NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Sea Without Light Part 24
When Kui Xin returned home, she took a glance at the digital clock. It was already past midnight zero point.
Great. She would finish her second mission of the night soon enough, without having to pull an all-nighter. This means she could get a full six hours of sleep, a luxury indeed.
The digital clock displayed the time and date as July 31st, 2086, 00:28.
This was already the fifth day since Kui Xin’s crossover.
Tomorrow would be August, with eight days until the official implementation of the blast plan and eleven days until the arrival of the Kraken.
Kui Xin took off her dirty clothes, wrapped them in a garbage bag, and planned to destroy them later. The clothes were covered in chunks of flesh and blood, though Silverface had washed them; they still retained a strong smell of blood.
Silverface was tidying up in the living room while Kui Xin went to change and take a shower.
The bathtub had filled with water. Kui Xin soaked in it to relax her tense muscles. The two extraordinary abilities—燃血 (igniting one’s blood) and 血肉再生 (regeneration)—she had acquired tonight had proved quite useful. Igniting one’s blood caused too much harm to the body, making it unsuitable for experimentation. However, the ability to regenerate tissue was incredibly practical.
From the shelf beside the bathtub, Kui Xin retrieved a trimming knife. She sliced her finger, and droplets of blood appeared. A second later, the shallow wound healed, the divided skin rejoining and smoothing out, leaving no sign of injury.
She reassured herself, then stabbed the trimming knife deeply into her palm, causing more blood to stream down into the bathtub.
This time, the wound took longer to heal—about five or six seconds—until the small fleshy buds joined the torn tissues together, reattaching the disconnected parts, and the new skin taking on a pinkish hue.
Her shoulders relaxed.
Leaning back in the tub with half-closed eyes, she breathed deeply. The regeneration ability further enhanced her survival capabilities, making tonight’s work and risks entirely worthwhile.
Living a life alternating between day and night left Kui Xin utterly exhausted. Unconsciously, she fell asleep in the bathtub.
Silverface finished organizing their gear and lay on the sofa, lost in thought. As a loyal subordinate, he followed his superior’s orders diligently. He felt extremely sleepy but waited for Kui Xin. She might need to brief him about tonight’s tasks after her shower, perhaps to investigate something.
Therefore, Silverface stayed awake.
He waited for an hour but heard no movement from the bathroom and saw no sign of Kui Xin. He got up skeptically and knocked, “Hey! What’s wrong?”
Kui Xin in the bathtub quickly awoke, sat up and said, “Nothing.”
Silverface, hearing her reply, felt relieved and returned to the living room, settling back on the sofa.
Ten minutes later, Kui Xin emerged with wet hair, having rinsed away the strong smell of blood. She now felt much fresher.
“Do we have any missions tonight?” Silverface recalled his duty.
“Tonight’s mission is to rest.” Kui Xin poured herself a glass of water, “We made quite a racket killing that python sphere, so the coastal security team will likely investigate. To be safe, stay inside.”
“I like resting missions,” Silverface responded, wrapping himself in a blanket in the coziest pose possible.
His tall stature left room to stretch his legs outside the sofa.
Within about ten seconds, Silverface’s breathing steadied as he fell asleep.
Kui Xin returned to her room to activate her wristband. Red sent a new message.
“We’ve recovered the body, taken it back to headquarters for testing. This is a rare opportunity to dissect such a heterogeneous blooded individual, but you detonated his head with a bomb, and now his body is incomplete. You didn’t have to do that.”
Kui Xin replied, “I’ll be mindful next time.”
Red: “Watch yourself, Lady Fortune.”
“How’s Thorn Rose’s injury?” Kui Xin asked after a moment.
“She underwent surgery and plans to install a mechanical prosthesis in her right hand. She needs to rest for a day before returning to active duty,” said Red. “According to her account, a red worm burrowed into her flesh, forcing her to amputate her hand. This worm seemed to be planted by the python.”
“Inform me if the research yields results,” Kui Xin instructed.
The wristband’s time jumped to 01:32, early morning.
Kui Xin crawled into bed and closed her eyes, sorting through the day’s accomplishments.
Her interview had been successful, she had completed the training, shared meals with her teammates, and defeated the python.
As she lay in bed, a feeling of relief surged, knowing she had eliminated an adversary who tried to kill her.
Although the identity behind the python remained unknown, it was a good start.
At least tonight, she could have a good sleep, and leave the rest to consider when she woke.
…
It was seven o’clock the next morning.
Kui Xin opened the window to air out the bedroom.
Bearing a marine city’s characteristic salty sea smell in the air was something Kui Xin was not used to. She was originally a native inland inhabitant and had never seen the sea before the crossover to the Second World.
Today was a clear sunny day, sunlight shining over the city known as Black Sea City. The gloom fading, Kui Xin felt her mood brighten slightly.
“I detest sunny days; I detest the sun itself,” Silverface lamented.
Kui Xin ate a bowl of oatmeal with milk for breakfast, her communicator buzzing vibrantly just as she placed cereal in her mouth.
Augus had sent his daily schedule ahead of time.
Since Team Seven was relocated to the harbor patrol, she wouldn’t need to rush the trams for work at the investigation building today; she would only need to report to the coastal security team at the port. Augus kindly marked out the locations of the office and the suggested best route from Kui Xin’s home.
The email ended with a friendly note: It’s going to be sunny, with a temperature of 38 degrees. Outdoor patrols can cause sunburn. Recommended to apply sunscreen.
“I don’t think there’s any sunscreen at home…” Kui Xin murmured to herself.
“Sunscreen? I’ve got some,” Silverface interjected, lifting his face from the cereal bowl, “I have tons of sunscreen.”
He drew out a tube from his clothes pocket and handed it to Kui Xin, “You can use this.”
“Thanks,” Kui Xin replied oddly.
“My skin lacks melanin; I can’t protect myself from ultraviolet rays, so I have to cover up,” Silverface grumbled, “Every operation requires protective clothing, which is cumbersome. And some sunscreens offer poor waterproofing, while those with good waterproofing aren’t cheap. I prefer night operations; at least there isn’t the daylight.”
No wonder he detested sunny and warm weather; it wasn’t kind to someone with such condition as albino skin.
After breakfast, Kui Xin applied sunscreen to her face and arms. Silverface did the same, being extra thorough—he treated every nook, including her neck, behind her ears, and around her ankles. Once done, he carefully put on his mask and pulled up his long-sleeved jacket, ensuring his scalp was also protected.
“I’m set, can we go now? Any particular instructions?” Silverface prepared.
“Follow your original assignment; scan Port Number Five to gather data and send it to the headquarters for analysis of the support pillars’ placement.” Kui Xin instructed, “Thorn Rose needs to recuperate, you’re up for the workload.”
Silverface replied uncomplainingly, “Alright, I got it.”
Port Number Five was a floating seaport with a significant portion of its buildings afloat. These sections were supported by pillars and kept anchored.
Given the convenience provided by Silverface’s extraordinary ability for scanning, efficiency would significantly improve.
Kui Xin left for the harbor.
The coastline security office was close to her home—only a 20-minute walk. Morning temperatures were not high, and walking could serve as a leisurely stroll.
Though modest compared to the Investigation Building, the security office, a three-story structure, was encircled by surveillance cameras and steel fences.
When Kui Xin approached, the surveillance camera faced her and verified her identity.
“Greetings, Security Officer Kui Xin. Welcome to the Coast Security Office. We wish you an enjoyable time here,” Augus’s voice appropriately resonated.
Initially, Augus referred to her as a trainee officer; now that she was inducted, his address changed accordingly.
The steel gate slid open to her entrance.
Upon entering, Kui Xin noted that the environment was less opulent than the Investigation Building. There was no specialized vehicle parking for police; cars were simply parked on the ground. Despite large training spaces, they were outdoors.
Entering the first floor, Augus added, “First, register at the patrol office on the third floor. Your captain will assign specific patrol tasks.”
As Kui Xin stepped into the third-floor office, Xueyao Shu, Jiang Ming, and Liu Kangyun were already seated inside.
“Good morning,” Kui Xin greeted.
“Close to home is convenient. I recall you live nearby?” Jiang Ming remarked. “Lan Lan lives in the city center, it’s far from here. Let’s hope she won’t be late.”
Hardly had Jiang Ming spoken when Lan Lan arrived in a rush, drenched in sweat: “Phew…The nearest station to here is Peaceful Street, requiring a walk of several minutes. I ran here.”
“Because the port area is poor, and suspended trams are not fully covered,” Kui Xin shrugged.
“Try coming a bit earlier next time, Lan Lan,” Xueyao Shu advised, “Originally, we were concerned about Peaceful Street’s safety and considered applying for dormitory lodging for Kui Xin, but we moved here instead. Living in Peaceful Street is now more convenient.”
“We’ll request dormitory once we return to headquarters,” Kui Xin said.
Residing in the staff dormitory would limit her from contact with the mechanical dawn members or frequent outings, whereas Peaceful Street offered better options. Her combat skills were high, and the place held no danger.
Coastal patrols rotated among different squads, usually a one-month rotation. Hence, after a month’s patrol, the seventh squad would return to the headquarters.
“Oh, have they caught the scumbag who gave you a lump on your head back then?” Liu Kangyun said.
“No, we don’t even know who he is,” answered Xueyao Shu, looking at Kui Xin, “Injured heavily on the head, Kui Xin has no memory from then.”
Kui Xin lied without turning a muscle, “Yeah, I can’t remember anything… But if I knew who he was, I’d make sure he paid the price.”
The former Security Officer Kui Xin, who was actually a sleeper agent of the Mechanized Dawn, experienced an accident during her time at the harbor in the port area. The port had suddenly erupted into a firefight, with bomb explosions and gunfire filling the air. There was chaos, and the Investigation Bureau sent more personnel to apprehend the instigators, with ‘Security Officer Kui Xin’ accompanying several teams to provide reinforcements. Unfortunately, she became a casualty.
“Our coastal patrol is split into sea and land patrols,” Xueyao Shu explained. “Sea patrol focuses on checking ship activities, detecting smuggling and illegal immigration, while land patrol ensures harbor security. The sea patrol is currently handled by the sixth and fifth squads, whereas the other patrol teams take care of land duties.”
“Everyone must be cautious,” Xueyao said. “Fresh incidents occurred last night in the vicinity of the port—a person was murdered. One side used heavy firepower weaponry and left about a hundred cartridge cases at the scene. Tissue fragments and blood splatters were scattered several meters away, but no body was found. Someone likely reclaimed the remains, suggesting this was likely a well-organized, premeditated murder, involving multiple parties.”
“Lan Lan, did they identify the victim?” asked Jiang Ming.
“His identity is unknown. He is a undocumented person, with no online records. Considered a ‘ghost’ in society,” said Xueyao Shu casually. “This is beyond our concern. The criminal investigation team will handle it. Group Leader Jiang personally visited the scene last night.”
Kui Xin’s brow furrowed.
“Group Leader Jiang actually came to the crime scene?” Jiang Ming was surprised.
Liu Kangyun chimed in, “Yes, given the massive ruckus last night and the use of heavy firearms and explosives… These are not ordinary forces capable of handling such equipment.”
“The higher-ups ordered the port to resume normal operations by August 5th. Our primary task is patroling, ensuring no unforeseen accidents occur while the port repairs. Every patrol requires carrying firearms and extra ammunition… It’s a critical period, a dangerous spot,” explained Xueyao.