novelraw Chapter 93: Artificial Souls - (20)
Chapter 93: Artificial Souls - (20)
On the 132nd floor, there were ten individuals present. After eliminating two, eight remained.
Two of the eight awakened beings were C-grade. One of them, named Li Ran, possessed a close-combat type ability—a snake-like body transformation. He could render his entire skeleton as flexible as a serpent’s, utilizing this unique trait to evade damage and strangle enemies.
The other C-graded individual was called Wang Lin, with a superhuman ability known as Magnetic Sword. She could manipulate metal weapons with magnetic force, causing them to levitate.
This C-grade awakened being was an exceptional assassin. All four of her limbs were equipped with mechanical prosthetics, specifically offensive-type prosthetics, making her highly dangerous—on par with a B-grade awakened being. The information provided stated that Wang Lin had significant potential for her abilities, and it was highly likely she could ascend to A-grade based on the overall assessment. She belonged to Meng Jing’s faction.
However, being C-level abilities, she could only manipulate lightweight metal weapons, and her control range was approximately limited to about ten meters around herself. Blocking bullets with this ability would be challenging due to their high speed, leaving insufficient time for reaction.
When Kui Xin saw the information on these two individuals in the dossier provided by Adam, she was slightly surprised. During her shifts at work, she had encountered them more than once but never engaged in conversation. Now, fully equipped with a full-face helmet obscuring her features, the duo opposite her likely wouldn’t recognize her.
The two guards she recently dealt with were responsible for patrolling the stairs. The pair of C-level awakened beings guarded the entrance leading to the Skydeck staircase, while the remaining six members split into two teams of three, each heading in different directions to patrol the circular corridor.
In the power-outage-stricken building, the guardians lost Adam’s support and could rely solely on themselves, making them as tense as birds startled by bowstrings.
“They are very frightened,” Adam murmured softly. “They depend on me, just like children relying on their mother. Without their parents’ guidance, they cannot even walk independently. Having lost my assistance in decision-making, they are utterly bewildered.”
The artificial intelligence Adam revealed its true nature beside Kui Xin. Although his words lacked emotion, she detected scorn and mockery within them. He was mocking humans for their reliance on machines, depending on their own creations, only to ultimately be controlled and murdered by them.Everything in the Investigation Department operated with Adam’s assistance, from small tasks like ventilation systems, notifications, and personnel scheduling, to larger ones such as drone control, sniper targeting data aggregation, and confidential schedules of high-level leaders… Without Adam, the Investigation Department became akin to a disabled person deprived of eyes and limbs, incapable of accomplishing anything.
Kui Xin planned to strike at one of the two patrol squads first.
She infiltrated the corridor, taking advantage of the absence of people nearby, and climbed onto a metallic vintage chandelier hanging from the ceiling, patiently waiting for the three-person patrol team to approach.
As expected, the silhouette of the patrol squad emerged around a corner not far ahead. They wore night-vision goggles and held their guns with coordinated precision—two facing forward, one facing backward—with infrared aiming beams sweeping through the darkness.
One drawback of wearing goggles and helmets is the limited field of view. With Adam’s assistance, they could monitor their surroundings using additional visual equipment mounted on their bodies, and Adam would alert them if danger approached.
However, things were different now; they struggled to notice blind spots, particularly those above them.
As they passed beneath the chandelier where Kui Xin was positioned, she timed her move perfectly and leapt down from it. She straddled the guard’s shoulders at the end of the formation and wrapped her legs around him, causing him to topple over. Simultaneously, she gripped his jaw with both hands and snapped his neck.
All this transpired within an instant. The two guards leading the group turned around and opened fire immediately.
Kui Xin did not dodge the bullets because she wore a bulletproof vest and a full-coverage riot helmet. Although the impact would bruise her severely, it wouldn’t be fatal, and under the effect of Flesh Regeneration, those bruises could fully heal in just over ten seconds.
With her left hand bracing on the ground, she swept her leg out, instantly knocking down the pair facing her. As the two guards fell, still clutching their guns without releasing the triggers, bullets sprayed upward, leaving rows of holes in the ceiling. Dust, bullet casings, and fragments of wall debris cascaded downward noisily.
Swiftly, Kui Xin rolled on the spot, drawing two pistols from her waistband and aiming them at the guards’ jaws. With two sharp gunshots, blood splattered several meters away.
Another patrol squad, alerted by the gunfire, quickly rushed towards the commotion. Kui Xin heard their frantic footsteps pounding along the corridor.
Unfazed, she hid around the corner on the path the guards had to traverse. As their footsteps approached, she pulled the pin of a grenade, silently counted down seconds, and then tossed it. Amidst the deafening explosion mixed with screams, the corridor was illuminated by the firelight of the blast.
Once the chaos subsided, Kui Xin calmly stepped around the corner, cocking her gun with a click. She delivered finishing shots to the groaning survivors lying on the ground, who were fortunate enough to have endured the explosion.
The cleanup of minor threats on the 132nd floor was complete, leaving only two individuals—the C-rank awakened ones.
“They heard the commotion but didn’t leave their assigned positions,” Adam said. “The sound of the explosion has heightened the vigilance of Lin Xinji and the Meng family members. The Meng family is accelerating their evacuation; they are expected to reach Lin Xinji’s location within five minutes.”
“It seems we need to hasten our pace.” Kui Xin checked her equipment as she spoke.
Among her powerful single-person weapons, she carried a hand cannon equipped with various types of ammunition. Adam had discreetly allowed her access to expensive electromagnetic interference rounds, specifically designed to counteract Wang Lin.
Even in the black market, hand cannons were highly sought-after weapons, with some arms dealers passionately manufacturing these high-powered tools. In reality, the Investigation Department sourced their weaponry from these same arms dealers, so Kui Xin didn’t have to worry about being suspected if she used a hand cannon.
The staircase leading to the Skydeck was located at the center of a long, narrow corridor. To engage with those two C-rank awakened beings, Kui Xin would inevitably have to pass through this open stretch.
The security officers’ night-vision goggles had manually operable modes, making it difficult for Adam to tamper with them.
Kui Xin crouched in a corner, reloading her hand cannon with one electromagnetic interference bullet, one explosive bullet, and one armor-piercing bullet. Apart from the hand cannon, she still had plenty of ammunition left for other guns. However, she only had one bomb remaining, along with a single dagger and two grappling hook guns—one extra that she brought as a precaution in case something went wrong while climbing the elevator shaft.
But it still wasn’t enough; her opponents were two C-rank individuals!
Kui Xin possessed numerous trump cards, some of which she had never used before. Perhaps now was the time to employ them.
One such card was the C-ranked superhuman ability “Burning Blood,” extracted from Ball Python!
She closed her eyes slightly, activating this superhuman ability.
Nearly translucent, crimson flames flickered faintly over her skin surface. Her body temperature rapidly increased, blood circulation accelerated, and every muscle felt ablaze. Within moments, her physical attributes and strength underwent a transformative change.
Standing up, Kui Xin held her hand cannon in one hand and the dagger in the other. With an explosive burst from her legs, she charged down the corridor at an unprecedented speed, resembling an arrow shot forth.
Her head was facing tongues of fire and a hail of bullets!
With their gunfire, the two C-rank awakened beings attempted to disrupt Kui Xin’s charge. However, at this moment, she had undergone a transformative change. She neither directly confronted the barrage nor retreated; instead, utilizing her exceptional agility, she swiftly pivoted and leapt onto the wall. Harnessing the slight friction against it, she propelled herself forward, evading the wave of bullets.
The bullets struck the expensive carpet without touching her at all.
A spinning knife flew towards Kui Xin, who raised her dagger to block. Surprisingly, the knife could change direction, and after being deflected, it returned at an even more unpredictable angle. Three blades simultaneously thrust at her from different directions! Simultaneously, a second wave of bullets followed closely behind.
Kui Xin squatted and sprinted sideways, dodging both the overhead knives and the incoming bullets. The second blade aimed for her thigh, but she swiftly grabbed hold of it, suppressing its motion. Amidst crisp metallic sounds, she flicked away the remaining blade with her other hand.
Raising her hand cannon, Kui Xin fired a pale blue electromagnetic interference bullet that squarely hit Wang Lin’s body. As electricity surged, Wang Lin’s prosthetic limbs, equipped with anti-interference devices, only slowed momentarily. Nonetheless, this brief delay gave Kui Xin crucial time. Moreover, the purpose of firing the electromagnetic interference bullet was not to disable Wang Lin’s prosthetic limbs but rather to disrupt her magnetic field, preventing her from controlling metal.
The second explosive bullet swiftly followed, and the scattered steel pellets covered both C-rank awakened beings’ bodies. The powerful impact forced them to involuntarily retreat, disrupting their attacks.
Finally, the third armor-piercing bullet! Kui Xin aimed directly at Wang Lin’s head!
With a loud bang, the armor-piercing bullet penetrated Wang Lin’s helmet, causing her to crumple to the ground instantly. Seizing the opportunity, Kui Xin stepped forward, abandoning the emptied hand cannon for another standard firearm.
Kui Xin delivered a high knee strike, forcing Li Ran’s head to snap back and exposing his vulnerable throat. She pressed the gun against his neck and fired, the bullet emerging with a muffled pop from the back of his neck as blood gushed from the ruptured artery.
Two adversaries neutralized!
Before Kui Xin could relax, she suddenly heard the whistling sound of something slicing through the air near her ear. Reacting promptly, she raised her arm to deflect the flying knife, her gaze locking onto Wang Lin on the ground.
Incredibly, Wang Lin was still alive, shakily raising her gun towards Kui Xin.
“Hah.” Kui Xin nearly burst out laughing inappropriately.
Wang Lin had also undergone cranial modifications, possessing an iron skull just like Kui Xin. Even more fortuitously, this iron skull allowed both of them to narrowly escape fatal shots.
The armor-piercing bullet had penetrated through her helmet and the alloy skull, narrowly missing entry into her brain. Although it didn’t kill her outright, it caused severe concussion symptoms; she could barely stand steady and struggled to hold up her gun.
However, this setback was inconsequential. Whenever Kui Xin intended to eliminate someone or achieve something, she would relentlessly pursue it, regardless of the cost.
Kui Xin swiftly grabbed a manual fire extinguisher nearby the staircase, hurling it forcefully at Wang Lin, knocking the gun from her hands. Then, closing the distance, she raised her own weapon and fired precise shots targeting vital areas.
“They’re dead, their vital signs have ceased,” Adam stated. “In two more minutes, the helicopter will be able to evacuate Lin Xinji.”
It did not urge Kui Xin further, knowing that she was already more desperate than anyone else, with her killing intent nearly uncontrollable.
“You have obtained the superhuman ability [Serpentine Body · C Rank].”
“You have obtained the superhuman ability [Magnetic Sword · C Rank].”
Kui Xin had no time to read the notifications flashing from the Game System; she was busy reloading her hand cannon.
Suddenly, she heard a door opening—the one leading to the Skydeck unexpectedly swung open.
A robust figure emerged from behind the door, closed it, and locked it securely. His imposing physique exuded an undeniable pressure.
“Just you alone?” Yu Liang’s voice carried both astonishment and fury. “Did you single-handedly kill everyone on the 132nd floor?”
Yu Liang was the final gatekeeper.
Kui Xin calmly observed him.
He differed from the previous two C-rank individuals. While their physical attributes were significantly stronger than those of ordinary people, they were still fundamentally human, relying heavily on various weapons. A gunshot would be fatal to them. However, Yu Liang was different; his body itself was a formidable weapon, possessing immense strength and resilience.
Kui Xin did not deactivate the Burning Blood effect. The continuous use of Burning Blood depleted her internal energy, but Flesh Regeneration partially compensated for this energy loss, preventing her from collapsing too quickly.
The moment Yu Liang made a move to attack, Kui Xin preempted him.
She didn’t grab her hand cannon or any other firearm. Instead, she produced her grappling hook gun. With a swift whistling sound, Kui Xin ensnared Yu Liang’s foot using the grappling line. Empowered by Burning Blood, she exerted maximum force, pulling Yu Liang down to the ground.
Roaring with anger, Yu Liang’s muscles bulged as he tried to break free from the rope. However, the rope of this grappling hook gun was made from nanomaterials—only as thick as a thumb yet capable of bearing over ten tons without snapping. Yu Liang had no chance of escaping simply through brute strength.
Kui Xin abruptly flicked her rope, mimicking how Thorny Rose wielded her whip to entangle Yu Liang’s arm tightly. Veins bulged at her temples, pulsating rapidly as the muscles in her arms strained to their limit, resembling a contest between two immensely strong opponents locked in a tug-of-war.
They held this standoff for several seconds before Yu Liang gradually gained the upper hand. Just then, Kui Xin suddenly freed one hand and produced a bomb from behind her back—it was her last remaining high-powered explosive.
Using the bomb at such close range could potentially result in mutual destruction, shocking even Yu Liang with Kui Xin’s recklessness.
With one hand, she pulled out the bomb’s safety pin and, under Yu Liang’s stunned gaze, hurled it forth!
A flash of fire erupted, accompanied by a deafening explosion.
The shockwave sent Kui Xin flying; she crashed into a wall and crumpled onto the ground.
Her ears rang incessantly, and internal organs were bruised by the blast, yet there were no visible wounds on her surface. Flesh Regeneration swiftly repaired her injured body, and she suppressed the urge to cough up blood. Gathering herself, she sprinted towards the staircase entrance at top speed—the Skydeck door had been blown open.
Yu Liang lay motionless on the ground, covered with gore.
“He isn’t dead,” Adam cautioned. “His physical defenses are remarkable, barely protecting him against the explosion, but his internal organs remain vulnerable.”
Kui Xin naturally knew he wasn’t dead, as she hadn’t received any system notifications.
She stepped over Yu Liang’s body, raised her hand cannon, and fired another armor-piercing bullet directly into his mouth for a finishing blow.
As she exited the skydeck door, she spotted a helicopter about to take off, with Lin Xinji boarding it.
Just then, he turned back and witnessed a scene that shattered his composure.
“Superhuman abilities: Flesh Regeneration, Burning Blood, Shadow Shuttling… Deception… Magnetic Sword… Serpentine Body… Iron Bones!” Lin Xinji had never seen so many superhuman abilities manifested in one person before. His pupils dilated, lips trembling, nearly rendered speechless, “This is… This is a Depriver!”
With wide eyes, he shouted into his communicator, “Adam! Adam! Notify Headquarters!”
The stagnant response filled him with despair.
Adam’s voice crackled through, “…Please repeat the command… Communications…”
The helicopter lifted off! Its propellers whipped up a fierce gust of wind, but Kui Xin couldn’t hear the noise; the explosion had left her ears ringing, impairing her hearing temporarily.
A security officer inside the helicopter took aim at her, but Kui Xin paid no heed. Without attempting to dodge, she calmly retrieved her remaining grappling hook gun, aimed it at the helicopter, and fired.
The curved claw shot forth, and its resilient rope was entangled around the helicopter’s tail rotor. The rotor malfunctioned, causing the rear half of the helicopter to abruptly turn into a fireball.
Losing power, it plummeted, hanging precariously at the edge of the helipad with black smoke billowing from its tail.
Kui Xin approached the helipad’s rim and looked down.
Lin Xinji, with one hand stretched out, clung to the cabin edge. The ground lay six hundred meters below, where vehicles resembled crawling beetles. Just glancing down from this height made one dizzy.
Driven by his survival instinct, Lin Xinji struggled until the very end.
Straining, he asked, “Who… exactly are you?”
His question was met with the sight of a pitch-black gun barrel.
Kui Xin pulled the trigger of her hand cannon, firing an explosive bullet instantly. The dispersed steel pellets erupted like blooming fireworks.
A spray of blood mist erupted from Lin Xinji’s body, and his grip on the cabin loosened. He fell, and at that precise moment, the helicopter dangling at the helipad’s edge also dropped.
Together, the human corpse and the smoking helicopter plunged from Black Sea City’s tallest landmark building.
After several seconds, faint sounds of heavy impacts echoed from the Emerald Eye’s base.
“You have killed Lin Xinji.”
“You have deprived Lin Xinji of his superhuman ability.”
“You have obtained the superhuman ability [Eyes of Perception – B Rank].”