Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 985 - 780: Painting the Sun in the Polar Night

Chapter 985: Chapter 780: Painting the Sun in the Polar Night

"This city is brimming with development potential..." Jin Yuxiu surveyed Xin City from above.

"According to database records, during the initial reconstruction of Xin City, the planning bureau gathered the best urban planners across the entire region, including some designers returning from overseas studies. They even included teams offering proposals from Xia and the Northern Archipelago, working together to ultimately devise the current blueprint of Xin City," said Xu Yang.

"Why did they put in so much effort?"

"To build a city that workers could be proud of." Xu Yang’s thoughts were already connected to North Silla’s database, allowing him to browse the documents stored within.

Jin Yuxiu observed the railway lines, highways, and the intricate web of roads within the city itself. From high above, they appeared intricate and interconnected, making Xin City resemble a massive beating heart, connecting the limbs and extremities of North Silla.

"But it’s only halfway built." Jin Yuxiu noticed how vast swaths of Xin City remained barren and empty.

In Xin City, the road networks were laid out, but no buildings had been started, leaving behind hundreds of tracts of wasteland marked out by human hands, resembling diseased scales upon the earth.

"If Xin City were completed, it might bring a significant ripple effect to North Silla. Raw materials could be transported from the northern mountains for processing here in Xin City before being shipped southward and exported through Shunzhou City. Transportation would be incredibly efficient. This ’heart’ of Xin City could pump life into hundreds of thousands of jobs while generating billions in material wealth. If that were the case, North Silla wouldn’t remain impoverished," Xu Yang said as he observed carefully.

In the designers’ plans, all the major transportation lines converged in Xin City. But with the city itself unfinished, it explained why North Silla remained so destitute—it was as though the pipeline of wealth had been blocked in the middle.

To maintain his grip on power, General Yin Changmin had executed many intellectuals who questioned him. Those who remained were too afraid to request funding or manpower from him, and there weren’t enough qualified individuals left to continue building the city.

Jin Yuxiu gazed at the massive "Laborer’s Square." Positioned at the center of Xin City, a radiant red pentagram was etched into the square’s surface. Its diameter spanned at least 500 meters, demanding attention—as if imprinting a certain belief onto the chest of the world.

Adjacent to it were the courthouse, administrative offices, and the labor assembly hall, all monumental in scale and rectangular in shape. Unlike corporate cities adorned with advertisements and posters, the aerial view made these structures appear like colossal white marble masterpieces of art.

"What a pity." Jin Yuxiu ran her hand along the window frame, looking out at the unfinished city.

It could have rivaled some of the world’s other renowned metropolises, supporting the needs of millions.

"The people of North Silla must wish to see it completed. Look, over there is the Heat Tower built with support from Nestor Corporation. It’s located near the hotels, barracks, and the airport. Across the way, in a residential area, there’s an identical empty space where a second tower was supposed to stand. The residents there waited two years in the biting cold for a second batch of Heat Towers that never came; the funds were diverted, and the materials remain piled up at the port, never delivered." Xu Yang gathered data while speaking.

They simply wanted to make their home better.

"...By the way, people here often talk about ’Pioneer thought.’ I’ve heard of it before. The Pioneer writings describe a world that is grand, bright, and filled with happiness for all. But I’ve yet to see a true Pioneer World." Jin Yuxiu’s eyes shifted to the red flags fluttering over the square.

"The Pioneer ideology asserts that corporations must be dismantled, laborers must gain governance rights, class oppression must be eliminated, productivity must be developed thoroughly, and the world must be propelled into great prosperity," Xu Yang said.

"That sounds amazing. Why don’t people just do it?" Jin Yuxiu asked.

"Because rejecting Pioneer ideals is the easiest thing to do," Xu Yang replied.

"What?"

"You see, Nestor Corporation is, after all, a corporation—too corporate to embody Pioneer ideals. North Silla is a backward region controlled by a warlord, so it’s not Pioneer either. Then you have Selita’s guerillas, who’ve regressed to a handicraft level of production on the icy wastelands—they don’t seem Pioneer either, no matter how you look at it. Meanwhile, the Colonel’s army hasn’t won against the corporations; they’re still stuck in the war stage, far from achieving any Pioneer goals..." Xu Yang explained.

"So the so-called Pioneer World, where everyone is happy, will never arrive. The books they’ve written are like some sort of religious scripture—promising a possibility that exists only in theory," Jin Yuxiu said, tying her memories to the present reality.

She recalled North Silla’s propaganda. The grander and more elaborate their promises and plans, the starker the contrast with reality became.

North Silla’s actual performance was lackluster. The vast majority of people lived in poverty, resembling refugees.

"According to past experiences, if humanity wishes to rebuild the world together, a massive and powerful organization must be established. That’s probably why it’s called ’Pioneer’—because it refers to those audacious few willing to lead the way. But such an organization, given its vast scale, concentrated power, and multitude of members, is almost guaranteed to become corrupt from within eventually. Consistency becomes nearly impossible," Xu Yang said as he lowered the Shuttle Machine.

Under the assault of agents and a select group of elite combat teams, they had largely secured control of Xin City, preparing to support Cui Taining in forming a transitional governing body.

"Then what should we do? There are so many problems right now," Jin Yuxiu asked as they walked.

"Indeed, there are many. On one hand, those advocating for Pioneer academic theory are increasingly disconnected from the people actually doing the work. Their proposals float in the abstract, as they themselves earn salaries from corporation-funded universities and lack a genuine ambition to alleviate societal suffering. On the other hand, the workers who do the heavy lifting are increasingly drawn into entertainment and spend their time on diversions thousands of times more extravagant than those of the past. Divided by social identity constructs, they’ve lost their drive. Meanwhile, the power and security forces of entrepreneurs grow by the day... the balance is shifting in the wrong direction, and activities are stagnating," Xu Yang concluded as he led her to the Media Broadcast Building in Xin City.

Jin Yuxiu mulled over Xu Yang’s words.

Indeed, the corporations remain the strongest, she thought to herself. People can easily identify who and what the corporations are. A corporation’s goal is simply to gather people together to make profits, motivating employees to work relentlessly—a system which, for all its faults, still provides individuals with means of subsistence. Over the centuries, corporations have created immense material wealth and developed advanced technologies.

"Now I understand. I had never been to North Silla before, but this visit has truly been an eye-opener. It’s as if they’re a blindfolded people, with something glowing just beyond the darkness of their blindfolds, and so they mindlessly follow the light," Jin Yuxiu said.

"More like a people living in unending polar night, trying to draw what they think the sun might look like," Xu Yang replied.

Jin Yuxiu and Xu Yang entered the building.

Looking around at the office workers inside, they saw dozens of men and women overcome by paralyzing fear at the changes taking place. Trembling, they avoided eye contact with Jin Yuxiu, desperately stepping aside to evade her formidable presence.

A group of ordinary Silla workers in cheap uniforms, swept up in the torrents of their era.

How insignificant, Jin Yuxiu thought to herself.

Why would ordinary people bother contemplating grand concepts like "revolution"?

The world, society, and even family felt undeserving of their focus because their own lives were already bleak. Beneath the intricate mechanisms of the socio-economic order, ordinary people existed in a precarious state—just barely able to avoid starvation, kept balanced emotionally by various forms of entertainment. They barely had the time to pray that disaster wouldn’t befall them; how could they even consider willingly stepping into the fire?

Forever bound to live in the polar night.

"The Pioneer World will never come." Thinking this, Jin Yuxiu declared as she stood before the Media Broadcast Studio doors, addressing Xu Yang.

A phantom light of some unknown power glinted in her eyes. Compared to ordinary, petty humans, witches were undoubtedly the stronger beings.

"At this point, I can only talk less theory and take more action," Xu Yang said, pushing the wooden doors open.

In the Media Broadcast Studio, a broadcasting system connected to nearly every site in North Silla—factories, cooperative farms, hospitals, cafeterias, schools, streets, and countless households—stood ready to deliver news to the ears of most of its population.

Cui Taining recovered from his initial state of shock. An agent handed him a sheet of paper instructing him to read it aloud.

He glanced at the newcomers—Xu Yang and Jin Yuxiu—and wildly speculated about who they were and what kind of divine hands had orchestrated his rescue.

Clearing his throat, he began reading from the paper, making an announcement to the entire region.

"My fellow citizens of Silla, I am Cui Taining. After years of trials and efforts, we have finally defeated Yin Changmin. I must thank everyone for your unwavering support!"

"I call upon all troops who served Yin Changmin to return to the people’s side. Stop provoking conflict and bloodshed—stay at your stations, and focus on defending against external threats!"

"I urge all Silla citizens to unite, to repair the dreadful wounds caused by decades of civil war. Let us overcome these challenges together and achieve our shared goal—building a new life for ourselves—"

Cui Taining’s voice radiated through the airwaves, broadcasting across North Silla.

"What? President Cui defeated Yin Changmin?"

"President Cui has been rescued! Fantastic!"

"General Yin Changmin has been overthrown... if that’s true..."

"The day has finally arrived!"

"North Silla is free at last!" People cheered, sharing their joy in this moment.

Under Xu Yang’s leadership, Cui Taining and other respected organizers were gathered to form a provisional governing body. They assumed control over troops and security personnel willing to pledge allegiance, apprehended Yin Changmin and his loyalists, and suppressed opportunistic villains, rebels, and other malcontents within local areas.

As Xu Yang continued making his arrangements, North Silla began to emerge from the quick chaos of this internal disruption. Only a few military units refrained from returning to formation, presumably still gathering intelligence on General Yin Changmin’s condition.

Nevertheless, the dark clouds over North Silla were lifting. With this, the dawn of victory was on the horizon.

Meanwhile, over the snow-covered mountains of the far north of Silla, heavy snowstorms raged.

Pan Ruiyi wielded her long spear, activating her Iron Wings to ascend into the skies, conducting reconnaissance patrols.

Within the piercingly cold winds and blizzards, Pan Ruiyi spotted a witch crossing the border, heading southward. It must be someone dispatched by Kyushu High Pavilion.

With a sharp flick of her long spear, Pan Ruiyi turned and flew toward her, the howling winds roaring past her ears.

Before long, she caught sight of her target.

Qing Yao!

She belonged to the mighty Battle Witches of Kyushu High Pavilion, constantly patrolling the edges of corporate territories, and was among the most formidable combat forces in the region.

Most importantly...

Qing Yao and Pan Ruiyi had both been trained by Instructor Wang Qi’an. They had grown up together, learning and challenging each other through countless sparring matches. Naturally, no one understood each other better than they did.

"Qing Yao! It’s you again!" Pan Ruiyi shouted, closing in and brandishing her long spear. "Come fight me!"

Qing Yao lowered her visor, seemingly unwilling to meet Pan Ruiyi’s gaze.

A pair of teal wings extended from Qing Yao’s Witch Armor. Compared to Pan Ruiyi’s enormous Iron Wings, Qing Yao’s smaller flight gear seemed far more fragile.

Without a word, Qing Yao produced her crimson and golden double-headed spear, lunging directly at Pan Ruiyi.

"I’ll crush you underfoot!" Pan Ruiyi roared, hurtling forward with blinding speed, leaving a series of sonic booms in her wake.

Qing Yao entered battle mode. Nine Hovering Cannons deployed from Qing Yao’s back, firing a barrage of energy projectiles toward Pan Ruiyi.

Immediately afterward, Qing Yao decisively unleashed her magic power.

Temporal Deceleration Field!

Under the influence of Qing Yao’s magic, Pan Ruiyi’s movements slowed to a crawl!

She had no way to evade the barrage of projectiles. Her armor was struck repeatedly, suffering extensive scorching as numerous violet bolts bombarded her.

"Useless!" Pan Ruiyi bellowed, pushing forward against the energy barrage, then hurling her spear fiercely at Qing Yao.

Boom!

Qing Yao attempted to intercept the spear with the Deceleration Field.

"Tch—" Qing Yao muttered, trying to decelerate it while retreating. Though slowed, the spear’s momentum still carried notable lethality.

Meanwhile, Pan Ruiyi had already broken through the Deceleration Field’s restraints. By separating herself from her weapon, she maneuvered through the other side, diving toward Qing Yao like a falcon catching its prey.

Qing Yao found herself cornered.

She quickly realized that her magic power couldn’t fully suppress Pan Ruiyi. The latter’s sheer size and strength were overwhelming, and if caught within range of Pan Ruiyi’s Close Combat Specialization magic abilities, the tides would turn drastically.

"Go down!" Pan Ruiyi yelled, spinning rapidly in mid-air before smashing downward with a devastating kick to Qing Yao!