novelraw Chapter 58: Sea of Darkness - (58)
Chapter 58: Sea of Darkness - (58)
In the instant Kui Xin raised her gun, she had already pulled the trigger—her action was quicker than Thorny Rose’s!
She had no choice but to act.
Kui Xin, who had patrolled the coast for a long time, consistently exercised the utmost caution during each patrol. When encountering criminals without firearms, she would issue verbal warnings. However, whenever faced with armed assailants, she showed no mercy and provided no warnings; instead, she fired directly.
This was her ingrained habit, as well as the common practice for most security officers patrolling the port. Kui Xin, however, was particularly vigilant and swift in her reactions.
If Kui Xin’s patrol squad encountered someone wielding a gun, she would invariably be the first to open fire. Therefore, even though she recognized the individuals opposite her as Thorny Rose and Silver Mask, she still needed to shoot—to maintain her undercover identity and prevent her teammates from detecting any abnormalities.
Gunshots suddenly rang out.
After Kui Xin fired, Thorny Rose swiftly followed suit!
Just then, a thin curtain of water appeared before Thorny Rose, simultaneously blocking both Kui Xin’s bullet and one fired by Thorny Rose.
Cold sweat broke out on Silver Mask’s forehead, his heart pounding in his throat.
Had he been just slightly slower, both participants in this exchange of gunfire would have been hit!Dressed in combat gear and with a head as tough as steel, Kui Xin would be fine unless shot in a vital spot. Although Thorny Rose’s clothing also offered some bulletproofing, when Kui Xin fired, she aimed directly at Thorny Rose’s left eye. A direct hit would penetrate her skull, leading to an instant fatal outcome.
During each patrol, they were equipped with monitoring devices—a camera positioned at the button of their Combat Suits served as a patrol recorder. If Kui Xin deliberately held back, someone analyzing the footage from her patrol recorder could become suspicious of her shooting patterns.
Kui Xin must maintain her previous level of performance without showing any mercy.
She was gambling, betting that Silver Mask would promptly create a water barrier. Even if she lost this gamble, it wouldn’t matter; the lives of others did not outweigh her own survival. As long as her undercover identity remains secure, any action taken is deemed worthwhile.
After all, even if Thorny Rose dies, only Mechanical Dawn suffers the loss—it has no direct impact on Kui Xin. Should this incident be reported to Headquarters, Wei Haidong undoubtedly wouldn’t harshly criticize her. He clearly understands the value between one Thorny Rose and an undercover agent just beginning to establish roots within the Investigation Department.
“Fall back! The opponent is an Extraordinary Ability User! We need backup!” Shu Xuyao’s expression drastically changed upon seeing the layer of water.
In accordance with protocol, Kui Xin ceased firing and retreated, along with her teammates, for a distance.
“Tch, so close. Thanks, Silver Mask,” Thorny Rose said gravely. “The woman opposite us has exceptional marksmanship.”
After her previous injury, her fractured right hand had been replaced with a mechanical one. The silvery-white metal gleamed faintly under sunlight, exuding a chilling aura. Her metallic right hand transformed, shifting from a distinct five-fingered mechanical form to seamlessly reassembling into a flexible and razor-sharp iron chain.
Apart from its iron chain form, this prosthetic hand could also change into bayonet or dagger shapes. It was a meticulously designed limb by Mechanical Dawn’s engineering experts. Contrary to expectations, Thorny Rose’s combat capabilities did not diminish after losing her right hand; instead, they saw some enhancement.
Her superhuman ability, “Blazing Blade,” reached its maximum potential through this metallic right hand.
“Thorny Rose, we should hurry.” Silver Mask didn’t finish his sentence before seeing Thorny Rose swing a red-glowing iron chain towards Kui Xin’s arm.
In the next moment, Shu Xuyao and Jiang Mingchao unleashed continuous gunfire, forcing Silver Mask to once again erect a water barrier for defense.
Under these circumstances, there was no way to resolve things without a fight.
His mind raced, utilizing his limited cognitive capacity for rapid strategizing—since harming the Rich Lady is off-limits, let’s focus on her teammates instead. Yes!
Behind Silver Mask, pink eyes zeroed in on Shu Xuyao and Jiang Ming, weighing whom to target first.
Thorny Rose was a fiercely combative individual with a wild nature. Before being enlisted by the Mechanical Dawn, she roamed the streets as a professional assassin. Although her demeanor became somewhat more discreet after joining the organization, her aggressive temperament never changed. Now, Kui Xin had ignited her competitive spirit.
The scorching-hot iron chain lashed aggressively towards Kui Xin, who swiftly rolled and took cover behind a lamppost. With a clang, the chain struck the lamppost, burning and charring all the scattered small advertisements affixed to it.
“Silver Mask, take down that water curtain completely! It’s hindering my attacks!” Thorny Rose exclaimed.
“No, we’ll get injured,” Silver Mask replied hesitantly.
This water curtain not only protected him and Thorny Rose, but it also safeguarded Kui Xin. If something happened to her, the consequences would be severe. When their leader assigned him to Kui Xin’s side, he explicitly stated that, compared to her importance, even Red subtly reminded him multiple times that every other member’s significance should take a backseat.
“Coward!” Thorny Rose glared menacingly at Silver Mask, her eyes filled with killing intent. Realizing this wasn’t the time for arguments, she refrained from further debate.
Feeling wronged, Silver Mask controlled the water flow diligently, focusing on defense while seeking opportunities to strike Shu Xuyao and Jiang Mingchao. As his primary attention was on defense, his control over offensive water movements suffered, allowing Shu Xuyao and Jiang Mingchao to repeatedly evade his attacks.
Despite their efforts, Shu Xuyao and Jiang Ming were already struggling immensely. As they darted left and right on the street, their trio formation was forced to disperse.
“Backup will arrive shortly!” Lan Lan announced this over the communications channel.
Thorny Rose wielded an iron chain with one hand and a large-caliber pistol with the other. The burning iron chain whistled crisply through the air. Kui Xin focused primarily on evading; her bullets would be blocked by Silver Mask’s water barrier, so she conserved ammunition.
Thorny Rose seized every opportunity, striking with her iron chain whenever gaps appeared in Silver Mask’s water curtain.
Silver Mask anxiously adjusted the direction and angle of the water barrier, employing various strategies to hinder their combat.
Finally, when a gap emerged due to the movement of the water curtain, Thorny Rose swiftly capitalized on the moment and fired several shots. One bullet narrowly hit Kui Xin’s bulletproof vest, causing slight pain at the point of impact from its force.
Kui Xin showed no mercy, either. With a cold expression, she similarly took advantage of this opening, crouching low and firing rapidly—three shots per second! All three bullets neatly struck Thorny Rose’s unprotected calves, just below her bulletproof vest. Blood splattered like blossoms, and Thorny Rose’s face instantly paled.
The roar of police motorcycles approached from the end of the street—Lan Lan and Liu Kangyun were nearly here!
At that moment, Silver Mask spotted an opening. He ensnared Jiang Ming’s leg in water and then viciously twisted it.
A series of bone-cracking sounds echoed like popping beans, followed by Jiang Ming’s agonized scream as his lower leg suffered a compound fracture.
“Let’s withdraw,” Silver Mask said, transforming water into ropes to bind Thorny Rose before leaping upstairs with her.
Before leaving, Thorny Rose coldly glanced at Kui Xin and silently mouthed, “I’ll remember you.”
“Jiang Ming!” Kui Xin and Shu Xuyao rushed towards him.
“It’s not good; we must have Headquarters send an ambulance immediately,” Shu Xuyao calmly stated.
Yadang chimed in, “We’ve already requested for the Coastal Security Office to dispatch a police vehicle as backup, along with notifying Headquarters to send an ambulance. The police car should arrive in approximately ten minutes, but due to its greater distance, the ambulance will take longer. It would be more efficient to meet up with the ambulance via the police car. I recommend applying emergency first aid to stop the bleeding on security officer Jiang Ming’s leg. Based on the current rate of blood loss, he could go into shock or even die within five minutes.”
Swiftly, Kui Xin retrieved a medication vial from her gear pack and administered it to Jiang Ming.
“It only provides pain relief and will take effect shortly.” Kui Xin glanced at Jiang Ming’s lower leg.
His calf was completely distorted, with bone fragments protruding visibly—a complete compound fracture. At a minimum, amputation followed by the installation of a mechanical prosthetic limb would be necessary.
To staunch blood flow, Kui Xin took out a strap, slid her hand under Jiang Ming’s knee, and firmly tied it above.
Jiang Ming’s face turned as pale as a ghost’s. With forced cheerfulness amidst his agony, he said, “Now I really have to switch to a mechanical prosthetic… What should I do? Suddenly, I’m feeling a bit reluctant to part with my original leg.”
“Don’t worry, modified versions are usually better than the originals,” Kui Xin reassured him. “Look at that woman; her robotic arm is pretty cool—it even transforms! You could also get something similar, like roller wheels for your leg?”
Jiang Ming groaned in pain. “Then wouldn’t I need rollers on my other leg too? Not worth it, not worth it.”
The roar of motorcycles drew closer. Lan Lan executed a drift stop, removed her helmet, and called out, “Hey, Old Jiang!”
Liu Kangyun quickly parked nearby, but his stop wasn’t as aggressive as Lan Lan’s, nor did he seem inclined to dismount. Liu Kangyun’s expression tensed upon seeing Jiang Ming’s injury, but apart from their teammate’s condition, there was another urgent matter to address.
“Where did the enemies go?” Shu Xuyao asked grimly as he helped Jiang Ming up.
“They might have assumed we had significant backup and fled,” Lan Lan replied. “Don’t chase them; we can’t overpower them. On the other side, both individuals are Extraordinary Ability Users, and their levels aren’t low. Their control over their abilities far surpasses that of newly awakened beings. Report this to Headquarters. We need a specialized task force to handle this matter.”
Liu Kangyun finally got off his bike, vigilantly scanning the surroundings for any potential ambushes.
“…Awakened beings,” Lan Lan murmured softly. “How many awakened ones do we even have in our Investigation Department? To encounter two just during street patrol is surprising.”
“I find it suspicious,” Kui Xin said, looking at her hands covered in blood—Jiang Ming’s blood.
She intentionally steered her teammates’ thoughts.
“Ever since last month’s Mooring Harbor explosion case, things have started becoming peculiar here,” Kui Xin observed. “First, there was the frequent appearance of alien creatures, followed by Extraordinary Ability Users emerging on the streets of Port Bay District… Could all these occurrences be interconnected? I hope I’m not overthinking.”
“There does indeed seem to be something amiss.” Concern was reflected in Shu Xuyao’s eyes.
The members of the Seventh Squad exchanged glances, each noticing a hint of gloom in the others’ expressions.
An invisible shadow had enveloped Black Sea City, and they knew it already. The increasingly frequent personnel deployments of the Investigation Department indicated the escalating tension. Earlier occurrences could have been coincidences, but encountering Extraordinary Ability Users today was no coincidence.
With two Extraordinary Ability Users operating together, there is likely significant power behind them behind the scenes. What purpose do they have here? What do they intend to accomplish? These two individuals surely aren’t just here for leisure. There appears to be an undisclosed influence in the Port Bay District, but the security officers conducting missions there remain completely unaware of this power.
The hovering police car descended from the sky. Kui Xin and Shu Xuyao supported Jiang Ming’s shoulders, while Lan Lan and Liu Kangyun held his legs, carefully placing him in the back seat of the police vehicle.
Jiang Ming murmured faintly, “Last time, it was Kui Xin lying in the backseat. Now I’m the one back there.”
Silver Mask internally protested: I am not a coward!