Chapter 13: Sea Without Light 13
The parasitic hydra’s powerful tentacle suddenly straightened and then went limp. Its enormous translucent body resembled a melted jellyfish, covering Zejian’s corpse.
It was truly melting, transforming from a lump of octopus-jellyfish hybrid into a puddle of viscous gelatinous liquid.
The parasitic hydra could only survive for a short while after leaving its host; it was powerful yet fragile, possessing low intelligence. Zejian was the next host it had chosen, and when it failed to parasitize him, it lost its life as well.
Jiang Ming spoke intermittently on the communication channel; he hadn’t died after falling from the sky but was trapped in a police car.
Kui Xin saw Xueyao Shu and Liu Kangyun rushing towards the place where the police car had fallen, trying to rescue Jiang Ming, who was trapped inside. The bulletproof glass of the police car was shattered, and the door was askew. Xueyao Shu kicked open the door, and together with Liu Kangyun, they dragged Jiang Ming out.
Fortunately, the rain had kept the police car from burning too badly.
“Great job, Kui Xin!” Lan Lan praised her loudly as she patted her shoulder. “Let’s quickly pack our gear and go to rendezvous with the captain. The police car is damaged, but reinforcements are on the way. We…”
He suddenly went silent.
Because he saw Kui Xin’s hand holding the gun trembling slightly, having remained stiff in that position since she had fired.
“Are you okay, Kui Xin?” Lan Lan asked, concerned, as he supported her shoulder to help her stand.
“I… I’m fine.” Kui Xin struggled to tighten her grip on the K80, using the barrel to stake into the ground for support; her legs had gone numb from kneeling and aiming for too long.
This time, the feeling of killing was different from the last time when she had killed two robbers.
Last time, she had acted unconsciously; before she had even realized it, those two were dead, and she had been enveloped in a sense of unreality from beginning to end. This time was different; she had actively pulled the trigger, shooting that fatal bullet and watching it hit Zejian’s head.
Lan Lan said knowingly, “Don’t feel guilty, little Kui. Zejian brutally killed his wife and child before his capture; he deserved to pay for his life, but our laws…” He patted Kui Xin’s shoulder, seemingly trying to offer her courage and strength with that gesture. “He had it coming; you were ridding the world of harm. Moreover, the parasitic hydra was tangled up with him; he could not have survived anyway.”
This was the most important point, and Kui Xin could not help but care.
This Zejian was not the same as that “Zejian.”
The criminal Zejian had been replaced by the player Zejian; within the criminal’s shell resided an innocent soul. Zejian was not an NPC of the Second World; he was of Kui Xin’s kind.
Lan Lan’s words did not bring Kui Xin any comfort.
Silently, she shouldered the K80 and descended the signal tower’s ladder. “Let’s rendezvous with the captain.”
The mission was over; Zejian was dead, and the unforeseen crisis of the parasitic hydra had also been resolved. Once the reinforcements arrived, they could return to the Investigation Building.
Kui Xin removed her helmet, and the relentless rain soaked her through. She looked at the overcast sky and let out a muffled breath.
She was beginning to dislike rainy days; it was her third day in Hei Hai City, and it had rained for three consecutive days.
“What was up with that xenomorph?” Kui Xin asked Lan Lan.
“Eliminating them is the emergency team’s job; you’re still an intern security officer and shouldn’t know too much.” Lan Lan replied. “Once you become a full-time employee, you’ll learn more about xenomorphs. That day is not far off; you did well in this operation, and the captain will help you apply for a transfer to full-time status. Our Investigation Bureau’s main job is to maintain urban security; eliminating xenomorphs is not that frequent, as they are quite rare.”
Kui Xin said, “You said they shouldn’t appear within the city; they should be on the coast…”
“Yeah, the parasitic hydra can’t survive without water. I guess it’s because of the increased rain, causing seawater to backflow, giving the hydra an opportunity to come ashore.” Lan Lan frowned in thought.
Kui Xin decided to ask bluntly, “I’ve never heard of xenomorphs or how they originate.”
“I don’t know either.” Lan Lan shook his head. “It was an accident for you to encounter a xenomorph; you’re a newcomer, and you shouldn’t have to face these things. That thing’s visual impact is too intense… It really is gross, isn’t it?”
“Pretty gross.” Kui Xin felt a bit nauseous recalling the earlier scene of thrashing tentacles.
“Generally speaking, Augus will promptly track their traces, at which point the emergency team will step in. They will clean it up.” Lan Lan explained. “Sometimes the emergency team may not be deployed for a month; other times, they might go out several times in a week…”
“Do members of the emergency team face such dangers with every mission?” Kui Xin asked.
“Not every time.” Lan Lan clarified. “Members of the emergency team aren’t fixed; they form temporary teams by pulling members from other units whenever needed, like for me…”
“Alright, Lan Lan.” Xueyao Shu interrupted through the communication channel, “Wait until Kui Xin becomes a formal member before you start fulfilling your senior responsibilities by educating her, okay?”
“Sure! Sorry for saying too much; just pretend you forgot that, little Kui.” Lan Lan said with a smile, “Some things need to be kept confidential.”
“I understand.” Kui Xin replied.
Did this count as winning Lan Lan’s trust? Fighting alongside someone certainly helped friendship flourish.
“Our people are here.” Xueyao Shu said. “Get the police car over here; Jiang Ming needs treatment.”
Augus said, “Instructions have been communicated, Captain Shu.”
Jiang Ming was seriously injured; his right arm was fractured, and his thigh was burned. When he got into the vehicle, he was sweating from the pain. “I want to replace my arm with a mechanical one so I won’t have to worry about fractures in the future.”
“I think that’s a good idea.” Lan Lan leaned his head into the vehicle. “I heard little Kui replaced her head with a metal one; I’m envious. Ordinary bullets can’t penetrate it, right?”
“Then you should replace yours too? Doctor Huang’s surgeries are pretty good; my skull feels no different from the original.” Kui Xin shot him a glance.
Lan Lan replied, “I’ll switch to a composite version once I wear out the original.”
The police car ascended, and Kui Xin sat in the last row, the K80 resting horizontally on her lap, the cold and heavy texture of the gun palpable even through her bulletproof combat suit.
“How do you feel, Kui Xin?” the taciturn Liu Kangyun initiated conversation with her.
“Not so good.” Kui Xin answered honestly.
“Normal.” Liu Kangyun replied evenly, “I felt the same way my first time.”
“Not only that, you almost shot a teammate when you drew your weapon.” Jiang Ming interjected with a snicker, “Kui Xin is way stronger than you.”
Liu Kangyun’s face reddened, and he fell silent.
“Hey, stop criticizing him; it’s hard for old Liu to speak up.” Lan Lan added.
The members of the Seventh Squad felt less serious than during the mission, and the atmosphere relaxed. Kui Xin occasionally agreed with their conversation but spent most of her time lost in thought, hardly paying attention to what they were discussing.
The police car descended from the sky, and teammates began to disembark one after another, and she too brought down the K80.
Doctors and nurses holding stretchers waited on the helipad. Once Jiang Ming was helped out, they lifted him onto the stretcher.
“Get his injuries treated, and then go switch your gear,” Xueyao Shu said. “Go take a shower in the rest room; don’t get caught in the rain and catch a cold.”
Kui Xin followed the chattering Lan Lan to the equipment room, stripped off her gear, and changed into casual clothes, then followed him to the rest room.
Before entering the rest room, Lan Lan stopped, and Kui Xin almost bumped into his back as she failed to avoid him in time.
Lan Lan smiled and pointed to the doorplate, “This is the men’s rest room; the women’s rest room is next door. What were you thinking, getting so lost in thought?”
“Oh, I wasn’t paying attention.” Kui Xin turned and slipped into the adjacent room.
The rest room had a shower room and was fully equipped with various items. After taking a shower and drying her hair, Kui Xin collapsed onto the sofa.
“Intern security officer Kui Xin, team leader is waiting for you outside.” Augus announced.
Kui Xin sluggishly climbed off the sofa and went to open the rest room door.
“Captain, is there something?” Kui Xin asked.
“Yes, come with me.” Xueyao Shu turned around and led the way.
They moved forward, arriving in front of a metal door marked “Psychological Therapy Office.”
“Today is perfect since Director Yang is on duty; you can have a chat with him.” Xueyao Shu said gently.
Kui Xin wanted to refuse, “I don’t have any problems, Captain; I’m just a bit tired and need a rest.”
“When the body is fatigued, it can recover with adequate rest; when the mind is fatigued, you need to see a therapist.” Xueyao Shu said. “You’ve experienced a lot these past few days; your mental state is off, and you need psychological guidance. Go in; Director Yang is an excellent therapist.”
Kui Xin hesitated for a moment before approaching the door.
The metal door opened, and she walked in.
“Welcome.” The man in the office said gently, “You must be Kui Xin. I’m an old friend of your captain.”
His voice was low and melodious, reminiscent of the soothing tones of a cello.
Kui Xin noticed his name tag: “Yang Xingyun.”
“Hello, Director Yang.” Kui Xin said.
Yang Xingyun said, “Please, have a seat; don’t be so stiff. The psychological therapy room is a place for relaxation.”
Kui Xin complied and sat in the swivel chair opposite him.
The psychological therapy room indeed felt relaxing; the decor was entirely different from other rooms. The floor was made of wood, and the walls were adorned with warm-colored wallpaper. Two walls were constructed as bookshelves, filled with various paper books arranged neatly. Even the lighting had a warm yellow tone, unlike the cold blue lights in the corridor.
“Would you prefer tea or the carbonated drinks that young people like? We have a wide variety of beverages here, and if we lack anything, we can have it brought in.” Yang Xingyun smiled.
Behind him, the open tea cabinet held a dozen different types of tea in glass containers, including colorful flower teas and both green and black teas.
“Tea, any type will do.” Kui Xin replied.
Yang Xingyun pressed the water boiling button. “Then let me brew you a cup of goji berry and red date tea; I drink this every day.”
Kui Xin: “…?”
Has this Director Yang started practicing health preservation at such a young age?
Yang Xingyun skillfully brewed a cup of goji berry and red date tea and added a piece of rock sugar to the ceramic cup. He slid the cup over to her and asked, “Do you like the decor of my office?”
“Yes, it’s different from other places.” Kui Xin took a sip of the tea.
“I dislike metallic colors; they are too cold and can feel oppressive if you look at them for too long.” Yang Xingyun said. “In this society, the number of people suffering from mental illnesses is increasing, not just due to the pressure of survival but also because of the living environment. Metals and machinery evoke thoughts of efficiency, rationality, and rigidity; people are always surrounded by metal and machinery, making it hard to relax. So, I changed the style of the psychological therapy room to be warmer and more ’emotional.'”
“This place is great.” Kui Xin said. “Won’t we start psychological guidance right away?”
“This is psychological guidance; we are here to chat, to talk about everyday matters and relieve worries.” Yang Xingyun said. “The work in the Investigation Bureau is quite tough, isn’t it?”
“It’s alright; I’m still new, and the captain and others take good care of me.” Kui Xin said dryly.
“You can confide your worries to me.” Yang Xingyun encouraged. “Kui Xin, anyone who can enter the field team is not a passive person; when you see a problem, you must actively seek to solve it instead of becoming passive.”
Kui Xin was taken aback.
“I do have a worry.” She looked down, sipping her tea before placing the cup down. “I used to think of myself as an active person; I worked hard to study, to go to university, to earn money… But lately, I’ve become very passive.”
“Passivity often arises from not having a clear goal.” Yang Xingyun remarked. “What is your goal? Have you thought it through?”
Kui Xin said hesitantly, “To become a wealthy person?”
Yang Xingyun chuckled slightly, “See, you’re not even sure of your goal. A goal should empower you, filling your heart with motivation as soon as you mention it. Your tone should be affirmative and resolute, not hesitant.”
Kui Xin frowned.
“Establishing a goal is indeed challenging; I understand. I went through a long period of confusion during university before finally figuring out what I wanted.” Yang Xingyun reassured. “You can take your time thinking about it.”
“Okay.” Kui Xin nodded.
“Let’s focus on solving the immediate issue first.” Yang Xingyun said. “I heard from your captain that you are not adapting well to killing.”
Kui Xin softly responded with a “hm”.
“Can you tell me about your feelings?” Yang Xingyun prompted.
“The feeling of harming a xenomorph and harming a person is different; do you understand this feeling, Director Yang?” Kui Xin explained.
“The xenomorphs are unlike us, so you could pull the trigger without guilt, but when facing humans, it’s hard for you to shoot rationally, isn’t it?” Yang Xingyun asked.
Kui Xin faced his question without nodding or shaking her head.
In Kui Xin’s perspective, she and Zejian were of the same kind, as were Xi Liang and herself. In the Second World, aside from players, everyone else was, in her eyes, a different kind.
Kui Xin said, “I killed one of my kind; even though I know I did nothing wrong, it still weighs on my mind.”
“The empathy inherent in humanity is what leads to such feelings; as a security officer, you are bound to deal with these emotions and struggle against them.” Yang Xingyun stated. “Now let’s make a hypothesis, Kui Xin.”
“If during your mission there had not been any xenomorphs, and the threat of the parasitic hydra had not existed, how would you have treated Zejian?”
Without any hesitation, Kui Xin said, “If he picked up a weapon, I would have blown off the hand holding it; if he continued to resist, I’d aim for the other hand, and if he lost that, then his legs, until he lost the ability to resist. At that point, the captain would be able to capture him.”
Yang Xingyun noted, “You never considered the option of directly killing him; you only wanted him to lose the ability to resist, right?”
Kui Xin nodded.
“You are a kind person, Kui Xin.” Yang Xingyun said.
If Zejian resisted, Augus would determine he posed a threat, and Kui Xin’s teammates would shoot him dead without hesitation. Only by rendering Zejian completely incapable of resisting could he preserve a chance at life. He couldn’t resist, couldn’t flee, and struggling would be meaningless.
If limbs were lost, they could be replaced with mechanical ones, and perhaps the mechanical ones would even work better than the originals.
But a lost life was truly lost.
“This hypothesis no longer holds significance; he is dead.” Kui Xin said.
“You will face many situations like this in the future; you…”
Yang Xingyun had not finished speaking when Kui Xin said, “I am trying my best to control my empathy. This situation will indeed arise often in the future, and I am already overcoming it.”
“You are also a strong person, Kui Xin.” Yang Xingyun said gently.
