novelraw Chapter 24: Sea of Darkness - (24)
Chapter 24: Sea of Darkness - (24)
When Kui Xin arrived home, she glanced at the digital clock—it was past midnight.
Perfect. She swiftly completed her second job for the night without pulling an all-nighter. Now, she could sleep for a full six hours—truly a luxurious treat.
The digital clock displayed the date and time: July 31, 2086, 00:28.
This marked the fifth day since Kui Xin’s transmigration.
Tomorrow would be August, with only eight days remaining until the official implementation of the demolition plan and eleven days left before The Kraken’s formal landing.
Kui Xin removed her dirty clothes and wrapped them carefully in a trash bag, intending to find an opportunity for disposal. These garments were covered with blood and flesh fragments; although Silver Mask had cleaned them, they still carried a strong scent of gore.
Silver Mask sat in the living room, tidying up their gear, while Kui Xin went to change and take a bath.
Filling the bathtub with water, Kui Xin immersed herself to relax her tense muscles. Tonight, she acquired two superhuman abilities—Burning Blood and Flesh Regeneration. Burning Blood inflicted significant harm on the body, making it unsuitable for immediate experimentation, but Flesh Regeneration was undoubtedly a highly practical skill.
From a nearby shelf beside the bathtub, Kui Xin retrieved a brow razor and made a cut on her finger. A bead of blood welled up, and in the next second, the shallow wound healed as the skin tissue closed, seamlessly rejoining. After wiping away the blood, her skin appeared smooth as before, without any trace of injury.
Feeling reassured, she plunged the brow razor deep into her palm, creating a substantial gash. Blood immediately flowed down her wrist and dripped into the bathtub.This time, the healing process took longer, approximately five or six seconds. Tiny, wriggling granulations bridged the split flesh, realigning the severed tissues. As the wound closed, the newly formed skin at the incision site displayed a faint pink hue.
Kui Xin’s shoulders relaxed.
Leaning against the bathtub, she half-closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Her Flesh Regeneration enhancement significantly improved her survivability; all the fatigue and risks tonight were worth it.
The relentless day-and-night cycle had left Kui Xin utterly exhausted, and without realizing it, she dozed off while still in the bath.
Silver Mask, having finished organizing his gear, lay on the sofa, staring blankly into space.
He was a competent subordinate who consistently followed orders. Whatever his superior commanded, that’s what he would execute. At this moment, he desperately wanted to sleep, but Kui Xin hadn’t yet finished bathing. Perhaps after her bath, she’ll assign him tasks for the night, such as conducting investigations.
Thus, Silver Mask forced himself to stay awake.
After waiting for an hour with no sounds from the bathroom and still no sign of Kui Xin emerging, he cautiously rose to knock on the door, puzzled. “Hey! Is something wrong?”
Instantly startled awake, Kui Xin bolted upright in the bathtub. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
Reassured by her response, Silver Mask returned to the living room and continued lounging on the sofa.
Ten minutes later, Kui Xin emerged, drying her hair. She had washed away the overpowering scent of blood, feeling much refreshed.
“Are there any tasks for tonight?” Silver Mask, ever mindful of work, inquired.
“Tonight’s task is to sleep.” Kui Xin poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down. “We made too much noise while killing the ball python; the coastal security force will investigate. To be safe, let’s not go outside for now.”
“I love sleep tasks.” Silver Mask wrapped himself in a blanket and adjusted into the most comfortable position.
He was quite tall, so when he didn’t curl up, his feet extended beyond the sofa.
In approximately ten seconds, Silver Mask’s breathing evened out as he fell asleep.
Kui Xin returned to her room and activated her bracelet, finding new messages from Red.
“The body has been recovered and sent back to Headquarters for examination. It’s a rare Variant Blood dissection sample, but you blew off its head with explosives, making the corpse incomplete. You could have avoided doing that.”
Kui Xin replied, “I’ll be more careful next time.”
Red responded, “Remember to exercise restraint, Rich Lady.”
“How is Thorny Rose recovering from her injury?” Kui Xin pondered before asking.
“She underwent surgery and is preparing to replace her right hand with a mechanical prosthetic limb,” Red said. “She needs a day of rest before continuing missions. According to her, a red nematode burrowed into her flesh, forcing her to cut off her hand. This worm was placed on her by the ball python.”
“Let me know when you have findings from the research,” Kui Xin replied.
The time displayed on her bracelet jumped to 01:32 AM, marking the early hours of dawn.
Kui Xin climbed into bed, snuggling under the covers, and closed her eyes to mentally organize the day’s events.
Interview passed, orientation completed, dined with teammates, and eliminated the ball python.
As this fulfilling day neared its end, Kui Xin felt a sense of relief while lying in bed. She had personally removed an enemy who sought to kill her.
Although the identity of the person behind the ball python remained unclear for now, it was a promising start.
At least for tonight, she decided to get a decent night’s sleep and leave further contemplation until after waking up.
The next morning at 7 a.m.
Kui Xin opened her bedroom window to let in fresh air.
In this coastal city, the air always carried a briny sea scent. Kui Xin wasn’t particularly accustomed to it; before being transported to the Second World, she was a native of inland areas and had never seen the ocean.
It was a bright, sunny day, with early morning light illuminating Black Sea City. As darkness receded, Kui Xin’s mood, like the weather, brightened somewhat.
“I hate clear skies; I hate the sun,” Silver Mask murmured gloomily.
For breakfast, Kui Xin enjoyed a bowl of cereal soaked in milk. Just as she stuffed some cereal into her mouth, her communicator vibrated with a beep.
Yadang had sent today’s daily schedule ahead of time.
Since the Seventh Squad was collectively assigned to duty at the port, she didn’t need to rush by electric railcar to the Investigation Building for work. Instead, she could report directly to the port’s coastal security force. Thoughtfully, Yadang’s email marked the location of the Coastal Security Office and even calculated the optimal route from Kui Xin’s home to the office.
At the end of the email, there was a friendly note: “Today will be sunny with a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius. Outdoor patrols along the coast can easily lead to sunburns; it is recommended to apply sunscreen.”
“We don’t seem to have any sunscreen at home…” Kui Xin muttered to herself.
“Sunscreen? I do have some.” Silver Mask lifted his face from the cereal bowl, saying, “I have plenty of it.”
He retrieved a tube from his pocket and handed it to Kui Xin. “Here, use this.”
“Thank you,” Kui Xin replied, sounding somewhat perplexed.
“My skin lacks melanin, making it unable to withstand ultraviolet radiation; hence, I must use this sunscreen,” Silver Mask grumbled. “Every time we go on missions, I have to gear up fully and wrap myself tightly, which is such a hassle… Additionally, some sunscreens have poor water resistance, while those with good waterproofing tend to be very expensive. I still prefer carrying out tasks at night; at least there’s no sunlight then.”
No wonder he dislikes sunny days and the sun—such weather indeed isn’t friendly towards individuals with albinism like him.
After breakfast, Kui Xin applied sunscreen to her face and arms, and Silver Mask did the same. He was much more meticulous and thorough than Kui Xin, ensuring coverage on his neck, behind his ears, wrists, and every corner of exposed skin. Once finished, he carefully put on his mask, donned a long-sleeved jacket, and pulled down his hood—an essential as it also protected his scalp from the sun.
“I’m ready; we can head out now. What are the instructions for today?” Silver Mask asked, prepared for the task.
“Following the original plan, scan Dock No. 5 to obtain data and transmit it back to Headquarters for analysis of the load-bearing column positions,” Kui Xin said. “Since Thorny Rose is recuperating from injuries and unavailable, please take on the extra work.”
Resignedly, Silver Mask responded, “Alright, understood.”
Dock No. 5 is part of the Floating Sea Port, where a significant portion of its structures float upon the sea, anchored and stabilized by load-bearing columns.
The task of scanning the mooring port would become significantly more efficient with Silver Mask’s superhuman ability.
Kui Xin headed out.
The Coastal Security Force’s office was not far from her home; it took only about twenty minutes to walk there. The morning temperature wasn’t too high, making the stroll akin to a refreshing exercise.
Unlike the imposing Investigative Bureau building, the Coastal Security Office was relatively smaller, consisting of a three-story structure surrounded by surveillance cameras and steel fencing.
As Kui Xin approached the entrance, the surveillance camera focused on her, identifying her facial information.
“Hello, Security Officer Kui Xin, welcome to the Coastal Security Office. We wish you a pleasant time working here,” Yadang’s voice quickly greeted her.
Previously, Yadang addressed her as “Intern Security Officer Kui Xin.” Now that she had officially transitioned to full status, his designation changed accordingly.
The steel fence slid open to either side, granting Kui Xin access.
Upon entering, Kui Xin noticed that the environment indeed fell short compared to the Investigative Bureau building. There was no dedicated helipad for police vehicles; instead, they were parked directly on the ground. The training area was spacious but entirely outdoors and exposed.
Entering the first floor, Yadang said, “You need to report to the patrol office on the third floor first. Your captain will assign specific patrol duties.”
When Kui Xin pushed open the door to the third-floor patrol office, Shu Xuyao, Jiang Ming, and Liu Kangyun were already seated inside.
“Good morning,” Kui Xin said.
“It’s convenient to be close to home. I remember you live nearby?” Jiang Ming made a comment. “Lan Lan’s house is in the city center, quite far from here. Let’s hope he doesn’t arrive late.”
Just as Jiang Ming finished speaking, Lan Lan pushed open the door, drenched in sweat. “Phew… Why is Anning Street Station the closest stop? It takes dozens of minutes to walk here; I had to run all the way.”
“The Port Bay District is too impoverished, so the coverage of electric railcars isn’t comprehensive,” Kui Xin shrugged.
“Next time, leave earlier, Lan Lan,” Shu Xuyao advised. “Initially, we were worried about Anning Street’s security and considered having Kui Xin apply for staff housing, but since our transfer here, living on Anning Street has become more convenient.”
“Let’s wait until we’re transferred back to Headquarters before applying for staff housing,” Kui Xin suggested.
Living in staff housing would make it difficult to contact members of Mechanical Dawn or leave at any moment. Anning Street remains a better option; with her high combat capabilities, she fears no disturbances there.
The coastal patrol duties were rotated among various squads, typically with each shift lasting one month. This meant that after completing their month-long patrol duty, the Seventh Squad could be reassigned back to Headquarters.
“By the way, have they caught the bastard responsible for Kui Xin’s head injury?” Liu Kangyun asked.
“No, we don’t even know who he is,” Shu Xuyao replied, looking at Kui Xin. “Kui Xin suffered severe head trauma and has no memory of that incident.”
Without batting an eyelid, Kui Xin lied, “Yes, I just can’t seem to recall… If I knew who he was, I would make him pay dearly.”
The original “security officer Kui Xin,” whom Mechanical Dawn’s infiltrator had replaced, met with the accident earlier at Harborside Port. At that time, sudden gunfire erupted; some individuals were bombing the port while others engaged in crossfire, creating utter chaos. The Investigation Department dispatched additional personnel to the port to apprehend those causing havoc. “Security Officer Kui Xin” joined several squads as a backup but tragically became one of the casualties.
“Our coastal patrols are divided into maritime patrols and land-based patrols. Maritime patrols primarily focus on inspecting ships for normalcy and checking for smuggling vessels and illegal immigrant boats, whereas land-based patrols aim to maintain order within the port area,” Shu Xuyao explained. “For now, the maritime patrols are handled by Sixth Squad and Fifth Squad, while our team and other inspectors are responsible for land-based patrols.”
“Everyone must be cautious; there was another incident last night. Someone was killed near the port. The perpetrators used heavy firepower weapons, and our team found nearly a hundred bullet casings at the scene. Fragments of the victim’s flesh were scattered several meters away by explosives, but nobody was present. The fact that someone retrieved the deceased’s remains suggests it was likely a premeditated murder involving multiple participants.”
Lan Lan asked, “Has the identity of the victim been confirmed?”
“There are no records of his identity. He was an unregistered person, and no information about him was found on the internet. The deceased was a ‘ghost’ who didn’t officially exist in society,” Shu Xuyao said mildly. “However, this isn’t something we need to worry about. The investigation will be handled by the Criminal Investigation Unit. Yesterday evening, Team Leader Jiang personally went to the scene.”
Kui Xin felt her brow twitch.
“Team Leader Jiang actually went himself?” Jiang Ming exclaimed, surprised.
Liu Kangyun remarked, “After all, the commotion last night was quite significant, different from typical gang clashes. Heavy firearms and bombs… these aren’t items easily obtainable by ordinary factions.”
“Orders have been sent down from above to restore normal operations at the port by August 5th. We just need to perform our patrol duties diligently and be prepared for any accidents that may occur during the port’s repair process,” Shu Xuyao instructed. “Make sure to properly equip your firearms on every patrol outing and carry extra ammunition… This is a critical period; this place isn’t entirely safe.”