novelraw Chapter 16: Sea of Darkness - (16) (6k+ words)
Chapter 16: Sea of Darkness - (16) (6k+ words)
Silver Mask entered combat mode, his demeanor turning icy-cold, akin to an unsheathed, sharp blade. His pale pink eyes, beneath the mask, cautiously scanned the darkness. Silver Mask’s mask itself served as protective gear, equipped with night-vision capabilities. He activated this feature, continuously searching for any suspicious figures.
“At three o’clock direction, within a sixty-meter radius inside the abandoned residential building.” Based on the bullet trajectory, Silver Mask deduced the sniper’s position.
He didn’t pursue it immediately because Kui Xin wasn’t an awakened being; a single shot could take her life. In case other assassins were nearby, he had to protect her at all costs.
Kui Xin possessed an alloy skull, but beyond that, she was still flesh and blood—any injury would cause her to bleed.
Kui Xin reluctantly ordered Silver Mask: “Use your superhuman ability to prevent my blood from touching the ground.”
Her biological information matched the records held by the Investigation Department. If anyone obtained something containing her biological data, they could potentially identify her.
Silver Mask spread his fingers, and under his control, the shattered mask fragments, along with the blood clinging to them, disintegrated and dissolved into the water. Even the blood seeping from Kui Xin’s fingertips and flowing down her chin floated suspended; not a single drop touched the ground.
“As long as I’m here, they won’t obtain your blood,” Silver Mask murmured softly.
“Go after them.” Kui Xin regained her composure; the surroundings no longer appeared double-visioned. “Together, but be mindful of defense.”
The abandoned residential building lacked even glass windows, and it was from within that structure that the bullets had been fired. In the impoverished and chaotic Port Bay District, many streetlights were broken. Aside from using technological devices, nobody was able to clearly discern objects in the darkness with insufficient lighting.Silver Mask transformed his body into a translucent liquid, while Kui Xin began to sprint.
In the First World, short-distance running champions could complete a 100-meter dash in less than ten seconds, averaging around ten meters per second. Kui Xin’s speed was comparable to that of these champions.
She had never run this fast before! The wind was left trailing behind her.
Kui Xin planted her feet on the ground, propelled herself off the first-floor windowsill of the abandoned residential building for leverage, and swung her arms onto the second floor. Mimicking a gymnast performing on uneven bars, she effortlessly climbed up using one hand.
Kui Xin could hear footsteps. Someone was hastily running downstairs.
The sound of footfalls echoed repeatedly through the empty floors.
The person was very close to Kui Xin, and she spotted a figure flashing around the corner of the residential building’s staircase.
Swiftly jumping down from the windowsill, Kui Xin tore off a rusty steel pipe from the decayed burglar-proof window frame. After taking a few steps for momentum, she mimicked a javelin throw and hurled it forward.
Clang! The steel pipe struck its target!
“Aaahh…” The shadowy figure collapsed with a scream as the pipe pierced his shoulder, causing his rifle to fall from his grasp.
A whirlpool spontaneously formed, engulfing the enemy impaled by the steel pipe.
Silver Mask landed beside Kui Xin, using strands of water-like ropes to drag the adversary’s body towards her.
It was a bearded man lying askew on the ground, blood flowing profusely from the wound in his shoulder, seeping into the whirlpool controlled by Silver Mask.
He appeared unkempt, with tangled facial hair. As he curled up painfully, his disheveled, half-length hair covered his face.
Kui Xin confirmed that the person was unfamiliar.
She activated the camera function on her bracelet, and Silver Mask used a stream of water to sweep aside the man’s hair, allowing Kui Xin to take a photograph.
The man was using a rifle with limited range, so he didn’t snipe from hundreds of meters away but chose to engage at close quarters. The Port Bay District was impoverished; most buildings were low and cluttered, making it difficult to find suitable sniper positions. His vantage point wasn’t on the second floor—it should have been on the fourth floor or higher. After firing his shot and realizing he missed, he attempted to flee downstairs, but Kui Xin outpaced him, catching him red-handed.
“Have you studied interrogation techniques?” Kui Xin asked Silver Mask.
Silver Mask stepped forward, speaking grimly, “Leave it to me.”
He extracted the steel pipe lodged in the man’s shoulder. Under his control, the blood did not gush out uncontrollably, preventing the man from bleeding to death immediately.
“Who are you? Who directed you?” Silver Mask demanded.
With a contorted face, the man gasped for breath but did not answer. Silver Mask spread his fingers, and a globule of water enveloped the man’s head. A series of bubbles emerged from the man’s mouth as water flooded his lungs, causing violent convulsions and frantic struggles.
After a minute, the man’s struggling weakened. Silver Mask dispersed the water and repeated, “Who directed you?”
Coughing up water from his lungs, the man pleaded fearfully, “I don’t know; please, I truly don’t know!”
Unmercifully, Silver Mask kicked the man’s jaw, sending two teeth flying from his mouth.
Silver Mask repeated, “Who commanded you?”
“I really don’t know!” the man frantically exclaimed.
As soon as he said “don’t know,” his head was once again enveloped by the water mass. This time, Silver Mask observed him struggling for a longer period before finally dispersing the water, allowing him to breathe.
“Still claiming ignorance?” Silver Mask stepped hard on the wound on the man’s shoulder, ensuring he remained conscious amidst the pain.
“I’m just a low-tier assassin. I was drinking at the bar earlier, and when I wanted to buy some drugs, I followed a dealer into the restroom. After that, I have no memory of what happened. Please! I’m not lying!” The man’s face turned pallid. “I…”
His voice suddenly cut off.
His eyes bulged, then burst with a pop, revealing two slender, dark-red tentacles emerging from their sockets. A creature resembling a spider but possessing a long, narrow proboscis and a pair of wrist-like appendages broke through his skull, contentedly extending its tentacles.
The mysterious creature had eaten half of the brain that was protected within his skull! Yet he still lived, his limbs twitching spasmodically like during an epileptic seizure, while blackened blood slowly oozed from his nose, mouth, and ears.
Even Silver Mask recoiled in shock at this grotesque scene.
Kui Xin lifted her bracelet and swiftly snapped a photo of this unknown creature with a click. Her quick response proved timely because, in the next moment, both the convulsing man on the ground and the grotesque creature dissolved into a pool of blood.
First, beads of blood seeped from the man’s skin, and then it shriveled up, tightly adhering to his bones like a mummy. Finally, both the bones and skin melted away, leaving only his clothes soaked in the bloody liquid.
The process was swift and silent.
“An alien species I’ve never encountered before,” Silver Mask solemnly remarked.
Alien species came in various forms; parasitic hydras were one type, while the blood-red spider-like creature they just witnessed belonged to another category.
Silver Mask had experienced much, but this particular alien species was entirely new to him.
Kui Xin detected a nauseating scent of blood. Suppressing her discomfort, she gripped the steel pipe and carefully lifted the blood-soaked clothing. Eventually, within the garments, she discovered a gleaming communicator that was still active.
Kui Xin and Silver Mask exchanged glances, simultaneously pondering the same question:
Who is on the other end of this communication line?
Kui Xin knelt down and spoke to the communicator, “Your person is dead.”
In the following second, the communicator’s light blinked out as the person on the other end hung up.
Throughout Kui Xin’s capture of the assassin and Silver Mask’s interrogation of him, the communicator remained active.
This meant that both Kui Xin and Silver Mask’s conversations, along with Silver Mask’s interrogation of the assassin, were heard by the party on the other end.
Kui Xin shuddered. If after apprehending the assassin, she and Silver Mask had lowered their guard and discussed sensitive information, inadvertently revealing their identities through their words, the other party would have learned this via the communicator, leading to her true identity being exposed.
For the first time, Kui Xin experienced the feeling of being targeted by someone’s schemes.
The opponent’s plan was meticulously crafted, controlling the assassin to shoot at her without ever showing themselves from start to finish. The unexpected presence of the communicator further instilled fear in Kui Xin retrospectively.
Amidst this misfortune, there was one fortunate aspect—after capturing the killer, she and Silver Mask immediately proceeded with the interrogation without any idle chatter, thus not leaking any confidential information. Additionally, Kui Xin’s vocal modulator remained securely attached to her throat, ensuring the other party never heard her actual voice.
Silver Mask raised his hand and tapped on his mask, initiating an invisible beam scan across the area. After reviewing the environmental data returned by the mask, he stated, “There are no additional listening devices present.”
Kui Xin said, “Silver Mask, wipe down and store the communicator; it’s physical evidence now. The assassin didn’t specify which bar he encountered the trader at. I need to ascertain his detailed background information, as well as the bars he frequently visits… That trader could be the key.”
“What happened? How could someone attack us?” Silver Mask was perplexed, despite pondering over it repeatedly. “We clearly changed our route, choosing the safest one.”
“No, it’s not right.” Kui Xin bit her lip. “It wasn’t an attack on ‘us’, but specifically on ‘me’.”
Silver Mask looked at her with shock.
“This assassin had a clear target—he came after me. The first shot aimed for my head, not yours,” Kui Xin explained. “I am the prey he targeted, not you.”
“Perhaps it was just a coincidence…” Silver Mask suggested.
“There is no such thing as coincidence in this situation. Even if it were a coincidence, we can’t afford to treat it as such.” Kui Xin raised her bracelet again, taking a few photos of the bloodstain on the ground. She then clicked to enlarge the images and adjusted their brightness and contrast, searching for details that couldn’t be observed in the darkness.
“Moreover, didn’t you notice? After realizing the first shot hadn’t killed me, the assassin immediately fired several more rounds, which you blocked.” Her mind raced as she analyzed it bit by bit. “Putting ourselves in their shoes, if I had multiple targets to eliminate, after firing the first shot, I wouldn’t pause to observe the outcome. Instead, I would swiftly aim at the next prey. When shooting at the first target, the others get alerted. To ensure overall accuracy, it’s best not to look back after the first shot; focusing on quickly targeting other objectives is the wiser choice. Even if the first one escapes, hitting the second still counts as a gain.”
“But his second shot wasn’t aimed at me. Every single shot targeted you, only you.” Silver Mask sensed something was amiss. “You’re being singled out for special attention!”
Kui Xin rapidly composed a brief report of just a few dozen words, attached the photos, and sent it to Mechanical Dawn Headquarters.
After hesitating momentarily, she dialed Red’s communicator number.
“Hello?” The background noise was filled with chaotic musical sounds.
“I’ve been attacked. A new form of alien creature has appeared, and I’ve already transmitted the information back to Headquarters,” Kui Xin said. “Come over here and bring a healing potion with you; I sustained some injuries.”
“Fuck!” Red exclaimed. “Wait there; I’m coming right away. Send me your location.”
Kui Xin sent her coordinates and promptly dialed Thorny Rose’s communication line.
“What is it, Deputy Commander?” On Thorny Rose’s end, it was exceptionally quiet.
“Where are you?” Kui Xin asked.
“At Beauty Salon No. 56 on Forest Road,” Thorny Rose replied. “What happened?”
“Ball Python, where is he?” Kui Xin inquired.
Thorny Rose responded promptly, “He’s having late-night snacks next to the Ruby Bar; I’m not sure if he’s finished yet.”
Wasting no time with pleasantries, Kui Xin directly said, “Send me your current location.”
Thorny Rose ended the call and, in the following second, sent over her location, confirming that she indeed was at Forest Road No. 56.
Kui Xin immediately dialed Ball Python’s number. “Send me your location.”
“Oh, okay, Deputy Commander.” The slurping sounds of eating noodles from Ball Python’s side ceased, and shortly after, he also sent his location.
The positioning indicated he was near the Ruby Bar, consistent with what Thorny Rose had mentioned.
In the next minute, Kui Xin sequentially called all members of the mission strike squad, instructing them to send their location information.
As she reviewed all the locations, she realized that not a single person was nearby. She opened up the map and searched for bars, with all nearby establishments marked by red dots.
Kui Xin compared the teammates’ shared coordinates with the locations of the bars.
“Why did you ask everyone to submit their positions?” Silver Mask queried, puzzled.
“Use your brain, Silver Mask.” Kui Xin temporarily put away her bracelet, picked up the assassin’s dropped rifle, and ascended the stairs leading to the second floor.
Silver Mask pondered deeply before having an epiphany. “Do you suspect there’s a mole among us?”
“Hmm.” Kui Xin touched the shattered half of her spider mask. “Just after our meeting ended, someone tried to kill me on our way back. How could it be such a coincidence?”
“Our companions couldn’t possibly betray us!” Silver Mask exclaimed, shocked.
“Then why do you think someone wanted to assassinate me? Specifically targeting only me?” Kui Xin countered.
Silver Mask stumbled, momentarily at a loss.
After thinking for a while, he suggested, “Because… you’re an undercover agent?”
This was Kui Xin’s most distinctive role; she was the Deputy Commander of the port sabotage mission. However, the other team members also played crucial parts in this operation, so there was no logical reason for her to be the primary target. Her unique status as an undercover agent from the Investigation Department made her stand out the most, attracting attention.
“I hypothesize that among those attending tonight’s meeting, there is an insider traitor with connections to the Investigation Department. This traitor realized my unusual status from the meeting and decided to eliminate me,” Kui Xin said. “However, there’s a contradiction here.”
“What contradiction?” Silver Mask couldn’t follow Kui Xin’s train of thought.
Kui Xin explained, “One of the responsibilities of the Investigation Department is to eliminate alien creatures. How could they hire an alien creature to be an assassin?”
The repulsive spider-like alien creature had parasitized the assassin’s head. After failing to complete his assassination task, the alien creature promptly killed him, consumed his brain, and made his body dissolve without leaving any trace. The alien creature also disintegrated upon the assassin’s death.
She had witnessed parasitic hydras before; humans infested by them exhibited grotesque deformities. However, tonight’s assassin managed to speak normally even after being parasitized, only dying when the alien creature finally emerged.
Kui Xin had reason to believe that the assassin was a puppet controlled by the alien creature’s parasitism. Someone must have introduced the alien creature into the assassin’s body, compelling him involuntarily to carry out these actions under its influence.
Silver Mask mentioned he had never seen such a spider-shaped alien creature before.
Who was controlling this alien creature? Who placed it inside the killer’s body?
Deep in thought, Kui Xin ascended to the third floor and examined the windowsill, which was devoid of glass. The view from the third floor was not expansive; the killer hadn’t fired shots from here. She then proceeded to check around the fourth floor. As she reached the fifth floor, her instinct to avoid danger compelled her to halt.
After considering for a moment, Kui Xin said to Silver Mask, “I need to cross over. The fifth-floor windowsill is too exposed with no cover. Use your water curtain to protect me.”
“Alright,” Silver Mask replied.
She climbed the stairs, approached the window, and leaned down to search, spotting a bullet casing.
The killer had fired from the second window on the west side of the fifth floor. As Kui Xin moved closer, she discovered more bullet casings beneath the window.
Fortunately, the killer used a rifle. If he had employed a high-performance long-range sniper like the K80, a single shot could have pierced through her alloy skull.
Standing before the wide-open window, Kui Xin was completely unprotected.
Suddenly, “Danger Evasion” triggered once again! Kui Xin’s body appeared to have a laser-red dot, which aids firearm targeting.
It still used a silencer, and the bullet fired silently. This time, Silver Mask was well prepared, as alerted by Kui Xin. He swiftly extended his water curtain, and as the bullet hit it, it spun and lost its momentum, coming to a stop.
Silver Mask’s water barrier enveloped Kui Xin seamlessly from all angles, fearing she might get hit.
“A double setup!” Silver Mask exclaimed, startled. “Surprisingly, there’s still someone else lying in ambush for you!”
He shuddered involuntarily.
Kui Xin had been shot on her way but survived. Then, pursuing the assassin to the abandoned residential building, the killer died. As Kui Xin examined the crime scene within the derelict structure, another bullet suddenly emerged from an unexpected angle.
If Kui Xin had let her guard down even slightly upon the assassin’s death, believing herself out of danger, she would have perished nonetheless!
“Let’s chase after them!” Silver Mask said.
“You saw the red dot appearing on me, right? This time it wasn’t a rifle, but a sniper rifle—it’s too far away; we won’t catch up,” Kui Xin calmly decided to abandon the pursuit. “The mastermind behind this is exceptionally cautious.”
She and Silver Mask moved away from the window, leaving the abandoned residential building. They found a relatively safe corner to await Red’s arrival.
“If I asked you to choose the person you trust most among those attending tonight’s meeting, who would it be?” Kui Xin looked at Silver Mask.
“Red,” Silver Mask replied. “He is one of the oldest members.”
“And what if you were to pick the person you trust the least?”
Silver Mask responded, “There are some individuals I’m not familiar with, so I can’t make a judgment.”
Kui Xin said, “They may not have betrayed us but instead been parasitized and controlled. If alien creatures possess the ability to parasitize awakened beings…”
Silver Mask’s gaze turned somber. “The Headquarters will determine what that alien creature is.”
Kui Xin pulled her hood tighter, completely concealing her face. The mask was damaged, leaving only a small portion of her forehead exposed, but tightening the hoodie’s hood covered her features.
In the darkness, with the gunmen at a distance, night vision equipment could clearly discern figures but not their faces. Kui Xin wasn’t sure if her metallic skull had been revealed when the first shot hit. Was the mastermind observing covertly nearby or controlling events from afar? Did he guess how she’d deflect the bullet?
She understood that requesting real-time locations from all team members wasn’t foolproof; coordinates could be manipulated. A competent mastermind wouldn’t expose themselves through such minor details. Her communication aimed to confirm everyone’s status and potentially bluff out any weaknesses. If there were any cracks, she could pinpoint the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes.
Unfortunately, this time’s orchestrator was a highly skilled player, adept at hiding well and even setting up a chain of intricate schemes.
Five minutes later, Red arrived. He sped down the street on his motorcycle with Bartender seated behind him, both wearing camouflage masks.
Bartender disembarked first, and his eyes beneath the mask turned red as he scanned the surroundings. “There was no surveillance equipment and no suspicious armed personnel present. It’s currently safe.”
Red brushed aside his disheveled, dyed hair, blown by the wind, then examined Kui Xin from top to bottom before tossing her a vial of medication. “Here, it’s for external use. The wound was indeed conspicuous on your head. This new type of medicine will heal it within three hours; don’t worry.”
Kui Xin opened the medication packaging, reached under her hat, and applied the ointment to her forehead. “I’ve already sent the report to Headquarters.”
“Did you capture the assailant?” Red asked.
“He’s dead. While waiting for you, I investigated the scene and encountered a second attack. For the second assault, I didn’t pursue it because the gunman was too far away.” Kui Xin retrieved photos from her bracelet and sent them to Red. “All the images are here. The physical evidence includes a communicator and a gun; the communicator is secured by Silver Mask.”
“An unfamiliar alien species.” Red frowned in disgust. “Impressive that you managed to take such repulsive photos—it’s truly fitting of you.”
Bartender leaned closer for a look and also furrowed his brow.
Kui Xin said, “The assassin’s body is on the second floor… Of course, now it’s just blood residue; only samples can be collected from there. During the second attack, we observed from the abandoned residential building, and the shooter’s position should have been between four to five o’clock direction… If you investigate now, you might find bullet casings or similar evidence.”
“We have a traitor among us.” Red came to the same conclusion without Kui Xin’s further explanation. “It’s too coincidental; such a coincidence cannot exist…”
Despite Red’s eccentric appearance, their minds were sharp.
Kui Xin stated, “Silver Mask and I deliberately changed our route home, yet the enemy still tracked me down.”
“How did the enemy manage to track us? Through human surveillance? Miniature machinery?” Silver Mask spoke gravely, “Our situation is extremely perilous.”
Bartender chimed in, “I didn’t detect any tracking devices, so they likely weren’t using technological equipment to follow us. As for human surveillance, with such primitive methods, neither Silver Mask nor Rich Lady would fail to notice. It’s possible that the adversary possesses superhuman abilities related to tracking or monitoring.”
Kui Xin glanced sideways; Bartender’s superhuman ability seemed to be related to perception and detection, capable of sensing high-tech devices?
“Don’t go home; it’s too dangerous. Until we understand the enemy’s tracking methods, returning could easily expose your residence. Rich Lady, you and Silver Mask should head to the safe house to rest,” Red said. “I’ll contact Headquarters shortly and have them dispatch some off-duty squads to investigate the scene.”
Members of the off-duty squads were typically ordinary people without superhuman abilities, often engaged in logistics-related work such as battlefield cleanup, arms assembly, technical analysis, and more. Not having superhuman abilities did not mean they were unskilled; each squad member underwent exceptionally rigorous training and was proficient in their specialized fields.
Compared to awakened beings, regular people formed the majority within the Mechanical Dawn Organization.
“The remaining matters are left in your hands. I need to get to work, unlike you all, who have flexible schedules,” Kui Xin said.
“Alright,” Red responded. “Focus on dealing with the Investigation Department and the traitor at our base; leave them to me.”
A grim aura emanated from his entire body.
“If possible, bring any captives to me alive,” Kui Xin said. “I want to know who he is.”
Ball Python’s hand holding the cigar, trembled slightly. He took a deep puff and whispered into his communicator, “I’m not doing this anymore.”
“That ‘Rich Lady’ is too perceptive. Just half a minute after the assassin fired—maybe even less than that—Rich Lady apprehended him. The ‘Silver Mask’ accompanying her has at least a B-level awakened ability, possibly nearing A,” he repeated. “I’m done! I don’t want to risk my life!”
“I overestimated you; I thought you’d be braver.” A hoarse tone came from the communicator, disguised as a vocal modulator. “I had promised you that once this was accomplished, I would arrange a new identity for you, allowing you to leave Black Sea City and live elsewhere.”
“Before embracing a new life, I’ll end up dead first,” Ball Python said. “It’s too dangerous; damn it, damn it! I shouldn’t have been bewitched into agreeing with you to kill Rich Lady! Red’s methods are far more terrifying than you imagine, and Rich Lady isn’t easily provoked either. They will suspect me… They’re already suspicious! After the shooting incident, Rich Lady contacted me, asking where I was—it must have been a test!”
Ball Python grew increasingly fearful and anxious, saying, “The risks I’m taking are much greater than what you described; I can’t afford to take such chances anymore.”
“Don’t try to shift the blame. Your failure to adequately attach enough scent markers to your teammates is the primary cause of our current predicament. If the scent marking had been successful, all those attending tonight’s meeting could have been effortlessly tracked, allowing us to promptly initiate decapitation strikes one by one. You wouldn’t be feeling so apprehensive then,” the person said coldly. “However, your scent markers only tagged a few individuals, and with insufficient quantities at that. They dissipated after just two hours, making it difficult to track them.”
“If it weren’t for the tight timeframe and this rare opportunity, along with Rich Lady’s ‘critical’ status and role within the meetings, I wouldn’t have asked you to act tonight. You know how significantly a well-trained undercover agent can undermine a tightly-knit organization. Rich Lady must die; missing this chance would result in the scent markers fading away entirely, leaving us unable to trace her! We might not even know who Rich Lady truly is! These are your mistakes: failing to kill Rich Lady as instructed and not obtaining any tissue samples from her.”
“Red didn’t explicitly confirm that Rich Lady was an undercover agent; without confirmation, she remains suspicious and requires further investigation. What use is it for you to hastily assume she’s an undercover agent? Yet I have to bear the consequences of your ill-advised decision,” Ball Python argued. “And regarding those scent markers… Just as I lit up my cigarette, that Silver Mask brat extinguished it with water. What could I do? It was a specially-made cigarette, and once soaked, it couldn’t be relit.”
The mere mention of this incident exhausted Ball Python.
He had entered the conference room, intending to smoke a cigar. This particular cigar was a customized mission item; when ignited, its scent particles would adhere to people for a prolonged period, creating an invisible and odorless marking detectable only by certain nocturnal insects that followed such scent trails.
Timing his move precisely, Ball Python lit the cigar before the meeting began. As the smoke filled the conference room, everyone entering would become marked. Once the meeting was over, releasing the insects would allow for roughly pinpointing the marked individual’s location based on their flight direction. The insects themselves were also specially treated, emitting a conspicuous glow visible through night-vision goggles.
Ball Python had meticulously planned, aware that Bartender’s superhuman ability rendered high-tech tracking devices useless.
Unfortunately, human schemes often fall short in unforeseen circumstances.
Just as he lit the cigar, Silver Mask swiftly doused it with water, extinguishing not only the smoke but also any hope and Ball Python’s plans.
Originally, some scent markers were attached to both Rich Lady and Silver Mask. After Ball Python reported the meeting’s contents to his informant, the informant offered a high price, demanding that he assassinate Rich Lady.
Ball Python carried out a series of maneuvers, releasing bugs, estimating their routes, and going to bars to implant parasitic species into several expendable pawns, controlling them under the belief that it was foolproof.
However, the assassination mission failed—utterly and completely.
“I don’t want to take any more risks,” Ball Python said.
“If you don’t want to risk it, then what do you propose? You’re already entangled; do you wish to continue staying with the Mechanical Dawn, being controlled by them and subjected to their mental brainwashing?” The person on the other end of the communication asked. “Listen to me; go undercover and wait for the right opportunity. I can allow you to regain your true self again. Your name isn’t ‘ball python’; it has been too long since you’ve used your real name. Surely you haven’t forgotten what you’re called?”
Ball Python fell silent.
“If you feel it’s dangerous, you can refrain from taking action in the near future and focus solely on passing along intelligence.” The tone of the person over the communicator softened. “Rich Lady poses a threat to our side, which is why I hastily sought to deal with her without accurately assessing her and Silver Mask’s capabilities, leading to the mission’s failure. I bear equal responsibility; it was my mistake.”
Ball Python remained hesitant. “But I…”
“An additional five million,” the voice over the communicator said calmly. “Once you accomplish your mission and step back, you can go wherever you want with this money.”
“It’s not about the money; you don’t understand,” Ball Python replied.
The person on the other end of the communication pondered for a moment. “I’ll add one bottle of Divine Blood.”
Ball Python was taken aback.
“Your innate abilities have reached their limit, and, as an awakened being, your path stops here. Throughout your entire life, you can only remain at C-grade, unable to attain higher ranks.” The individual continued persuasively, “When you see no hope along the path of awakened beings, you can choose another path to start anew… You know what that path entails.”
“A Variant Blood!” Ball Python’s eyes widened.
“Yes. By consuming Divine Blood, becoming a Variant Blood, you can become stronger,” the person said. “If you become sufficiently strong, Mechanical Dawn won’t be able to harm you.”
“I’ve heard that there’s a chance for a Variant Blood’s body to mutate into a monster…”
“After dilution and filtration, the safety of Divine Blood has greatly increased, significantly reducing the likelihood of mutation. However, taking some risk is unavoidable.”
Ball Python remained silent for a long time before responding, “Fine, I can continue acting as a mole. As you said, my only responsibility will be passing on intelligence; I won’t involve myself in anything else. Don’t expect me to kill for you.”
“No problem,” the person replied indulgently. “You must provide more information about Rich Lady—her height, physical characteristics, voice—the more detailed, the better.”
Ball Python pondered for a moment. “Rich Lady uses a vocal modulator, so her true voice is unclear. Her estimated height is around 175 centimeters, and her gender is also unknown…”
“Gender unknown?” The person was taken aback.
“The nickname ‘Rich Lady’ strongly implies a female identity, but it might just be a smokescreen. For all we know, Rich Lady’s true identity could be male. Given its height of 175 centimeters, it could apply equally well to a man or a woman. What if Rich Lady deliberately wears fake breasts as part of the disguise? Mechanical Dawn has many lunatics, and most of these lunatics have peculiar quirks. Take Red, for example; his interests are quite strange.” With utmost caution, Ball Python continued, “Based on my experience, even though the nickname ‘Rich Lady’ immediately suggests a woman, we cannot truly assume this person is female! Height can be disguised by using shoe inserts or hollowing out the soles, and if Rich Lady’s superhuman ability happens to be related to deception, what then?”
“… This intel you provided is practically useless; I can’t pinpoint the target,” the person said.
“When going undercover, one mustn’t think too narrowly,” Ball Python replied anxiously.
“You used to overthink before, but not this much. Did Rich Lady scare the wits out of you tonight, causing you to indulge in wild speculations?” The other person sneered.
Just as Ball Python was about to retort, he noticed his bracelet flashing—a communication from Thorny Rose had arrived.
“I have to go; my teammate’s calling me.” Ball Python cut off the communicator and opened the bracelet, saying with his usual loud voice, “Hey, Eldest Sister!”
“Have you finished your late-night snack? If you’re done, hurry up and get back to work,” Thorny Rose said icily.
“Yes, yes, I’m on my way! I’ll be there in five minutes; take it easy for now, Eldest Sister!” Ball Python fawned.
After ending the call, Ball Python patted his heavily jowled face, straightened his posture, and regained the spirited demeanor akin to a crowing rooster.
He left his spot, mounted his motorbike, and sped off to find Thorny Rose.
“This room is quite nice.” Silver Mask looked around curiously.
Kui Xin opened the wardrobe and discovered it filled with various types of clothing, ranging from hip-hop attire to suits—everything one could need was present. In adjacent small compartments, there were comprehensive assortments of cosmetics, likely intended for organization members’ disguises.
She took out some clothes and tapped on the bottom of the wardrobe, eliciting hollow thumps. She revealed a hidden passageway below when she lifted the panel. Red had mentioned that this secret tunnel led directly to the complex network of city sewers, serving as an escape route.
They returned to the Ruby Bar once more, this time on the basement third floor, which housed a safe haven where organization members could rest and recover from injuries.
Silver Mask tore open a can of fruit preserves and began eating while sitting cross-legged on the floor.
The emergency provisions in the safe house were all canned foods and separate boxes contained medical supplies and weapon replenishments. Behind a painting hanging on the wall, there was a safe containing gold bars. The Second World operated cashless, but gold, a precious metal, still circulated and served as hard currency in black market transactions.
“How will you go to work tomorrow morning?” Silver Mask asked.
“Through the secret passage,” Kui Xin replied, sitting on the bed and opening a map to study the sewer routes.
She glanced at the time—it was now 3 A.M.
Continuing this relentless cycle between day and night would inevitably lead to her sudden collapse sooner or later.
“Where should I sleep?” Silver Mask inquired.
Kui Xin asked, “Sleeping on the floor?”
Silver Mask didn’t object; when he rested at Kui Xin’s home, he always slept on the sofa and never expected to use the bed.
After finishing their canned food, Silver Mask spread out a blanket on the ground, laid down, and wrapped himself in it, ready to sleep.
Kui Xin turned off the light and settled onto her bed.
Among all the people she currently knew, surprisingly, Silver Mask was the most reliable.
If Kui Xin had to choose the person least likely to attempt harming her from those present at the meeting, it would be Silver Mask. With his formidable superhuman abilities, killing Kui Xin wouldn’t require much effort; with just a flick of his finger, her life could end. Silver Mask was genuinely straightforward, lacking ulterior motives, which was the primary reason Kui Xin trusted him.
Red was the second-most trustworthy. He understood Kui Xin’s identity and the tasks she carried, knew her home’s location, and was aware of her position within the Investigation Department. It would also be a simple matter for Red to eliminate Kui Xin.
If Kui Xin had to pick the individual she found most suspicious… she would choose Ball Python.
His behavior was too erratic, appearing overly foolish.
There wasn’t any deliberate pretense of stupidity in Ball Python’s actions; everything seemed natural, devoid of any signs that he was putting on an act. Yet, despite no logical basis, Kui Xin simply deemed him suspicious.
Kui Xin pondered deeply, analyzing herself to pinpoint when she began harboring ill feelings towards Ball Python.
Upon reflection, she realized it was his smoking behavior that most irked her.
Kui Xin detested the smell of cigar smoke.
Lying awake in bed, Silver Mask softly asked, “Why haven’t you fallen asleep yet?”
“Your breathing is too loud,” Kui Xin replied.
“…I’ll try to breathe more quietly,” said Silver Mask.
After calmly contemplating for a moment, Kui Xin picked up her bracelet and sent a message to Red: “Red, focus on investigating Ball Python; I feel something’s off about him.”
Shortly after, Red responded, “Received.”
It was nearly 4 A.M., and she really needed to sleep.
Tomorrow, Kui Xin will face a new challenge—a probationary interview under the observation and questioning of the various group leaders from the Investigation Department.
Author’s Note:
Silver Mask: Cats save the day again!