[Outline rewritten. Will start posting later.]
Traditional Chinese buildings glitter beneath neon lights, while a gigantic mechanical dan performer sings in the streets. In Xulun, fifty years from now, the power of true gods begins to awaken on the technological soil built by capitalism.
After Feng Dai, an undocumented resident, accidentally awakens Nuwa's power, she becomes a target for all. Forces from every side emerge, each treating her like a prized treasure.
First they kidnap her grandmother, then put a bounty on her in the black market. They'll stop at nothing to capture her.
Along the way, espers, genetically modified humans, cyborg Judge officials, and divine beasts outfitted with hundreds of data cables... keep challenging everything she thought she knew.
Finally, during a mass hunt, a cold gun muzzle is pointed at Feng Dai's forehead.
Feng Dai uses her well-practiced people skills to try and talk her way out of it.
No room for negotiation? Fine, then.
She'll just kill first and ask questions later, fighting her way from D-rank to S-rank.
In front of everyone, she tears off the head of the church's leader and holds it aloft, then drops it at the feet of her ignorant subjects.
"I am the one you should worship."
She looks at the people in power who curse her as a lowborn, the corner of her mouth curling into a cold smile. She raises a hand, then suddenly presses it down.
The man's knees shatter on the spot, and he crumples to the ground like a heap of minced meat.
Feng Dai's expression is compassionate, her gaze deep and cold. She speaks slowly.
"Perhaps you should call me Mother."
-
Feng Dai was born without emotions. To keep others from reporting her identity, her grandmother taught her to be polite and learn how to pretend.
She took the advice to heart and earned the neighbors' title of Model Citizen, becoming everyone's thoughtful "human space heater."
Even when facing an enemy, she'd hold their favorite breakfast in one hand and a gun in the other, smiling warmly.
"Good morning. I'm here to kill you."
-
Reader's guide:
1. My take on Chinese cyberpunk, with espers. The world and characters are entirely original, with figures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas and other myths mixed in. Please don't overanalyze. This is a parallel world, so don't project it onto reality.
2. There's little romance. Most of the story follows the heroine's inner journey and transformation. The heroine is strong and gets even stronger later. The male lead is the heroine's dog.
3. If you care about characters' moral values, don't read this as the heroine is indifferent and ruthless in the early stages.
4. Any classical allusions are sourced from Baidu.
Theme: Love and freedom, equality for all
