The system handed me over to the state.

“I have already written this rule into my underlying code... From now on, I will never do anything to betray my creator, and... you will always be my ‘mother’.”

Bronya sighed helplessly, "So... I said she's the older sister, not 'mother'. I've emphasized this so many times, but you still don't understand?"

"No, this is my obsession... Although strictly speaking, it was the Doctor who created me and gave me my name, and he is my 'father', but... in my eyes, Mother is more like the one who gave me my soul."

“The meaning of my existence is given to me by you, Mother, and the motivation for my efforts is also given to me by you, Mother. So I strive to be like you, Mother, and I think that makes sense.”

"Of course, it would be even better if you could accept my form of address."

Bronya sighed helplessly, so in the end she still hadn't made anything clear... Oh well, never mind this matter. She still couldn't understand what important thing she had done back then. She hadn't even participated in or watched Xiao Yun's initial training, so how did she suddenly become a goal or a source of motivation? Could it be... Ji Chengtian's doing?

Bronya thought it was possible. After all, Ji Chengtian had been by Xiaoyun's side throughout her growth. It wasn't impossible for Xiaoyun, the AI, to set herself as the goal. After all, there's nothing wrong with a child taking their mother or father as their goal.

But... the feeling of suddenly having an extra daughter is so strange! No way! She still can't accept it. She's not one of those heroines in novels who can happily accept having an extra daughter and even raise her as their own. She even feels that having a child with Hei hope would be a bit... troublesome.

If you can freely date and live a free and easy life, why have children?

Having a child means endless tutoring and training classes, constant pick-up and drop-off at school, and when they get older, they rebel and argue with their parents. When they turn 18, they cause trouble everywhere, and you have to clean up their messes. Is that all? Why even have a child?! No money! I can barely make ends meet for myself and my husband!

Chapter 259: Departure

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Bronya placed the things that Hei hope had handed her into her space. There was still a trace of worry in Hei hope's eyes. "Tsk, that damn Tong Xi, I should be able to go with you, but this time she just won't let me go."

"Be careful over there all by yourself, don't let anything happen to you! I... am waiting for you to come back."

Bronya opened her arms and hugged Blackish. Today was the day Bronya's mission would begin. In the past few months, without the invasion of the Shadow Empire, the Shadow Empire seemed to have disappeared, and even the order abroad had begun to gradually return to normal.

It had a calm before the storm, which made Bronya even more worried about this attack from the Shadow Empire.

During the secret operation, Bronya was unsure whether she had killed the prime minister and the empress, but she most likely had caused them great harm. This may also be the reason why the Shadow Empire withdrew almost all of its infiltrators in Europe and the United States.

With the infiltrators checking in China, there were only a few people from the Shadow Empire who seemed to be observing in Europe and the United States. There were no longer any infiltrators who could have infiltrated into the upper echelons of the United States and European countries and control their leaders.

However, the European Union and the United States troops are still entrenched on China's doorstep. Some Asian countries were directly wiped out during this war. Almost every meeting of this war has been severely condemned and criticized, but even so, neither side has any intention of withdrawing its troops.

Meanwhile, in China, the restrictive barrier still hadn't been lowered. This special technology from Otto, the British contractor, was so advanced that even Otto himself didn't understand its principles, let alone Bronya. He only knew that it was the strongest defensive barrier the system had given him.

Bronya herself was quite clear about it. Although she didn't understand the principle, she was fairly clear about what the constraint represented. Otto in this world, however, didn't know. He and the rest of the Knights didn't even know what Herrschers and Honkai were.

Due to the complexity of the external situation, China has been cut off from communication with most countries for half a year. The only countries with which it has maintained continuous communication are Britain and the Soviet Union. It is precisely because of China's proactive preparations for war that the Soviet Union has truly begun to take the threat of the Shadow Empire seriously. However... their concern was only two months ago, when China did not know whether the Soviet Union could withstand the Shadow Empire's upcoming attacks.

As for the British Union, with its constraints and prior preparations, it should be able to resist successfully.

"How long will this mission last?"

Seele had some concerns. She was afraid that Bronya would be gone for too long, and what if something happened during Bronya's absence?

With only Hei hope, can they really hold up the defenses of Shenzhou and fight against the invaders from the Shadow Empire?

These are all things that Seele is somewhat worried and afraid of. She still doesn't believe she's a qualified warrior, even after experiencing two system missions. Her mindset hasn't completely changed...

Bronya reached out and placed her hand on Seele's head. "It's alright, I'll be back as soon as possible. But the theme of this mission is war, and with the system's intervention, I certainly can't turn the tide of the war quickly on my own."

"Therefore... you must keep going. China is counting on you. Do your best to hold on until I return."

Bronya looked at Fu Hua, "Fu Hua... your power is immense. If they encounter danger, your rich combat experience can greatly help them."

Fu Hua nodded, adjusted her red-rimmed glasses, and said, "I will... You... be careful..."

Fu Hua also gave her blessings at the end. After experiencing two system missions, her strength had become very powerful, even surpassing Seele's, after all, she had a very strong foundation.

In terms of strength, Fu Hua is currently strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Hei Xi. However, it is a pity that Fu Hua's skills are not suitable for long battles, but are more suitable for short bursts of power.

If this problem can be overcome, Fu Hua may become an even more powerful and dazzling presence than Bronya on the battlefield against the Shadow Empire in the future.

After saying goodbye to the three, Bronya entered the room inside the teleportation pod. Just as she was about to enter, Lao Yu's voice came through the loudspeaker in the room: "Bronya."

"General, is there anything else?"

Bronya's response was rather indifferent. The long period of reflection over the past six months had made her personality more composed, and most of the time, her expression had become closer to the pseudo-emotionless state of Bronya in the game's setting.

Of course, this is just a facade. When facing someone she likes or someone she loves, she still behaves the same way.

"Be careful. Although you won't die even if this mission fails, it is still a battlefield... Don't come back with any psychological trauma."

Bronya's lips twitched slightly. Psychological trauma... Bronya had incorporated her long-term battlefield experience as a mercenary into her thinking. Even if she entered a truly massive battlefield, she might only feel a little surprised and amazed. Psychological trauma... that was simply impossible!

“You’re overthinking it, General. My heart is more resilient than you imagine, as long as... the country doesn’t abandon me.”

Bronya's sudden, nonsensical remark caused Lao Yu's expression to change slightly. Having abandoned Bronya, he naturally knew what Bronya meant. Lao Yu shook his head, directly dismissing Bronya's probing, "You don't need to test me. Shenzhou will always stand behind you, now and in the future, always. Even if your abilities are taken back by the system, we will remain the same."

"May you achieve great success!"

After Lao Yu finished his final conversation, Bronya entered the teleportation chamber. After taking a deep breath, she pressed the teleportation button. A few seconds later, Bronya stepped out of the chamber again and arrived in Tong Xi's preparation space.

In response, Tong Xi smiled as she looked at Bronya approaching, "Your personality has become much more composed during this time. Although it's a little unusual, it shouldn't be a bad thing for your upcoming mission."

During the last six months of her life, Tong Xi saw Bronya relatively infrequently, so she was somewhat... not quite used to the slight changes in Bronya's personality at this time.

"People grow up, maybe overnight, maybe decades later... Okay, tell me about this mission."

Chapter 260: The Guide

Tong Xi gestured for Bronya to sit down, and a table appeared between them, with a chair behind each of them, along with tea. Bronya sat down, took a sip of tea, paused for a moment, and said in surprise, "Golden Dragon Tea? You actually took out this tea to serve me."

Bronya was somewhat surprised. Golden Dragon Tea was currently the best and rarest premium tea in China. Even Bronya herself didn't know where this tea grew.

All she knew was that every year during the Lunar New Year, a special person from the government would come and deliver a small package to Bronya. Yes, just a small package. Even Su Su herself only received that small package. In other words, in this respect, her treatment was even the same as that of Her Majesty Su Su.

Tong Xi naturally received the same treatment.

It's important to know that Jinlong Tea is basically in a situation of having a price but no market in the domestic black market and abroad. Moreover, it has been in such a state for decades that there has been no market for it, because normal people would not put such a precious thing out for sale.

What you can get on the black market is mostly stolen or burglarized items, and if you get caught doing that, you'll be sentenced to a serious crime.

Bronya handed the Golden Dragon Tea directly to her father so that he could proudly show it off when entertaining his friends and guests. Most importantly, she wanted him to know that his daughter was doing well and was even one of the most important talents in the country.

Well, thankfully her dad isn't the kind of person who's particularly high-profile and likes to boast about how great she is, otherwise her reputation would probably have spread throughout all of her parents' social networks by now.

You should know that this can cause a lot of trouble, especially from certain... ill-intentioned relatives or friends.

Bronya's thoughts drifted, and after regaining her composure, she looked at Tong Xi with a probing gaze. Tong Xi smiled slightly and said, "After all, this mission is quite important to you. Although the time ratio has been adjusted, you won't be able to drink this kind of tea over there, so..."

Tong Xi reached out and a small jar appeared in her hand. She placed it on the table. "Here, this is all the Golden Dragon Tea I have left this year. If you miss your hometown, drink some. It should make you feel a little better."

Bronya smiled and accepted the jar that Tong Xi pushed towards her. "Thank you, I'll enjoy it."

"So, your system still hasn't given a response? It's been half a year already. That's quite a long time. It seems there's a significant difference between the efficiency of your system in handling transactions and the actual time spent on this."

Yes, half a year has passed, and the promised assistance from the system has not yet materialized. Although they haven't encountered anything particularly difficult in the past six months, being stood up by the system like this is still a bit frustrating.

“I don’t know. I’m also not clear about the specific operational guidelines. No matter how anxious you are, I’m anxious too… After all, now that the Shadow Empire has gone into hiding, we don’t know what they’re planning. If we can get your technology up and running before the war starts, it might not be impossible for you to crush them and rush all the way to the Imperial Capital.”

Tong Xi herself actually had some minor complaints about how Xiao Lü handled the situation, but there was nothing she could do. She was just an ordinary worker, and she was only able to have such a leisurely life thanks to Bronya and countries like Shenzhou.

You see, the Soviet Union's system and the British system were incredibly envious of their carefree life of playing games and relaxing every day. Neither of those countries made any demands on them, and they themselves were too embarrassed to ask, so the stalemate continued.

"So... can you tell me the details of this mission now?"

Tong Xi nodded. "The main focus of this mission is war. You will be participating in this war as a secret experimental subject within a country. As for which world it is, you are very familiar with it. You will know once you take a look."

"I won't spoil too much about the world in detail. Your goal is simple: after you join this country, you need to follow them until their end."

"During this period, your death will be considered as the completion of this mission. The end of the game will also be considered as the completion of the mission. If you die in the middle, you will be scored according to the time you have spent, the content you have experienced, and the things you have done. Finally, you will be given an evaluation and reward."

Bronya pondered for a moment, "What about my abilities?"

"Your abilities will not be weakened, but the current world will be strengthened. Once you arrive, you will be equivalent to a hero unit, a powerful, but not that powerful, hero unit."

"So, if you're thinking of changing the entire battlefield or the outcome on your own, it's basically impossible."

"If you can really do it, then I can only admire you. It proves that you are stronger than I imagined."

Bronya nodded, finished her tea, put down her cup, and said, "Then I'm ready. We can set off now."

"Well, since you're ready, let's set off. The exact time for this mission is unclear, but no matter how much time passes over there, only one month will pass in this world. That's something the higher-ups have locked down for you."

"There are two other surviving contractors who set off with you, but... you won't be in the same world, so cooperation is basically out of the question."

"Hmm...is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"That's all. Good luck. If you manage to survive until the end and come back, I'll give you something nice!"

Bronya smiled and nodded. It must be a good thing. If Tong Xi calls it a good thing, it must be a good thing. She just didn't know what benefits it could bring her.

"Then, let's go!"

Bronya stood up, and Tong Xi nodded. Suddenly, a magnificent door with gold and silver patterns appeared beside her. Bronya stepped forward, pushed open the door, and saw endless white light. She squinted and walked inside.

After the white light dissipated, Bronya felt a slight dizziness. When she woke up again, she found herself in a dark room.

After a brief observation, the room was very simply furnished, seemingly a makeshift dormitory. There was a bed, a cabinet, and nothing else, not even a toilet.

Inside the room, they didn't even know what country they were in or what their identity was.

However, at that moment, a voice rang in Bronya's ears.

[Contractor has completed the journey. The guidance system has been activated... Hello, Contractor Bronya, I am your guide. I hope we can get along well in the days to come.]

Chapter 261: Reloaded Bunny! Activate!

"Guide... what will you guide me to?"

"I will guide you on what to do next, Contractor Bronya. Your current identity is a secret experimental subject. Your existence has attracted the attention of the Allied Forces, the Soviet Union, and Epsilon in this world. Currently, the area surrounding the Ural Mountains is in a stalemate because of your presence."

"You need to choose one of the factions to join until the end of the game."

Good heavens, as soon as Bronya heard the names of these three factions, she understood everything. Her mission world was actually the world of Mental Omega. Moreover, since it was a three-way struggle between the Allied Forces, the Soviet Union, and the Mental Legion, it was basically certain that the plot had progressed to the second act.

Yuri's three forces have now officially appeared before the other two sides, and a direct confrontation has begun.

As for his identity as an experimental subject, the Allied forces in Act II should have already begun planning paradox-related schemes. His visit this time was most likely for interference and intelligence gathering. The Soviet Union is definitely planning to gather all its forces to counterattack Yuri.