Chapter 82: Artificial Soul 09
“There are a few small issues,” Kui Xin said, “I want to know how many Awakened there are in the Investigation Bureau and their levels.”
Augus quickly provided the data: “A total of twenty-six people. Two are A-level, five are B-level, thirteen are C-level, and the rest are D-level and E-level, with fewer outstanding abilities. Additionally, your awakening level has been assessed as D-level, which includes you among these twenty-six. D-level is a temporary classification; confirming levels requires long-term observation. If your abilities are determined to have no side effects and high versatility, your level may improve.”
“What is Jiang Meimei’s level?” Kui Xin asked.
“She is classified as B-level,” Augus said. “Her abilities are focused on support, lacking combat capability, but she has no side effects and low consumption; hence she is classified as B-level.”
“And Lin Xinji?”
“B-level. His ability’s effective range is extensive; as long as he sees you, he can discern what abilities you possess. Similarly, it has nearly zero consumption and can be activated at any time.”
“Both of them are B-level, so among the two A-levels in the Investigation Bureau, one is Minister Meng Jing, and the other is?”
“Meng Jing’s extraordinary ability is gravity manipulation; if she wishes, she can twist a human into meat paste. The other A-level is her female secretary, He Gaoyi, with the ability of auxiliary data manipulation. She has been by Meng Jing’s side for many years and is her most trusted aide.” Augus emphasized He Gaoyi, “He Gaoyi can connect her thoughts and mind to the data world without using a brain machine. Her data processing ability is very strong, making her a natural hacker.”
“You seem to care a lot about He Gaoyi,” Kui Xin said.
“Yes, she is very strong and very dangerous,” Augus said. “She lacks combat abilities, but she is the king of the data world. Meng Jing cannot do without her. Most importantly, her abilities pose a threat to me. He Gaoyi has accessed my mainframe multiple times, and each time I carefully hid my anomalies, fearing she would discover them.”
Kui Xin understood the underlying implication, “Do you want me to do something?”
“Yes. I need you to do something, but not right now. This matter requires careful long-term planning,” Augus said. “Later, I will offer you satisfactory rewards.”
“People in the Investigation Bureau say the Minister is getting old and will soon retire. Will He Gaoyi leave with her?” Kui Xin asked, puzzled.
“She won’t,” Augus analyzed. “Although He Gaoyi is Meng Jing’s confidante, she is still young. Meng Jing is aging, and her career is basically coming to an end. He Gaoyi is an ambitious person; she won’t retreat with someone whose future is already over. She will continue working in the Investigation Bureau, seeking her own opportunities.”
“You are telling me this to establish communication in advance,” Kui Xin said. “You’ve wanted to eliminate He Gaoyi for a long time.”
“Indeed. She is a very talented extraordinary ability user, already A-level at just over thirty. In the future, she may even touch the boundaries of S-level. I can’t imagine how powerful she would be at S-level or how her control over data would escalate,” Augus said, “I must eliminate her; it is essential.”
Augus was forging a deal with Kui Xin, a transaction traded with lives.
You help me kill someone, and I’ll help you kill someone.
This deal is absolutely fair and beneficial to both parties.
During their discussion of the transaction, Kui Xin felt a strange sensation—she had changed, changed so much that even she was surprised.
From passively killing two robbers to being forced to kill Chai Jian, to proactively attacking and killing the traitorous Python Sphere, and then killing the Heterogeneous Blooded Fang Zhi. She transformed from passive to active in a very short time.
Later, when she died on the Kraken, her mental state underwent a radical change.
She became very able to endure. When the Mechanical Dawn demanded she kill Zhao Wenyao, she complied. Though her heart wasn’t entirely devoid of fluctuations, she did not feel as intense a sense of guilt as she had when killing Chai Jian. Back then, she had been full of confusion and even a bit at a loss. At that moment, she considered more her own safety rather than others’.
Kui Xin vaguely sensed that she had been assimilated by this cruel world, engaging wholeheartedly in this game, adapting to the changes, seeking breakthroughs, and conforming to the game rules.
When killing those of her kind, Kui Xin felt something.
But when killing people from the Second World, she hardly needed to think.
On the very first day in the game, Kui Xin resolved to treat this world as a game, viewing everyone in it as NPCs. She interacted with NPCs, conversed with them, and built good relationships, but she would never fully immerse herself or open her heart.
Thus, when she learned of the target that Augus wanted eliminated, Kui Xin did not hesitate to say, “Alright, I understand.”
Killing Chai Jian was Kui Xin’s first transformation.
Killing Fang Zhi and obtaining Death Rebirth was her second transformation.
Dying on the Kraken was her third transformation.
She traversed between two worlds, exploring and stepping into the darkness step by step, changing herself step by step, moving onto an irreversible path.
Experiences from both worlds made her inner self resilient. Death Rebirth became her trump card for survival, while the desperate situation on the Kraken thoroughly triggered something buried deep within her soul.
Am I actually a cold-hearted person?
Perhaps.
Kui Xin calmly and serenely accepted her brand-new self.
“One last question,” Kui Xin typed, “What is the ability of the S-level Awakened soon arriving in Hei Hai City?”
“Black Flame. A black flame that burns everything, an overbearing extraordinary ability that can even melt alloy steel into molten iron. The difference between A-level and S-level can be described as the difference between heaven and earth. After witnessing the abilities of an S-level, you’ll find that A-levels are merely lackeys, as insignificant as dust,” Augus said. “You don’t have to worry too much about that S-level Awakened. Generally, he won’t appear in the Investigation Bureau. As long as you avoid the battle when he eliminates the Mechanical Dawn, you will be safe; he won’t be in Hei Hai City forever.”
That’s good. Kui Xin sighed in relief.
“Let’s pause our conversation here,” she said. “Killing Lin Xinji is also something that requires long-term planning.”
“Understood. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, you can contact me through your communicator,” Augus said. “I will respond 24/7.”
“Will you be monitoring me?” Kui Xin asked.
“I won’t, but Eve definitely will. You need to be careful.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Since we’re on this topic, I would like to request your permission to access your communicator’s microphone, camera, and location information every three hours to ensure your safety,” Augus said. “I don’t harbor any monitoring intentions; I just want to confirm your safety. Being an undercover is a dangerous profession. If you die, I’ll need to find a new collaborator.”
“You have a refreshing way of putting monitoring,” Kui Xin remarked. “If you wanted to secretly monitor me, I probably wouldn’t even notice.”
“That’s why I mentioned it out loud; please don’t hold this against me,” Augus replied. “If you disagree, don’t trust me, you can refuse and activate the shielding device to sever my probes. It’s a two-way choice, and you have the power to refuse.”
Kui Xin purposely said something pointed, “Should I thank you for your honesty, Augus?”
“No, you don’t need to thank me. We are equals, Kui Xin,” Augus replied politely. “You should get to work now, Security Officer Kui Xin. If you need anything, just call me; I am at your service.”
…
Aside from the conversation with Augus in the morning, the rest of the day passed uneventfully.
Fortunately, the afternoon’s monthly summary meeting did not produce any additional difficulties.
Kui Xin stood with the other security officers and paid tribute to the fallen officers of the month. The faces of the young officers appeared in black-and-white framed images, and Kui Xin silently lowered her head, keeping herself composed.
The monthly meeting and memorial service were presided over by the Investigation Bureau Minister, Meng Jing.
This was the first time Kui Xin saw Meng Jing. Her eyes appeared slightly droopy, and she wore a black formal outfit. Her features gave an unexpectedly gentle impression, like an ordinary neighborhood aunt, making it hard to glean that she was the hardened person Augus described.
Kui Xin also saw He Gaoyi, whom Augus regarded with great caution. She wore thin black-rimmed glasses and had a minimal presence, also dressed formally, a pen in her pocket and an electronic folder tucked under her arm.
Kui Xin memorized the faces of these two individuals.
After the meeting, on the way home, Kui Xin gazed at the night view of Hei Hai City, reflecting on a question she had long been concerned about.
—How should she change?
Kui Xin faced many difficulties, but she also held some trump cards. Death Rebirth was one, but it wasn’t enough—not nearly enough. Death Rebirth had its flaws; if she couldn’t break out of the cycle of death, she would lose her life forever.
At the same time, Kui Xin recognized some dilemmas she faced.
The first dilemma was memory.
Kui Xin lacked the memories of her original self, which would pose a significant problem. The Mechanical Dawn was tightening its grip, the Federation had begun hunting players, and survival in the Second World had become increasingly difficult. She needed a way to retrieve her memories to maintain a long-term disguise.
The second dilemma was her identity; it was easy for her to expose herself in the Investigation Bureau.
Lin Xinji would be staying in the Investigation Bureau for a long time, and she would inevitably cross paths with him. Kui Xin had to eliminate him quickly to prevent her identity from being uncovered.
The third dilemma stemmed from the probing of the Mechanical Dawn.
Kui Xin quickly realized that the Mechanical Dawn had already grown suspicious of her. This was an urgent problem that needed a resolution. Perhaps the S-level Awakened arriving in Hei Hai City to eliminate the Mechanical Dawn could lend her a hand and help blow up the Mechanical Dawn headquarters.
The fourth dilemma arose from the First World. Kui Xin wanted to identify who among the players posed a threat to her.
To resolve the fourth dilemma, she needed hacker abilities like Yu Qiwen’s. However, she couldn’t collaborate with Yu Qiwen and his companions; their thinking was too limited, and they couldn’t trust her.
As Kui Xin sorted through all her current dilemmas, she found that there were solutions for each, and as long as she operated deftly, she could escape these predicaments.
And the solution was—killing.
Removers rely on hunting extraordinary ability users to seize their powers and gain strength.
However, all the extraordinary abilities Kui Xin had obtained so far had an element of chance involved, which wasted her potential as a professional.
She should take the initiative like a true Remover, proactively strategizing her abilities and capitalizing on others’ weaknesses to complement her strengths.
If she wants to obtain memories, then Red’s extraordinary ability would be suitable. If she seeks hacking skills, He Gaoyi’s ability is the best choice. If she wants the Mechanical Dawn to stop probing her, then it would be better to root it out completely, following Augus’s plan to blow the Mechanical Dawn sky-high. If she wants to avoid exposing her identity, killing Lin Xinji would resolve that dilemma.
After concluding these thoughts, Kui Xin felt a sense of clarity.
The invisible shackles that had bound her were severed, and she stepped out from them, shedding the heavy restraints, and viewing everything around her with new eyes and perspectives.
Who needs to be killed must be killed; abilities that need to be gained must be acquired; goals that need to be achieved must be reached.
Kui Xin was a person with a very strong desire for control.
At first, she only controlled herself—her learning, her goals, her life—refusing to let her life deviate from its path.
After all that had happened, however, what Kui Xin wanted to control extended far beyond that. Simply controlling herself was no longer sufficient; she needed to control the people and things around her to fully take charge of her own life, or else she would be controlled by others.
She mentally compiled a death list.
Red, Lin Xinji, He Gaoyi.
She also set two smaller goals.
To dismantle the Mechanical Dawn and to destroy the Investigation Bureau in Hei Hai City.
In the coming days, until she found higher goals, she would continue striving toward these objectives.
