A warm breeze blew open the window of the room.
It lifted Veera's hair as she turned her bright eyes to look outside.
A lush osmanthus tree came into view, with little blossoms blooming on its branches.
The flowers were tiny, lively, and very cute.
Veera's beautiful eyes sparkled with light.
This is a plant? A species that had disappeared long ago.
She took a breath, and a light floral scent filled her nose.
The lively plant and its lovely scent made Veera feel happy.
Her earlier reluctance faded away. Maybe this world wasn't so bad after all.
"Robot pet, I agree to your request. I hope you keep your promise. Now, please send me the memory."
She had no memory of the body's original owner. The little pet received the command and started the memory transfer.
"Master, memory transfer complete. To help you complete the task and protect you from harm in this world, I have also returned the body functions of a post-apocalyptic warrior. Please check."
The sweet voice of the pet spoke, and the original owner's memory played in Veera's mind like a documentary.
She worked hard to absorb it all and sort it out clearly.
She was surprised to learn that this beginner robot system also had a teleportation function.
She clenched her arm, feeling the familiar strength return.
Veera thought, this little guy knows its place. As long as it doesn't cause trouble, she was willing to keep her promise and complete the task it gave her.
Now, she had crossed into a fictional country from the past called Yuezhou in the ancient planet Gulan.
A country that never truly existed.
She had entered the body of a woman who had the same name as her.
This place was full of green trees and had a nice climate.
There were no zombies—it was safe. Veera was quite satisfied with this era.
The original owner had died from fear, or more precisely, had been scared to death by her husband.
It sounded like a joke, but Veera knew it was true.
She looked through the memories in her head and wasn't sure if she should think the original owner was silly or if she was just lucky.
The original owner had a happy family, a typical family of four.
In a time when most families had many children, hers had only two: her and her younger brother.
She was the only girl in her generation in the Ye family.
So, she was very much loved.
Her father worked at a meat factory, and in the 1970s when meat was rationed, this job was very valuable.
Her mother, despite having a very poor background, used her husband's meat connections to get a job at the local office.
Now, she was doing very well in her job and enjoyed it a lot.
Her younger brother was in his last year of high school. According to the memories, he was a top student.
He was ranked first in his year. Since the college entrance exam had just resumed, he had a good chance of getting into a top university.
Her parents were proud but pretended to be humble. Their voices always gave it away. Everyone in the neighborhood knew they had a top student at home.
The original owner was very beautiful, but also very shy.
It wasn't really her fault. The early days of the new country still had old-fashioned ideas.
People liked girls who were graceful and modest, who looked proper and behaved well.
But the original owner had a very attractive face and a hot figure, like a "fox spirit."
People stayed away from her, afraid of being called improper just by being around her.
Girls her age avoided her. Boys made her nervous. She didn't want to be called names.
Because of this, she lost her confidence over time and nearly became depressed.
Her family saw how shy and nervous she became and felt both worried and helpless.
They got her a job as an accountant at a small construction station, arranged through her uncle.
The place was small and quiet, with only two accountants. She didn't need to interact much with others.
She liked the job since the people there were easy to get along with.
Wade was her husband. They had grown up as neighbors.
He had served in the army and returned with honors. Now he worked in the local city's security department as a squad leader.
They were childhood friends, and their families thought they were a good match.
He was a few years older and knew that she was a good, honest person—not the kind of girl others gossiped about.
But the original owner didn't want to marry him. She was too afraid to speak up.
She feared being called names like "fox spirit" or "heartless."
She used to like him when they were younger, but when he hit a growth spurt and became tall and strong, she saw him as a giant.
Whenever he looked at her with a serious face, she felt like he saw her as a disease.
So she avoided him. She feared his judgment.
Now, Wade was tall, strong, and had a tan from years in the army.
The original owner disliked him even more. She preferred gentle boys with fair skin and a soft personality.
Every time she saw him, she trembled with fear, afraid he would call her names.
"Fox spirit" had become her deepest fear—her trauma.
Last night was supposed to be their wedding night.
She said she didn't feel well and avoided getting close to him.
He didn't push her. He even asked if she felt okay, though his tone wasn't exactly gentle.
Later that night, as she looked at him in bed, she felt afraid of a future where he would always judge her.
Feeling helpless and scared, she panicked and died from fright.
When she woke up again, Veera—the warrior from the apocalypse—had taken over her body.
Veera didn't know if she should feel sorry for the original owner or for Wade.
It seemed like she was the only one who truly benefited.
The original owner was so beautiful, yet she still felt insecure.
And Wade, what was he thinking? Always keeping a straight face around his own wife. What a waste of such a good-looking face.
Veera could only hope that the original owner, wherever she was now, would have the courage in her next life to go after what she truly wanted—to marry someone she liked, not someone others approved of. She hoped she wouldn't live a timid life, always afraid of what others thought.
The original owner didn't like Wade. Thinking of the promise she had made to her little pet, Veera decided to give him a try. That face of his was still quite her type.
They were living in a government-provided apartment assigned to Wade. It had one bedroom and one living room. The building was newly built and located about a mile from the city government office.
Veera wanted to see Wade as soon as possible—to see if the real man matched his photo. She liked strong men and didn't mind forming a strong partnership. But if he wasn't good enough, she wouldn't hesitate to replace him.
She opened the original owner's wardrobe and saw only black, white, and gray clothes. The styles were loose and shapeless. Only one word came to her mind—ugly.
It was hard going from luxury to plain living. With a frown, she picked out an outfit and got dressed, then hurried out the door.
As she passed by a state-owned restaurant, she saw hot buns steaming inside. Only then did she realize she hadn't eaten breakfast.
Veera patted her empty pocket. She was starving—something she hadn't felt in a long time. She had left the house in a rush and forgot to bring her ration tickets or her key.
Robbing the shop would ruin her image. She was a level-one warrior, after all.
Her big, bright eyes were glued to the buns, unable to look away. She couldn't resist walking toward the bun stall.
"Thief! Someone stop the thief!"
A young woman carrying a child was shouting in the distance, chasing after a young man.
It was the middle of the morning rush, so the street was nearly empty. Only a few elderly people were out walking or shopping for groceries.
Everyone saw what was happening but couldn't do anything to help.
Veera was surprised that even in the peaceful 1970s, there were adults stealing from children. It was heartless.
It reminded her of her own near-slip—just moments ago, she had almost stolen those buns. She had nearly crossed the line.
But this guy was even worse. He had no shame.
As someone strong, she had a duty. Helping here would make up for her earlier thoughts.
Veera quickly ran up next to the thief, matching his pace.
Her smiling eyes sparkled with mischief. This guy was out of luck today.
She was going to show him what it meant to see stars in the middle of the day.
Her bright smile nearly blinded the man—it was dazzling.
"Hey, buddy, where you off to? Want me to give you a lift?" she teased.
The young man glanced at Veera's stunning face as she chased after him. He thought she was into him.
Feeling proud, he flicked his bangs and tried to flirt back.
"Hey pretty girl, I've got something to do today. But give me your address—I'll come visit you tomorrow."
His tone was sleazy, full of desire and dirty thoughts.
He played the part of a shameless creep perfectly.
Veera didn't let him finish. She looked at him with clear annoyance. His face was just too disgusting.
She hooked her foot and tripped him easily. The running man fell face-first to the ground.
"You slut! Screw you!"
Even while flying through the air, the man kept cursing.
He landed hard and tried to push himself up.
Veera stepped on his back, pinning him to the ground so he couldn't move.
"Listen, you trash. Next time, call me big sister. You dare to steal from a child? I'll make sure you regret it."
Her voice was sweet and charming, even when she was threatening someone.
The man, lying under this beautiful woman, was in pain. But he still tried to be vulgar.
"Bitch! You look like some vixen. You better hope I don't catch you alone, or I'll make you beg under me."
Veera had run all the way here without even breathing hard. She stared down at the man, who was panting like a dog.
She looked at him with open contempt. He was pathetic.
He talked big about making her cry, but his strength was a joke.
Her eyes swept over him and stopped at a particular spot. She smirked.
"With that monkey face and scrawny body, I bet your little thing isn't even as big as a thumb. Why don't you go cry under your blanket instead? At least then you won't embarrass yourself."
The man's face turned red from shame. He was furious and couldn't control himself.
"You damn bitch! Just wait till I get up. I'll destroy you!"
He tried to get up, determined to take revenge.
But her foot held him down like a mountain. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't move.
His face turned purple, and fear began to rise in his heart.
Veera frowned. Maybe she had been too gentle. This man was getting cocky.
She pressed down harder with her foot. She believed in teaching lessons that people wouldn't forget.
The sudden pain made the man scream in agony.
"You want to act tough? You should at least look in a mirror. See what kind of pathetic loser you really are."
She saw the woman running over with her child in her arms.
For some reason, Veera felt her anger flare up again.
Didn't this idiot know how precious children were? He deserved this beating.
The woman finally arrived, out of breath. She put down her child and started kicking the thief with all her strength.
Still angry, she slapped him hard several times.
"You little bastard! You dare steal from me? I'll kill you, you piece of trash!"
As the woman's temper flared and she kept hitting him, Veera quickly picked up the child.
She covered the child's eyes—this kind of scene wasn't good for kids to see.
Soon the man fainted from the beating.
Veera stared at him with a strange expression. That angry woman was scarier than zombies.
She grabbed the woman's arm to stop her.
Looking around with a calm but cold gaze, she said seriously, "Big sister, that's enough. If you beat him to death, it's not exactly easy to hide the body here."