Chapter 22: Sea Without Light 22
Time flies, and some people are racing against it.
It was a night without rain or wind, dry and clear, with high visibility. Long-range sniping can easily be affected by external conditions, as sometimes a gust of wind or a rain shower can cause the shot to go awry. The weather tonight was suitable for sniping, which was the main reason Kui Xin chose this method of assassination.
On the way back home to meet Silverface, Red sent Kui Xin a dossier detailing all members of the Port Number Five demolition task force. Kui Xin focused on the information about Thorn Rose and Python Sphere, understanding their extraordinary abilities, which gave her a rough idea.
22:27
Kui Xin returned home. Silverface was out fetching equipment from the armory.
22:28
Kui Xin communicated with Thorn Rose to confirm tonight’s course of action and the predetermined assassination location.
Thorn Rose activated her personal tracker and connected her listening device to Kui Xin’s communicator, allowing Kui Xin to confirm her position in real time, ensuring that when she and Python Sphere met up, Kui Xin could overhear their conversation.
22:41
Kui Xin communicated with Red, requesting that the external squad be dispatched to seal off the route, in case the assassination failed under extreme circumstances and Python Sphere escaped.
“Yeah, I was thinking the same. I trust your sniping skills, but we still need a contingency plan,” Red said. “I’ll remotely command the external squad while you focus on shooting.”
22:50
Silverface returned with the equipment.
Kui Xin and Silverface checked the weapons and got geared up, while Silverface finished the roast lamb that Kui Xin had brought home.
23:00
Kui Xin and Silverface set off for the predetermined assassination location.
23:01
After finishing his deal, Python Sphere came out of the casino and communicated with Thorn Rose.
“Boss, are you done with your beauty treatment? Oh, you are done!” Python Sphere said, nodding and bowing into the communicator. “Hehe, I just finished my late-night snack. I’ll be heading to meet you.”
“You didn’t take the opportunity to go to the casino, did you? This is not the time to gamble after finishing a mission,” Thorn Rose said sternly.
Python Sphere hurriedly replied, “Of course not! I was just having a late-night snack. You know I need to be full of energy to work!”
“You better be.”
Thorn Rose hung up and immediately messaged Kui Xin: “Deputy Commander, he’s on his way. We expect to meet at Conch Street in fifteen minutes, then move to Port Number Five.”
Kui Xin replied: “Received.”
23:16
Thorn Rose and Python Sphere met at the scheduled time.
Python Sphere ingratiated himself with Thorn Rose, “Boss, your new manicure looks beautiful!”
“Stop buttering me up, let’s go,” Thorn Rose said.
23:17
Kui Xin and Silverface arrived at the assassination location—the abandoned lighthouse at the old dock.
When the port docks of Hei Hai City hadn’t been expanded yet, the lighthouse guided the incoming and outgoing cargo ships and fishing boats back to port. Later, the docks underwent extensive renovations, expanding into a large harbor, and the floating port was established in the sea.
People built taller and brighter lighthouses on the floating port, while the small lighthouse that had roots on land was abandoned.
23:23
Kui Xin climbed to the top of the tower and expressionlessly assembled the K80 from the box on her back. She loaded the bullets one by one, set up the stand, and attached the silencer.
She breathed on the scope, wiped it clean, confirmed it was clear enough, and then looked through the scope, trying to aim down the street to observe if there were any suspicious individuals.
Silverface asked boredly, “They haven’t arrived yet; who are you aiming at?”
“Shut up and don’t make a sound,” Kui Xin said coldly.
Silverface fell silent.
23:24
Red’s voice came through Kui Xin’s earpiece: “The external squad is in position, and the street is sealed off. He can’t escape.”
Kui Xin responded: “Received.”
She moved her eyes away from the scope and looked down at the projection on her wristband. The map projected green dots representing their squad, surrounding the street in a pocket shape. Python Sphere was like a wild boar; they had set a net in the boar’s path, waiting for it to appear so they could ensnare their prey when it showed up.
23:26
The listening device on Thorn Rose transmitted her voice to Kui Xin’s ears.
Python Sphere: “Boss, I overate tonight and need to take a dump.”
Thorn Rose: “Why are you so fussy?”
Python Sphere: “I can’t help it when nature calls…”
Thorn Rose: “Hurry up! If this delays the mission, you’ll be in trouble!”
Python Sphere ran into a public restroom in a hurry.
23:32
Silverface said, “Why choose this moment to take a dump? Why isn’t he out yet? I’m getting anxious.”
23:32
Inside the restroom stall, Python Sphere mentally prepared himself and simulated the scene.
He held a glass tube containing an invisible line worm, mumbling to himself: “I’ll casually pat her shoulder while placing the worm discreetly; she won’t notice… No, we’ve never done something so intimate; the closest contact we’ve had was her slapping me… Damn it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get—she slapped me!”
“Fake that there’s something in her hair and help her get it out, then put the worm in her hair? That seems a bit deliberate… How about I fall a few steps behind her and quietly place the worm on her while she’s walking ahead? That seems feasible.”
Python Sphere tried to take a deep breath to calm himself but remembered that this was the restroom, and the public toilets in the Harbor Zone were notoriously filthy. Breathing deeply here might make him puke.
He slapped his face to wake himself up and then left the stall to wash his face.
Usually, he wore gloves, which made it difficult for the invisible worms to get in. Today, he would first open the glass tube in his pocket, quietly hold the worm, and place it onto Thorn Rose’s hair.
There are no nerve endings in hair, so she wouldn’t notice the worm falling on her. Once it burrowed in, Thorn Rose wouldn’t be able to keep tabs on him all the time.
Python Sphere put the glass tube into his pocket, composed himself, and left the restroom.
Thorn Rose looked impatient, glancing at her watch: “We should be nearing our destination by now.”
“Then let’s get going,” Python Sphere said nervously.
Thorn Rose turned and started walking, while Python Sphere fell two steps behind, watching her back for an opportunity to act.
23:34
Red said, “The target is on the move again.”
“Received.” Kui Xin focused intently.
Kui Xin’s new mask also had night vision capabilities, but she still carried a spare night vision goggle. With the night vision mode and the scope’s assistance, everything happening on the dock and street was under her watch.
Tonight the dock was eerily quiet due to a series of explosions, and Port Number Five had temporarily ceased operations. During the day, workers and construction machinery came and went to repair the dock, but at night, it was deserted.
The lighthouse had lost its brilliance, standing as a silent guardian of the dock.
A dark gun barrel extended from the window at the top of the lighthouse; under the cover of night, no one noticed the person hiding within.
23:36
Python Sphere, observing that Thorn Rose ahead showed no intention of turning back, discreetly twisted open the glass tube with two fingers.
He hurried his footsteps, catching up to Thorn Rose and swiftly placing the worm on her head.
However, he underestimated Thorn Rose.
She sensed the movement of the air and reflexively dodged, her right hand instinctively brushing against her head.
Had Thorn Rose been unaware of Python Sphere’s betrayal, her reaction wouldn’t have been so swift. But she knew he was a traitor, and her wariness towards him had grown; she no longer trusted him as before and was vigilant against his small movements.
Thorn Rose turned to stare at Python Sphere, stepping back to distance herself from him, her expression and demeanor entirely changed, suddenly cold and deadly.
In an instant, Thorn Rose felt a slight itch on her hand where she brushed her hair. She focused her gaze and saw a small red line worm drilling into her flesh, nearly all the way inside, save for its tail.
Her expression hardened, and she reached out to yank the worm out, but the invisible line worm was too fast—it fully burrowed into her flesh before her hand could touch it.
In that moment, having executed numerous missions and faced life-and-death situations, Thorn Rose showed no hesitation.
She drew a dagger from her waist with her left hand and swiftly severed her right hand.
With a swift motion, blood gushed forth, staining the beautifully manicured severed hand as it fell to the ground, creating a pool of crimson.
“Python Sphere…” Thorn Rose’s eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
Python Sphere took a step back, his mind whirling.
“Traitor!” Thorn Rose sneered. “Thought you could outsmart me? You’re still too green. You made me lose my manicure… I’ll slaughter you!”
At this point, there was no need to hide anymore. Python Sphere had attacked her, and she discovered his actions. She knew he was a traitor, and he also realized that Thorn Rose was wary of him.
The facade of peace between them had shattered.
Once the facade of peace was broken, there was nothing left but to continue tearing off the mask.
The dagger in Thorn Rose’s tightly clenched left hand glowed with a molten orange light, the temperature of the blade rising, causing the air near it to subtly distort.
She pressed the dagger against the severed wrist of her right arm, sizzling sounds emerged, and smoke wafted up as she used the red-hot blade to cauterize the wound.
Python Sphere, realizing he was exposed, wanted to run at the first instance.
Thorn Rose knew he was a traitor! How did she find out?! When did she know?!
Did she report his betrayal to Red or the headquarters? Was anyone… lying in wait for him?
Fear gripped Python Sphere’s mind, and he instantly activated his extraordinary ability, causing a thin layer of blood-like flame to engulf his body. His muscles bulged nearly double in size as he turned and ran, his steps chaotic.
Thorn Rose reached for her belt but found nothing; being right-handed, her loss of the right hand left her unaccustomed. She had no other hand to grasp a weapon.
“Ha.” Thorn Rose’s face was pale, her expression sarcastic.
She watched Python Sphere’s retreating figure, dropped the searing dagger, and pulled out a slender whip from her waist. The whip was woven from resilient metal wires, suitable for heat conduction.
With a flick of her whip, she ensnared Python Sphere’s feet, tripping him to the ground. The tough metal whip held even a muscular man like Python Sphere firmly, preventing him from breaking free.
“Deputy Commander, unexpected situation, my right hand is severed,” Thorn Rose said, cold sweat beading on her forehead from the pain. She spoke quickly, “That guy Python Sphere tried to attack me. The plan has deviated; he isn’t within range or the encirclement…”
“I’m already aware. Wait for me for three minutes,” Kui Xin said.
“Okay. I can hold out for three minutes,” Thorn Rose said.
Without a moment’s delay, Kui Xin spoke, “Red, reposition the external squad.”
Red replied, “Already adjusting. That boar Python Sphere really knows how to cause trouble for me.”
Kui Xin grabbed Silverface’s hand, climbed out of the lighthouse window, and descended rapidly to the ground via the rope, sprinting forward.
From the listening device, Kui Xin sensed something was wrong; after thinking for less than a second, she decided to abandon the long-range sniping and engage in close combat.
The K80 was indeed too heavy, equivalent to carrying a weight that consumed a lot of stamina.
Thorn Rose held the iron whip, gradually tinged with a molten orange hue from the handle to the whip’s end, similar to the color of molten steel right after being cast, indicating the metal had reached its peak temperature.
Python Sphere let out a piercing scream as the iron whip constricted around his legs, causing them to smoke. He gritted his teeth against the pain, turning to tug at the iron whip. Yet even in his enhanced state, he couldn’t budge this high-tech, high-strength material. He could only reach out to untangle it, but the contact burned his hands and legs into a bloody mess.
As Kui Xin ran, she listened to the commotion from Thorn Rose’s side through the earpiece.
Thorn Rose was injured, which significantly affected her combat power.
Thorn Rose was a B-level Awakened, her extraordinary ability being “Blazing Blade,” which could impart incredibly high temperatures to metals, making her weapon strikes as effortless as cutting butter with a hot knife.
Python Sphere’s extraordinary ability was “Burning Blood,” which allowed him to enhance his combat power by burning his own blood—a power that inflicted damage on himself while harming the enemy. Although it was only a C-level ability, it could rival B-level Awakened in a short burst. His bulging muscles had been tested; bullets from ordinary handguns would be lodged in his strong muscles without inflicting substantial harm.
Unless he used a gun like the K80, which could pierce through Python Sphere’s flesh.
While running, Kui Xin noticed two motorbike thugs loitering by the roadside. She paused for a moment, turned, and ran over, knocking them both down with a punch.
“Can you ride a motorbike?” Kui Xin asked. “You ride, I’ll aim; stay steady.”
“I can,” Silverface replied, swinging a leg over the bike and grabbing the handlebars.
Kui Xin adjusted her position behind him, and as Silverface revved the bike, they shot off like arrows.
“Damn bitch!” Python Sphere’s eyes reddened as he turned back to pounce on Thorn Rose.
Thorn Rose did not engage him directly; she knew she couldn’t match Python Sphere’s strength and was injured. She wielded the iron whip to entangle and dance around him.
She dodged Python Sphere’s attacks skillfully, striking him with the whip, leaving fiery welts on his body. She struck him several times without him even brushing against her clothes.
He reached for his gun, but as soon as he touched it, Thorn Rose’s whip knocked it out of his hands.
Python Sphere felt a desire to retreat, but as he attempted to flee, the agile whip coiled around his limbs, forcing him to stay in the fight. Once, he nearly got it around his neck.
In his burning blood state, Python Sphere hadn’t sustained significant injury, but the iron whip hurt like hell, scorching his clothes black and filling the air with the smell of burning flesh.
Resolutely, he seized the opportunity when Thorn Rose’s whip lashed out again, grabbing the iron whip hot like a branding iron with his hand, trying to pull her over and eliminate her directly.
At that moment, he faintly heard the roar of a motorbike.
Along with the roaring came the sound of bullets firing from a silencer.
“Puff—”
He was hit with a bloody hole in his chest.
Python Sphere loosened his grip on the iron whip, and the blood flames burning on his body seemed to extinguish.
23:39
Kui Xin and Silverface arrived at the battlefield!
Silverface drove the bike straight ahead, allowing Kui Xin to maintain a stable shooting position.
Kui Xin pulled the trigger again; the silencer emitted a low sound, and bullets flew out in succession, each hitting Python Sphere. The powerful impact caused his body to stagger.
Ten shots unloaded, and the rope from Silverface entangled Kui Xin as they both rolled off the bike.
The moving bike, propelled by inertia, slammed into Python Sphere, creating a deafening crash as it turned into a ball of fire.
Python Sphere’s robust body collapsed suddenly, engulfed in flames, and he lay still.
“Deputy Commander.” Thorn Rose smiled at Kui Xin.
Only then did she have the opportunity to take out a healing syringe from her belt and inject herself.
“Mission accomplished! Just a bit noisy.” Silverface said casually.
Kui Xin walked toward Thorn Rose, but at that moment, her temple throbbed suddenly.
Her gaze darted to the blazing motorcycle, beneath which lay Python Sphere’s corpse.
Python Sphere’s charred toes twitched slightly. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and hurled the motorcycle at Kui Xin.
“I intended to prepare before using it…” Python Sphere spat out the vial containing divine blood, standing up from the sea of flames, his eyes scarlet as if stained with blood.
