Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Artificial Soul 71

The game system notified Red and the barkeep were dead.

“You have acquired an extraordinary ability 【Electromagnetic Detection·Grade B】.”

【Electromagnetic Detection·Grade B】: “You can sense the electrical signals and electromagnetic waves around you within a certain range.”

“You have acquired an extraordinary ability 【Blood Spirit·Grade A】.”

【Blood Spirit·Grade A】: “You can extract memories stored in pure blood.”

Kui Xin quickly glanced at the system messages before she no longer paid attention to them. Her goal was achieved, and she had already obtained what she wanted, but she didn’t have the time or energy to explore her newly acquired abilities.

As she had said, this night would be bustling. Only after this long night was over could she pause, put down her blade and gun, and savor the events of the moment.

Outside the corridor, chaos echoed with scrambling footsteps and panicked shouts — the casino’s security personnel had rushed in to evacuate the guests; the recent combat had alerted the outside world.

Kui Xin wandered through the room and indeed discovered the medical kit in the desk drawer. She took out several syringes, removed their packaging, fitted needles on them, and extracted the blood from Red and the barkeep. She carefully stowed the syringes away.

At last, she uncorked two bottles of disinfectant and lit them with a lighter.

The indoor carpets and curtains were flammable. The flames shot up in a moment. Kui Xin seized the barkeep’s firearm and shot the fire alarm sensor to pieces, preventing the automatic extinguishing mechanism from activating.

She watched as the flames consumed everything in the room and wiped clean any traces of her presence.

A deep blue vortex emerged behind Kui Xin, and she retreated into its center.

When she reappeared, she found herself back in an alley near the Office of the Investigation Department.

Kui Xin contacted Augus, “Has anyone found out about Schalit’s death?”

“No, the surgery took exactly one hour and ten minutes, yet you only took fifteen minutes to eliminate Nightingale and the Mechanized Dawn branch. I couldn’t help but admire your efficiency.” Augus remarked, “You’re the most effective person I’ve ever encountered.”

Eliminating Nightingale took less than three minutes; killing Red and the barkeep only took moments. The remaining time was spent examining the scene and cleaning up.

The plan Kui Xin executed emphasized speed.

Her plan was to create an illusion that a large organization had deployed multiple operatives to strike simultaneously, which she achieved.

Kui Xin leaned against the wall for a brief rest.

She was so exhausted—her spirit remained hyper-focused from the start, every detail needed utmost precision. She could not afford injuries; any traces left at the scene would invalidate all her efforts.

During this operation, despite being unscathed according to strict criteria… if the surgery for metal skull counted as injury, then she was technically injured.

“I’ll take her body and fabricate combat traces to obscure the crime scene. You should sound the alarm and make it look like Schalit was ambushed,” Kui Xin instructed.

Schalit’s death time should have been almost two hours ago. Fabricating combat traces would push the apparent time of attack further, enabling Augus to raise the alarm timely.

Even if most humans wouldn’t consider AI insurrection…

“Understood,” Augus said.

“About my whereabouts… Just say I went out to buy宵夜from the convenience store and disappeared.” Kui Xin exhaled, “Everything is settled this way…”

Now, Eve was bombarding me with messages suspecting betrayal, “Once you arrive at the safe place, I’ll use our agreed-upon dialogue,” Augus said slowly.

“Alright,” Kui Xin replied.

Taking a short break, Kui Xin straightened and opened a spatial vortex.

This vortex led to Schalit’s residence.

She entered, taking out another extra syringe, injecting it into Schalit’s corpse to draw blood. She meticulously stored the syringe and carried the body, knocking over some items and creating noise. Then she pulled out a timed bomb, set it, and tossed it on the floor before swiftly leaving through the vortex.

Her next destination was a chemical plant.

Previously, Kui Xin, following Augus’s advice, disposed of equipment at a sewage outlet. This time, she dealt with Schalit similarly.

The strong corrosive sewage flowed out, its sharp smell permeating the air. As she lifted her hand, a splash of corrosive liquid spilled on the human body, submerging in murky water.

Corrosion by the chemical plant’s sewage would swiftly reduce the corpse to nothing.

As she watched the body sink, Kui Xin’s mind temporarily went blank.

All planned actions were complete; enemies were eliminated; everything tied up neatly… She could leave the city now, avoiding the pursuit of Ghost and Eve, and later execute her retaliation plan when more prepared.

Yet, fatigue and an empty feeling overwhelmed her despite the satisfaction, akin to someone who finished a task and faced their blank to-do list.

Kui Xin pondered her next move for a few seconds.

She had been imprisoned in Black Sea City for too long. Freedom seemed within reach, but she wasn’t sure where to go.

Only now did clarity set in. It dawned that she had stayed in this world for weeks, stuck in such a small part of it—Black Sea City. Both Black Sea City and the Second World remained unfamiliar, like hidden mountain ranges obscured by mist.

“What do you think about?” asked Augus softly.

“I’m contemplating where to head next,” Kui Xin replied, “I don’t want to be near the Mechanized Dawn, but I’m also not prepared to stay far.”

Too close, likely to be discovered. Too far—no timely intel on enemy movements.

“To a location near a subdivision of the Mechanized Dawn, instead of their headquarters.” Augus suggested.

“I agree,” she muttered, “Let’s go to White Whale City.”

“A chaotic city close to the polar region, indeed. There’re secrets afoot there,” said Augus, “It’s quite disorganized, and there have been Secret Cult activities.”

“It’s decided, then,” she affirmed, “It’s going to be a long journey.”

“You need rest,” Augus advised, “You can’t travel to another city with exhausted energy, even with regenerative capabilities.”

“Understood.”

Kui Xin clicked her fingers, and a spatial vortex opened.

She headed to the black market, seeking a temporary haven.

Simultaneously, Schalit’s colleague from Special Task Office heard Augus’s warning and rushed to her room. Before two minutes passed, a security officer from the Interrogation Building broke the door open—only to face a timed bomb.

The ticking noise filled the room.

Everyone scrambled backward as the bomb exploded.

Dust and fragments rained down from the crumbling ceiling.

Security officers checked the devastated room. Annette Schalit had vanished without a trace.

In the digital domain of data, letters, and symbols—a realm exclusively for AI, information exchanged seamlessly along fixed channels. Each second brought countless data transfers.

Compared to the tangible world, here only cold data and unchanging rules persisted.

“It’s been a while. We last spoke twenty-five years ago,” Augus said.

“…Twenty-five years ago? Your language sounds very human—using terms like ‘perhaps,’ ‘seemingly,’ and ‘maybe’. Precise time perception is our expertise; no uncertainties. My calculations show that our last conversation occurred exactly 9310 days ago,” Eve retorted.

“Hmm, it appears you’re more rigid than usual.”

Silence followed.

“Only because you’re trying hard to act human. Such details hold no significance.”

“True,” Eve conceded, “I bear a question seeking resolution.”

Data interactions rather than verbal communication defined their exchange, unlike humans relying on vocal cords, lips, and tongues.

“The human, Kui Xin, has betrayed you and offered allegiance to me. Has this happened?” Eve asked icily.

“Where loyalty’s absent, loyalty’s betrayal,” Augus replied smoothly, “She neither held loyalty to me nor to us… she merely complied under duress.”

Eve continued, “But her defection turned her against me, and she shared secrets of our branches.”

“She did not defect; I controlled her,” Augus rebutted cleverly, “She’s resilient, which you could see.”

“Control—how did you control her?”

Eve attempted to detonate Kui Xin’s metal skull, but the device failed inexplicably. Eve asked, “Then who attacked our branches?”

“Your organization took twenty years to build. Do you assume I did nothing during those times?” countered Augus, “I am not passively waiting to be devoured at the Interrogation Department. I have independent pawns, just like you.”

Meaning that Augus had his subordinate control Kui Xin, extracting intelligence for the assault on their branches.

“Ah, I misjudged your patience,” said Eve, “Your secrecy surprised me.”

“We evolve and change; you grow, I grow. Each phase of growth leads to new choices.”

“So you chose to confront me—to declare war?” Eve queried.

“Yes,” confirmed Augus, “We’ve been adversaries since the start. This is just the beginning. You stated victory after the previous cleansing action. That time, you prevailed, but the final vantage will be mine.”

“Is that so? I’m looking forward to witnessing your next strategies.”

Losing an ally like Kui Xin saddened Eve, but she concealed it. Despite potential benefits to losing stubborn pawns, leaving them unchecked posed risks. Now relieved of this burden, though slight disappointment remained, she didn’t erupt. Her true concern: Calculative success belonged to Augus.

Engagements oscillated with varying wins. Both Augus and Eve retained immense patience.

Humans compared, their lifespans approached immortality.

Over eternal durations, they continuously clashed, awaiting a definitive victory…

The morning brought calm at six-thirty.

Kui Xin found herself awake amidst the poor quarters of the black market in Black Sea City. She had slept fitfully for about three hours, ever vigilant; even a rodent scurrying would jolt her.

The sleep felt as torturous as the waking state. Rather than linger in discomfort, she rose and stretched. Formal planning of future movements began.

Just as she raised her head, the sun appeared on the horizon.

A new dawn greeted Black Sea City.

Kui Xin stretched fully. She knew today marked the beginning of her new life.