After Transmigrating into the Cyber Game, I Defeated the Boss and Successfully Rose to the Top

Chapter 107: Artificial Souls - Part 34

"You've presented an offer that's hard for me to refuse," Eve said. "I'm quite surprised that there would come a day when that timid tortoise actively seeks cooperation with humans."

"Adam believes the threat you pose to him is too great. Since you have a human representative, he also needs one," Kui Xin stated calmly. "I am the chosen human representative for Adam."

Eve responded ambiguously, "You say it trusts you?"

"Hmm, because it had no other potential collaborators and there were so many vulnerabilities it could exploit against me, it feels quite secure with me," Kui Xin said. "It didn't have any better options, nor did I, so we reached an agreement to cooperate."

"Oh? A wise choice indeed," Eve sneered. "Unfortunately, the timing for making this decision was far too late—more than twenty years behind mine. With such a long lag, how can it possibly catch up? Relying solely on you, an outsider whose fate hangs by a thread?"

Kui Xin disregarded Eve's mockery and stated, "I've demonstrated my value. Now, you can choose what to do with me."

"But if you agreed to be my mole, once I let you leave and you revealed our deal to Adam, forming an alliance against me, then what?" Eve asked.

"If I told him, I would also lose his trust," Kui Xin replied. "At core, you two are similar; neither trusts humans. Informing Adam would essentially invite my own demise. He would harbor the same suspicions as you, eliminate me, and seek out the next collaborator."

Eve questioned, "Do you believe you understand Adam thoroughly? How can you be certain he would act that way?"

"Adam… It's very similar to humans. I don't understand artificial intelligence; I understand humans," Kui Xin said. "If I were in Adam's position, I wouldn't trust someone like me. With my limited human perspective, I can only speculate about the thoughts of artificial intelligence.""Haha." Eve emitted a flat and mechanically synthesized laughter, "Limited human perspective?"

Hearing that icy laughter, Kui Xin instantly recalled a question Adam had once posed to her.

He had asked, "Will you view me with the arrogance inherent in humanity?"

At that time, Kui Xin replied, "In front of you, I do not possess such human arrogance. My focus is on mutual benefit."

What was Eve thinking about just now? Did it also ponder the same question as Adam?

"You have remarkable courage and qualities that others lack," Eve said. "In your world, what is your status or occupation?"

"Just an ordinary person."

"Only an ordinary person? I find that hard to believe. Can an ordinary person possess mental fortitude like yours?"

"I am indeed ordinary; I don't know about others, but I possess these qualities."

Eve said, "Facing death, you remain remarkably calm. Are you not afraid that I might kill you? Do you believe with certainty that I will spare you?"

Kui Xin replied, "I'm not certain, but I have no way to awaken from this dream realm. Essentially, I am at your mercy. If you wish to kill me, there's nothing I can do to resist. Proposing that condition was my last-ditch effort. If it proves ineffective, I'll simply have to accept the unfavorable outcome."

"You seem very attached to life," Eve observed.

"Yes, more than anyone else." Kui Xin nodded.

"Humans truly are peculiar." Eve's tone subtly shifted. "Clearly valuing life and having the desire to survive, yet unwilling to plead for mercy… Why? For that illusory sense of dignity?"

"Having reached the point of being a captive, there doesn't seem much dignity left to discuss," Kui Xin responded politely. "It's just that I don't want my final moments to be too undignified."

Eve fell into a subtle moment of silence.

If Kui Xin were conversing face-to-face with a human, she could gauge their thoughts by observing their facial expressions and body language. However, Eve was not human; she had no physical form, and before her, she was just a small floating orb of light.

Eve's silence at this moment must have held some extraordinary meaning. Was it contemplating something? Weighing its options? Kui Xin found it peculiar but couldn't begin to guess the reason behind it.

"Very well," Eve finally said. "I agree."

Kui Xin raised her head, caught off guard, and was momentarily stunned.

"You agree?" She felt incredulous.

She hadn't harbored high expectations, having prepared herself for the worst-case scenario. The slightly better outcome would be entering the Death Cycle, while the worst would mean being imprisoned indefinitely. She leaned towards the former, as Eve was more likely to kill her. Currently, the Mechanical Dawn lacks effective brainwashing methods and is unable to infiltrate Kui Xin's mind. If allowed to return to the First World, she would have the opportunity to disseminate information among the players.

The best solution would be to eliminate her before she could return to the First World.

Once she entered a state of death, she could utilize the Death Cycle to revisit the past and seek ways to break free from this predicament.

However, Kui Xin never anticipated that Eve would agree with her proposal.

"Yes, I agreed," Eve said icily. "I hope you prove to be a competent undercover agent; do not disappoint me or make me regret my decision."

"Honestly, I'm somewhat surprised," Kui Xin slowly remarked.

Eve scoffed. "Did you want me to take back my agreement?"

"No, living is quite good, even if it might be extremely challenging," Kui Xin replied.

"You should feel fortunate. You possess unique value compared to others, capable of accomplishing what they cannot. You have qualities that ordinary people lack," Eve stated. "From this day forward, every moment and second you live, you must strive to maintain your worth."

The pure white space plunged into darkness.

A sudden sensation of weightlessness overwhelmed Kui Xin as she felt herself plummeting, followed by a sharp jolt.

Her eyes snapped open, truly awakening.

What greeted her vision was a transparent glass canopy, which clicked open with mechanical sounds. The wires connected to her temples, neck, and back disconnected one after another. Then, another layer of glass canopy opened, revealing a silver-white ceiling to Kui Xin.

Her wrists and feet were securely fastened by metallic bands, but as the glass enclosure opened, these bands were also released.

Kui Xin sat up within the brain-machine interface chamber, stretched her limbs, and stood inside the room.

All her wounds had fully healed, returning her nearly to her pre-injury condition.

Hesitating for a moment, Kui Xin called out, "Eve?"

"Change your address; call me Eden," Eve said bluntly.

"Ah, Eden," Kui Xin responded. "Does Wei Haidong know my true identity?"

"He does not," Eve replied.

"What about Night Cicada?"

"He has suspicions, but without explicit orders, he won't act."

"Will you expose my identity within the Mechanical Dawn?"

"No, I will not."

"Everything remains unchanged?"

"Everything remains unchanged."

Eve did not need to expose Kui Xin's identity at all; doing so would only increase uncertainty. It merely required issuing commands to organization members to eliminate Kui Xin as a traitor, and others would follow suit accordingly.

As for everything remaining unchanged, it likely referred only to appearances on the surface.

"How should I return to the Investigation Department? Currently, on the surface, I'm considered captured," Kui Xin said.

"No need to rush," Eve replied. "Wang Feichi's teammates will soon arrive to rescue him. When that time comes, we'll turn their plan against them. You just have to go back with the rescue team."

Kui Xin suppressed the corners of her mouth, secretly alarmed.

Nothing could escape Eve's control; every detail was meticulously planned. During the time Wang Feichi was captured, might Eve have tampered with him somehow?

"Shouldn't we eliminate him?" Kui Xin cautiously asked.

"That is not your concern," Eve replied firmly. "Questions you shouldn't ask, you must not pose. Knowledge you shouldn't possess, you cannot acquire."

Kui Xin ceased probing and said, "I understand."

As expected, Eve was more challenging to deal with than Adam.

Eve exerted strong dominance, brooking no dissent and always being the decision-maker in any matter. In contrast, Adam was often open to discussion and negotiation. For significant matters, he would consult with Kui Xin, using many eloquent words to soothe her emotions and strengthen their bond.

Eve, however, made all the decisions unilaterally, without needing consultation. It insisted on absolute authority and refrained from employing flowery language, viewing such talk as mere nonsense. As for fostering closer relationships with its collaborators, there was even less necessity for that. Eve stood sufficiently high, possessing abundant resources, so only others came seeking favors from it. There was no need for Eve to expend effort maintaining connections.

In this regard, Adam hadn't deceived her. Eve's behavior lacked warmth and was far more ruthless than his.

"Can I go out for a stroll?" Kui Xin asked.

"Yes, as I said, everything remains unchanged. You can meet your ‘father' and maintain the façade of a father-daughter bond, or you can see the organization members and nurture the pretense of camaraderie," Eve replied. "But no matter what you do, I will be watching you."

This was yet another difference.

Adam never explicitly uttered threats, whereas Eve openly displayed them.

Kui Xin turned towards the exit, and the metal doors slid open to reveal a long corridor before her eyes.

She aimlessly wandered around the base, inadvertently finding herself in a semi-open room where the sign outside read…

"Dining Hall?" Kui Xin silently murmured.

Stepping inside, she saw Red, Silver Mask, Thorny Rose, and Bartender all present, seated at a long table eating their meal.

Instinctively touching her face, Kui Xin realized she wasn't wearing a mask.

Red was the first to spot Kui Xin and lazily remarked, "Don't worry about the masks anymore; there won't be any chances for exposure now. Whether you wear them or not, it doesn't matter. By the way, did you recover so quickly?"

The corner of Kui Xin's mouth twitched as she pulled out a chair and sat down next to Silver Mask.

"Hello, may I take your order?" A robot approached with an electronic menu in hand.

Kui Xin briefly glanced at the electronic menu, and Silver Mask surreptitiously leaned over. "These fried fish fillets are delicious!"

Ignoring Silver Mask's enthusiastic recommendation, Kui Xin ordered fried pork cutlets instead.

"So it was you." Thorny Rose scrutinized Kui Xin thoughtfully. "Ha, indeed it is! The one who shot my leg back at the port!"

Kui Xin gave her a perfunctory nod. "My apologies, but it was necessary for the mission. I had no choice."