novelraw Chapter 61: Sea of Darkness - (61)
Chapter 61: Sea of Darkness - (61)
As Wei Haidong spoke, Kui Xin discreetly observed the others present.
Apart from herself, Silver Mask, and Night Cicada, everyone else did not conceal their appearances.
Kui Xin and Silver Mask wore masks—hers was black, his silver-white—and both were thoroughly covered. Following her usual practice, Kui Xin attached a vocal modulator to disguise her voice. Similarly, Night Cicada had minimal exposed skin.
At the joints of Night Cicada’s clothing, protective designs such as knee guards could be seen, and his mask was a full-head type. During their previous two encounters, he had dressed similarly. With this attire, Night Cicada could easily pass for a bank robber cosplayer.
The seating arrangement around the conference table allowed one to vaguely discern each person’s standing within Mechanical Dawn.
Night Cicada occupied the first seat on the right side, Red took the second, and the bartender claimed the third. On the left side, Kui Xin sat in the first seat, followed by Silver Mask in the second and Thorny Rose in the third, with Amber and Obsidian, the twins, at the far end.
Kui Xin couldn’t distinguish who was the elder brother or younger; they appeared to be identical twins, nearly indistinguishable from each other.
Wei Haidong explained, “Night Cicada will escort you onto The Kraken. The operation is estimated to take two and a half hours. Within that time frame, you must eliminate all crew members aboard The Kraken. Then, using the detonator, blow up the ship’s engine room to sink it into the sea.”
“The Investigation Department highly values what’s on The Kraken.” Kui Xin glanced at Wei Haidong. “Today’s explosion at Mooring Harbor will raise their alertness; they won’t sit idly by.”
Last time, the Investigation Department dispatched an escort squad for the mission, and this time it would undoubtedly do so again. Her butterfly wings have disrupted too many events, but this matter should remain unchanged due to its immense implications. Kui Xin even suspected that, because of the harbor blast, the Investigation Department might decide to board The Kraken earlier as escorts.“This is unavoidable,” Wei Haidong said. “Based on their current movements, they will definitely organize security officers to accompany the ship as escorts. At the latest, they’ll board The Kraken the day after tomorrow.”
“So we must board that dilapidated ship before them,” Red stroked his chin and said. “The latest time for our operation is tomorrow… no, today. Today is already August 6th.”
August 6th… Previously, when Kui Xin carried out the Investigation Department’s escort mission, it was also on August 6th.
She glanced at the time—it was now 12:02 AM on August 6th, just past midnight.
If boarding the ship around August 6th, there is a high likelihood that Kui Xin and her group could encounter the escort squad sent by the Investigation Department head-on.
“I believe we cannot wait until tomorrow; it’s too risky,” Bartender said. “The day for the cargo ship to reach shore is approaching rapidly. This operation differs from the Blast Mooring Harbor incident; there, precise timing was crucial to calculate the detonation moment, preventing them from repairing the port. Now, we don’t need such exact timing. Instead, our priority should be to complete this mission as soon as possible.”
“Actually, the ideal time to strike is tonight,” Red remarked. “Today, the Investigation Department has been preoccupied with conducting a massive search in the Port Bay District. The higher-ups must already be overwhelmed and frazzled. We should seize the opportunity during their moment of exhaustion for a swift attack.”
“I’m fine with that, considering I’m essentially just a teleportation portal, ready at any time. You guys handle the strenuous work,” Night Cicada leisurely responded. “How about you all? Are you in good condition tonight? Ready to move?”
Nothing is ever perfect, and most superhuman abilities have their flaws and limitations. Night Cicada’s power involved spatial teleportation, specifically ultra-long-distance group teleportation. Despite the vast distance, he was able to transport everyone from Black Sea City to The Kraken sailing on the open sea in just two to three spatial jumps. His awakening level is also the highest among Mechanical Dawn’s currently awakened individuals.
However, contrasting with this exceptionally strong ability was Night Cicada’s physical condition.
His physique was extremely weak; he couldn’t even defeat a large goose. No matter how much training he underwent, there was no way to enhance his muscles and strength—it was an inherent limitation.
As a result, Night Cicada always remained fully equipped, with bulletproof vests and other gear meticulously prepared. He genuinely lacked combat capabilities, arguably making him the weakest in terms of fighting power within the entire Mechanical Dawn, falling short even compared to non-official members. This was his ability’s price.
“I’m fine,” Silver Mask responded first. “I’ve been constantly ready.”
“No issues for me either… My combat abilities are average; my primary role is reconnaissance on the ship,” Bartender said. “My superhuman ability is quite useful in reconnaissance aspects.”
Thorny Rose’s mechanical hand tapped rhythmically on the conference table. “I have no objections. The sooner we complete the mission, the sooner I can return for some beauty sleep.”
“I’m good,” Amber succinctly stated.
Heiyao added, “Me too.”
Only Kui Xin had not yet expressed her stance. As the others at the conference table turned their gazes towards her, she couldn’t help but feel the pressure—pressure akin to being forced into compliance.
With everyone agreeing to proceed with the mission, she couldn’t afford not to respond accordingly. If she gave a negative response instead of a positive one, she would become a glaring target—an outlier and someone worthy of suspicion.
In such a fervent environment, even those who were not fanatics had to disguise themselves as such.
From the moment Kui Xin learned that Wei Haidong required her participation in the mission, she understood it would be difficult for her to escape. The paths before her have always been limited; if she didn’t embark on this perilous path, she’d have to choose an even more dangerous one.
The roads ahead of Kui Xin only differed between “dangerous” and “extremely dangerous.”
“The sooner, the better,” Kui Xin said, feigning a natural demeanor without any noticeable hesitation. “The longer we delay, the more unfavorable it becomes for us.”
Red nodded. “I agree.” He turned towards Wei Haidong and asked, “Boss, do you think this arrangement is feasible?”
Wei Haidong calmly responded, “This mission is indeed very rushed, but it’s a risk we must undertake. There is no plan that guarantees absolute safety or certain success. You may suffer severe injuries, or you may lose your life… Regardless of what happens, the organization will remember your contributions. Everything for the Dawn.”
“Everything for the Dawn.” Everyone softly repeated.
How truly peculiar.
What kind of “dawn” is Mechanical Dawn striving for? What do they wish to change? What are they aiming to bring light to?
Despite spending so many days immersed in the Second World, Kui Xin still hadn’t fully grasped the founding purpose and principles of Mechanical Dawn. The phrase she heard most frequently was the ambiguous and vague statement, “Everything for the dawn.”
“There’s one crucial point you must bear in mind,” Wei Haidong said mildly. “Your mission is solely to sink the Kraken. As for what’s in its cargo hold, ignore it, don’t look at it, and don’t investigate. Once you destroy the engine room and eliminate any survivors on board, immediately withdraw.”
Following this, there was a period dedicated to planning the operation and assigning personnel roles.
After all matters were discussed, everyone rose from the conference room to change into their gear.
Rick Technologies possessed cutting-edge technology, ensuring no shortage of equipment. In fact, some of their gear was even more advanced than that of the Investigation Department’s.
Due to the bureaucratic nature of the Investigation Department’s equipment procurement process, which required multiple levels of approval, budget allocation, and involvement from high-ranking officials, along with the high cost of some gear, acquiring new equipment en masse consumed significant funds. Consequently, the equipment update process was considerably slow.
In contrast, Mechanical Dawn operated differently. With fewer personnel, their allocated budget was enough to adequately equip each member. Rick Technologies’ latest advancements could be swiftly implemented without any middlemen skimming profits.
Thorny Rose departed, Red and Bartender left, and Amber and Obsidian also took their leave.
Four individuals remained in the conference room: Kui Xin, Night Cicada, and Wei Haidong’s projection. Silver Mask initially intended to stand up and change into his gear, but as Kui Xin stayed seated, he found himself unsure whether to stand or sit. With a puzzled expression, he stared at Kui Xin, awaiting her instructions.
“Aren’t you going, Rich Lady?” Night Cicada asked, perplexed.
Kui Xin waved her hand dismissively at Silver Mask. “Go ahead and do what you need to.”
“Oh.” Silver Mask obediently stood up and exited the conference room.
“Night Cicada, you leave too,” Wei Haidong said before Kui Xin could say anything.
Once Night Cicada had departed, Wei Haidong gradually softened his demeanor. His expression became so gentle that it could be described as benevolent.
Kui Xin suppressed the urge to rub her arms at the goosebumps, maintaining an unwavering gaze.
“Xiao Xin, I know you’re puzzled as to why, at this critical juncture, I’m assigning you such a dangerous mission.” Wei Haidong preemptively addressed Kui Xin’s unspoken question, his mind seemingly sharp all of a sudden.
Kui Xin remained silent, quietly sitting in her seat with tacit acknowledgment as if waiting for his explanation.
“It’s a test, Xiao Xin,” Wei Haidong said. “I am getting old, and my health isn’t what it used to be. Eventually, you will have to take over my responsibilities. These individuals within the organization are promising talents that will form your future support base. However, you are too young, and they may not yet fully respect you. You need to accomplish something that earns their recognition and establishes strong bonds with them. This is an opportunity.”
Kui Xin lifted her head and replied, “You’re still quite young, ‘Dad.'”
“I’m not so young anymore. My personal doctor provided my medical examination report, advising me that it would be best to stop and rest, focusing on recovering my health.” Wei Haidong smiled bitterly. “I plan to step back from the forefront to work behind the scenes. While my body can manage, for now, I intend to make preparations. In a few years, once you’ve emerged from your undercover role, many aspects of the organization’s operations will be handed over to you.”
“How did your health deteriorate so badly?” Kui Xin furrowed her brow. “Is it because you’ve exhausted yourself with excessive indulgence? Have you truly refrained from having mistresses, as you promised? There was a reason I advised against such behavior. Look at your current condition. I’m only looking out for your well-being, ‘Dad’.”
Wei Haidong fell silent; his blood pressure skyrocketed instantly.
If anything were to happen to him, it would be solely due to this rebellious daughter’s infuriating antics!
“Let’s not bring up those old matters.” Wei Haidong’s temples throbbed wildly as he suppressed his temper. “You must understand my painstaking intentions, Xiao Xin. Everything I do is for your own good!”
“Mm-hmm, I understand.” Kui Xin rose from her chair. “I will complete the mission with diligence, ‘Dad’.”
No sane person would believe his claims of goodwill. Whether his illness was genuine or feigned remained uncertain, and Kui Xin treated every word that came from his mouth as a lie, scrutinizing it repeatedly.
Kui Xin never placed excessive trust in others, let alone someone like the Trash Dad from the Second World. From start to finish, the Trash Dad considered only himself; he was inherently incapable of thinking about his family. It would be fortunate if he didn’t sell them outright. At this point, Kui Xin maintained a slight alignment with her trash dad—she believed only in herself, always, and only herself.
Exiting the conference room and entering the corridor, a silvery-white metallic sphere floated alongside her, guiding her direction. Upon reaching the equipment room, a silent blue beam scanned her body.
“Biometric information is confirmed. Access granted,” a mysteriously appearing robotic voice announced. “Please change into your combat uniform and select exoskeleton armor based on your needs. With the assistance of mechanical arms, proceed to don the armor. Apart from basic gear, you may choose various weapons according to your combat preferences.”
Inside transparent glass display cases, an array of firearms and ammunition were arranged, along with some technologically advanced-looking exoskeleton armor. Some exoskeletons featured sleek lines, being lightweight yet robust, while others were thick and sturdy, exuding a formidable presence.
Kui Xin was unfamiliar with these types of exoskeleton armors and didn’t know exactly how to operate them. Based on the robotic voice’s description, she selected a relatively conservative enhancement model, primarily focusing on increased strength and mobility.
Several dexterous mechanical arms disassembled the components of the chosen exoskeleton armor one by one and then installed them onto Kui Xin’s body.
She took a few tentative steps, amazed that the exoskeleton armor did not impose any restrictions or discomfort on her movements. There wasn’t even a sense of heaviness or hindrance.
She abruptly clenched her fist, causing the metal-covered knuckles and palm to collide, producing a metallic ringing sound.
Kui Xin nodded satisfactorily and began searching for suitable weapons, focusing on firearms—she needed plenty of magazines—and close-quarters combat tools as well.
In the equipment room, she discovered an incredibly sleek retractable blade. The blade automatically extended to a length of one meter by pressing a metal button, whereas in its retracted state, it was only thirty centimeters long. Kui Xin couldn’t resist the allure of this knife and decided to carry it with her.
Lastly, there was the riot helmet. The design of Mechanical Dawn’s riot helmets closely resembled those used by the Investigation Department, both emphasizing protection at the back of the head. Additionally, they featured a specialized lens over the eyes that served as a display, night-vision device, and telescope.
As soon as Kui Xin put on the helmet, a robotic voice inside announced, “Hello, member of the organization codenamed ‘Rich Lady.’ I am ‘Eden,’ a newly developed assistive artificial intelligence by Mechanical Dawn. In the coming days, I will assist organization members in completing various missions. Hoping for a fruitful collaboration.”
“Eden?” Kui Xin said.
“I’m here,” Eden responded. “Please give your instructions directly. If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them.”
“Are the others ready?” Kui Xin tentatively asked.
Eden responded, “All mission operatives are prepared and can depart at any time.”
A blue glow expanded before her eyes as Night Cicada opened the teleportation portal right in front of Kui Xin.
Kui Xin gently regulated her breathing and stepped into the swirling vortex of blue light.
After experiencing several spatial coordinate jumps with her Mechanical Dawn teammates across various small islands, they landed on one relatively close to The Kraken.
By standing on tiptoe and gazing over the vast sea, she could discern the hazy outline of the massive cargo ship on the ocean’s surface.
The Kraken slowly approached, emitting billowing smoke and flickering flames!
Silver Mask was stunned. “We haven’t even attacked yet; why is that ship already on fire?!”
TL Note:-
From the next and onwards I’ll change Yadang (亚当/Yàdāng) name to Adam.
Because I found there is Eve (夏娃/Xiàwá) and Eden (伊甸/Yīdiàn) in the future chapter. Might be related I guess?