novelraw Chapter 9: Sea of Darkness - (9)
Chapter 9: Sea of Darkness - (9)
“You’re somewhat different from what the rumors say.” Silver Mask crossed his arms, leaning against a wardrobe.
“Am I?” Kui Xin feigned indifference.
It wasn’t wise to respond to such comments; any reply risked revealing herself easily. Adopting an ambiguous stance was the correct approach.
Silver Mask continued: “They describe you as cold-hearted, like a machine, precise as a computer, and a stringent executor. Although you haven’t awakened superhuman abilities, you’re an essential organization strategist.”
“Ha.” A laugh escaped from Kui Xin’s throat.
However, her laughter carried little joy or any hint of self-satisfaction.
Silver Mask’s pale pink eyes met her deep black gaze for a moment before he said disinterestedly, “No reaction whatsoever.”
“What kind of reaction do you expect?” Kui Xin asked. “I can display any response fitting the role I’m currently playing.”
“Do all undercover agents exhibit such dedication as you?” Silver Mask frowned. “Even when facing your comrades, you don’t reveal your true self?”
Kui Xin calmly held Silver Mask’s gaze until he looked away.“What instructions do we have next?” Small water droplets danced at Silver Mask’s pale fingertips. He tossed and caught the globule of water, sounding bored. “Don’t forget, we have less than half a month left.”
From these brief exchanges, it was evident that within this two-person mission team, Kui Xin occupied the position of decision-maker and leader, while Silver Mask served as the executor. Kui Xin’s status in Mechanical Dawn also surpassed Silver Mask’s; other organization members had quite favorable opinions of her.
“You should visit the port and investigate the explosion site,” Kui Xin instructed.
After pondering it repeatedly, she felt that issuing this instruction was relatively appropriate.
According to the documents she had read and the intelligence she had gathered, the port was a place teeming with various factions and diverse elements, where multiple explosions had occurred before. These blasts could be caused by gang rivalries or something else. For instance, Mechanical Dawn might have chosen to detonate the port to prevent the Kraken from docking, rendering the cargo ship unable to moor.
Clarifying some basic information prior to carrying out the port’s explosion mission was crucial; hence Kui Xin gave this directive to Silver Mask.
Silver Mask did not object to Kui Xin’s instructions, but he meticulously asked, “What should I investigate? Personnel movement, examination of the blast site, or tracking and monitoring suspicious individuals? There has been more than one explosion at the port.”
“Investigate everything,” Kui Xin replied.
“You’re being overly cautious,” Silver Mask muttered. “Fine, I’ll head there right away. If any temporary orders arise, contact me through my bracelet.”
He placed the silver mask over his face securely, pulled down his hood, walked to the balcony, and opened the window. Silently, his body transformed into a transparent stream, merging with the torrential rain outside, and vanished into the night.
Kui Xin walked over and closed the window to prevent rain from splashing inside.
By giving instructions that sent Silver Mask away, she could now think independently in a quiet environment.
Kui Xin was highly skilled at creating study plans and managing her time; her senior year homeroom teacher had praised her for meticulously organizing her academic tasks.
Now, she would utilize the planning abilities honed during three grueling years of high school to chart her future course.
Entering her bedroom, Kui Xin took out a sheet of white paper and a pen with only half its ink remaining.
It was her habit to write things down on paper, as it helped clarify her thoughts. The sound of the pen scratching against the page also helped her focus.
Currently, Kui Xin’s primary crises stem from two sources.
“First, Mechanical Dawn; second, Investigation Department,” she wrote on the paper.
Being an undercover agent within the Investigation Department posed significant risks, but Kui Xin had the organization’s provided information as a backup. She planned to stay up late and thoroughly review the extensive, hundreds-page document, gaining a comprehensive understanding of this official Federation department. Information specific to “Security Officer Kui Xin” required even more focused memorization—her biography, social network, habits, and routines—all without room for error. Feigning amnesia was a temporary solution, but by no means a long-term one.
As an intern security officer, Kui Xin hadn’t spent much time in the Investigation Department, so being unfamiliar with her colleagues was normal. She didn’t need to appear overly close with her teammates or captain; maintaining appropriate relationships would suffice.
Compared to the Investigation Department, Mechanical Dawn made Kui Xin more uneasy.
At least in the Investigation Department, she had hundreds of pages of reference material to study and understand. But what about Mechanical Dawn? There was nothing available. She was extremely unfamiliar with this organization; she didn’t know its founding purpose, who its leader was, or even her own role within it, which she would have to gradually discern through speculation.
Kui Xin’s teammate “Silver Mask” was closely tied to her, but fortunately, he hadn’t interacted much with her predecessor. Based on his behavior, he seemed somewhat inexperienced, resembling a naive youth. This made him easier to deceive, allowing Kui Xin to smoothly blend in without arousing suspicion.
With someone else, she might not have been as successful.
As she pondered, Kui Xin’s pen tip tapped lightly on the paper.
For her future undercover life in the Investigation Department, Kui Xin aimed for caution and stability. She established six guiding principles: avoid conflict, refrain from contention, stay low-profile, listen attentively, observe keenly, and learn continuously.
Dealing with the Mechanical Dawn Organization was more challenging. Kui Xin had a mission as an undercover agent, which likely meant limited interactions with other organization members. The primary concern was Silver Mask, who constantly stayed close to her. As long as she could deceive Silver Mask effectively, she wouldn’t have immediate worries.
Having devised solutions for potential crises, Kui Xin crossed out “Mechanical Dawn” and “Investigation Department” with her pen.
Next, she needed to plan her approach to the “missions.”
Currently, she has two missions at hand.
Mission 1: Investigate the entirety of the port bombing incident. This task was issued by the game system.
Mission 2: Prevent the Kraken from docking at Black Sea City. This mission was assigned by the Mechanical Dawn Organization.
Expressionlessly, Kui Xin drew a cross over Mission 2.
To investigate the bombing case, she might gain some leads by working within the Investigation Department. However, attempting to blow up the port and sink the cargo ship would be pure suicide.
This was a real-life game without any save features; losing one’s life could potentially mean it’s gone forever. She couldn’t risk betting her life on such endeavors. Even a hundred save slots might not suffice for such dangerous tasks.
Kui Xin bit the end of her pen; her brows furrowed deeply as she began analyzing Mission 1.
The cause of the Mooring Harbor bombing was clearly not as simple as gang warfare; it likely had connections to the Kraken’s arrival.
Does the Investigation Department realize the unusual aspects of this bombing case?
Furthermore, Kui Xin suspected a “third party” involved in the bombings.
More than one organization or power seemed intent on blowing up the port.
She drew a relationship diagram:
First Party: Investigation Department. Objective: Protect the port and apprehend criminals.
Second Party: Mechanical Dawn. Objective: Blow up the port.
Mechanical Dawn assigned Kui Xin the task of “blowing up the port,” which she received just tonight, along with a teammate named “Silver Mask.” However, before she officially accepted the mission, even before her initial transition into the Second World, the Mooring Harbor had already been bombed once.
Which faction carried out that first wave of explosions?
Gang conflicts were relatively common in the modestly spirited Black Sea City, but ordinary clashes wouldn’t prompt the game system to specifically issue a dedicated quest. There must be something exceptional about this particular bombing compared to previous incidents that triggered the quest.
Kui Xin wrote on the paper—
Third Party: Undetermined. Suspected connection between the bombing incident and the Kraken.
However, these were just speculations from her first theory. There was also a second conjecture.
Kui Xin’s second hypothesis was that Mechanical Dawn had dispatched more than one mission execution team. The previous explosion incident might have been carried out by another group affiliated with Mechanical Dawn, but they failed.
Silver Mask had said, “It doesn’t matter if we die; our comrades will continue to complete the mission before August 11th.”
For tasks like bombing the port and destroying cargo ships, it would be highly unlikely for Mechanical Dawn to place all their hopes on a single squad. Choosing multiple squads to jointly execute such missions is the sensible approach. Therefore, it remains possible that the perpetrators of the earlier explosions were still linked to Mechanical Dawn.
Below the phrase “Third party, pending confirmation,” Kui Xin added another line: “Suspected third party remains as Mechanical Dawn.”
She stared at the brief lines written on the paper, pondering deeply for a long time.
Underlying currents surged beneath Black Sea City, with frequent explosions occurring at the port, Mechanical Dawn’s directives, and the gaming system’s issued quests. All of these elements revolved around a central point—the Kraken, the massive cargo ship about to dock in Black Sea City.
The Kraken acted as the eye of a storm, enveloped in intrigue and mist, slowly approaching.
Kui Xin grabbed the paper from the table, tore it into unrecognizable tiny pieces, then walked to the bathroom and flushed the fragments down the toilet.
This document must be destroyed; no one should see it.
She now knew where the breakthrough for completing her mission lay—the cargo ship Kraken.
Everything would become clearer if we investigated what cargo the Kraken carries and why Mechanical Dawn fears docking at Black Sea City so much.
Returning to her room, Kui Xin sat on a chair and pondered for a moment before opening the encrypted connection on her bracelet. She searched online for information about “The Kraken.”
A webpage popped up.
“The Kraken is a massive bulk carrier, built in 2086. Currently, it is the first year since the Kraken’s construction and commissioning. With a maximum carrying capacity of 800,000 tons, it is the world’s largest bulk carrier by tonnage.”
Bulk carriers typically transport goods that cannot fit into standard containers, such as sand, oil, or coal.
What might the Kraken be transporting?
Kui Xin conducted multiple searches, but there was scarce information available about this cargo ship. Unable to find any useful details, she opened the mission chip given to her by the organization, which contained some remaining content she hadn’t fully reviewed yet.
As expected, the Kraken’s cargo was not detailed in the information she clicked through and read.
This situation was quite challenging.
With a swift thought, Kui Xin prompted the gaming system’s screen to pop up.
Blinking, she discovered with pleasant surprise that the investigation progress in the port bombing case had somehow increased at some point.
“[Quest Progress]: 5%.”
Even this slight increment indicated that her investigative direction was correct; she should continue pursuing this lead.
Kui Xin let out a long sigh.
Seeing progress in the quest felt akin to solving a complex math problem… No, it is even more satisfying than conquering a math puzzle. This sense of achievement was second only to earning money from work.
Kui Xin leaned back onto the somewhat firm bed, rubbing her tired eyes. Instead of sleeping, she switched the display content on her bracelet, diving into “Kui Xin’s” life details provided by the organization and the intelligence from the Investigation Department with the same vigor she used for memorizing texts and interpreting ancient poetry.
From dusk till dawn, she immersed herself in reading without interruption, while the torrential rain outside showed no signs of relenting.
At 9 a.m., the balcony window creaked open.
Silver Mask clumsily climbed inside, drenched from head to toe, with a bloodstained scratch on his cheek—an unexpected injury.
As Kui Xin emerged from the bedroom, Silver Mask opened his mouth to speak, “Hey! You…”
“My name isn’t ‘hey’; you’d better call me by my code name.” Kui Xin scrutinized his wet footprints and remarked, “You’ve dirtied the floor.”
“R-Rich Lady… you…” Silver Mask’s expression twisted as he uttered her code name, and then he quickly closed his mouth. With a resigned tone, he said, “It doesn’t matter what I call you. I’m injured; do you have a first aid kit here?”
Kui Xin retrieved the medical kit from beside her bed.
Silver Mask casually removed his mask, revealing his damp, pure white hair plastered against his forehead. His already bloodless lips seemed even more pallid. He nonchalantly took off his coat and tossed it on the ground, exposing three massive gashes across his chest. The wounds were deep, yet remarkably, he hadn’t bled out and remained lively despite the situation.
Kui Xin glanced at the floor—the trail of water he left while walking from the balcony was transparent, devoid of any mixed blood. Only a small patch of blood stained the torn fabric near his chest.
“The number of monsters lurking in the shadows has increased.” Silver Mask grimaced as he peeled off his shirt. Opening the medical kit, he skillfully poured hydrogen peroxide for disinfection, then independently applied medication and wrapped bandages around his injuries.
Kui Xin subtly repeats, “Increased?”
“Yes, more than before. Last night, I encountered three of them.” After finishing the bandaging, Silver Mask caught his breath for a moment and solemnly said, “They took advantage of the torrential rain to come ashore, wandering around the dock filled with shipping containers, searching for hosts…”
Monsters? What kind of monsters?
Kui Xin felt anxious and wanted to bite her lip.
The Second World contained far too many things beyond her understanding. Just yesterday evening, she was learning how to correctly use facial recognition payments, navigate public spaces, shop online, and operate portable devices… Additionally, she hastily studied this world’s historical knowledge, from the establishment of the Federation to the glorious journey of technological breakthroughs that led humans to venture beyond Earth, attempting to establish colonies on other planets. She also familiarized herself with the names and general sequences of significant historical events.
Xi Liang’s appearance as a player served as a reminder for Kui Xin to be extra cautious; she must not commit the same basic mistakes as Xi Liang did.
Already overwhelmed, Kui Xin found Silver Mask’s mention of “monsters” once again exceeding her comprehension.
To conceal her anxiety and unease, Kui Xin addressed Silver Mask, “You’ve brought in too much water. Clean up the balcony and living room.”
Silver Mask remained silent.
“… If my ability wasn’t controlling liquids, I would have bled out and died long ago. Instead of helping me with bandages, you blame me for dirtying the floor.” With indignation, he formed the water stains on the ground into a sphere and tossed it into the kitchen sink.