novelraw Chapter 85: Artificial Souls - (12)
Chapter 85: Artificial Souls - (12)
The equipment required for this mission was distinctly different from previous ones, including many unfamiliar tools that Kui Xin had never seen before.
First, she changed into her standard close-fitting combat suit and gathered her weapons. Following Adam’s instructions, she identified the equipment box on the shelf, strapped its heavy weight, which exceeded several kilograms, onto her back, and braced herself as she exited the gear room.
Yu Liang was waiting outside. Upon seeing Kui Xin, he praised, “Not bad strength.” Then he took half of the equipment boxes, carrying them over his shoulder.
“For this mission, we’ll need to use some unconventional weapons.” He patted the equipment case on his shoulder. “Everything inside here is weaponry, significantly more powerful than those typically used for regular missions. The hand cannon I mentioned earlier isn’t considered conventional; it’s only allowed to be employed in emergency situations.”
“But I haven’t learned how to use these weapons you’re talking about… I’ve only handled pistols, rifles, and sniper rifles,” Kui Xin said. “Isn’t there a need to familiarize myself with them beforehand?”
“If you can handle a pistol, you can manage a hand cannon; they’re quite similar,” Yu Liang replied. “At most, the recoil might be stronger, aiming slightly harder, the range of impact greater, and the operation somewhat more challenging.”
“Doesn’t that make a significant difference? How are they ‘quite similar’?” Kui Xin was speechless.
“Fine…” Yu Liang reluctantly agreed. “Before heading into battle, I’ll help you get acquainted with the weapons. We’ll go to the heavy arms testing ground located on the outskirts.”
After stepping into the elevator, Yu Liang spoke up, “Adam, take us to the Skydeck and prepare the hovering police car. Oh right, notify our teammate to secure the scene ahead of time. I’m handling business with a newcomer, so we expect to meet him in approximately one hour.”
“Yes, the message is being relayed now,” Adam responded. “The hovering police car is ready, vehicle number 099.”“Heavy weapons testing ground?” Kui Xin looked at Yu Liang with a questioning gaze.
“Dealing with newbies is such a hassle; they know nothing.” Yu Liang clicked his tongue. “Ordinary training grounds can be indoors, but heavy weapons test sites must be open-air and located on the outskirts to prevent uncontrollable accidents, like sudden explosions or the like. The training room you usually use is only suitable for practicing with firearms and hand-to-hand combat. For really big guns, you still need to go out to the outskirts.”
Upon reaching the Skydeck, Yu Liang approached a police vehicle, opened the trunk, and roughly tossed the equipment inside, showing no care whatsoever.
He took the driver’s seat, while Kui Xin sat on the passenger side.
Just as she fastened her seatbelt, Yu Liang floored the accelerator without even a second of buffering. The police car soared into the air immediately. The force threw Kui Xin back against her seat, and her ears felt muffled as if something had plugged them—a sensation caused by the pressure difference impairing her Eustachian tubes. She hastily swallowed several times to alleviate the ear discomfort.
“Your driving style is truly… uninhibited,” Kui Xin chose as a tactful description.
“We’re pressed for time; there’s no point dawdling on the road,” Yu Liang said nonchalantly.
Kui Xin remarked, “I’m guessing this is your first time mentoring a new recruit.”
“Hey, you’re right,” Yu Liang said. “Mentoring students is such a hassle; if it weren’t for orders from higher-ups, I wouldn’t have taken on this task.”
“My apologies for causing inconvenience,” Kui Xin courteously responded.
Yu Liang clicked his tongue and said, “Don’t bother with those empty pleasantries. Speak up when necessary, but skip the unnecessary talk.”
Does he disdain polite formalities? Kui Xin pondered for a moment and deliberately added more courteous phrases to annoy him slightly: “Compared to other instructors, you truly stand out—efficient and decisive in your actions. No wonder they assigned this kind of mission to you; undoubtedly, your abilities must be exceptional.”
After a brief pause, Yu Liang laughed. “You’re quite something, Kui Xin.”
“Your superhuman ability… It’s accelerated healing, correct?” Yu Liang asked, “At D-level?”
Generally, after awakening, an individual’s initial superhuman ability strength falls at either the D or E level. Occasionally, there are rare instances where someone exceptionally lucky awakens directly at B or A level. As for awakening straight to the S level, no precedent exists in history.
“Yes,” Kui Xin replied. “May I inquire about your own superhuman ability?”
“Iron Bones,” Yu Liang said. “It boosts strength and increases defense—B rank.”
The Investigation Department had very few B-rank awakened beings; Adam mentioned there were only five, with Yu Liang being one of them. In that case, it seems the higher-ups indeed have some interest in Kui Xin, going so far as to assign a B-rank individual to guide her.
“Don’t use ‘sir’ all the time; it sounds awkward. Just call me Yu Liang,” he said. “Or you can call me Captain too.”
“Alright, Captain Yu.” Kui Xin nodded.
Today was another heavily polluted day. As they boarded the hovering police car and took flight, the harsh conditions were clearly noticeable.
At the horizon, where the sky meets the earth, the color of the sky appears even darker. Yu Liang activated the vehicle’s air filtration system, ensuring they wouldn’t smell the outside environment within the car.
“It’s always like this in Black Sea City. There are several months each year shrouded by pollutants, and occasionally we even get acid rain,” Yu Liang grumbled irritably.
“Aren’t you originally from Black Sea City, Captain Yu?” Kui Xin asked.
“No, I’m from Mountain City, which is in the southeastern region of the Federation. I was transferred here for work,” Yu Liang replied. “My hometown isn’t much better either, frequently experiencing polluted weather. However, the frequency is slightly lower compared to Black Sea City.”
The hovercar quickly arrived at the training grounds on the outskirts of the city, and it gently descended.
As the car approached the ground, Kui Xin looked down at the expansive training area below. It was vast, equivalent to ten football fields wide, with continuous sounds of explosions echoing across the field and plumes of smoke rising from blasts. To her surprise, there were residential buildings in close proximity, indicating that people lived nearby.
Yu Liang stepped out of the vehicle and said, “Adam, reserve Training Ground No. 3 for practicing hand cannon-type weapons.”
“Understood; access granted. Please proceed directly,” Adam responded.
Kui Xin retrieved her gear from the trunk and asked, “There’s a residential area here?”
“Yes, it’s where the poor live; it’s relatively cheap,” Yu Liang replied.
“Do they constantly endure the sounds of gunfire and explosions? What happens if stray bullets reach the residential area? Weapons still under testing can be highly unstable; what if a shot goes astray?”
“They just have to accept their misfortune. Who made them choose to live there?” Yu Liang stated dismissively.
“Can’t we relocate them somewhere else?” Kui Xin questioned, finding this unusual.
“We’d have to bear the relocation costs then,” Yu Liang explained. “We haven’t forced them to move; we simply built a training ground near their residences. If they can’t tolerate it, they should move on their own.”
Kui Xin refrained from asking further questions.
Together, they walked to Training Ground No. 3. Yu Liang tossed the equipment box onto the ground and opened it using fingerprint authentication; inside were gun parts.
“The assembly sequence is the same as for handguns; watch carefully.” Yu Liang methodically assembled each component, resulting in a hand cannon with an absurdly large barrel diameter. The hand cannon was essentially a larger-caliber version of a handgun, equipped with ammunition several times thicker than ordinary bullets.
He pointed at items within the equipment box and said, “See these elliptical-headed bullets? These are explosive bullets. When fired, the bullet head automatically detonates, releasing numerous hard steel pellets. You can imagine what it looks like when the bullet bursts—striking an enemy would cause them to literally explode!”
As he spoke, he loaded an explosive bullet into the hand cannon, raised it, and aimed at a distant concrete wall specifically poured for testing weapon potency.
With a thunderous gunshot, the hand cannon’s barrel erupted in a dazzling burst of flame, launching the explosive bullet. Thousands of tiny steel pellets scattered across the sturdy concrete wall like a blooming bouquet, leaving countless circular pits behind.
Just one explosive bullet was enough to leave the sturdy concrete wall teetering on the brink of collapse.
“The advantages of explosive bullets are their great power and wide coverage area. The drawbacks include being able to load only three rounds at a time, as well as the risk of accidentally injuring nearby teammates. Their effective range is limited to twenty meters. This type of weapon is highly hazardous, too brutal for everyday mission use.” Yu Liang slapped the hand cannon into Kui Xin’s hands, its substantial weight causing her arm to drop.
He gestured with his chin towards her and asked, “Give it a try, newbie?”
Kui Xin mimicked Yu Liang, loading an explosive bullet into the hand cannon and aiming at the concrete wall.
She pulled the trigger, and with a deafening boom, the terrifying recoil numbed both her arms, sending waves of pain through her wrists.
The dispersed projectiles struck the wall, causing the already unstable concrete structure to instantly crumble.
“Not bad,” Yu Liang said, praising her. “Someone with poor physical strength would be knocked off balance by the recoil when using this hand cannon. You’re indeed exceptional.”
Kui Xin lowered the hand cannon and shook her numb arms, feeling the effects of Flesh Regeneration as it repaired her strained muscles.
“This thing packs quite a punch…” she couldn’t help but remark. “If you fired all three rounds consecutively, it could easily strain the joints, right? Most people probably can’t handle it?”
“Indeed, ordinary security personnel wouldn’t be accustomed to using this and could easily harm themselves,” Yu Liang said. “When I was assigned as your instructor, I reviewed your physical assessment report. Your physical fitness is excellent, and with your type of superhuman ability, I knew right away that you would definitely handle the hand cannon well.”
Kui Xin shifted her gaze towards the remaining rows of ammunition in the suitcase. “These bullet heads have different shapes and patterns compared to the explosive bullets. Do they serve specific purposes?”
“Very observant.” Yu Liang bent down and picked up a bullet marked with blue at its tip; the base also featured lightning-shaped protrusions. “This is an electromagnetic interference bullet, miniaturized. Take a guess at what type of enemies it targets.”
Kui Xin pondered for a moment. “It must target enemies equipped with mechanical prosthetics. The electromagnetic interference can cause their prosthetic limbs to malfunction.”
“That’s correct!” Yu Liang exclaimed. “Its power is average; it can’t even penetrate walls. However, upon hitting an enemy, it adheres to them and releases currents that disable mechanical devices. These bullets are relatively expensive, so we won’t demonstrate them now. Knowing their purpose is sufficient. However some mechanical prosthetics may include anti-interference systems, making electromagnetic interference bullets less effective. All the security officers in our Investigation Department have similar systems installed in their prosthetic limbs. Police and military equipment cannot afford such obvious vulnerabilities.”
“There’s one more type left,” Kui Xin observed, looking at the silver-tipped bullet. “This bullet has a sharper tip than the others and is spirally grooved. Let me guess… Is it an armor-piercing bullet?”
“Yes,” Yu Liang said with a grin. “Give it a try. We’ll switch to shooting through another wall.”
Kui Xin loaded the bullet as instructed, raised her hand cannon, and pulled the trigger.
Once again, she felt a strong numbness in her arm. The bullet exited, whizzing through the concrete wall and leaving behind a neat circular hole, through which the scenery beyond the training ground could be seen.
Although its noise was less pronounced compared to the explosive bullets, it had superior penetrating power, effortlessly piercing through the concrete wall.
“Armor-piercing bullets primarily deal with alien creatures that have hard shells, such as Scythe Demons,” Yu Liang explained. “As for human alloy armor, it depends on the material. If it’s made of a high-strength alloy, then these armor-piercing bullets would struggle to penetrate. However, against ordinary alloy materials, they can handle them easily.”
“What equipment is in the remaining boxes?” Kui Xin’s interest was piqued.
She had a great fondness for hand cannons as weapons; they were more powerful than handguns, and although the handling might not be as comfortable, it still fell within her tolerance range.
“The remaining ones are even more advanced,” Yu Liang said. “The hand cannon you’re using now is just the standard type, with bullets filled with gunpowder. Both its design concept and usage haven’t strayed from the realm of conventional firearms. What I’m about to show you next are truly innovative gadgets!”
He opened the next box, which contained silver-colored components resembling those of a handgun but subtly different upon closer inspection.
“To align with security officers’ firearm habits, this hand cannon was specifically designed to be assembled in this manner. If you can assemble a handgun, you can assemble a hand cannon,” Yu Liang explained. “This time, give it a try yourself.”
Kui Xin nodded and crouched down, her fingers touching the gun’s cold barrel.
As soon as she held the barrel and parts, she felt the distinct difference in the hand cannon’s material—it was heavier.
These weapons were made from denser metals, significantly weightier compared to the standard-type hand cannon she used earlier.
After she finished assembling the hand cannon, she picked up the last component—the magazine.
The curved magazine was translucent, with what appeared to be a flowing liquid inside. The overall color of the liquid was blue, emitting a soft glow.
Kui Xin inserted the magazine into the hand cannon, and instantly, an energy gauge was displayed on the gun’s body.
“That is…” she exclaimed, surprised.
“A laser pistol,” Yu Liang said. “Inside the magazine is energy fluid, allowing for ten shots in total. Laser pistols are weapons with both great power and significant drawbacks. After every five shots, you must cool down the overheated barrel for fifteen seconds; otherwise, it will burst. On the positive side, they have minimal recoil, almost negligible, and high shooting accuracy.”
“Fifteen seconds! That’s too long,” Kui Xin remarked. “Taking this weapon onto the battlefield would practically be a death sentence.”
“Exactly. Therefore, any type of hand cannon should be used in conjunction with conventional weapons. Moreover, not everyone can handle a hand cannon; that’s the reason these powerful weapons haven’t been widely adopted.” Yu Liang shrugged. “The Emergency Unit uses them because we face alien creatures and Variant Blood individuals—it’s often life-or-death situations.”
Kui Xin asked, “Can I try out the laser pistol?”
“Go ahead,” Yu Liang said. “The effect of a laser pistol on human flesh is quite significant—it burns a hole instantly, even charring your internal organs.”
Kui Xin fired, and a beam of orange-red light burst from the gun’s muzzle, striking the concrete wall instantaneously.
A wisp of gray smoke emerged from the wall, leaving behind a moderate-sized pit.
“The firing speed is incredibly fast, and it feels remarkably lightweight,” Kui Xin commented, describing her experience using the weapon.
“Right? The feeling is indeed quite good. It’s just that the cost of the energy cartridges is unbelievably high. Every time I use this type of weapon, I feel like I’m not firing lasers but gold itself,” Yu Liang remarked. “Alright, we’ve finished introducing the weapons. The remaining boxes contain auxiliary equipment. Let’s proceed to practical training now. Theory without practice is merely empty talk; combat is the best way to gain mission experience.”
Kui Xin agreed, saying, “Okay.”
The slums—this was Kui Xin’s second visit.
Last time, when she had eliminated Chai Jian, it was to the slums of the Northern District; this time, they were heading to the eastern district.
Regardless of whether it was the eastern or northern district, the slums exuded the same sense of decay. Walking through them, one could detect a pervasive odor of rot.
There was no designated area for police cars to land within the slums, so they parked outside.
“This place is chaotic, and people here resent us,” Yu Liang said. “You wouldn’t want a stray bullet from nowhere sending you off, would you? If anyone points a gun at you, send them back with a bullet of your own.”
“Hmm, I’ve always done that.” Kui Xin placed her hand on her belt, ensuring that her weapon was easily accessible.
Yu Liang chuckled. “Oh, you’re quite tough. Being ruthless is good; it helps you survive longer. This is my first time leading a rookie, so make me proud.”
They navigated through the low and cramped houses. The impoverished residents, upon spotting them, quickly retreated into their homes and bolted their doors shut. A group of children playing near the street scattered like startled birds as soon as they saw Kui Xin and Yu Liang fleeing while shouting in panic, “Mommy! Daddy! The cops are back! The cops are back!”
Adding to the chaos, a brave little boy aimed his toy water gun at Yu Liang and sprayed him, yelling, “Baddies! You took away my daddy; go die!”
After witnessing this scene, the little boy’s mother hastily picked him up and carried him away.
Yu Liang rolled his eyes. “They really deserve a good beating… This place is home to many undocumented residents and stowaways from underdeveloped regions, along with numerous individuals who eke out a living on the fringes of illegality. If they’re unlucky enough to get caught, they’ll either be deported or thrown into prison. It’s just a garbage dump.”
“What about our teammate?” Kui Xin asked. “Where is he?”
“We’re almost there; it’s ahead.” Yu Liang pointed out a small slope in front of them.
It was a mountain of trash.
A police cordon had already been set up around the trash mountain, and drones hovered overhead broadcasting messages: “Investigation Department clearing the area! All unrelated personnel should evacuate immediately! The Investigation Department is clearing the area; all unrelated personnel must evacuate! Unauthorized trespassers disregarding warnings will be shot on sight! Any unauthorized departure from the containment zone will result in immediate lethal force.”
Several heavily armed security officers stood guard near the cordoned-off area. Upon spotting Yu Liang, one called out, “Sir! The perimeter is secured; we can confirm that the Variant Blood is hiding within.”
“Hm, where’s Old Liang?” Yu Liang glanced left and right, spotted a familiar figure, and waved while shouting, “Hey! Over here!”
The security officer named Old Liang briskly approached and examined Kui Xin. “I’m Liang Min.”
“Hello, Mr. Liang,” Kui Xin politely greeted.
“We’re not late, are we?” Yu Liang asked.
“It’s been just ten minutes since the blockade was completed; it’s not too late,” Liang Min replied while looking at Yu Liang. “Among the impoverished residents living in Mount Trashmore, there are hidden Variant Blood individuals. We’ve controlled the movement of people in and out, so now it’s simply a matter of searching them one by one for confirmation.”
“Sounds good.” Yu Liang turned to Kui Xin. “Do you understand?”
“I do. Find the Variant Blood individuals within a group of civilians, apprehend them and if unable to capture them, shoot them down,” Kui Xin said. “Is this approach acceptable?”
Yu Liang responded contentedly, “No issues.”
He briskly headed into Mount Trashmore, saying, “Let’s move; time to get to work.”
Kui Xin drew her newly acquired hand cannon from her belt and closely followed him into the mountain of trash.