novelraw Chapter 73: Sea of Darkness - (73)
Chapter 73: Sea of Darkness - (73)
After finishing dinner, Kui Xin washed up and lay down in bed, recalling everything that occurred within these seven days.
On August 3rd, she returned to the Second World and underwent treatment after a perilous battle with the Scythe Demon. Inevitably, she revealed her extraordinary ability of Flesh Regeneration. On the morning of August 3rd, Kui Xin underwent an assessment for awakened status. That evening, Kui Xin visited Wei Haidong at Mechanical Dawn’s headquarters and toured some new projects being developed by Rick Technologies.
On August 4th and 5th, Kui Xin attended work as usual without encountering any unexpected incidents.
On August 6th, Kui Xin and her teammates from the Seventh Squad received a mission assigned by the Investigation Department, preparing to board the Kraken for escort duty. Later that night, the entire Seventh Squad embarked on armed helicopters heading towards the sea.
In the early hours of August 7th, the armed helicopter arrived over Kraken, and the Seventh Squad successfully boarded the ship. Half an hour later, explosions occurred aboard the Kraken. The strike squad attempted to support the Seventh Squad but got trapped, their rescue helicopter was destroyed, and the security officer team onboard suffered total annihilation. Similarly, during the early hours of July 7th, relying on her Flesh Regeneration to barely hold on, Kui Xin followed Adam’s guidance and encountered the cargo being transported on the Kraken—the cacoon.
Then Kui Xin died, time reversed, and she crossed the boundary of death, returning once more to August 4th.
The second cycle began.
On August 4th, after resting, Kui Xin proactively called Wei Haidong and ventured to Mechanical Dawn’s headquarters for reconnaissance. From Wei Haidong, she learned that Mechanical Dawn had already become aware of the “Players’ existence.
On August 5th, Kui Xin started exploring different paths, seeking more possibilities so that her butterfly wings could exert a broader influence. During her morning patrol, she encountered Thorny Rose and Silver Mask, leading to an intense battle between the Seventh Squad and the duo. The presence of two Extraordinary Ability Users at the port caught the attention of the Investigation Department. They searched the area and discovered hidden detonators. Mechanical Dawn’s plan to sabotage Mooring Harbor was thwarted; however, Red’s decisive actions simultaneously inflicted heavy losses on the Investigation Department.
On August 6th, after attending a mission briefing with her Mechanical Dawn teammates, Kui Xin boarded the Kraken together with them. In the early hours of August 6th, upon boarding the ship, she captured Tang Guan and avoided his fatal outcome, successfully returning with her team. During the daytime on August 6th, Kui Xin proceeded as usual to work at the Investigation Department, where she learned about Deputy Director Lin Xinji’s superhuman ability from Shu Xuyao.That evening, Kui Xin was invited to the Mechanical Dawn Headquarters to interrogate the detained players.
She encountered Zhao Wenyao, Leini’er, and Tang Guan. After confirming Tang Guan’s true identity, the system’s task investigation progress finally reached 100 percent.
Kui Xin received the reward “Invitation Letter.”.
August 7th and 8th were relatively leisurely; her routine consisted of office work and training.
On August 9th, which is today in the evening, Kui Xin had an open and frank conversation with the artificial intelligence Adam.
Today also marks the day of the return to the First World.
From August 3rd to August 9th, although only seven days had passed on paper, under the effect of the “Death Cycle,” Kui Xin experienced far more time than just seven days.
She meticulously remembered every event that occurred each day. Through these experiences, she grew stronger, gathering information from people around her and gradually solidifying her path.
Kui Xin never had a single idle moment; her mind was constantly occupied with various tasks, making it difficult for her to pause and organize her thoughts. She would often think while on the move.
Both mentally and physically, Kui Xin felt utterly exhausted. She yearned for a good night’s sleep, one without dreams, deep and restorative.
In the First World, at least Kui Xin didn’t have to worry about being assassinated during her sleep or fear revealing her identity, risking death when going to work or interacting with members of Mechanical Dawn.
Kui Xin checked the time—it was now 22:36. Soaking in the bath had taken up quite a bit of her evening, and now it was time for her to get some rest.
She set an alarm for 7 a.m. on the 10th, but she still had to go to work at the Investigation Department tomorrow.
The Investigation Department truly lived up to its reputation as the consortium’s lackey. The department’s rest policies perfectly embodied the exploitative nature of capitalists—squeezing labor relentlessly. They implemented a monthly rotating leave system with only three days off per month, and the vacation dates were not fixed. If a significant number of employees took time off during a particular period, Kui Xin’s break would be postponed accordingly.
Kui Xin set her alarm, then climbed out of bed and opened the bedroom door. Staring at the faintly glowing living room, she said, “Silver Mask, don’t stay up too late watching television; it wastes electricity. Also, turn down the volume; you’re disturbing me.”
“Oh.” Silver Mask shrank back and hastily lowered the television’s sound level. “Can I watch for just another half hour?”
His response was met with the crisp sound of the door closing firmly.
Kui Xin locked the door, lay down on her bed, and peacefully drifted off to sleep.
She knew that when she woke up again, she would return to her familiar world.
“Buzz… buzz…”
Kui Xin’s body wavered momentarily, nearly causing her to stumble. Her exceptional balance quickly steadied her; reflexively, she gripped onto the worn-out furniture nearby and opened her eyes.
The familiar cityscape at night unfolded before her gaze. In the distance, flickering neon lights and an illuminated bridge spanning across the river were visible. Looking down, she saw the cobblestone paths of the old residential area with its mostly broken streetlights, except for one remaining lamp that stubbornly shone.
During Kui Xin’s third year of high school, this solitary streetlight illuminated her path home whenever she walked late at night, giving her the courage to traverse through the eerie darkness.
A buzzing sound reached Kui Xin’s ears—it was her cell phone alarm ringing. Previously, when returning to the Second World and facing the Scythe Demon’s attack, she had specifically set an alarm to give herself reaction time.
Kui Xin picked up her phone, silenced the alarm, took several deep breaths, stepped back, and sat on her bed. Closing her eyes, she composed herself, focusing her mind and emotions.
After some time, a new message notification popped up on her social media app.
Yuan Lu: “Kui Xin, are you okay?”
Seeing Yuan Lu’s name unexpectedly evoked a sense of unfamiliarity for Kui Xin. It had truly been too long since she left the First World and its peaceful life, leading her to feel as if their past interactions belonged to another lifetime when receiving her greeting.
After that initial meeting with Yuan Lu, Yu Qiwen, and Xie Ganqing, Kui Xin had very little further communication with them. Upon returning to the Second World, she hadn’t thought about them even once.
The first thing Yuan Lu did upon returning to the First World was to contact Kui Xin, asking if she was alright, which somewhat surprised her.
Kui Xin replied, “I’m doing well. How about you all?”
Yuan Lu: “Yu Qiwen, Xie Ganqing, and I returned together, and we’re all fine. Did you face any difficulties during your return to the Second World this time?”
“No, everything is normal,” Kui Xin said.
“That’s reassuring,” Yuan Lu responded. “Life must go on; let’s keep pushing forward together. Don’t dwell too much tonight; have a good sleep. Goodnight!”
“Goodnight,” Kui Xin replied courteously.
On the other side, Yuan Lu put down her phone and muttered, “Hmm, it seems like the little sister didn’t encounter any issues. Those seven days in the Second World really wore me out. My incompetent boss kept rejecting my proposals. I submitted three revised versions, yet none satisfied him. When have I ever endured such treatment?”
“Don’t even mention it, Sister Lu,” Yu Qiwen said with a woeful expression. “My graduate advisor in the Second World told me that my research paper was inadequate and demanded a rewrite. After I resubmitted, he took my original paper and published it himself! He even threatened me, saying if I reported him, he’d ensure I never advanced in my career.”
Yuan Lu nudged Xie Ganqing’s elbow. “What about you? Weren’t you leading a team for entrepreneurship in the Second World? Did any big shots see your business plan and express interest in investing?”
“At present, there are a few large companies interested in investing, but they all require absolute controlling stakes. At most, I could only retain a forty-nine percent shareholding,” Xie Ganqing murmured softly.
Yuan Lu remarked, “As expected, in a world controlled by consortia, it’s truly difficult for ordinary people to rise above.”
“Class stratification is the Second World’s biggest issue,” Yu Qiwen said.
“Oh right, have you kept an eye on Kui Xin’s situation in the Second World?” Yuan Lu turned to look at Yu Qiwen.
Yu Qiwen responded, “Of course I have, but I couldn’t find any relevant information about her in the residents’ database. She seems like a ghost… There are two scenarios that could explain this: First, Kui Xin’s records are classified and not present in the superficial residents’ database. Second, she is an undocumented resident—a vagrant without official identification.”
“If it’s the first scenario, then Kui Xin’s citizen status must be at least level three, possibly even higher,” Xie Ganqing said. “If it’s the second scenario…”
“She’d really be quite unfortunate,” Yuan Lu sympathized.
Xie Ganqing continued, “I specifically looked into how one can elevate their citizen status and discovered that the requirements are extremely stringent. First, pay enough taxes and pass the relevant departments’ scrutiny. Secondly, hold an official position within Federation institutions. Thirdly, be a direct descendant of a high-ranking federal leader. Fourth, obtain a doctoral degree or higher. Fifthly, become an awakened being.”
Yu Qiwen said, “From pursuing undergraduate studies to obtaining a doctorate, I calculated it—conservatively estimating, one would need at least five million credits. Additionally, to actually receive the degree certificate, you’d have to prepare several more million for bribing school officials and mentors.”
“Suddenly, I feel like I’ve gained a new understanding of the darkness within the Second World,” Yuan Lu exclaimed, shocked. “Now, I think Kui Xin might be an undocumented resident; that’s the simplest and most realistic explanation.”
The three individuals looked at each other, all letting out deep sighs.
Yu Qiwen turned on his computer and suggested, “Let’s check the forum first. There might be some important updates we shouldn’t miss.”
Xie Ganqing and Yuan Lu gathered around the computer screen. As Yu Qiwen glanced at the bloody survival count displayed at the top of the forum, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Holy shit!”
Survival Count: 9201.
Yu Qiwen’s eyes widened, stunned. “Why is the number of deaths increasing even more?! I thought people would learn to hide themselves better, leading to fewer casualties. Why is this happening?”
Just as he was about to click on the death notifications for closer inspection, Yuan Lu stopped him, saying, “Know-it-all 233 has posted a new thread! The title is…”
Yu Qiwen read the thread title aloud: “The Second World’s Federal Government is already aware of players and the existence of the First World. They are currently capturing, interrogating, and purging players.”
This post acted like a nuclear bomb, stunning everyone on the forum.
Initially, Kui Xin did not intend to post this thread.
She assumed that one of the captured players would step forward and create a post; even if ordinary players lacked the courage, Leini’er surely had enough bravery.
However, she was unaware of how deeply and firmly Mechanical Dawn’s influence had taken root in Leini’er’s consciousness. As a result, she waited, hoping that Leini’er would come forward and post about it.
This was a test—to see if Leini’er could overcome mental control after traversing between worlds.
But after waiting ten minutes, nobody emerged to create a post.
At that moment, Kui Xin realized the situation was graver than she had imagined.
The forum’s players were completely oblivious, engrossed in debates over Depriver No. 233’s latest killing spree. They discussed the distant Depriver No. 233, her perceived threats, assessed her madness and cruelty, yet failed to recognize that danger was already closing in, lurking right beside them.
So, Kui Xin tapped on her phone screen and crafted the title for her post.
After pondering briefly, she wrote on the first floor of the thread: “Do not harbor false hopes, do not reveal any weaknesses, and do not overly trust those around you… We thought we were hidden in the shadows, but our enemies lurk in even deeper darkness.”