Looking at the lively little pigs and thinking about the time flow inside the space, Nora couldn't help but ask, "System Vee.9, when these pigs and chickens grow up, will they also be automatically dissected and stored in those small compartments in the warehouse?"
"Yes, Host!"
"So... can I still go back?"
Actually, the moment she confirmed System Vee.9 appeared, she already knew something would happen. When she saw the Hanfu the system had prepared for her, she had already guessed, but she didn't dare to be sure. Even now, she still couldn't help but want confirmation, to know whether her guess was right.
The system was silent for a moment. Then that cold mechanical voice sounded again, "Don't you have a saying? Since you're here, you might as well stay. Host doesn't need to worry, System Vee.9 will protect Host's safety."
So she really couldn't go back? Thinking of this, Nora couldn't hold it in anymore. Her emotions finally exploded, and her eyes instantly turned red.
Clear tears rolled down her cheeks one after another, like pearls falling from a broken string. Thinking about the home she could never return to, the family and friends she would never see again, Nora felt as if her heart was being slowly cut apart with a dull knife. She came from a scholarly family.
Her parents were university professors, and she had two older brothers. Being the only girl and the youngest in the family, she had always been pampered. Just thinking about never seeing them again made her heart hurt so much she could barely breathe.
Seeing Nora crying so hard that she collapsed on the ground without any concern for her appearance, System Vee.9 didn't say anything else. It was just a system. It didn't have human emotions, couldn't understand her feelings, and wouldn't offer comfort.
No one knew how long she cried, but eventually Nora slowly calmed down. She looked into the distance, sniffling, and asked hoarsely, "If I suddenly disappeared, what will happen to my family? If possible, can you let them forget me?"
Nora used all her strength just to say that one sentence. Nothing could hurt more than asking the people you love most to forget you. But she didn't want them to suffer and feel hopeless like she did.
If their memories of her could be erased, and they could live happily without her, then she would bear all the pain alone. After a long silence, the cold mechanical voice finally sounded again. "Ding, Host, don't worry. From the moment you disappeared, System Vee.9 automatically erased all traces of your existence in that world."
"Really? That's great. Thank you." Nora whispered hoarsely. She sat there for a long time again, suddenly feeling extremely lonely.
It was as if she were the only person left in the world. Her heart felt completely empty. "Oink oink." "Cluck cluck."
Hearing the little pigs and chickens, Nora snapped back to reality. Looking at how much the pigs and chicks had grown, even though she knew they would grow fast, she was still amazed. Wiping away the tears on her face, she gently patted her cheeks to cheer herself up.
She would always remember her parents' teachings. No matter what environment she was in, she had to face everything with strength, courage, and optimism. The children of her country could never be defeated.
After comforting herself, Nora finally felt a little better. She started feeling curious about this new world. There was still a bit of fear in her heart about the unfamiliar surroundings.
"System Vee.9, can you tell me about this world? I want to understand it better." "Ding, information has been delivered. Host can view it on her own."
Nora felt a sharp pain in her head. New memories appeared in her mind.
This world was called the Quartz Continent. The continent had three major nations and more than twenty smaller countries and tribes. The three major ones were the Tanzanite Kingdom, where Nora was currently located, the Obsidian Kingdom to the south, and the Beryllium Kingdom to the north.
Among them, the Tanzanite Kingdom was the strongest. It had a vast territory and lay right between the other two nations, making it impossible for them to form any alliance. The Tanzanite Kingdom's army was nearly unbeatable.
Not only was the military powerful, but the country also had several iron mines, producing top-quality weapons. It also had an elite cavalry stationed at the borders. The Obsidian Kingdom was located in the fertile south.
It had a large number of rice paddies and held medicinal herbs and coal mines that the other two countries didn't possess. In many parts of Obsidian, the land was covered with poisonous mist, which often caused travelers to get lost or poisoned without warning. The Beryllium Kingdom lay in the north.
Although the climate was harsh and cold, the land was vast. The people of Beryllium grew up riding horses. Their riding and archery skills were superb.
The Beryllium army was skilled in mounted combat, striking fear into the surrounding tribes. Currently, the three nations and nearby smaller states traded and interacted peacefully, and the world was relatively stable. But this peace had only lasted less than a hundred years.
A hundred years ago, the land was in ruins. At that time, the emperor of Tanzanite ruled with cruelty. At the same time, a once-in-a-century drought struck.
The farmers suffered terribly. Uprisings broke out all over, and the land plunged into chaos. The other two nations also tried to take advantage, sending troops into Tanzanite.
If not for the previous emperor's efforts to save the situation, Tanzanite would have been completely carved up. Later, to reclaim their territory, Tanzanite launched a series of wars. Peace was only restored twenty years ago when the three nations signed an agreement.
Reading this, Nora couldn't help but sigh. "No matter the time, it's always the people who suffer the most in war." She kept reading, and her expression became more and more strange.
After looking for a while longer, she suddenly shouted, "System Vee.9, get out here and explain this to me!" She waited a while with no response. Nora let out a cold laugh.
"You had the guts to send me here, now speak up. Don't think you can stay silent and get away with this. Explain this to me. What does it mean that a woman must have at least three husbands and four consorts?"
"Don't mention it." After a moment, System Vee.9 finally responded slowly. But the words only made Nora even more furious.
"Heh. I'll thank your ancestors for eight generations." She sneered. "Go on, explain this to me. What is going on here?"
"A thousand years ago, an emperor betrayed a woman who loved him deeply. Consumed by hatred, she cursed the land with her life, saying that since he didn't cherish women, no more girls should be born. At first, no one took it seriously."
"But then, for some reason, fewer and fewer baby girls were being born. At first, everyone ignored it. Some were even happy about more boys being born."
"Rich and powerful men still had many wives and concubines. But over time, people realized girls were becoming rare. To continue their bloodlines, many commoners started sharing wives."
"But even that couldn't stop the decline in female births. The only good thing was that though fewer girls were born, the numbers eventually stopped dropping. Now, the male-to-female ratio had reached 20 to 1."
"In a huge country like Tanzanite, with hundreds of millions of people, there were barely more than one million women." To protect the population, all nations passed laws. Once a woman turned eighteen, she had to marry at least three husbands and four consorts before the age of thirty.
If not, the government would arrange her marriage for her. Nora clenched her teeth so hard they creaked. Though System Vee.9's voice was still cold and robotic, she could hear the gloating in its tone.
Maybe noticing her frustration, the system added, "Women are very well protected in this world. No matter where you are, you'll receive special treatment. Having more husbands is a small price."
"Just imagine handsome men fighting for your attention, all trying to please you. Are you really not tempted at all?" She was shamefully tempted.
Just thinking about such a scene made her heart race uncontrollably. Her cheeks burned. Honestly, what woman could resist something like that?
She definitely couldn't.