Duty XI—
They are still building Atlas Military Industries' new global headquarters in Iraq Middle East, along with a whole supporting complex of New Baghdad city clusters, a super-large intelligent industrial park, and a cluster of satellite cities.
Speaking on the platform at the mass funeral, amidst mournful music and gunshots, was her from [Ghoul]—
The funeral ceremonies for those who died in the Battle of Tokyo are proceeding in an orderly manner, followed by medal-awarding ceremonies and promotion ceremonies for those who have rendered meritorious service. The confiscation of homes belonging to Ghoul hidden in Japanese high society, or the prosecution and trial of those involved, are still ongoing.
In terms of duties, the mission of the Martial Law Commander ended with the end of the martial law order, but the position of CCG Special Investigator and Plenipotentiary Special Investigator Authority [USA] was retained. He was awarded the White Dragon Wing Emblem (an award that can be obtained after expelling an SSS-class Ghoul) and the Golden Osmanthus Emblem (a badge that can be obtained after expelling more than 100 Ghoul in a year), and was promoted to Acting Chairman of the CCG.
Oh, and the fact that the Prime Minister specifically applied for and received the rubber stamp of approval from the Imperial Palace, Master of Ceremonies personally delivered the Order of the Rising Sun, First Class and the Order of the Precious Crown, Peony to Vera —it was all very obsequious. They even skipped the process of receiving the award at the Imperial Palace, which is clearly stipulated in the honors system.
As well as...
Vera's vision went black.
"..."
She's still sleeping in!
She's living a really comfortable life in "Jormungand" and "Black Lagoon".
Roanapur, a prominent figure in the arms smuggling industry, travels the world seeking out adventures and has escaped worldly troubles at a young age. He recently opened two highly customized, membership-based private gun shops and clinics.
They can easily and efficiently handle their job duties.
That's good. Since there are no special products or rare items to offer, let's establish ourselves as providing positive emotional value, helping 'Vera' to relieve negative emotions, appreciate people, scenery, and relax her mind.
It would be too tragic if people were constantly scheming and plotting against each other.
Killing and pranks are inevitable, but the collusion and shootouts between regular smugglers, mercenaries, and gangsters in the early 21st century really seemed like child's play to Vera, who held a high position in other worlds.
Including her, the old five "Wei" were either busy or idle.
The new four 'Wei'.
Vera has basically determined which world they are in.
"Masrani Global Group".
[Jurassic Park + World], with a double doctorate in bionics and biology, was invited by a headhunter to join the company of Simon Masrani, the eighth richest man in the world, who owns Isla Nublar —a huge theme park and resort: Jurassic World.
"Section 9".
Ghost in the Shell a story about a mid-level officer from the German GSG 9th Border Guard Brigade, one of the three major powers that orchestrated the revival of Europe after the collapse and division of the United States and the decline of the CCP, who participated in the formation of the MaxTac.
She played a part in the naming process for this global MaxTac. Its positioning is also somewhat similar to Night City's cross-world counterparts, both aiming to better cope with this era of significant change.
This refers to crimes committed by cybernetic individuals whose various human organs and tissues have been artificially created.