064. White Wolf
The journalists were thrilled, firing one tricky question after another. Although Frost-Plated attempted to control the information flow, the sheer amount of explosive news made it impossible to contain.
"According to a report from the Subway Brotherhood members: Abyss Humanitarian is closely tied to the Frost-Plated government. Is this true?"
"Abyss Humanitarian sought out its own clients; our funding for Abyss Humanitarian only covered unpaid wages and salaries…"
"Did you support Abyss Humanitarian's experimental projects, including forced Omega Energy awakenings, telepathy, and biochemical giant modifications?"
"These were all the professor's personal actions."
"Why did the Frost-Plated government commission forced Omega Energy awakenings?"
"It was a demand from former President Mai Dewei. She wanted to further strengthen women's status, enabling all Frost-Plated women to awaken Omega Energy, thereby extending her own rule."
......…
"Answer, answer, respond truthfully to everything."
Abyss Industries' executives slumped in their chairs. Whether at the scene filled with anguished cries or watching remotely in the boardroom, all board members looked grim.
"The stock in Frost-Plated is plummeting… All our branches have been met with protests from Frost-Plated residents, and many employees are facing attacks and chaos."
"As it stands, we're losing a million derbies every minute. If this continues, we might not be able to hold on to the Frost-Plated market."
"And the worst is yet to come—Frost-Plated's Safety Supervision Bureau and Labor Bureau have sent people over to inspect our fire safety and labor contracts, and Law II is on its way, surely to conduct a tax audit…"
"Is this N4's decision?"
One board member raised his voice immediately:
"We've spent ninety years establishing ourselves in Frost-Plated, and now, because of her so-called 'honesty,' she's exposed everything about Abyss Humanitarian. All our efforts are going to waste!"
"And what's the alternative?" another glared at him. "She's the Pioneer, the smartest woman on this planet… If she's wrong, then the entire Abyss Industries is wrong."
"I don't care. All I see is our financial empire crumbling. Countless small and medium shareholders have lost confidence and are starting to sell our stock."
"And what can you do about it?"
"Impeach! N4 must be impeached; she's no longer fit to be the Pioneer—"
"Idiots."
As everyone bickered endlessly, the conference room door suddenly opened. N4's graceful figure immediately reflected in each board member's eyes.
"Pioneer, you have the audacity to return?!"
One board member stood up and scolded N4 directly:
"You've now created the worst strategic failure in Abyss's history. To date, we've lost nearly 20 billion derbies in net assets. Another 20,000 employees in the Frost-Plated region will soon be unemployed. They'll turn into our enemies instantly, and our stock price—"
"Are you done?"
N4 said calmly.
"You…"
"You people seem to have forgotten something."
N4 spoke slowly:
"Without me, Abyss is no different from a third-rate company. I raised you all to this height. You have no right to question me. Even if I'm acting autocratically, you lack the qualifications and capability to interfere."
The board member began to sense something was wrong. Pale green fungal spots slowly appeared in his eyes, with fungal spores spreading through his respiratory tract, entering his brain, and quickly infecting it entirely.
Moments later, he stood motionless, then said naturally and calmly:
"You've done well, Ms. N4."
N4 looked at the other board members, whose eyes simultaneously showed signs of fungal infection.
When her gaze passed over them, they all stood up in unison, smiling and courteously saying:
"You've done well, Ms. N4."
"Since there are no objections, the impeachment is canceled."
N4 said faintly, then turned and left.
'With this, I've fulfilled Li Aozi's instructions without sustaining too much loss myself.'
She raised her hand, checking the latest decrypted gravitational wave message:
"Well done, Abyss Pioneer. Within the next week, I'll deliver the advanced knowledge to you."
N4 raised her head, gazing into the red and black sky shrouded by the Abyss.
"In the meantime, here's a little gift for you."
Thousands of light-years away, Li Aozi slowly raised his hand as system messages began to pop up.
["Let It Be Remembered"]
[Type]: Annihilation/Slaughter/Cleansing
[Duration]: Until the end of time, relentless and unending!
[Task Difficulty]: Scary
[Settlement Conditions]:
A. "Do Not Ignore Minor Evils"—Settled
B. "Condemn the Wicked"—Settled
C. "Uproot Completely"—You successfully eliminated the entire support network and sponsors behind Abyss Humanitarian, exposing their actions to the public.
Reward: [Biochemical Nest]/[Gene Extractor]/[White Obelisk] (choose one of three)
[Epilogue]:
"You have journeyed a long path, using every means to reveal this evil."
"Yet, in the process, you disregarded the innocent, killing indiscriminately, which left a terrible mark. Although your personal charisma allowed you to suppress these negative outcomes, history will not forget."
"Your violent deeds ultimately brought a price: losing companions in battle, seeing survivors die at the hands of false humans, finding yourself an exile, severed from your family completely."
"Was it all worth it?—You never once reflected on this."
"For you, success is defined by having changed it all. In terms of results, you achieved the best outcome."
......
People finally remember the buried truths. The unrestrained expansion of science and technology ultimately leads to tragedy. Unchecked technological abuse brings suffering to even more people.
But will they truly avoid making these mistakes again?
On this frost-covered land of white bones, countless kings and presidents have come and gone, yet tragedy never ends. No matter how many times it happens, humanity continues to repeat the same mistakes.
This is no longer your concern.
As you sit in your spaceship, issuing orders, you occasionally recall the journey you've taken—not sorrowful, not truly successful, but something that will impact you for the rest of your life.
These memories—you have indeed let them be remembered.
[Ending: White Wolf Ending]
There are a total of six main storyline endings, each offering different rewards:
Dragon Ending: You flawlessly resolved all issues, amassed vast wealth, and became a beloved legend—increasing your original rewards by an additional 50%.
Demon Ending: You indulged and schemed to your heart's content, achieving your goals through deceit and trickery. Although despised, you attained your objectives and reaped vast profits—adding a 10% bonus to primary attributes.
Asura Ending: You killed everyone, friend or foe; anyone in your way was an enemy—increasing the original rewards with the [Killing Aura] effect, granting a 10% increase in damage output for the next version.
White Wolf Ending: You didn't do particularly well or poorly. The problem was solved, though not perfectly. Many sacrifices were made, leading to the final resolution—granting an additional 3 points of Legend status.
Angel Ending: You resolved all conflicts flawlessly, displaying unparalleled strength and earning admiration as a true savior—granting the title of 'Savior' for one version.
Spirit Deer Ending: You saved everyone without fully resolving the issue, but peace was achieved, and the conflicts could be set aside temporarily—adding the [Healing Aura] effect, boosting healing and being healed by 10% for the next version.
[Main Quest 'Let It Be Remembered'—Completed]
[You've completed the first main quest! Career achievements have been accumulated.]
[Legend status gain: On Azure Star, everyone starts with an 'Affection' towards you.]
[You may now issue SSS, SS, and S-rank high-risk difficulty quests.]