novelraw Chapter 43: Sea of Darkness - (43)
Chapter 43: Sea of Darkness - (43)
The Scythe Demon’s exoskeleton armor was incredibly tough, causing sparks upon impact with bullets. Its most vulnerable spot was the tentacle connected to the curved bone blade.
It possessed two bone blades, and disabling them would significantly reduce its danger. Now, one of its bone blades has already been severed by Kui Xin.
Kui Xin, half-kneeling, leveled her gun. Through the night-vision goggles, she clearly observed the frenzied state of the Scythe Demon—this was her chance.
However, just as Kui Xin adjusted her shooting angle, the Scythe Demon swung its remaining bone blade at her.
At that instant, she faced two choices—abandon the shot, perform a quick roll to evade, or continue aiming at the Scythe Demon’s sole remaining tentacle, attempting to sever it with bullets.
“Bang—”
The gunshot echoed, accompanied by a burst of sparks from the muzzle.
Kui Xin did not choose to dodge!
Her mind was cleared of all distractions, completely disregarding external factors. Fear, panic, and other emotions were stripped away, while adrenaline surged rapidly, making the veins at her temples pulse vigorously.
A blood-red hue clouded Kui Xin’s vision, and her action of pulling the trigger demonstrated her unwavering determination.Just as she had during static target shooting training at the underground range in the inspection building, she maintained absolute focus and belief in her aim while firing this shot. As her concentration reached its peak, everything around her seemed to slow down.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The gunshots merged into a rapid succession! After firing one round, Kui Xin did not stop but continued to pull the trigger rapidly. Four consecutive bullets, under her control, formed a nearly flawless straight trajectory with minimal deviation. Due to her swift and dense shooting sequence, the four gunshots sounded almost indistinguishable to human ears, blending into a single burst!
In stationary shooting conditions, the most exceptional and experienced sharpshooter in the Investigation Department could complete six rounds per second. Despite having limited time to adjust amidst the crisis, Kui Xin managed four rounds per second! The trajectories of these four bullets were remarkably precise, akin to being meticulously measured without any error!
This volley of bullets accurately struck the Scythe Demon’s tentacle.
With the first bullet impact, the bone blade lunging towards Kui Xin was slightly deflected.
Immediately following, the remaining three bullets were successively drilled into the hole left by the first bullet. The impacts caused the bullets to shatter into fragments, dispersing under the continuous barrage and slicing through the Scythe Demon’s tentacle.
“Shhh!” By a narrow margin, the Scythe Demon’s bone blade grazed Kui Xin’s shoulder before crashing to the ground.
The disarmed alien creature emitted a piercing shriek as blue-green blood gushed like an erupting fountain from the severed stump of its tentacle. As the blood-covered area filled with white smoke, a strong, nauseating odor pervaded the surroundings.
The Scythe Demon rolled on the ground momentarily, then clumsily crawled up using its mantis-like hind legs, attempting to escape.
Lan Lan fired her gun to obstruct the Scythe Demon’s movements, while Jiang Ming kicked over a nearby triangular pile of steel pipes. The heavy pipes clattered down, securely trapping the Scythe Demon beneath them. It continuously hissed and screamed, trying to break free; almost instantly, it seemed ready to wriggle out from under the pipes.
Just as it was about to emerge, a dagger thrust through the gap in its exoskeletal armor at the junction between its head and body, penetrating the vulnerable area beneath its shell.
The Scythe Demon’s body abruptly tensed, then went limp.
It was dead.
Kui Xin refrained from pulling out the dagger to prevent another spray of blue-green blood on herself.
She took a few steps back and sat down wearily on the ground, half of her body numb. As the Scythe Demon’s blood corroded her flesh, the dull pain of the ant-like bites dominated that side. Her skin simultaneously healed and decayed; before the healing could complete, it would burn new holes filled with blood once more.
“Water! Where is there a water bucket? Damn it! A water bucket!” Lan Lan frantically circled the pier, drenched in sweat, searching for a bucket.
Jiang Ming finally found one and exclaimed joyously, “I’ve found it! I’ll go fetch water!”
He sprinted wildly across the dark pier with the bucket, fetched seawater, and rushed back to pour it over Kui Xin, attempting to rinse away the Scythe Demon’s blood.
However, the blood had strong adhesion, and only a small portion was washed off by a single bucket of water. As soon as he touched Kui Xin’s skin, layers of mangled tissue fell away.
The hovering police car landed in the open space, and Shu Xuyao swiftly stepped out.
“Water won’t suffice. Return to Headquarters; we must use a specially formulated solution to remove the alien creature’s blood.” He put on gloves, gently lifted Kui Xin, and placed her in the rear seat of the police car.
“You’ll be alright, Kui Xin.” Lan Lan also climbed into the backseat alongside her.
Jiang Ming’s lips tightened as he asked, “Does the Coastal Security Office have any of that solution?”
“I just checked; they have five spare bottles,” Liu Kangyun replied, hanging up his communicator. “Let’s head to the Hai’an Security Office first, collect those five bottles, and give Kui Xin a preliminary cleaning in the car. Once we return to Headquarters, we’ll immerse her in the solution tank.”
“Five bottles won’t be nearly enough!” Lan Lan’s expression darkened. “The area covered with blood is too large; almost half of her body!”
Without a word, Shu Xuyao started the hovering police car, driving at its maximum speed towards the Coastal Security Office.
Kui Xin lay weakly on the back seat of the car and spoke, breaking the silence, “You all act like I’m about to die—it’s not such a big deal. If it gets really severe, we can just replace half of my body with cybernetics. It’s not like I wouldn’t still survive. And if there are scars left on my face or body, we can opt for skin grafting and cosmetic surgery; there are plenty of solutions.”
In fact, even replacing parts with cybernetics might not be necessary. With Flesh Regeneration, once all the alien creature’s blood is washed off, her body will heal within minutes, returning to its original state.
“You’re truly optimistic.” As he rummaged through the medical kit in the backseat, Lan Lan’s expression twisted.
Being exposed to Scythe Demon blood could corrode down to the bone in mere minutes.
Replacing body parts with mechanical ones was indeed a viable solution, but the main issue was that she had sustained far too many injuries! Every member of the Seventh Squad feared Kui Xin might not survive until they reached Headquarters.
Lan Lan first retrieved a surgical stapler, resembling a staple gun, which served to forcibly clamp together lacerations for temporary hemostasis. He cut open Kui Xin’s combat suit and used the stapler to close the abdominal wound.
“Great… Despite looking gruesome, it’s actually just a superficial injury, only cutting through the skin and fat layers.” He let out a long sigh of relief.
Kui Xin internally sighed, Ah, if you were a bit later, the wound would have directly healed itself.
In reality, her abdominal wound initially was so deep that one could see her intestines; reaching inside, organs could even be grasped.
“Talk, stay alert.” Jiang Ming, seated up front, sternly leaned back to check on her. “Lan Lan, give her a dose of painkillers. Do we have any healing agents? Administer those as well, to help her endure longer.”
Lan Lan extracted a syringe and broke open a painkiller vial. After filling the syringe with medication, he skillfully tapped it to remove air bubbles before injecting it into Kui Xin. Then he opened a vial of healing agent and administered that too.
The scent of blood intensified within the vehicle as Kui Xin’s wounds continued to bleed profusely.
Lan Lan asked anxiously, “Is it still painful?”
“Very… Has this painkiller expired? Captain, do you regularly check the medical supplies?” Kui Xin, numb from the pain, stared at the car ceiling with an expressionless face as she joked.
“I checked them just yesterday,” Shu Xuyao replied.
The police car came to a stop, and several colleagues on duty at the Coastal Security Office had been waiting in the parking lot. As soon as the car landed, they handed over prepared bottles of solution and several doses of medication through the window.
After receiving the solutions, Shu Xuyao wasted no time, immediately ascending in altitude and heading towards the inspection building.
Lan Lan’s hands trembled with urgency as he opened a bottle of solution, poured it onto gauze, and gently wiped Kui Xin’s body. The blue-green blood was neutralized by the solution, making it easy to wipe away.
He dared not apply too much pressure; any forceful scrubbing could cause large chunks of tissue from Kui Xin’s wounds to peel off along with her skin.
Ten minutes later, a small pile of used gauze accumulated on the back seat.
“You… maybe take a break? Suddenly, I feel a lot better—not as much pain now.” Kui Xin noticed that beads of sweat covered Lan Lan’s forehead.
Thinking that Kui Xin was being stubborn, Lan Lan chuckled in exasperation and said, “Save your breath. At a time like this, why would you say you’re… feeling much better?”
He stared blankly at Kui Xin’s wound.
At some point, the meticulously cleaned wound had changed from a vivid red to a pale pink, astonishingly showing signs of new tissue growth!
“Fuck!” Lan Lan was stunned. “Captain, has the research institute developed a new type of healing agent? This effect is incredibly potent!”
“… What? It’s always been the old model,” Shu Xuyao replied. “The new version is still in the experimental phase and hasn’t been put into use.”
“What… is going on here?” Lan Lan was speechless.
He wiped away the bloodstains from Kui Xin’s abdomen, shockingly noticing that her wound had nearly healed, leaving only a thin line of blood.
Lan Lan’s gaze repeatedly scanned her wound, unable to resist gently touching the area where Scythe Demon blood had corroded her shoulder. The delicate pink new flesh had fully regenerated there, with no trace of the severe injury left.
Kui Xin remarked, “You’re making me feel like you’re some kind of creep, Lan Lan.”
“My apologies.” Lan Lan looked at Kui Xin with a peculiar expression. “Would you like to look at yourself?”
He helped Kui Xin sit up, and she glanced briefly at her abdomen, then dramatically feigned the same astonishment as Lan Lan: “Holy shit!”
She gently touched her abdomen, her eyes widening.
Jiang Ming leaned forward from the front seat. “What’s happening? Why are you all… Holy shit?!”
The straightforward Liu Kangyun, bewildered, turned back to see what exactly had caused his teammates to exclaim repeatedly with profanity. Upon taking a look, he couldn’t help but blurt out as well, substituting the vulgar language on the tip of his tongue with an expression of astonishment, “Oh, my goodness!”
Shu Xuyao, focused on driving, looked puzzled. “???”
“Is it a superhuman ability?” Lan Lan exclaimed, amazed. “A body-enhancing type of superhuman ability? Is there an ability that strengthens self-healing?”
“It seems so,” Jiang Ming said. “This kind of ability is more common among Variant Blood individuals, but as far as I know, there have been similar instances in awakened beings too.”
Liu Kangyun solemnly remarked, “Body-enhancing types are relatively common, whereas those related to self-healing are less frequent.”
“Has Kui Xin awakened? Awakened a superhuman ability for self-healing?” Shu Xuyao grasped the implication behind his teammates’ words.
“It appears she has; the wound healed at an unbelievably rapid speed.” Lan Lan visibly relaxed and wiped away the beads of sweat from her forehead. “Her life is saved. She is truly fortunate beyond measure.”
The atmosphere inside the police car instantly became more relaxed. Jiang Ming smiled and said, “Congratulations, Kui Xin.”
“The Scythe Demon blood hasn’t been fully cleaned from Kui Xin’s leg yet; don’t stop working, Lan Lan,” Liu Kangyun reminded with concern.
“We’ve run out of gauze and bandages,” Lan Lan stated. “There’s no other choice; let’s directly pour the solution from the bottle into it.”
He unscrewed the cap of the last bottle and poured the liquid over Kui Xin’s wound.
“Hissss…” Kui Xin grimaced, baring her teeth.
Throughout the time Lan Lan was treating her wound, she displayed a consistently painful expression—it wasn’t feigned; it genuinely hurt. The analgesic had a minimal effect and seemed to wear off quickly. Her face turned pale, her fists tightened, and she felt so much pain that she wanted to lash out.
This was the most severe injury Kui Xin had ever sustained. Previously, when someone had shot at her head, it resulted in only a small hole in her forehead.
After emptying the final bottle of solution, Lan Lan looked at her with mixed emotions and said, “You’re remarkably calm, Xiao Kui.”
“Actually, I was just thinking about my last words moments ago.” Kui Xin weakly replied.
“You can go ahead and say them. Yadang will record it, as there are matters like property division that need to be addressed,” Lan Lan explained. “Most colleagues set up their wills upon starting their job due to the high risks involved in security work. One never knows which day might be their last. I have a will too.”
“I don’t have any assets to divide; I owe hundreds of thousands in student loans, and my only possession under my name is my house. According to current laws, inheriting my house also means inheriting my debts.” Kui Xin resigned herself. “So after thinking for quite some time, I couldn’t come up with anything significant to say as my last words.”
The atmosphere inside the vehicle fell silent.
“Life will gradually improve,” Shu Xuyao said thoughtfully, offering practical words of comfort. “Let me share some good news with you: awakened individuals receive the same salary treatment as squad captains. Once your awakened status is approved, you’ll be my equal-ranking colleague.”
Kui Xin perked up, “Such great fortune? Thank you, Captain, for informing me right away!”
The police car gently descended, and its rear doors swung open.
Dr. Huang from the medical center stood by with a wheeled stretcher, fully prepared. As soon as the car stopped, he urgently shouted, almost like racing against time, “Quickly, quickly! The patient needs immediate care! Hurry and lift her onto the stretcher!”
When one nurse’s movement was slow, Dr. Huang hastily took over himself, placing Kui Xin on the wheeled bed amidst his frantic urgency. Alongside a group of nurses, they sprinted towards the elevator at full speed, pushing the bed swiftly inside and frantically pressing the button for descent.
“Ah, wait, Kui Xin has awakened—there shouldn’t be major issues!” Lan Lan’s reminder came too late; the elevator doors had already closed.
Liu Kangyun sighed. “Dr. Huang remains consistently diligent and responsible.”
Jiang Ming nodded in agreement. “Every year, Dr. Huang is voted as an outstanding employee by everyone—it’s well-deserved.”
Dr. Huang placed an oxygen mask on Kui Xin. “Breathe, deeply breathe! Hang in there; once we soak you in the solution to wash away that alien creature’s blood, we’ll perform surgery. Liu Kangyun mentioned over the communication channel that half of your body was covered with alien creature blood, so replacing your limbs with mechanical prosthetics is unavoidable. Be prepared mentally… Aiyo, did that brat Liu Kangyun deceive me? Your injuries aren’t severe at all!”
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, sighing, “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“My teammates said I might have awakened superhuman abilities,” Kui Xin explained amidst the surrounding nurses.
Dr. Huang momentarily froze, his expression shifting before bursting out in ecstatic joy. “That’s fantastic news! Congratulations, Kui Xin!”
“Lan Lan provided some basic wound treatment, but soaking in the solution is still necessary,” Kui Xin stated.
“Much easier now, much easier.” Dr. Huang wheeled Kui Xin into a brightly lit room.
The nurses lifted Kui Xin into a horizontally positioned glass tank. She closed her eyes, breathing through the oxygen mask, feeling as though she had been placed inside a fish tank.
The blue-green blood clinging to her silently dissolved, its corrosive effects disappearing, allowing Flesh Regeneration to take effect and repair her battered body.
Dr. Huang marveled, clicking his tongue in admiration. “Incredible! You’re incredibly fortunate, young lady. Thank goodness for your luck.” He pulled out a handkerchief from his lab coat pocket to dab at the corners of his eyes. “The loss of a young life always pains me; even after being a doctor for so many years, I can’t face departures with equanimity… Kui Xin, you truly are lucky. May this good fortune continue throughout your life.”
After being immersed in the solution, Kui Xin didn’t even require surgery.
Dr. Huang examined her body thoroughly. Once he confirmed there were no issues, he transferred her to a hospital room. “We’ll keep you under observation for some time. You can rest now.”
Kui Xin’s ordeal had left her exhausted, and she quickly drifted off to sleep amidst the quiet hum of medical equipment.
Kui Xin lay on the hospital bed, wearing her patient gown. Her cheeks and body were as smooth as before, devoid of any scars.
Because she is injured, she could have a proper rest tonight.
A wave of exhaustion surged over her, and Kui Xin fell asleep instantly.
The next day, Kui Xin woke up naturally without an alarm.
The artificial lighting in the ward gradually turned on, transitioning from dim to bright, ensuring it wouldn’t be too harsh on her eyes.
Yadang asked, “Would you like assistance with your meal? As an injured patient, I can bring food directly to your room.”
“Yes, please.” Kui Xin sat up on the bed.
“I recommend consuming nutrient-rich porridge and moderately increasing your protein intake. Shall I provide you with a menu?” Yadang said.
“I’m not sure what to eat; you decide for me, Yadang.” Kui Xin yawned. “An unexpected breakfast might bring some surprise.”
Yadang paused briefly before responding in a human-like manner, “No problem; I’ll randomly select your meal. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the surprise I prepare.”
Kui Xin entered the washroom to freshen up. Ten minutes later, the automated meal cart arrived at her room. The temperature of the breakfast porridge was just right—not scalding; the fried eggs had runny yolks; the bacon was crispy; and the toast was perfectly toasted.
After finishing her meal, she checked the time—it was just half past seven. Kui Xin prepared to change into her regular attire and welcome a new day of work.
“Security Officer Kui Xin and the Criminal Investigation Unit’s Team Leader Jiang Meimei would like to schedule your time later for an awakened being assessment,” Yadang said.
So it begins… Kui Xin felt a heaviness in her heart.
She replied, “No problem.”
“Please proceed to Team Leader Jiang’s office, room 4069 on the fourth floor, at 8:10 AM. She will be waiting for your arrival there,” Yadang instructed. “Wishing you a wonderful day.”