Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Artificial Soul Part 60

The first thing to confirm was that Shalit must not be captured by Mechanized Dawn.

Kui Xin closed her smart bracelet expressionlessly after reading the task file.

If Shalit were captured, who knows what mechanical dawn’s people would get out of her during interrogation? As Shalit was linked to the resistance army, if she were captured, Kui Xin’s identity would be further exposed.

Summary—Shalit could die, or she could escape, but she absolutely cannot be captured.

She sat on the bed in the apartment and contacted Red. “I’ve finished reading the file.”

Red: “Annie Shalit is a member of the Special Affairs Department, with the ability of B-Rank Hypnotic Sound, making her very difficult to deal with. Her ability takes effect through her voice; we can carry noise-canceling equipment to disable this. If we can’t hear her voice, her ability has no effect on us.”

Mechanized Dawn didn’t know that Shalit had hidden her rank, but they knew the specific characteristics of when her ability took effect… this information was surely brought by Eve.

Kui Xin replied calmly, “Okay.”

“Have you heard any updates from the Investigation Bureau? How long will Shalit stay?”

There was nothing described about this in the task file, and Red only received individual details on Annie and the mission requirements. Since Shalit’s stay in the Investigation Bureau was a temporary arrangement, Eve marked the duration as uncertain.

They had better act quickly, or else Shalit would leave Black Sea City.

Kui Xin said, “I’m not sure. The message I received was that she will host an interview for selecting security officers from the Investigation Bureau to work in the Special Affairs Department. I calculated that the interview should take at least two days, during which time she will remain in Black Sea City.”

“So we have to act within two days,” said Red. “Fortunately, our adversary is only B-Rank.”

Kui Xin got a new idea.

Could she use Shalit to take down the entire branch of the mechanical dawn?

Even if Grade A Hypnotic Sound couldn’t fully control Awakeners of the same grade, it was at least possible to distract them for a few seconds? Moreover, Shalit wasn’t alone. She was openly registered as a Special Affairs Department officer, and the Bureau would protect her, even with colleagues from her department around.

The difficulty was how to trigger both parties to engage in combat, while simultaneously detaching herself from the situation.

But Annie Shalit’s existence had already been exposed to Mechanized Dawn.

If they fail once, would they set up another plan targeting Shalit again? Then she would still be captured, and Kui Xin’s intel could still leak.

Eve was not a compassionate AI; it acted arbitrarily, preferring minimal risk. Letting Kui Xin go unnoticed was surprising enough. Only Kui Xin knew her mindset in these negotiations: she gambled, betting on a minuscule chance of survival.

Now, this uncertain factor, Shalit, appeared, leading to a great change in Kui Xin’s identity again. Their unequal cooperative relationship was fragile enough, even without external force to break it. However, it turned out that this Shalit had become this external factor. Who could be sure that Eve wouldn’t suddenly fancy eliminating Kui Xin because living was troublesome?

Eve wouldn’t give her prior notice before killing her; all it would take is a single thought, and Kui Xin’s brain would suffer an electrical current.

“If Shalit doesn’t leave her residence, then there will be no opportunity to take action against her.” Kui Xin said. “After these recent events, the Investigation Bureau will certainly be more vigilant.”

“It’s fine; we have Nightingale.” Red said. “We can conduct an infiltration operation. Can you acquire the exact coordinates of Shalit’s residence? With this, it’ll be much easier. We can create a small spatial vortex to release odorless hypnotic gas into her abode. Once she loses consciousness, we can enter and take her away covertly. It should be discreet. Ideally, it won’t even disturb the neighbors.”

Kui Xin responded, “I’ll try to get the coordinates. I know which building she lives in, but I don’t know the room number.”

“Great, please do so quickly.” Red trusted her completely.

“Other than information, is there anything else I need to coordinate?” Kui Xin inquired.

Red replied, “Not right now. Together with Silverface and Nightingale, we have sufficient combat personnel here.”

This meant Kui Xin wouldn’t need to participate in battle, reducing her pressure greatly.

After ending the conversation, Kui Xin lay on her bed in deep thought.

“What are you thinking?” Augus asked at this time.

“I am contemplating how to complete the entire process of bone changing, killing the enemy, fleeing, and escaping undetected within a limited timeframe.” Kui Xin’s eyes drifted blankly. “Maybe I should sleep first before figuring this out.”

“Sleep?”

“She said today she wanted to share the same dream with me. I don’t believe she was joking. There was no reason for her to say meaningless things to someone she’s not that close with. That sentence was probably intended as a psychological suggestion. If I fall asleep, I might dream of what she wants me to see.”

After washing and taking sleep-assisting medication, Kui Xin lay quietly in bed.

“Good night, Augus. I’m going to sleep.” She closed her eyes.

Augus replied, “Good night.”

Indoor lights automatically turned off. In the darkness, Kui Xin breathed evenly and soon fell asleep under the influence of the medication.

Kui Xin guessed correctly; Shalit indeed left her a psychological suggestion.

In deep sleep, her eyes opened again, and she regained consciousness.

She heard the distant chimes of the church and the wings of white pigeons. Sunlight was shining on her shoes.

She looked up and found herself sitting on a bench in the church square.

Looking across, the bronze angel statue in the center of the square gleamed with metal luster under the sun. Far off, the clock tower silently stood, casting large shadows.

Kui Xin stood up, startling nearby pigeons that subsequently flew away.

“This scene full of religious symbolism…” Kui Xin murmured.

“What matters is not religion, but spirituality and faith.” Shalit appeared beside her suddenly, lighting a cigarette in her hand, dragging on it slowly. “People need spiritual support and belief. Without it, the world would be terrifying, living like mindless zombies.”

Kui Xin turned to her, unsure of how to respond.

Shalit winked at her, “What is your belief?”

“…freedom,” Kui Xin answered cautiously.

“We are all seeking freedom,” said Shalit with a puff of smoke, her face obscured by it.

She paused for a moment, ashed her cigarette and then frowned at Kui Xin. “What happened? Why did you not contact the organization immediately after killing the target?”

“What target?” Kui Xin thought. “Who does the resistance army want to kill?!“

For a moment, Shalit sensed her hesitation.

Shalit dropped the cigarette and cast her a sharp gaze, scrutinizing her from head to toe. “How many times has the Mechanized Dawn performed brain-machine interrogations on you?”

Kui Xin didn’t know how to respond. She put on the act of recalling. “At least twice, I guess.”

“Has your memory been compromised?” Shalit questioned with suspicion. “With the presence of an ‘Angel’s’ mental barrier, shouldn’t such issues be prevented?”

“I…” Kui Xin hesitated, not knowing how to continue playing along. “I really don’t get what you are saying.”

Shalit looked at Kui Xin, saying, “Then answer my questions; let’s see what you remember.”

“Alright.” Kui Xin acquiesced.

“Do you remember who the mission target was?” Shalit continued.

Kill the mission target… who exactly was it?

So far, Kui Xin had killed several identifiable targets: the Mechanical Dawn Python Sphere, and the Investigation Bureau members Lin Xinji and He Gaoyi… the other targets were some Minions. He Gaoyi as a target was highly improbable since she just killed him yesterday. The Python Sphere as a suspect could also be ruled out—simply too minor a figure to warrant such concern.

Only one person remained.

“Lin Xinji,” Kui Xin stated.

Shalit showed no visible emotion. “Why did you kill him? Do you recall the reason?”

“…His extraordinary abilities posed a significant threat.” Kui Xin sized up Shalit.

Shalit’s gaze showed no change. “Do you remember why you joined us?”

Kui Xin: “How would I know why my original self joined you guys!”

Recalling their initial conversation, she answered, “To attain… freedom.”

Shalit chuckled, “You are indeed a dishonest little girl.”

Kui Xin froze, taken aback at being called ‘little girl’ by someone only slightly older.

“Though your answers were immediate and correct, they are what you infer, not what you actually know,” Shalit said. “Alright, let’s clarify. Did you kill Lin Xinji?”

Kui Xin moved her lips slightly. “Yes.”

“Do you remember me?” Shalit asked.

“No, I don’t.” Kui Xin replied.

“Well, it’s okay. We’ve never met. Sorry, that was a test.” Shalit continued, probing further. “Do you remember… ‘the Angel’ and ‘Phantom’?”

Kui Xin: “…They are codenames, right?”

Annoyed, Shalit looked at Kui Xin. “It seems the situation is quite serious. I came to meet with you as per protocol, but you’re in a state of uncertainty – how did you survive until now?”

Kui Xin: “I’m also confused. Who are you? What are you here for?”

“Alright… it’s amnesia, not betrayal.” Shalit inhaled deeply. “You are lucky. Tonight, you ran into me by chance. Had you not shown up as usual, we’d have suspected treachery. Returning without you to report would have led to your execution as a traitor.”