An Qi smiled, and it was a smile that did not reach her eyes.
She had died, but by some luck...was bound by a system that tried to convince her to become its partner for a second chance at life...
...a cannon fodder counterattack system...the ones she had read about in novels before...
She has mixed feelings about that.
System: "There are many benefits to join forces with me! I can even revive you! Does that give you an idea of the power I have—the power you can have if you cooperate with me?"
An Qi: "Uh huh. It sure does."
System: "Alright then! Just fill out and sign this form, then the contract would be com—"
An Qi: "This is a cannon fodder counterattack system right?"
System: !?
System: "Yes, it is. Why do you ask?"
An Qi: "If that's the case...let me tell you right here and now. I refuse to cooperate if that's the case."
System: "What!? Why!? You can gain power if you sign a contract with me, and the system task missions are all about helping the wronged original owner of the cannon fodder body you transmi—"
An Qi: "I'm saying that I don't like it, not that I don't know anything about it. And for that reason, I will just wait for my soul to disintegrate into nothingness instead of accepting your offer."
System: "WHAT!?"
System: "But you—"
An Qi: "However, if you change some conditions of the system, then I may actually consider cooperating."
System: "You..."
What in the name of the, just what the fuck! It has never seen someone so...bold and direct...in a situation like this!
An Qi: "So? Do you agree?"
System: "I'm supposed to be the one saying that..."
An Qi: "Do you agree or not, Esteemed System?"
System: "...I... I will agree."
The system became silent for a while to fix the terms before showing the contract to An Qi again.
It's freaking desperate, alright!?
_
{ Binding Contract between [Cannon Fodder Counterattack System #4444] and [Agent An Qi] }
*Main Mission Selection: Only the Agent have authority to select a Main Mission.
*Regular Missions Selection: Both Agent and System have authority to select Regular Missions.
*Side Missions Selection: Both Agent and System have authority to select Side Missions.
*Inter Forum: Both Agent and System have access to the Inter Forum.
*Operation Details: The Agent can do as they please in world travels, the system will be there to guide and assist their Agent.
To [Agent An Qi]: Do you agree to bind with [Cannon Fodder Counterattack System #4444] and is satisfied with the terms of contract?
To [Cannon Fodder Counterattack System #4444]: Do you agree to bind with [Agent An Qi] and is satisfied with the terms of contract?
_
An Qi took a minute to think before deciding to cooperate with the system...this system is quite cooperative, and also a bit naive from what she had seen.
The conditions looks pretty good too, and as for the so called being able to be revived eventually, there are many doubts with that, but that doesn't trouble her.
She was never that attached to the life she had before anyway.
An Qi wasn't exactly content before her death, having spent most of her 17 years building up a perfect persona in order to not disrupt the society she was in, to hide what she truly is. Although she believe she was normal once, like all the others, but at some point...that changed...
It was only near the time of her death that she had revealed some of that carefully hidden instability and let it loose. Before, everything had been hidden well.
Her family, friends, teachers, schoolmates, everyone. They all knew her as a clever and considerate girl. Those who thought they know her deeply only saw the perfect picture she painted, only the things she intended for them to see.
The one factor that is unusual would be how An Qi likes to test people and her interest in the criminal field, forensics to be more exact. She was a regular visitor to the local police investigation bureau, curious about the real mysteries they have and how exactly did they manage to unravel the truth.
Her parents didn't think much of it, as she was their "perfect daughter" and blindly thought that she was just gaining insight from the officers about their profession. An Qi do treasure the time she spent with the investigators because it was like an escape to the constant falseness she lived.
It also gave her a taste of being unrestrained, to put down some disguises, if not all. And even if it was only a small taste, she truly cherished it...
Enough about her mundane life, let's get to how she ended up in this soul space.
An Qi was minding her business, walking home after her piano class, and then some truck had crashed into one of those allegedly expensive black vans. An Qi was on a sidewalk near the crash, and she judged the "accident" to be perhaps a scheme to injure or even directly kill the person in the van.
She was actually paying attention to the vehicles moving on the road, because what else would she look at? The trees and flowers that were always there?
The automobiles are more interesting, she can watch the different cars and even catch glimpses of the people, then she can maybe play a game of trying to guess what their life is like...back to topic...
It was obvious that the truck had purposely swung and turned to the direction of the luxurious black van, it was not natural at all, unless the driver was drinking while driving and lost it then. Damn.
Either way, she has no interest in it, not like it was her business. These kinds of accidents are common anyway, car accidents happen every day. This isn't the first and will not be the last, at least until they find a way to eliminate all risks.
As the girl was about to continue her way walking home, the truck driver came out of the long vehicle. It was a middle-aged man, and he...held a gun to her head. He had threatened the arriving police officers by using her as a hostage.
It seems he does have a quick and stable mind for someone who just committed a felony, while on the other hand, he also just pitted himself for inevitable capture because he revealed his face. The team didn't dare to move in case the truck driver actually shot her, plus, some of them also recognized her as the girl that visits them occasionally to talk about many deep topics.
The middle-aged truck driver grabbed the left side of her head with his left hand and jostle the gun up against the other side of her head, at the same level as her forehead. The truck driver then told her to beg, beg for her life, beg for him to not shoot.
Beg the officers to let him off so he'll let her go, but as for whether he'll really do that...why would he care about another person when his own life is at stake?
There was no real sincerity in it—his words were lies. Lies that only the naive or desperate might believe, the ones who become psychologically weak. So, it was unfortunate for him that the girl who he chose to held hostage was not disturbed, at all.
An Qi thought that despite how quickly he moved in the chaos, he didn't make the right moves. With her as his hostage, it only drove the current situation to a stalemate. As long as the police officers catch him off guard or suddenly use a taser to paralyze him, An Qi wouldn't be in much harm and the criminal would be done for.
Although, the situation did cause An Qi to begin musing with letting go...
...and she did, and that's what got her killed...
Instead of showing fear, let alone beg him to spare her, she instead started to provoke the man to pull the trigger and shoot her. The man was shocked and greatly surprised about her request. The police team also showed looks of concern.
In return, An Qi gave a smile of comfort, which the criminal didn't see since he was behind her, and made the team felt conflicted and maybe even more concerned. The annoying man then continued with the threats again, thinking that she was just joking earlier.
Contrary to his belief, she was not.
With a few swift movements, her body moved and a few handsprings successfully knocked the gun from the man's hand. Her foot happen to kick his face in the process too. By the time she stopped, she was a few feet away from everyone at the scene. Look at just how those acrobatics classes really paid off.
An Qi then did what both sides didn't expect—she placed the gun at her head and shot herself.
A direct suicide, no mistakes, no reasons given, and no warning at all. She can see the shock that their faces held as she loses her connection to the world. But more so...
...she felt the pain tearing through her head...it was well, very painful...but also...quite thrilling...it only lasted for moment, but it was unforgettable.
It was the feeling of death.
She didn't expect for her luck to be good enough that she managed to be bound to those cliche transmigration system after death, huh.
It said it can revive her, it's the kind of system she read about in novels when she was bored. And it is now a system that is bound to a host with some serious mental problems, but hey, does she really?
Hehe...she's not crazy...she's just a bit different.
Quirky? They say, right? Actually no. Ew.
So yes, she's perfectly wonderful.
The system had happily agreed with her conditions of how she could do anything she wanted, and that kind of suggest that it's a bit dumb? Or too trusting? Or is it really that desperate?
Either way, it made things easier for her. Besides, even though it may not be up to her standards yet, she will have plenty of opportunities to educate it.
An Qi is actually quite fond of the idea of transmigrating into different worlds, even if she's transmigrated into a cannon fodder or someone who is deemed "useless". She knows she has her pride, but she can toss that away for the sake of entertainment.
{ Both parties acknowledged the contract and agreed to its terms. }
Thus, An Qi began her path to become the most absolute agent in the Cannon Fodder Counterattack Systems Association.