Chapter 6 Sea Without Light 06
Kui Xin remained calm and quickly said, “I’m a broke loser, in debt for three hundred thousand. What valuable possessions do you think I have?”
The two robbers were silent.
“If you want to rob someone, go to the wealthy district. How could you find a fat sheep in a rundown place like Peaceful Street?” Kui Xin earnestly advised, “Take my advice, there’s no future in robbing here. If you target the rich, it’s different. You won’t make a profit for three years, but once you do, it’ll last for three years!”
The robber on the left hesitated, “But the wealthy district is full of surveillance…”
The robber on the right warned his partner, “This person is trying to trick us! Don’t fall for it!”
“Why would I deceive you?” Kui Xin dropped her umbrella and spread her hands, “I’m empty-handed, both pockets are empty, and I live in a house with leaking walls. What benefit would there be to robbing me?”
“Wait!” The robber on the right’s eyes lit up as he looked at the silver wristband on Kui Xin’s arm, “What do you have on your wrist?”
“Oh, this? If you want it, I’ll give it to you,” Kui Xin said as she extended her hand.
The robber on the right remained still, but the robber on the left could not help but step forward.
At the moment the robber reached Kui Xin, her outstretched hand quickly turned into a fist and she punched him hard in the temple.
“Crack—”
The bones in the robber’s temple shattered with a sound, his face twisted, and he collapsed straight to the ground.
Kui Xin: “…What the hell!”
Even she was stunned by the power of that punch.
She initially intended to disorient him and then run away.
It dawned on her that her physical abilities were unlike before. Previously, when she had fought with hooligans on her way home from school, the hooligans would come out with bruises, while her knuckles would be swollen and injured for two weeks, making it hard to hold a pen.
While she had aimed for his vulnerable temple, the effect was astonishing! A human skull felt as fragile as paper under her fist; she could feel the collision of the robber’s bones against her fingers and then the shattering.
The remaining robber roared in anger and charged at Kui Xin with a small knife raised.
Just before the sharp knife pierced her abdomen, Kui Xin instinctively dodged to the side.
The robber’s movements seemed to slow down in her eyes; her body reacted before her brain could process the situation.
With a quick motion, Kui Xin grabbed the robber’s knife.
The small blade shimmered silver as it danced at her fingertips, and in one smooth motion, she thrust it back into the robber’s body, precisely aiming the tip through the gaps of the ribs into his heart.
She even let go of the knife handle in time, taking a step back calmly to avoid the splattering blood.
All the actions flowed like water, everything happened in less than five seconds. Before Kui Xin could contemplate a strategy, her body acted independently… and killed him.
Ku Xin’s expression went blank as she stood bewildered at the alley entrance, her clothes soaked by the rain, her opened black umbrella trembling on the ground, while two bodies lay at her feet.
She crouched down to check the two men’s breathing, then shook her head as she stood up.
They had stopped breathing; they were already dead. The blood pooling from their bodies stained the water on the ground a deep red.
“What… is happening?” Her chest heaved, her heart racing wildly.
The game system’s interface appeared.
“You have unlocked the inherent talent [Combat Instinct].”
“[Combat Instinct]: Wild beasts possess a hunting instinct, which, when honed, can be expressed more perfectly. This is muscle memory formed through rigorous training, a neural reflex developed from countless strict drills. Even in extreme situations like confusion or fatigue, you can still fight instinctively.”
Kui Xin let out a sharp intake of breath.
This wasn’t a talent she personally possessed; it was an inherent talent of this body. She was a core member of the Resistance Army, a pawn entrusted with significant responsibilities. She was supposed to have a sharp mind, keen intuition, and excellent combat skills.
These combat skills had become instincts embedded in this body, leading her to react with extreme measures when faced with an enemy.
At that moment, a loud clang echoed from the end of the alley.
A young man in a hoodie returned, his face filled with terror as he gaped at the bodies on the ground. He dropped the metal baseball bat he had grabbed, seemingly frightened.
“Good Samaritan,” Kui Xin wiped the rain from her face and forced a stiff smile, “Can you help me call the police? I’m innocent; you heard them—they tried to rob me.”
“Y-Yeah, sure.” The young man stammered, clumsily took out his communicator, and fumbled several times before dialing the number correctly.
The call connected, and a sweet voice from the operator said, “Hello, this is the city security hotline. How can I assist you?”
“Robbery, the address is…” The young man paused and looked at Kui Xin for help, “Where are we?”
“Harbor Zone, Peaceful Street, roughly in the middle section,” Kui Xin said.
After the young man relayed the address, he muttered, “Should I call for an ambulance too…”
“No need; they’re already dead,” Kui Xin said.
The young man’s expression turned even more terrified as he stuttered, “Y-You did this?”
“Self-defense,” Kui Xin replied without looking at the bodies on the ground, succinctly stating, “Can you be my witness? Prove that they intended to rob me with knives. It seems there are no cameras nearby; you’re the only witness.”
The young man hesitated for less than a second before nodding, “Okay, if you need me.”
Kui Xin sighed in relief, picked up the black umbrella from the ground, shook off the rainwater, and walked toward the young man.
The young man instinctively stepped back in fear.
Kui Xin said, “You didn’t bring an umbrella; the security officers might take a while to arrive. We can share an umbrella.”
“My name is Kui Xin, a student at Black Sea Academy.”
“Xi Liang.” The young man relaxed his guard upon hearing that Kui Xin was a student, “I’m also from Black Sea Academy. What’s your major?”
Kui Xin replied, “I study criminal investigation.”
“Criminal investigation? No wonder you’re so capable,” Xi Liang muttered.
“Thank you for your help tonight.” Kui Xin tilted the umbrella slightly toward him.
Xi Liang chuckled awkwardly, “No problem, just doing a good deed… although it seems you didn’t really need my help. My parents have a convenience store just ahead. I was startled when I heard the robbery and ran back to get this bat. I might have to go give my statement later, so I’ll go inform my parents I’m okay. Wait for me here.”
Kui Xin nodded slowly as she watched Xi Liang dash into the rain and disappear around the street corner.
She thoughtfully opened her wristband and searched for the keyword “Lei Feng” online.
Search results returned—”0.”
The Second World had no record of Lei Feng’s good deeds, nor any mention of the Lei Feng spirit.
“As expected, I was right,” Kui Xin mused.
The young man in the hoodie, Xi Liang, was a player from the First World.
He probably had just arrived in this world and wasn’t familiar with it yet, which is why he fumbled with the phone while calling the police. Like Kui Xin, he didn’t quite understand the personal tech in this cyberpunk world. He hadn’t paid attention to his surroundings or recorded any information. Perhaps he had remembered but was too panicked to recall; that’s why he didn’t know they were on Peaceful Street in the Harbor Zone when calling.
Xi Liang had likely traveled through time too briefly to learn about the history of the Second World, which allowed him to say something like “doing good deeds like Lei Feng,” a phrase everyone in the First World understood, but someone from the Second World shouldn’t know who Lei Feng was.
Encountering a fellow townsman from another world—what a delightful trope.
But the six pieces of advice given to players stated: “Do not disclose your identity as a player to anyone.”
Anyone!
After contemplating it thoroughly, Kui Xin decided to adhere to it.
She would not reveal her identity to the people of the Second World, nor to other players. She would treat this like role-playing, playing her character and being a qualified “player.”
After waiting with her umbrella for ten minutes, Xi Liang hurried back, drenched from the rain.
This made Kui Xin glance over; she thought Xi Liang might be looking for an excuse to escape. After all, for him, being pulled into a deadly incident immediately after traveling to another world wasn’t a very wise choice.
“Goodness, it’s really coming down out here. Who knows when it’ll stop.” Xi Liang now held an umbrella he had grabbed from the convenience store. “I talked to my dad; we’re just waiting for them to arrive.”
After five minutes, a hover police car landed above Kui Xin and Xi Liang, with the vehicle’s speakers announcing, “Please put down your weapons and raise your hands above your head.”
Kui Xin and Xi Liang complied, and the police car descended to the street. Two security officers exited the vehicle, weapons drawn, a laser dot aiming at Kui Xin.
“I’m Kui Xin, an intern security officer from the Investigation Bureau’s Seventh Squad,” Kui Xin quickly stated, “I was robbed on my way home and defended myself against the perpetrators.”
One of the female officers focused on her and said, “Augus, scan.”
“Scan complete, facial recognition matched.” Augus’s mechanical voice announced, “Your statement is confirmed. Hello, intern security officer Kui Xin.”
It continued to report, “Xi Liang, a level four citizen, student of the mechanical department at Black Sea Academy, no criminal record, target assessed as non-threatening.”
“Liu Gaoyang, level five citizen, unemployed, with records of robbery and theft, target deceased, no chance of rescue.”
“Song Yuan, level five citizen, unemployed, with records of theft and vandalism, target deceased, no chance of rescue.”
The two officers from the police car holstered their weapons and nodded to Kui Xin, “According to protocol, we need to take your statement. Please come with us.”
“Sure.” Kui Xin glanced at Xi Liang, who was in a state of shock, “He’s a witness.”
“Okay, don’t worry.” The female officer patted Kui Xin’s shoulder, “Once you give your statement, everything will be fine, just a formality.”
Kui Xin sensed something was off. Although she was an intern security officer, the two people she had killed had criminal records. Yet, her colleagues’ demeanor was casual, as if killing two people was no big deal—a mere formality that would let her walk away without legal repercussions or even disciplinary action… why was that?
After getting into the back seat of the police car, Xi Liang sat next to her.
As the police car ascended, carrying them toward the Investigation Building, Xi Liang’s expression was complicated, “So you have connections inside… you should have said so; it would have saved me a lot of mental preparation.”
“It’s not much of a connection; I’m just an intern security officer in debt three hundred thousand.” Kui Xin leaned tiredly against the police car’s seat. “Sigh, I just got off work and hadn’t even made it home, and now I have to go back…”
The author has something to say:
Kui Xin: My hands moved on their own!
