Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 981 - 777: The Time of Change Has Come

Chapter 981: Chapter 777: The Time of Change Has Come

A sleek, invisible shuttle machine descended upon the ceasefire zone between North and South, like a white bird.

The area was under strict martial law, and it hovered in the air for a moment before finding a suitable landing spot, settling atop a hill. Nearby dense snow-covered cedar trees served as perfect natural cover.

The snow fell endlessly as Xu Yang and the others disembarked from the shuttle machine.

Standing on the snow-covered grass, he gazed at the surroundings. Though the ceasefire line was not explicitly marked, a single glance was enough to distinguish the territories of the North and South.

On one side were dense barbed wire fences, trenches, and military sentry posts. Fortification clusters stood like rows of steel spikes piercing the earth, all constructed to the specifications of permanent fortifications. They were connected to each other via communication trenches, warehouses, and underground depots, with countless anti-aircraft guns and missiles aimed at the skies. Regardless of the type of assault launched from the other side, it would take all-out effort to destroy these fortresses.

Further beyond lay vast farmland, barren due to the lack of spring sowing, resembling bald patches upon the earth. A narrow road stretched northward, leading directly to Yaoyin Mountain. Beyond the mountain lay Xin City. There were no vehicles on it, only a military railroad running parallel, like two dark lines of symmetry.

On the other side stood a series of military bases of varying scale, interconnected by highways and three-dimensional railways, resembling a labyrinth of intricate complexity. Heavy rocket launcher positions, missile bases, radar stations, airports, and information centers occupied advantageous terrains, mutually covering each other while aggressively monitoring and intercepting every movement. No matter how fiercely the other side attacked, they would have to brace for the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands.

Three highways stretched linearly southward. A glance revealed numerous villages, towns, and cities of various sizes dotting the vicinity. These areas were densely packed with buildings, factories, and skyscrapers, with network-like road systems clearly laid out. High above, slow-moving airships emblazoned with the Modern Entertainment Company logo hovered.

Jin Yuxiu stood on the ceasefire line, first gazing toward the North, then toward the South.

"This wasn’t like this before," Jin Yuxiu muttered instinctively.

"Indeed. Back when we first came here, neither side had such massive defensive clusters. Now, they’ve built the highest-grade land fortresses, just waiting for the other to strike first. If instability hadn’t emerged within North Silla, South Silla wouldn’t have been able to breach these defenses. Plus, North Silla still possesses long-range missiles and rocket artillery. Should they unleash a barrage upon the South, even the Modern Entertainment Company wouldn’t be able to withstand it," Xu Yang replied.

Though they hadn’t seen the actual conditions in North Silla, Xu Yang could extrapolate and imagine the multitude of bomb shelters and disaster-prevention projects built there. During wartime, they could rely on the rugged mountains to construct defenses. South Silla, on the other hand, had densely populated cities that could hardly endure relentless missile and rocket bombardment.

Confronted with the grim reality of the military standoff, Jin Yuxiu shut her eyes in sorrow.

She breathed silently. The entire peninsula seemed to split beneath her feet, the ideological divides and real-world contradictions tearing them apart, their mutual animosity showing no signs of reconciliation.

"Yesterday, that Chen Xinchi said I was the figurehead of Silla, that my victory equated to the victory of the entire Silla. At the time, I felt it was unreal. Now, I think... it might just be true. The residents of Silla suffer from internal unrest and war, plagued by various catastrophes. But they can read reports about me in the media—Jin Yuxiu, a Witch from Silla, soaring through the skies..." Jin Yuxiu raised her hand as if to touch the cold clouds above.

"Even during dark times for a people, an athlete can inspire optimism and courage amongst everyone, changing the fate of an entire civilization. Let alone a Dominator Level Witch. If you were to exert your full strength, you could potentially level Yidu City, the headquarters of the Modern Entertainment Company. Such unparalleled power is certainly something for them to take pride in; you are one of a kind," Xu Yang nodded.

"I don’t know. I’m a Witch!" Jin Yuxiu exclaimed. "And they are humans. Humans and witches—aren’t we two different species?"

"How many people truly think that way? Most accept the Witch’s coexistence with humans calmly, without even realizing your identity most of the time. If you took off your armor, dressed in casual clothes, and walked into a café or cinema, who would notice your true ’species’?" Xu Yang replied.

Jin Yuxiu silently sat on the grass, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Xu Yang observed Jin Yuxiu. In this moment, she seemed to have become the last adhesive bond between two worlds, North and South.

"Maybe... but it seems the North Silla people are more genuine. The South Silla people only see me as a worker. I’ve always felt I was just a laborer anyway," Jin Yuxiu shook her head lightly.

"That’s the brilliance of the company. The little booklet loved by North Silla readers mentions this: The company extinguishes all sacredness, drowning the sanctified bursts of our emotions in the icy waters of self-interest. Through pure monetary transactions and value exchanges, it eradicates dreams and fervor. It’s slapped a price tag onto your neck too," Xu Yang said.

"A price tag?" Jin Yuxiu asked, lifting her head.

"Yes, fascinating, isn’t it? If the company offers you a salary of ten thousand, you’d feel like a ’ten-thousand-worth person’ and take pride in it. If it’s one thousand or two thousand, people would think they’re worth one thousand or two thousand and look down on those earning less, constantly comparing how many people they surpass socially. With a five-thousand salary, someone might feel they’re worth five thousand, deeming themselves mediocre and ordinary. And thus, the employees, like commodities, abandon their human dignity and turn into a kind of price-tag-necked slave, taking pride in serving the businessmen and indulging in mutual competition... or something like that," Xu Yang said casually.

Jin Yuxiu closed her eyes.

"I’ll figure out a way to do something," she murmured.

In the South, always a tool...

Xu Yang glanced toward Xin City, initiating a hack into the network. The first wave of operatives had arrived; next were the second and third.

...

A40, along with several Silla-specialized agents, advanced stealthily toward Xin City. Their goal was to infiltrate the prison and rescue North Silla’s former Chairman Cui Taiyong.

Although Cui Taiyong lacked political finesse, his tenure as Chairman granted him significant legitimacy, ensuring stability during the transitional phase.

"What a wretched place," muttered A40, cloaked in optical invisibility, as it surveyed the outskirts of Xin City.

A40 had participated in the Silla conflict three years ago. The conditions back then were grim too, with most people conscripted to battle the company, leaving the countryside abandoned.

One would have thought three years of recovery would lead to improvement, but the situation had worsened dramatically!

Heavy snow fell incessantly. Roads were buried under layers of snow, isolating most villages. Inside each one, there was an eerie silence, like graveyards scattered across the land.

Without machinery to clear the snow, most residents would remain trapped in their homes, unable to leave their villages for the entire winter.

"Rise and fight! Every second counts for our cause!"

"Work tirelessly every Saturday! Work harder than a typical Monday on every Sunday!"

"It’s time to make a contribution to our homeland!"

"Enlist now, young heroes! The company’s front line needs your courage!"

"Eight hours of labor, eight hours of entertainment, and eight hours for yourself!"

The highways were lined with billboards proclaiming such motivational slogans, painting an idyllic vision of North Silla’s progressive efforts and exhorting people to strive forward.

A40 turned its gaze away from the propaganda and immediately noticed the poor condition of houses along the way. While homes in the Northern Archipelago had been temporarily reinforced to withstand extreme weather, these rural North Silla houses were entirely neglected, with cracked walls, collapsed roofs, and broken windows. The residents had been forced to relocate, leaving behind a growing number of coffin-like derelict buildings.

"My mom said most of the supplies are controlled by the cooperative owners and distributors sent from above. Unless you bribe them or meet their various demands, you can’t access any resources," lamented a Silla intelligence officer named Jin Minzai, whose primary job was data theft and who had been reassigned by the network security division for this mission.

"They say during the first snowstorm last year, almost all the elderly and sick in North Silla died off. No one even bothered to count the actual fatalities..." added another intelligence officer, Cui Shinxian, originally a senior agent with Xisheng who had followed the company into surrender. After spending a few weeks in detention, he sought ways to redeem himself.

"What? That’s outrageous!" A40 expressed its fury.

If it could identify the culprits behind this cruelty—those who harmed innocent civilians—it would tear them apart mercilessly!

"Let’s move. The priority now is rescuing Chairman Cui Taiyong. If Yin Changmin is ousted, only Chairman Cui could barely hold the situation together," said a female special agent named Li Enyan. While adept at using her beauty to resolve issues elsewhere, her advantage didn’t necessarily apply in Silla, where cosmetic surgeries had given most women faces similar to hers.

"With this device installed, even in North Silla’s signal-blocked zones, communications can be restored," data thief Jin Minzai revealed, presenting a toolkit that he planned to deploy once inside Xin City.

...

At that moment, inside a luxury hotel in Xin City, General Yin Changmin was playing mahjong with other top officials under heavy security protection.

Yin Changmin was currently the most powerful figure in North Silla and understood the importance of maintaining close relations with his inner circle.

Previously, there had been horrifying incidents where Silla’s top officials were executed by their intelligence ministers. Yin Changmin had learned from these stories, ensuring unwavering support for his confidants. Even if he couldn’t tolerate someone, he dealt with them quietly, never confronting them publicly.

He excelled at striking such balances.

Yin Changmin bowed to the powerful overseas corporations, to his military officers, and to his high-ranking officials—but never to ordinary citizens. After all, regular people possessed no real ability to resist. Executing thousands of dissenters each year solved the issue, preventing any significant uprisings.

"General Yin! Xin City Prison is under attack!" A messenger dashed in urgently.

"What? Truly lawless behavior." Yin Changmin put down his mahjong tiles, and the others pricked up their ears to listen.

"It seems the automated defense systems have failed! There might be hacker activities!" the intelligence officer reported nervously.

"Hackers?" Yin Changmin frowned. "Modern Entertainment’s hackers?"

"Still unconfirmed!" the messenger responded hurriedly.

Yin Changmin quickly headed out. The hotel also housed many robots, leaving him unsettled.

"What about this one..." Yin Changmin pointed to a robotic sentry in the corridor. "If hackers are involved, could it have been compromised too?"

"Negative," the robotic sentry replied.

"Hmm..." Distracted, Yin Changmin turned away.

"General! Robotic sentries don’t talk!" the messenger shouted.

In a flash, the robotic sentry turned swiftly, dashed forward, and delivered a precise sweeping kick to Yin Changmin.

"Hmph." Yin Changmin sidestepped the attack, his back facing the robot as he effortlessly avoided the blow.

Nearly caught off guard, he congratulated himself on his superior reflexes.

"What!" The messenger, alarmed, drew a handgun from his chest, aiming to destroy the hacked robot.

The gun’s auto-targeting mechanism glitched momentarily, locking onto Yin Changmin’s chest.

Caught off guard by the malfunction, the messenger instinctively pulled the trigger.