### Chapter 85: Artificial Soul 12
The equipment required for this mission was entirely different from previous assignments, with many unfamiliar tools that Kui Xin did not recognize.
She first changed into a regular tight-fitting combat suit, gathered her weapons, and followed Augus’s reminder to identify the equipment box on the shelf. After strapping the heavy equipment box, weighing dozens of kilograms, to her back and holding it in her hand, she steeled herself and walked out of the armory.
Captain Yu was waiting outside. He saw Kui Xin and praised, “Nice strength.” He then took half of the equipment box and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
“For this mission, we will be using some unconventional weapons,” he said, patting the equipment box on his shoulder. “Everything in here is weaponry that packs a much bigger punch than what we normally use. The hand cannon I just mentioned is not a standard weapon and can only be used in emergencies.”
“But I don’t know how to use these weapons you mentioned… I’ve only handled pistols, rifles, and sniper rifles,” Kui Xin said. “Don’t we need to familiarize ourselves with the weapons first?”
“If you can handle a pistol, you can handle a hand cannon; they’re pretty similar,” Captain Yu replied. “It’s just that the recoil is a bit stronger, harder to aim, has a larger damage range, and is more difficult to operate…”
“Isn’t that a significant difference? How is that similar?” Kui Xin replied, exasperated.
“Alright then…” Captain Yu said reluctantly. “I’ll let you practice before heading into battle. We’ll go to the heavy weapons testing ground in the outskirts.”
Once they entered the elevator, Captain Yu said, “Augus, head to the roof and prepare the hover police car. Also, please notify the team members to set up a perimeter; I’ll be taking a newcomer to do some tasks and expect to meet him in an hour.”
“Understood. The message is being conveyed.” Augus replied, “The hover police car is in position, vehicle number 099.”
“Heavy weapons testing ground?” Kui Xin asked, looking at Captain Yu.
“Bringing newcomers is troublesome; they know nothing,” Captain Yu scoffed. “Regular training grounds can be indoors, but heavy weapon testing grounds must be outdoors to avoid uncontrollable accidents, such as sudden explosions. Those training rooms you usually use are only meant for pistol and combat practice. If you want to train with the real big stuff, it has to be in the outskirts.”
Once they reached the roof, Captain Yu walked to a police car, opened the trunk, and tossed the equipment inside with a rough motion, showing no care.
He sat in the driver’s seat while Kui Xin sat in the passenger seat.
Just as she fastened her seatbelt, Captain Yu slammed the gas pedal, and the police car shot into the air with no buffer time. Kui Xin was immediately pressed against her seat by the back pressure, with her ears feeling as if something were stuffing them up due to changes in air pressure. She quickly swallowed several times to alleviate the ear blockage.
“Your driving style is quite… bold,” she said, choosing a euphemistic adjective.
“We’re in a hurry; we don’t have time to go slow on the road,” Captain Yu said nonchalantly.
Kui Xin remarked, “I guess this is your first time training a newcomer.”
“Hey, you guessed it,” Captain Yu replied. “Training students is too cumbersome. If it weren’t for the superiors assigning me this task, I wouldn’t take it on at all.”
“Sorry for the trouble, then,” Kui Xin said politely.
Captain Yu clicked his tongue, “No need for formalities; just speak plainly, skip the small talk.”
This guy really dislikes others speaking formally?
Thinking it over, Kui Xin decided to add a few more courteous remarks to annoy him: “You’re truly different compared to other training officers—efficient and decisive. No wonder the superiors assigned you this kind of task; you must be exceptionally capable.”
Captain Yu: “…”
He chuckled, “You’re really amusing, Kui Xin.”
“Your extraordinary ability is… rapid healing, right? D rank?”
Typically, the strength of awakened individuals is either D or E rank after awakening, with the occasional lucky individual awakening at B or A rank. However, there has never been a precedent for anyone awakening at S rank.
“Yes,” Kui Xin affirmed. “May I ask about your extraordinary ability?”
“Iron Bone,” Captain Yu replied. “It enhances strength and defense, B rank.”
There are very few B rank awakened individuals in the Investigation Bureau; Augus mentioned there are only five, and Captain Yu is one of them. It seems the higher-ups do value Kui Xin, having even assigned a B rank to guide her.
“Don’t keep saying ‘you’ and ‘me’; it sounds awkward. Just call me Yu Liang,” he said. “You can also call me Captain.”
“Alright, Captain Yu Liang,” Kui Xin nodded.
Today was also a day of severe pollution; as they flew in the hover police car, the foul weather became evident.
Where the sky met the ground, the color darkened further. Captain Yu activated the car’s air filtration system, ensuring they couldn’t smell the outside.
“Hei Hai City is always like this. For several months each year, it’s covered in pollutants, and it occasionally rains acid,” he said irritably.
“Are you not from Hei Hai City, Captain Yu Liang?” Kui Xin asked.
“I’m from the Federation’s Southeast County, Qunshan City, but I was assigned here for work,” he replied. “My hometown isn’t any better, plagued by pollution as well, but it occurs less frequently than here in Hei Hai City.”
The car soon arrived at the outskirts of the training ground, where the hovercar descended slowly.
As Kui Xin looked down at the training field during descent, she saw it was vast, equivalent to over ten football fields in size, and there were continuous sounds of explosions, with plumes of smoke rising. However, she was puzzled to see residential buildings not far from the area; it seemed people lived nearby.
Captain Yu stepped out of the car, saying, “Augus, use Training Field No.3 for hand cannon weapon training.”
“Understood, permissions activated. Please proceed,” Augus confirmed.
Kui Xin retrieved equipment from the trunk, asking, “There are residential areas here?”
“Yes, it’s where the poor live; it’s relatively cheap,” Captain Yu replied.
“Do they live with gunfire every day? What if a stray bullet flies into the residential area? The weapons being tested are pretty unstable; what if one misfires…”
“They just have to accept their bad luck; after all, they chose to live there,” Captain Yu said.
“Can’t they be relocated somewhere else?” Kui Xin asked curiously.
“Relocating would require us to pay resettlement fees,” Captain Yu said. “We didn’t force them to move; we just built a training ground near their residence. If they can’t stand it, then they can move on their own.”
Kui Xin stopped questioning.
They walked together to Training Field No.3; Captain Yu threw the equipment box on the ground and opened it with a fingerprint verification, revealing firearm parts inside.
“The assembly sequence is the same as for a pistol; pay attention,” Captain Yu instructed, assembling the weapon piece by piece. A hand cannon with an absurdly large caliber appeared in his hands. The hand cannon was essentially a larger caliber version of a pistol; the ammunition was several times thicker than standard bullets.
He pointed to an oval-headed bullet in the equipment box and said, “Do you see this? This is an explosive round. The bullet will automatically explode when it flies out, releasing a multitude of hard steel balls. You can imagine how spectacular it looks when it bursts. It hits the enemy and could make them bloom on the spot!”
As he spoke, he loaded an explosive round into the hand cannon and aimed it at a reinforced concrete wall, specifically constructed for testing weapon power.
With a loud bang, the hand cannon emitted a dazzling flash, and the explosive round shot out, scattering thousands of tiny steel balls like a bouquet against the sturdy concrete wall, creating numerous round pits.
With just one explosive round, the heavy concrete wall was left wobbling.
“The advantages of the explosive round are its high power and wide fire coverage. The downsides are that you can only load three rounds at a time; if your teammates are standing too close, they might get accidentally injured. Firing in a confined space can turn you into a sieve with bouncing steel balls, and its effective range is only twenty meters. It’s considered a high-risk weapon, too brutal for regular mission use.” Captain Yu slapped the hand cannon into Kui Xin’s hands, and its heavy weight made her slump slightly.
He nodded at Kui Xin, “Give it a try, newcomer?”
Kui Xin mimicked Captain Yu, loading an explosive round into the hand cannon and aiming at the concrete wall.
Pulling the trigger, she was jolted by the terrifying recoil, both arms going numb and her palms hurt from the impact.
The scattered bullets hit the wall, and the already wobbly concrete structure immediately collapsed.
“Not bad,” Captain Yu praised. “People with poor physique would be knocked down by the recoil of a hand cannon, but you truly are exceptional.”
Kui Xin set down the hand cannon and shook her numb arms, as her regenerative ability kicked in to repair her damaged muscles.
“This thing really packs a punch…” she remarked. “If I fired three rounds in a row, I could easily injure my joints; I wouldn’t think an average person could handle it.”
“Indeed, a regular security officer would find it hard to manage and might accidentally hurt themselves,” Captain Yu said. “I reviewed your health report when I was assigned as your training officer; your physical condition is quite good, and with an extraordinary ability like this, I knew you could handle the hand cannon.”
Kui Xin’s gaze shifted to the rows of bullets remaining in the suitcase. “The shapes and patterns of these bullet heads are different from the explosive rounds. What’s their purpose?”
“Very perceptive,” Captain Yu bent down and picked up a bullet marked with a blue indicator. This bullet had a base with a lightning-shaped protrusion. “This is a micro electromagnetic interference round. Take a guess at what type of enemy it targets.”
Kui Xin thought for a moment, “It must be for enemies equipped with mechanical prosthetics; the electromagnetic interference would disable them.”
“Correct!” Captain Yu said. “It has average power, hardly even capable of penetrating a wall, but once it hits an enemy, it attaches and releases a current that disables mechanical devices. These kinds of bullets are expensive, so I won’t demonstrate it; you just need to know its purpose. However, some mechanical prosthetics are equipped with anti-interference systems, making electromagnetic interference rounds less effective. Our Investigation Bureau security officers’ mechanical prosthetics are all fitted with similar systems; police and military equipment can’t have such obvious weaknesses.”
“What’s the one remaining?” Kui Xin looked at a silver-tipped bullet. “This bullet head is sharper than the others and has a spiral pattern. Let me guess… is it an armor-piercing round?”
“Correct,” Captain Yu grinned. “Give it a shot; let’s switch to another wall.”
Kui Xin loaded the bullet and lifted the hand cannon, pulling the trigger.
Once again, she felt intense numbness in her arms. The bullet shot through, piercing the concrete wall, leaving a neat circular hole that displayed the scenery behind the training ground.
It was quieter than the explosive round but penetrated easily, piercing through the concrete wall with no effort.
“The armor-piercing round is mainly for dealing with hard-shelled xenomorphs, like Scythe Demons,” Captain Yu explained. “As for human alloy armor, it depends on the material. If it’s high-strength alloy, the armor-piercing round will struggle; however, ordinary materials can still be dealt with easily.”
“What equipment is in the remaining boxes?” Kui Xin inquired, intrigued.
She was very fond of the hand cannon; its power was greater than that of a pistol, although the feel wasn’t the most pleasant, it was within her tolerance.
“What remains is even more powerful,” Captain Yu said. “The hand cannon you just used is the standard model, filled with gunpowder. Both its design philosophy and usage don’t stray from the realm of traditional weapons. But what I’m about to show you is the real deal!”
He opened the next box, revealing silver parts resembling a pistol but with subtle differences upon closer inspection.
“To fit the shooting habits of security officers, this type of hand cannon is specially designed for modular assembly; if you can assemble a pistol, you can assemble this hand cannon,” Captain Yu explained. “Now it’s your turn to try assembling it.”
Kui Xin nodded, crouching down and touching the cold barrel.
As soon as she grasped the barrel and parts, she felt the difference in the hand cannon’s material—it was heavier.
This weapon was made from a denser metal, significantly heavier than the standard hand cannon.
After assembling the hand cannon, she picked up the last piece—the magazine.
The curved magazine was semi-transparent, as if some liquid flowed within, emanating a faint blue glow.
Kui Xin attached the magazine to the hand cannon, and a power meter lit up on the weapon.
“What is this…” she gasped in surprise.
“A laser hand cannon,” Captain Yu said. “The magazine contains energy liquid and can fire ten shots in total. The laser hand cannon is a high-power weapon, but it has significant flaws. After firing five times, the overheated barrel requires a fifteen-second cooldown, or it will burst. The advantage is its minimal recoil, almost unnoticeable, and high shooting accuracy.”
“Fifteen seconds! That’s way too long,” Kui Xin exclaimed. “Using this weapon on the battlefield would be tantamount to suicide.”
“That’s why any hand cannon-type weapons must be used alongside traditional weapons, and not everyone can handle them. That’s the reason such high-powered weapons are not widely adopted,” Captain Yu shrugged. “We emergency response teams use them because we are facing xenomorphs and heterogeneous blooded individuals; it’s a life-or-death battle.”
“Can I try the laser hand cannon?” Kui Xin asked.
“Go ahead,” Captain Yu replied. “The effects of the laser hand cannon on the human body are significant; it burns holes right through you, scorching your internal organs.”
Kui Xin fired, and an orange-red beam burst from the muzzle, instantly striking the concrete wall.
A wisp of gray smoke rose from the wall, leaving a modest-sized hole.
“The firing rate is impressive, and it feels so light,” Kui Xin stated, sharing her experience.
“Indeed, the feel is quite good. But the energy cartridges are outrageously expensive; every time I use this weapon, it feels like I’m firing gold instead of lasers,” Captain Yu remarked. “Alright, that wraps up the weapons introduction. The remaining equipment boxes contain auxiliary tools; we’re headed for practical training now. Leaving theory without practice is pointless; combat is the best way to gain mission experience.”
“Okay,” Kui Xin agreed.
—
The Slum, this was Kui Xin’s second visit.
Last time, she went to the slum in the North District after taking down Zejian; this time, it’s in the East District.
Whether in the East District or North District, the feeling of the slum was equally dilapidated; walking through the slum, one could smell the scent of decay permeating the air.
There were no designated spots for police cars to land in the slum, so they parked the vehicle outside.
“This place is incredibly chaotic, and the people here harbor hostility toward us. You wouldn’t want to be taken out by a stray bullet, would you?” Captain Yu warned. “If someone points a gun at you, you give them one back.”
“Yeah, I’ve always done that,” Kui Xin said, resting her hand on her belt, ready to draw her gun.
Captain Yu chuckled, “Oh, we have a tough one here. Toughness is good; it means you can survive longer. This is my first time training a newcomer, so you better show some spirit.”
As they navigated through the low-roofed buildings, the impoverished residents would run back inside and slam their doors shut at the sight of them. A few children playing by the street scattered like startled birds upon seeing Kui Xin and Captain Yu, running away while shouting in panic, “Mom! Dad! The cops are here! The cops are here!”
As if that wasn’t enough, a brave little boy waved a toy water gun at Captain Yu, splashing him and declaring, “Bad guy! You took my dad away; go die!”
The boy’s mother quickly snatched him away at that moment.
Captain Yu rolled his eyes, “What a brat… There are many illegal residents and smugglers from underdeveloped regions here, along with people living on the edge of legality. If someone gets unlucky and gets caught, they could be deported or end up in prison… This place is just a garbage dump.”
“What about our teammate?” Kui Xin asked. “Where is he?”
“Almost there, just up ahead,” Captain Yu pointed to a small slope.
It was a Garbage Mountain.
A police cordon had been set up near the Garbage Mountain, and drones were hovering above, using loudspeakers to announce, “Investigation Bureau, clear the area! Non-essential personnel, evacuate! Investigation Bureau, clear the area! Non-essential personnel, evacuate! Anyone who disobeys the warning and intrudes on the lockdown will be shot! Unauthorized departures from the lockdown zone will also result in being shot!”
Several fully armed security officers stood by the cordon. Upon seeing Captain Yu, they saluted, “Sir! The area is secured, and we are sure that the heterogeneous blooded individual is hiding inside.”
“Uh, where’s Lao Liang?” Captain Yu glanced around, spotting a familiar figure and waving to him, “Hey! Over here!”
The security officer referred to as Lao Liang hurried over, assessing Kui Xin. “I’m Liang Min.”
“Hello, Kui Xin,” she greeted politely.
“We’re not late, are we?” Captain Yu asked.
“Just finished securing the area ten minutes ago; it’s not too late,” Liang Min replied, looking at Captain Yu. “There are heterogeneous blooded individuals hiding among the impoverished living in the Garbage Mountain, and we control the flow of people coming in and out; now we just need to search them one by one to confirm.”
“That’s good.” Captain Yu turned to Kui Xin. “Did you understand?”
“I understand; we find the heterogeneous blooded individuals among the civilians and capture them. If we can’t catch them, we shoot to kill,” Kui Xin summarized. “This approach is acceptable, right?”
Captain Yu nodded in satisfaction. “That’s right.”
He shook his head, walking into the Garbage Mountain, “Let’s get to work.”
Kui Xin drew her newly acquired hand cannon from her belt, closely following him into the Garbage Mountain.
