novelraw Chapter 14: Sea of Darkness - (14)
Chapter 14: Sea of Darkness - (14)
Kui Xin spent two hours in the therapy room, consumed three cups of wolfberry and jujube tea, and even had lunch at the employee cafeteria upon his enthusiastic invitation.
As she left, Yang Xingyun considerately handed her an entire jar of wolfberries and jujubes, saying, “Drink more of this; it replenishes your vital energy. I notice your complexion is often very pale, indicating a slight deficiency.”
Feeling helpless but appreciative, Kui Xin accepted Yang Xingyun’s kindness and carried the jar of wolfberries and jujubes back to the rest area.
It was now afternoon, with the midday break already over.
Kui Xin put down the jar of wolfberries and jujubes before heading to the Seventh Squad’s training ground to report for duty. Whether they were official members or interns like herself, when not on missions, their time was primarily spent on training, with shooting and combat exercises being of utmost importance.
She took the elevator to the basement level, where the entire floor served as a training facility.
She scanned her iris at the entrance to the training room, and Yadang replied, “Intern Security Officer Kui Xin, you may use the training equipment in Areas A and B for basic exercises. You are currently unable to access permissions for other areas.”
There were distinctions between intern and full-time employees’ treatment, but Kui Xin didn’t particularly mind. After all, she wouldn’t know how to operate more advanced equipment anyway. She visited the training room today to confirm her control over firearms.
Area A included the shooting practice room. Kui Xin entered and glanced around, noticing that it was relatively empty. She found an available spot to stand.
“Please select your training weapon,” Yadang said.“Standard pistol,” Kui Xin replied.
The metal tabletop silently split open before her, revealing a sleek black gun lying quietly on it.
Kui Xin picked up the gun, contemplated it for a few seconds, then disassembled it. After memorizing its components, she reassembled them one by one.
Holding the gun steady, she pointed it forward in the most comfortable position and commanded, “Three-meter target.”
“Yes, three-meter target set,” Yadang responded.
Without much aiming and relying solely on feel, Kui Xin fired. Amidst the rapid succession of shots—bang, bang, bang—all her bullets hit the target without a single miss, each landing within eight rings.
This gun’s recoil was slightly stronger than she anticipated, causing a slight tingling sensation at the base of her thumb.
Unaware of how her performance compared, Kui Xin swapped out the magazine, intending to continue practicing. “Ten-meter target.”
“Ten-meter target set,” Yadang confirmed.
This time, the target was farther away, making it nearly impossible for someone with average eyesight to clearly see the concentric circles on the target.
Kui Xin composed herself, raised the gun, and this time consciously aimed.
She pulled the trigger, firing just one shot.
“Bang!”
The bullet hit the bullseye—the very center of the target!
Kui Xin’s features relaxed with satisfaction. “Yadang set for a fifteen-meter target.”
She attempted multiple shots, gradually increasing the distance from fifteen meters up to twenty-five meters. With each shot, her lowest score never fell below seven rings.
Her fingertips tingled, but she felt rejuvenated as if all her worries and stress had been expelled with each fired bullet.
Such performance was undoubtedly enhanced by her “Combat Instinct” attribute, but she also possessed natural shooting talent. Through repeated practice, her understanding and proficiency with firearms improved. Training served as a means of familiarizing herself with these metallic weapons.
Now adept at handling guns, coupled with strong physical prowess and combat skills, Kui Xin was no longer the weakling she once was. Among the security officers, she belonged to the more exceptional group.
Moreover, she had become an Extraordinary Ability User.
During today’s morning mission, she killed Chai Jian and deprived him of his superhuman ability, “Shadow Shuttling.”
Her current interface showed a clear change:
[Basic Attributes]
Name: Kui Xin
Profession: Depriver
Superhuman Abilities: [Shadow Shuttling · E Rank] You can perform short-range spatial translocation using shadows.
Innate Talents: [Performative Persona] Your acting skills are superb, enabling you to deceive most people.
[Life Resilience] Your vitality is as tenacious as a cockroach’s.
[Danger Evasion] You can keenly detect and avoid danger around you.
[Rapid Learning] Your learning efficiency for any skill is significantly enhanced.
[Fighting Instincts] Your combat abilities and techniques are ingrained in your body.
Chai Jian used Shadow Shuttling to escape from the mental hospital. His superhuman ability level was relatively low, and it seemed not always successful, which explains why he couldn’t flee from the parasitic hydra.
Kui Xin was curious about how superhuman abilities awaken. Was it purely luck, or was it influenced by other factors?
Chai Jian’s awakening astonished her teammates, indicating that awakened individuals were not commonplace but rather extremely rare.
When she first crossed over to this world, Dr. Huang, also a Mechanical Dawn undercover agent, mentioned someone within the Investigation Department who was an awakened being. He specifically highlighted the leader of the Criminal Investigation Unit, advising Kui Xin to be particularly cautious around them.
The Criminal Investigation Unit’s leader likely possessed the superhuman ability “Lie Detection.” As a result, it appeared that awakened beings’ identities and superhuman abilities were highly confidential within the Investigation Department. Even colleagues might not know each other’s capabilities and status; hence, despite working for a long time at the Investigation Department’s medical center, Dr. Huang could only provide vague conjectures, not definitive answers.
To Kui Xin’s disappointment, she couldn’t find a safe and secluded place within the Investigation Department to experiment with her newly acquired Shadow Shuttling ability. At home, Silver Mask’s presence further limited any opportunity to try out her new power.
Shadow Shuttling is an excellent ability; if she were ever imprisoned in the future, it could prove useful for escaping. After all, Chai Jian used it to flee from the heavily guarded mental hospital.
Serving time in prison might not be such a bad outcome; the Federation does not have capital punishment. Optimistically speaking, perhaps during her incarceration, she could find an opportunity to escape. As for the worst scenario, it would involve her identity being exposed and being “eliminated” by her former teammates.
Kui Xin put down the gun and headed towards Area B.
Area B was designated for combat training, where several security officers clad in training uniforms and boxing gloves were sparring against each other. Kui Xin wasn’t there to seek a sparring partner; instead, she wanted to use the training equipment to verify her strength.
In one corner of the training area, there was a punching force gauge.
From magazines in the First World, Kui Xin had read that boxer Mike Tyson’s right punch exerted 800 pounds of force, while martial arts superstar Bruce Lee’s punches reached around 350 pounds. These values closely relate to body weight, with Tyson nearly doubling Bruce Lee’s mass.
A simple punch force test cannot fully represent a person’s combat capabilities because factors influencing combat effectiveness are never limited to just one aspect. However, a punch force test can reflect an individual’s strength level.
“What were my results from the last test?” Kui Xin asked Yadang.
Yadang responded, “Your previous punch force test result was 215 pounds.”
This was the data for “Security Officer Kui Xin,” not her original self. Kui Xin decided to hold back on her first punch, aiming to avoid exceeding the previous score significantly.
She adjusted her breathing, clenched her fist with force, and struck the test apparatus.
The numbers on the strength tester’s display rapidly climbed, instantly surpassing 200 pounds and settling at 233 pounds with a thud.
“Your result shows improvement compared to last time, specifically an increase of 18 pounds,” Yadang reported.
Kui Xin sighed inwardly, thinking, Ah, still not conservative enough.
The original Kui Xin must have been akin to Bruce Lee—a super soldier, at least. Not only did she possess immense strength but also remarkable skill, having undergone rigorous training. She was truly a human weapon incarnate.
“Kui Xin!” Lan Lan entered Area B and waved towards Kui Xin. “Training here?”
“Yeah, I was feeling a bit rusty, so I came to practice shooting and throwing some punches.” Kui Xin stretched her shoulders.
“I feel off even after just one day without holding my gun—it requires constant practice. Want to spar in combat training? Don’t let my technician role fool you; I’m ranked within the top ten in the Field Operations Team,” Lan Lan invited.
“No thanks; I’m a bit tired today since we just returned from field duty. My condition isn’t optimal,” Kui Xin declined with a smile. “How is Jiang Ming doing?”
“He’s finished surgery, and Old Liu is with him now,” Lan Lan said. “Have you visited the psychotherapy room yet?”
Kui Xin replied, “I’ve already been there. Director Yang is quite nice; he gave me a jar of wolfberry and jujube tea…”
“He has a penchant for giving away beverages. When I went, he offered me a can of coffee beans, saying technicians often need to stay mentally alert, and coffee helps with that sort of thing…” Lan Lan shrugged.
“Are there many people in the Investigation Department with psychological issues?” Kui Xin asked.
“With such high work pressure, various problems inevitably arise—we constantly deal with danger. There was this colleague of mine who, on their first mission to eliminate alien creatures, had nightmares every night for a week upon returning home. It was Director Yang who helped them through counseling,” Lan Lan explained. “Having a therapy room within the Investigation Department is crucial. If psychological issues aren’t promptly addressed, they can lead to severe consequences. I have seen examples close by—a veteran from the neighboring team developed serious mental health problems after accidentally killing a civilian, but nobody else noticed… Eventually, he committed suicide.”
Lan Lan sighed, “Sometimes, humans display astonishing resilience under stress, yet at other times, our minds can be fragile, crumbling easily.”
Kui Xin pondered for a moment before asking, “I’ll make sure to avoid such mistakes… Actually, I wanted to ask you about the process of transitioning to full-time status. Is it convenient for you to discuss this?”
“It’s not inconvenient to discuss; it’s an open secret. The interviewers for internships seeking full-time positions are always fixed,” Lan Lan said. “The interviewers are typically the leaders of each team. Just answer their questions honestly, and you must be truthful.”
Must be truthful? Kui Xin immediately recalled Dr. Huang’s warning and the rumors about the Criminal Investigation Unit leader’s extraordinary abilities.
“I understand. Thank you for your advice.” Her mood was slightly dampened.
“Intern Security Officer Kui Xin, please report to the Seventh Squad’s office,” Yadang abruptly told her.
Kui Xin was somewhat surprised, but Lan Lan smiled. “Could it be that the captain wants to discuss your transition to a full-time position?”
“Well then, I’ll be off now.” Kui Xin bid him farewell and left the training room.
As she rode the elevator, Kui Xin’s thoughts were calm. It had been only a few days since arriving in the Second World, yet her mindset underwent a transformative change.
She went from being a high school graduate frantically searching for part-time jobs to becoming a proficient double agent, even assimilating her thinking with her dual identity. Each day, she worried about one concern after another, needing to consider every aspect carefully without revealing any weaknesses. Interacting with people required constant vigilance, and uttering a single word demanded meticulous deliberation—it was mentally exhausting.
Kui Xin arrived at Shu Xuyao’s office, and the metal door opened.
“Welcome, Kui Xin,” said Shu Xuyao. “Please fill out this application form.”
He handed her a paper document titled “Regularization Application Form.”
“Can I be regularized now?” Kui Xin asked.
“Just pass the final interview, which isn’t difficult—you’ll manage it easily,” Shu Xuyao replied. “The interview is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.; no issues with that?”
Kui Xin agreed readily, “No problems, Captain.”
“Great. Once you’re regularized, you can move into the employee dormitories, which are safer than Anning Street near your home,” Shu Xuyao said.
After completing the form, it was nearly time to clock out.
Kui Xin bid farewell to Shu Xuyao, returned to the break room to collect the goji berry and jujube tea gift from Yang Xingyun, and then took the elevator downstairs to prepare to head home.
As soon as she sat down on the hovering electric railcar, Kui Xin opened her bracelet. Silver Mask had sent multiple messages:
“I went to the port again.”
“I didn’t find anything else, but I encountered some hostile gang members. They were quite obstructive—can I eliminate them?”
“If you don’t reply soon, I’ll take action independently. You did say I could make my own decisions, right?”
“They’re already dead.”
“Encountered port smugglers…”
“This time I didn’t kill them; they were smuggling alcohol, just insignificant trinkets.”
“Why haven’t you replied to me? Are you that busy?”
“When do you get off work?”
Kui Xin read these messages, feeling utterly speechless, and switched away from his message thread.
The next message was from someone else, and upon seeing its content, Kui Xin’s attention snapped to focus.
“At midnight, at Ruby Bar in Port Bay District, there will be a collective meeting for the mission execution squad to discuss specific task assignments for blowing up the port. Mandatory attendance for all members.”
Sender: Red.
A completely unfamiliar alias.