Chapter 133 Artificial Soul 60
One thing that must be determined is that Schalit cannot be captured by Mechanized Dawn.
Kui Xin expressionlessly turned off the wristband after reviewing the mission file.
If Schalit is captured, who knows what Mechanized Dawn will extract from her during interrogation. The original body belongs to the Resistance Army, and Schalit is also part of the Resistance—if she is caught, Kui Xin’s identity will be further exposed.
In summary—Schalit can die or escape, but she absolutely cannot be captured.
She sat on the bed in the apartment and contacted Red: “I’ve finished reviewing the files.”
Red: “Annie Schalit is from the TQC, her ability is B-Rank Illusion Sound, which is very troublesome. The medium for her ability is her voice. We can use noise-canceling equipment to take action; if we can’t hear her voice, her ability won’t affect us.”
Mechanized Dawn does not know Schalit has concealed her ability level but is aware of the specific characteristics of her ability… This intelligence was certainly provided by Eve.
Kui Xin calmly replied, “Understood.”
“Have you heard any news from the Investigation Bureau? How long will Schalit stay there?”
The mission file did not include this information. Red had only received Annie Schalit’s profile and the requirements of the mission, and since Schalit’s stay at the Black Sea City branch of the Investigation Bureau was a temporary arrangement, Eve marked her duration of stay as uncertain.
They should act sooner rather than later; otherwise, Schalit would leave Black Sea City.
Kui Xin said, “I’m not sure. What I’ve heard is that she’s going to conduct interviews to select security officers from the Investigation Bureau for transfer to the TQC. I estimate this interview will last at least two days, during which she will remain in Black Sea City.”
“So we need to act within two days,” Red said. “Fortunately, the enemy is a B-Rank.”
Kui Xin had a new idea.
Could she use Schalit to take down the entire branch of Mechanized Dawn?
With A-Rank Hypnotic Sound, even if she can’t fully control Awakens of the same level, she could at least disorient them for a few seconds, right? Moreover, Schalit is not alone; her public identity is a TQC officer, and the Investigation Bureau will protect her, with TQC colleagues by her side.
The challenge lies in how to provoke both sides into fighting and simultaneously extract Kui Xin without being caught.
However, Annie Schalit’s presence has already been exposed to Mechanized Dawn’s sight.
If Mechanized Dawn fails this time, will they devise another mission plan and then move against Schalit? At that time, she would still be captured, and Kui Xin’s intelligence would still be at risk of leaking.
Eve is not a merciful AI; it is autocratic and prefers to keep risks at a minimum. It is already surprising that Eve has let Kui Xin go; only Kui Xin knows what kind of mindset she had while negotiating with Eve. She could only gamble, betting on that tiny chance of survival.
Now that Schalit, this uncertain factor, has appeared, Kui Xin’s identity once again faces a significant transformation. The unequal cooperative relationship between Kui Xin and Eve is precarious and could shatter even without external force, yet Schalit, this external factor, has conveniently shown up. Who can guarantee that Eve won’t suddenly have the idea that Kui Xin’s continued existence is a nuisance and simply eliminate her?
If Eve wants to kill Kui Xin, it won’t give her advance notice; a mere thought from Eve could cause a strong current to pierce Kui Xin’s brain.
“If Schalit doesn’t leave her residence, then we won’t have the opportunity to act against her,” Kui Xin said. “After the recent incidents, the Investigation Bureau will definitely become particularly vigilant.”
“That’s fine; we have Nightingale,” Red said. “We can conduct a raid operation. Do you have the capability to obtain the exact coordinates of Schalit’s residence? With the coordinates, it will be much easier. We can open a small spatial vortex to release odorless, colorless hypnotic gas into Schalit’s residence, and once she loses consciousness, we can rush in and take her away, absolutely covertly. If all goes well, we might not even alert the neighbors.”
Kui Xin said, “I’ll try to get the coordinates. I know which building she lives in, but I don’t know the exact room number.”
“Alright, please hurry,” Red said, sounding very confident in her.
“Besides intelligence, is there anything else you need me to cooperate with?” Kui Xin asked.
Red said, “Not for now. Including Silverface and Nightingale, we have enough combat personnel.”
This meant that Kui Xin wouldn’t need to participate in combat, which eased much of her pressure.
After ending the conversation, Kui Xin reclined on the bed, plunged into deep thought.
“What are you thinking about?” Augus asked at that moment.
“I’m thinking about how to complete the entire process of replacing bones, killing enemies, escaping, and faking my death within the limited time,” Kui Xin’s gaze turned vacant. “Perhaps before coming up with a solution, I should take a nap first.”
“A nap?”
“Schalit said she wanted to share the same dream with me today. I don’t think she was joking; she has no reason to say meaningless things to me—our relationship isn’t that close. That statement should be a mental suggestion; if I fall asleep, I will dream about the scenes she wants me to see.”
After saying that, Kui Xin went to the bathroom to wash up, then took sleeping pills and quietly lay back on the bed.
“Goodnight, Augus. I’m going to sleep now,” she closed her eyes.
“Goodnight.”
The room’s lights turned off automatically, and in the darkness, Kui Xin breathed evenly, quickly falling asleep due to the drug’s effects.
Kui Xin guessed correctly; Schalit’s statement was indeed a mental suggestion.
After falling into deep sleep, she opened her eyes in a dream, regaining consciousness.
She heard the distant church bells, the sound of doves flapping their wings, and sunlight shining on her shoes.
She looked up and found herself sitting on a bench in the church square.
At a glance, the bronze angel statue in the center of the square glistened with metallic sheen under the sunlight, while the bell tower stood silently in the distance, casting a large shadow.
Kui Xin stood up, and the pigeons around the bench were startled by her movement and flew away.
“A scene full of religious symbols…” Kui Xin murmured.
“The important thing is not religion, but spirit, belief,” Schalit unexpectedly appeared beside Kui Xin. She pulled out a woman’s cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and took a slow puff. “People need a spiritual pillar, they need belief. A world without belief is terrifying; they live like mindless zombies.”
Kui Xin turned to look at her, momentarily unsure how to respond.
Schalit winked at Kui Xin and asked, “What is your faith?”
“…Freedom,” Kui Xin cautiously answered with those two words.
“We all do,” Schalit exhaled a puff of smoke, her face obscured by it.
She stood for a moment, flicked away the ash, and suddenly frowned, saying to Kui Xin, “What’s wrong with you? Why didn’t you contact the organization immediately after killing the target?”
Kui Xin: What the hell? What target? Who does the Resistance want to kill?!
She hesitated for a moment, and Schalit keenly caught her hesitation.
Schalit dropped her cigarette, her sharp gaze sweeping Kui Xin from head to toe, and said, “How many brain-machine interrogations did Mechanized Dawn conduct on you?”
Kui Xin didn’t know how to answer; she put on a remembering face and said, “Conservatively estimated, two?”
“Has your memory gone wrong?” Schalit said, puzzled. “With the mental barrier implanted by ‘Angel’, how can this happen?”
“I…” Kui Xin opened her mouth, utterly unsure how to continue pretending, “I find it hard to understand what you are saying.”
Schalit glanced at Kui Xin. “Now, I’ll ask, and you answer. Let’s see what you still remember.”
“Alright,” Kui Xin said.
“Do you remember who the mission target was?” Schalit asked.
Kill the mission target… Who was the target?
Up to this point, Kui Xin had killed a few named individuals: the Python Sphere from Mechanized Dawn, Lin Xinji and He Gaoyi from the Investigation Bureau… the rest were just some minions. He Gaoyi was likely not the mission target since she had just killed him last night; the Resistance wouldn’t react that quickly. The suspicion against the Python Sphere could also be dismissed; he was just a small character and not worth mobilizing the Resistance for.
So the remaining answer could only be one.
“Lin Xinji,” Kui Xin said.
Schalit’s expression remained unchanged: “Why did you kill him? Do you remember the reason?”
“… His extraordinary abilities were too threatening,” Kui Xin assessed Schalit.
Schalit’s eyes showed no fluctuation: “Do you remember why you joined us?”
Kui Xin: How would I know why the original body joined you?!
She recalled the initial conversation with Schalit and provided an answer: “For… freedom.”
Schalit smiled: “You really are a dishonest little girl.”
Kui Xin froze; this was the first time a woman a few years younger than her had referred to her as “little girl.”
“Although you spoke without hesitation and your answers were all correct, that’s not what you remembered; that’s what you deduced,” Schalit said. “Alright, let me ask more clearly: Did you kill Lin Xinji?”
Kui Xin’s lips moved, “Yes.”
“Do you remember me?” Schalit asked.
“No,” Kui Xin replied.
“Well, it’s natural that you don’t remember me since we’ve never met. Sorry, this question was just a test.” Schalit then asked, “Do you remember… ‘Angel’ and ‘Ghost’?”
Kui Xin: “…What’s that? Codename?”
Schalit looked at Kui Xin helplessly, “It seems your situation is indeed serious. What should I do? I was sent to make contact with you, and you look completely out of it. How did you manage to navigate this situation?”
Kui Xin: “I’m confused too. Who are you? What do you want from me?”
“Alright… So it’s amnesia, not betrayal. That’s good.” Schalit took another puff from her cigarette and said softly, “You’re lucky. You happened to run into me at the convenience store tonight. If you hadn’t come to meet me according to the old routine, I would have concluded you betrayed the organization. After I report back, you would be purged as a traitor.”
Kui Xin was dumbfounded.
In the last reincarnation, she never connected with Schalit; Schalit just left directly. Could it be that in the last reincarnation, she had already been deemed a traitor by the Resistance? If she hadn’t died when picking up the metal skull, would the Resistance have sent someone to purge her as a traitor?
“Purge?” Kui Xin repeated.
“Yes,” Schalit said. “You’ve been out of contact for a long time; being gone for too long raised suspicions of betrayal.”
