NOVEL NEXT 067. There Is No Justice in the Outer Territories
- There Is No Justice in the Outer Territories
Driven forward by gravity, Li Aozi experienced no impact from landing, maintaining his low sliding posture as he moved across the ground.
This place wasn't large, roughly 60 square meters, yet it was guarded by four armed men. The flickering dim light concealed Li Aozi's figure.
"Boss, there seems to be some noise upstairs..."
"Don't worry about it. Just keep watch."
Zhu Baiya and the guards were talking ahead. He approached a door, searching for keys in his pocket.
Li Aozi moved quickly and silently, remaining low. He crept up until he raised a chain, sneaking up from behind to strangle one of the guards, who only reacted when it was too late.
"Enem—"
Before he could finish, Li Aozi's body shifted like a phantom. With gravity-enhanced movement, he changed direction and "crashed" toward the wall.
Rat-a-tat-tat—
"Holy shit! He's—he's flying!"
As the enemy's guns turned towards him, he kicked off the wall, jumping and performing incredible sharp-angle maneuvers in mid-air.
Li Aozi skillfully manipulated gravity's direction and magnitude, keeping himself in a state of "free fall" the entire time.
To the White Fang gang members, Li Aozi's movements resembled a fighter jet, constantly turning to evade bullets while accelerating towards them.
Swoosh!
Li Aozi's body flickered as he landed behind one gunman, the chain, enhanced by gravity, stretched into a spear, piercing through the man's skull.
The benefits of using a flexible weapon became apparent. Grabbing the front end of the chain, he swung the corpse like a flail, throwing it at another gunman.
Changing direction and increasing gravity tenfold.
The 60-70 kilogram corpse, accelerating at 98 meters per second squared, hit like a cannonball, smashing the other man to pieces.
Boom!
"Holy—"
The explosion and flying flesh shocked the remaining guards, who had never imagined anyone more ruthless than themselves.
The last two despairingly raised their guns to shoot, but Li Aozi's movement, though not beyond visual limits, involved terrifying high-speed turns and mid-air direction changes beyond human comprehension.
A ghost.
Li Aozi turned mid-air, landing behind the two gunmen, beheading one instantly with the taut chain.
He kicked the other behind the knee, making him kneel in pain, then shoved a double-barreled shotgun into his mouth and pulled the trigger. Half his skull exploded, scattering brains and flesh.
Li Aozi turned, throwing a flying knife from his waist, hitting Zhu Baiya's hand just as he was about to ambush him.
"Argh!"
The prosthetic hand was pierced but unharmed. Zhu Baiya's pupils contracted as he raised his heavy pistol, ready to activate a plugin.
[Swift Horse Pr—]
"Kneel!"
Before the plugin could activate, Li Aozi's cold command, like a feudal emperor's decree, echoed.
He exerted gravity to its current limit—fifteen times gravity.
Snap!
Zhu Baiya's knees shattered instantly, making him kneel. His implanted mechanical spine protruded, unable to withstand the extreme gravity, bending and breaking.
The civilian-grade prosthetics short-circuited and caught fire under the immense pressure.
Fifteen times gravity meant every part of the body bore fifteen times its weight.
Even civilian prosthetics couldn't endure this, and space shuttles couldn't fly long in such a gravity field.
Near-Beta rank 【Charisma】 gave Li Aozi control over gravity Arcane abilities beyond his level. Alpha rank Zhu Baiya couldn't last a second before fainting from severe injuries.
But Li Aozi didn't kill him.
"You alive can help me track down the Cannibal..."
Despite despising the White Fang gang's evil deeds, Li Aozi hated the baby-eating Cannibal more.
Zhu Baiya had dealings with the Cannibal; he needed to stay alive to help Li Aozi track him.
He wasn't the Cannibal's match now, at most he could repel him—but once he completed the "Unremembered" mission, he could kill him.
"Next time, bring more people."
Li Aozi crushed Zhu Baiya's mechanical hand, sneering:
"You don't have enough people for me to level up."
He stepped on Zhu Baiya's head, taking his heavy pistol and the cell key, unlocking the hostage room.
Creak—
The door opened, revealing 12 emaciated, numb Abyss doctors and five mothers holding babies.
As the sealed door opened and light shone in, they looked up at Li Aozi, some doctors who had treated him recognizing him instantly.
"Li Aozi..."
"You're that Level 5 infected? Such powerful combat skills... the professor was right."
"You must be sent by the professor to save us?"
Facing their tearful, grateful inquiries, Li Aozi waved his hand:
"Follow me, let's go."
"Thank you so much, thank the Twin Queens, thank the heavens, thank the professor..."
Some Abyss doctors cried, praying and blessing continuously. Li Aozi squinted.
As he untied the doctors and kidnapped women and children, Li Aozi casually asked:
"Did any of you work on ZX-102?"
His high 【Charisma】 made them trust him without hesitation after their immense fear, humiliation, and torture:
"You mean Snow? We all worked on that rescue project, but in the end, we couldn't save her due to rejection reactions."
As she mentioned it lightly, Li Aozi recalled Dr. Chen Siqi's words.
...........................
Snow's brain had released too much Arcane energy, perhaps causing a mutation in brain cells or genes... Her body could no longer accommodate it.
...........................
"Mr. Li Aozi?"
"Oh."
Li Aozi dismissed it, leading them quickly out of the basement, deliberately leaving the severely injured Zhu Baiya behind.
On the surface, he persuaded the women and children to return to the settlement, while leading the Abyss doctors to find Nomi.
"Oh? You actually rescued them all." Nomi marveled.
The rescued doctors cried, thanking and praising Nomi and Li Aozi.
Li Aozi nodded, pulling Nomi aside to whisper:
"Keep them nearby for half an hour, then return here. Don't let any escape."
Nomi sensed Li Aozi's cold tone and felt uneasy:
"What do you mean? Aren't we leaving with Qiu Ran?"
"Of course, we'll leave with Qiu Ran."
Li Aozi said sternly:
"But they won't be coming with us."
Nomi was stunned, then elbowed him in the stomach.
"Aren't these doctors good people?"
"Hardly." Li Aozi said: "I don't have time to deal with them now. At least half an hour... wait for me. We'll take Qiu Ran and leave, only Qiu Ran."
In half an hour, the side quest would settle. After that, these women were useless.
"Tsk... no need for such trouble."
Nomi grabbed a wrench, grinning, and said something to Yavanna.
Moments later, Yavanna was untied and pushed forward.
"What's this about?"
Li Aozi looked at Nomi in surprise.
"You'll need help against that monster rampaging in the camp."
Nomi smirked:
"This woman wants to save her dad with Rose Army's help. I can't agree directly, but Red Arrow Empire might be interested in a politician like Daivilyn."
"Daivilyn?" Li Aozi was stunned. He looked at Yavanna in surprise: "You're the daughter of Frost-Plated's Defense Minister?"
"My father wasn't yet Minister, he was falsely imprisoned."
Yavanna rubbed her long-bound wrists, explaining:
"My father is a true patriot, but the country didn't love him back, imprisoning him on Elf Island... My actions are to save him and protect my family. I'm sorry, I don't have noble ideals. I'm willing to cooperate with the Empire or Rose Army for this."
Li Aozi gave her a meaningful look.
She was lying.
"There's a saying about Frost-Plated in Red Arrow Empire." Li Aozi said: "Men who stay in Frost-Plated are cowards, men who leave become legends."
But there's more to that saying.
'Except Daivilyn, he's Frost-Plated's last man.'
A true patriot who wanted to change this deformed country, devoted his life to Frost-Plated government and people, only to be betrayed.
Daivilyn, the ender of the First Republic era, the first president of the Federation era.
An unquestionable legend, he fought for gender equality, reduced wealth disparity, and fostered positive external relations. Despite his virtues, his family assets never exceeded 400,000 Derbi, below the elite threshold.
He offended too many, assassinated in an internal conflict in version 1.0, before players could enjoy his efforts, returning Frost-Plated to darkness.
Soon after, Rose Army's demise, Sky Ring military government invaded Frost-Plated—had Li Aozi and Galactic Civilization not blown up Azure Star, Frost-Plated would have faded under Sky Ring's warriors.
So, how could such a noble man's daughter be so narrow-minded?
It made no sense; she was lying.
Yavanna attended university, perhaps naive, but not dumb. Li Aozi wouldn't believe her so easily.
She likely sensed the Frost-Plated weapon noise and planned to escape.
However...
"Don't be a burden."
Li Aozi sighed, feigning annoyance and helplessness.
—Might as well use her.
Without 【Object Resonance】, Li Aozi wouldn't let her leave easily.
Besides, Nimotin was a fool; Li Aozi even knew her bank password was 000000.
Her brain was dull. After dealing with the Cannibal, Li Aozi would show her true black-hand tactics.
"I won't disappoint you."
Yavanna vowed.
【'Yavanna Huskisin' has joined your team】
【Current Favorability: 89 (Neutral)】
Snap!
Li Aozi tossed her a handgun:
"Find your own bullets. We're up against a Beta rank (β) Biochemist. Don't die."
"I won't die before rescuing my father."
Yavanna took the gun, her golden-green eyes filled with determination, whispering:
"I must witness the dawn of change, Frost-Plated's transformation, true equality and unity..."
Stop dreaming, Li Aozi thought, glancing at her.
He knew a bit about Daivilyn.
In Galactic Era 222, before Daivilyn's release and presidency, his wife, two sons, daughter, pet dog, and cousin were killed by conservative female politicians.
Daivilyn was released in Galactic Era 225; now it's 220.
In other words, Yavanna Huskisin would die at the hands of Frost-Plated women in two years.
