Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Sea Without Light Part 14

Kui Xin spent two hours in the Psychotherapy Room, drinking three cups of jujube tea with wolfberry. With Director Yang’s enthusiastic invitation, she also partook in lunch at the employee cafeteria.

As she left, Director Yang thoughtfully handed her a full jar of jujube wolfberry tea, “Drink more of this, it enriches your blood. I always notice that your complexion is rather pale; you could use some more vitality.”

Kui Xin reluctantly accepted Director Yang’s kindness and carried the jar of wolfberry tea back to the Rest Room.

It was already afternoon now, and her lunch break had passed.

Kui Xin placed the jar down and proceeded to report for duty at the training grounds for the Seventh Squad. Regardless of whether they were regular members or interns like herself, when not executing tasks, their time was primarily spent on training. Practical combat drills such as shooting and melee fighting were critical.

She took the elevator down to the underground floor, where the entire level was designated as the training ground.

At the entrance to the training hall, she scanned her iris. Adam declared, “Intern Security Officer Kui Xin, you may utilize basic exercise equipment in Zone A and B. Other zones are temporarily off-limits to you due to permission restrictions.”

The treatment between intern employees and regular employees did have its differences, but Kui Xin wasn’t particularly concerned about it. After all, she wouldn’t be using any of the advanced equipment anyway. This visit to the training room was merely to verify her command over firearms.

Zone A included the shooting range. Upon entering, Kui Xin noticed the lack of people and casually found an empty spot to stand.

“Please select the training weapon,” Adam instructed.

“Standard pistol,” Kui Xin responded.

Before her, the metallic table silently split open, revealing a pitch-black firearm silently resting on top.

Kui Xin picked up the gun, pondered for a few seconds to disassemble it, memorizing the components before reassembling it meticulously.

Holding the gun in both hands, she positioned it comfortably, “Three-meter target.”

“Confirmed. Set the target to three meters,” Adam replied.

Without much aiming, Kui Xin relied on her intuition to shoot; the bullet whizzed through, striking the center of the three-meter target accurately, every single one landing within eight rings and never missing.

The gun exhibited more recoil than Kui Xin expected, leaving her grip tingling slightly.

Unsure of her performance’s significance, she switched out magazines, preparing for further attempts, “Target ten meters.”

“Confirmed. Target set to ten meters,” Adam stated.

This time, the target was considerably farther, almost beyond the range of visibility for people with average eyesight.

Kui Xin steadied her breath, held the gun aloft, and deliberately aimed.

She pulled the trigger, firing just once.

“Bang!”

The bullet hit the bullseye! Right at the center of the ten-meter target!

Smiling, Kui Xin said, “Adam, now twenty meters.”

Her shots went from twenty meters gradually increasing to twenty-five meters. Each time she fired, her minimum result remained within the seven rings.

Kui Xin felt numb in her fingertips, yet felt a sense of relief—seemingly all her stress had been released through her firing.

Such success wouldn’t have been possible without the “Combat Instinct.” However, her innate shooting ability played a significant role. Through repeated firing, she had honed her understanding and control of firearms, making them tools she mastered efficiently.

She was no longer the bumbling novice she once was. In the security team, she stood among the more capable individuals. Adding to that, being an Extraordinary Abilities user augmented her capabilities even further.

During an earlier task today, she had killed Zejian—removing his extraordinary ability, “Shadow Transition.”

Her profile had obviously changed since then.

[BEGIN PROFILE]

Basic Attributes:

Name: Kui Xin

Occupation: Remover

Extraordinary Ability: [Shadow Transition E-Level]: You can utilize shadows for small-scale space transitions.

Innate Talent: [Performance Persona] You are an expert performer, and can deceive many.

[Lifespan Fortitude] You possess the resilience akin to a cockroach’s.

[Hazard规避] You have the keen ability to detect and avoid dangers.

[Rapid Learning] Your proficiency in learning skills greatly exceeds typical levels.

[Combat Instinct] Your combat abilities and techniques are deeply ingrained within your subconscious.

Zejian escaped the psychiatric hospital using “Shadow Transition.” His ability grade was relatively low, and he seemed unable to employ it reliably, which explained why he failed to evade the parasitic hydra.

Kui Xin remained intrigued by how extraordinary abilities were awakened—whether by luck or other factors.

Her teammates showed great surprise at Zejian becoming an Awakened, signifying rarity in their ranks.

When Dr. Huang first mentioned that there were Awakening users in the Investigation Bureau, Kui Xin paid heed. Highlighting the head of the Criminal Investigation Group, he had warned her especially, implying that their exceptional abilities might include “Lie Detection.”

Thus, it appeared that the Bureau’s internal policy kept superhuman abilities and the status of Awakened individuals closely guarded. Even colleagues were unaware of these secrets, leaving Dr. Huang’s long-standing observations in the Medical Center vague rather than certain.

Disappointed, Kui Xin realized she could not experiment safely on shadow transition at the Bureau, and having Silverface around at home precluded practicing new abilities too.

Shadow Transition would be useful for escaping if Kui Xin were ever imprisoned. She could use it to flee tightly secured facilities like the ones holding Zejian.

Being incarcerated seemed like the lesser evil. Without capital punishment, the Federation offered some hope. Yet, exposure might lead to dire consequences from former comrades.

Kui Xin placed the gun down and moved to Zone B.

Zone B was the sparring ground, where several security officers were paired up in protective gear sparring. Kui Xin sought no sparring partner, instead seeking to test her physical capabilities with exercise equipment.

In a corner lay a strength-measuring device for boxing.

According to Kui Xin, from magazines of the First World, Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson’s right punch power was measured at 800 pounds, while Bruce Lee’s force was about 350 pounds. These measures varied directly with body weight.

A simple test of strength didn’t fully reflect a person’s overall combat data because battle effectiveness depends on many factors combined. Still, such a test provided insight into a person’s force.

“What was my last punch test score?” Kui Xin asked?

Adam responded, “Your previous punch test score was 215 pounds.”

These were the recorded results of “Security Officer Kui Xin,” not her original stats. Kui Xin considered taking it easy initially, to keep close to her record.

Adjusting her breathing, clenching her fist, she swung at the test post.

“Bang!”

The display on the measuring device rapidly escalated, quickly surpassing 200, settling on 233 pounds.

“Relative improvement. You increased by 18 pounds compared to your last test,” Adam reported.

Kui Xin sighed inwardly. It still felt insufficient.

Her original form, at the very least, would rank alongside the likes of Bruce Lee as a super-warrior, one who combines great power and skill honed through rigorous training to be an exemplary human weapon.

“Kui Xin!” Lan Lan walked into Zone B, gesturing her to join. “Still training?”

“Yes, feeling rusty so I came to practice handling a gun.”

“I always feel uncomfortable whenever I haven’t held a gun for a day. We need constant practice. Ready for a match? Don’t think of me as just a technician—I’m in the top ten of the field units,” Lan Lan challenged.

“No, I’m pretty drained today after completing fieldwork,” Kui Xin declined with a smile. “How’s Jiang Ming doing?”

“He had surgery, and Old Liu is with him,” Lan Lan answered.

“Did you visit the Psychotherapy Room?” Kui Xin asked.

“Visited. Director Yang is a kind person, gave me a jar of tea…”

“He has a penchant for giving tea. I got a jar of coffee beans, he said technical staff require frequent brain usage, and coffee helps energize us…” Lan Lan shrugged.

“How many people in the Bureau struggle with psychological issues?” Kui Xin wondered.

“When under immense pressure, it’s natural to encounter such problems. We often work closely with danger. Once a colleague of mine had nightmares for a week after their first mission exterminating xenomorphs. Director Yang assisted with psychological counseling. It’s necessary for the Bureau to have a therapy room,” Lan Lan explained.

“Untreated mental health issues can lead to severe outcomes. For instance, a previous colleague accidentally killed a civilian and became severely distressed, overlooked by others until…until they took their own life in the end.”

Lan Lan sighed, “Sometimes people show remarkable resilience under stress, yet can be fragile beyond measure mentally.”

Kui Xin pondered, “I’ll do my best to prevent such tragedies… Actually, I want to ask—can we discuss formalization? Would it be awkward?”

“Not at all, it’s common knowledge,” Lan Lan reassured her. “Each interview panel member is consistent for formalization candidates. The team leader of each section conducts the interviews. Be honest with them. They value honesty.”

“Honesty? That reminded me of the warnings from Dr. Huang and rumors about the Crime Unit Leader’s ability…”

Recognizing the gravity, Kui Xin felt a slight burden.

“Intern Security Officer Kui Xin, please report to the office of the Seventh Squad,” Adam suddenly directed.

Caught by surprise, Lan Lan laughed, “Perhaps the Captain wants to talk to you regarding formalization?”

“Alright, I’ll go see now,” Kui Xin said in farewell and left the training area.

Descending in the lift, her thoughts were calm. Despite barely a few days in the Second World, her mentality had undergone a radical transformation.

She went from a recent high school graduate seeking odd jobs to an adept informer, immersed in the life. Her mind, attuned to this dual identity, filled her days with endless worries and preparations; every detail mattered, no slip-ups allowed. Interpersonal navigation demanded constant alertness, with words needing deliberate consideration, all of which weighed heavily on her.

Arriving at Xueyao Shu’s office, the metal door opened.

“You’re here, Kui Xin,” said Shu.

“You can fill out the application now,” he gestured.

He handed her a paper form titled “Formal Application”.

“May I formally apply?” Kui Xin inquired.

“You’ve passed the final interview and it shouldn’t be difficult,” Shu replied. “The interview is set for tomorrow morning at nine. Alright with you?”

With little hesitation, “Alright,” Kui Xin acquiesced.

“Good. Upon acceptance, you can move into the employee dormitory, safer than Peaceful Street close to your place,” Shu added.

Completing the application forms brought the workday nearly to a close.

Parting ways with Xueyao Shu, Kui Xin took the jar of wolfberry tea he gifted and prepared to leave the building.

As soon as she boarded the hover tram, Kui Xin checked her bracelet. Silverface had sent numerous messages.

“I went back to the port.”

“I encountered a few troublesome gangsters but couldn’t get much information. Can I eliminate them? You once gave me free rein to decide; remember?”

“The killings have been resolved.”

“…There were smugglers this time. But they were only dealing with alcohol. Not worth pursuing further.”

“Why don’t you reply? Do you have too much on your plate?”

“When are you leaving work?”

Confused by his flurry of messages, Kui Xin scrolled past them to read another update.

“Midnight Zero Point, Rubi Red Bar in Harbor Zone. Team meeting to finalize port demolition. Ensure everyone’s attendance.”

Sender – Red.

A complete unknown identifier.