Chapter 191

Chapter 191: The Dark Boundless Realm 46

That night, Kui Xin was busy understanding the forces she had newly gathered. She accessed her neuro-core to browse through Ye Fim’s assets and financial records one by one, also absorbing blood from the people close to him.

That night, Silverface and his group arrived in White Whale City through a spatial vortex led by Night Cicada.

Night Cicada said casually as he walked out with Silverface and the others from the spatial vortex: “Alright, after this, it’s up to you. I’ll be in charge from the rear, just play your cards well.”

Eve considered the death of Kui Xin extremely important and had sent Night Cicada along, with Creation & Expansion Technology Co., Ltd., in White Whale City acting as their base. Eve not only arranged for Night Cicada to tag along but also assigned another wildcard.

“Reset, from now on, follow Silverface and Thorn Rose. Wherever they go, you go too, do you understand?” Night Cicada stared at the shortest person in the team and said.

That was a boy… no, perhaps calling him a young lad would be more fitting.

He looked much younger than Silverface, his expression wooden and silent, his eyes deep and lifeless.

“Yes.” The boy called Reset replied.

“When I can’t give orders timely, you need to listen to ‘Moonlit Void.’ She is the deputy commander of this operation,” Night Cicada tapped the table lightly.

The metal door opened automatically, and a woman of extraordinary stature stood at the entrance, nodding at Night Cicada before entering the room.

Clank… Clank… Clank…

With each step, heavy metallic noises echoed in the room.

Deputy Commander Moonlit Void’s height was estimated to be at least one meter eighty. All her limbs were mechanical prosthetics. Her exposed eyes were a cold metal gray, and the neck hidden under her high collar glinted faintly silver-gray.

The heaviness of her steps was due to her mechanical modifications to her legs. Although her movements were no different from a regular walk, the weight of the metal made a significant impact when her metallic prosthetic feet struck the floor.

“What is the percentage of your mechanical limb implantation?” Thorn Rose asked in surprise.

“Seventy-five percent,” Moonlit Void replied without emotion.

“Then isn’t that mostly organs and some of the torso left untouched?” Thorn Rose did not shy away, “Few people choose more than fifty percent mechanical implantation, don’t you find yourself uncomfortable?”

Moonlit Void only responded with two words: “No.”

Fifty percent was a demarcation point. Beyond this, appearances became more mechanical than human. Most people undergoing modifications would not opt for such extensive changes.

Silverface interrupted, “Stomachs are organs; was the stomach replaced? Is it now a bio-organ? How will you provide energy for physical activities if you don’t eat?”

Night Cicada slapped Silverface to shut him up before continuing, “Moonlit Void is not an Extraordinary Ability user. Her combat strength lies in her tactical intelligence and her mechanical limbs. Don’t underestimate her.” He paused, adding, “Including Moonlit Void in the task force is to complement the capabilities of Reset.”

Members of the Mechanized Dawn interacting in this task had already familiarized themselves with each other’s profiles.

Though their time together was brief, this mission would be their first collaborative effort. Coordination and teamwork still needed improvement.

Reset’s Extraordinary Ability was called “Reset,” with an A grade. Its effect was to temporarily “erase” abilities within a certain range around him, effectively rendering them ineffective. However, the flaw was its indiscriminate nature—it could not distinguish between allies and enemies.

If Reset released his ability, Silverface and Thorn Rose would lose most of their combat effectiveness. This was when Moonlit Void’s role became crucial—unaffected by abilities, she could continue executing the assassination. Mechanically enhanced, she could conduct suicide missions when necessary, as replacing damaged parts was no issue.

“What are we doing tonight?” Silverface asked, “We don’t even know where the Lady Fortune is.”

“Hmm… It’s indeed challenging to locate her. She isn’t simple; she wouldn’t appear openly for us to capture,” Night Cicada scratched his chin.

Projecting light beams from the ceiling, the screen displayed the darknet interface.

Night Cicada tapped the screen, and the darknet interface immediately switched to the anonymous chat section.

“Do you see this post? An underground organization called ‘The Shadowless’ is recruiting members openly. The Shadowless is reportedly the organization that kidnapped Popov’s son. Media reports indicate that the leader of The Shadowless is called ‘Black Snake,'” Night Cicada said, “I suspect that even if The Shadowless is not under Lady Fortune’s control directly, there is a strong correlation between them.”

“What basis do you have for such assumptions? We haven’t come here based solely on that rumor. The intelligence is too vague!” Thorn Rose frowned.

“Our suspicions are grounded,” Night Cicada glanced at Thorn Rose, “but the specifics are unnecessary for you to know.”

Thorn Rose clicked his tongue, “Well, since I’m just here to complete assignments, just pay me properly afterward.”

Silverface did not fully grasp the basis behind Night Cicada’s judgment either, knowing about players but lacking deeper information.

On this front, Eve kept everything tightly sealed. Individuals involved in research could know about players, similarly top-level officials. But those performing tasks down below didn’t need to know the truth about the world or reasons for targeting “Black Snake” and “The Shadowless.”

The logic behind the Mechanized Dawn’s deductions was straightforward:

Kui Xin killed a player—the player has been reported via forum—Kui Xin being either Depriver 233 Number, Depriver 777 Number, or Proxy 129 Number.

Data indicated Depriver 777 Number lived in an English-speaking country, likely male. So, 777 was ruled out. Rumors suggested the tech genius ‘Black Snake’ and Depriver 233 Number are closely related, even possibly the same. ‘Black Snake’ posted content in Chinese, indicating a 99.9% probability of being Chinese, matching Kui Xin’s Asian appearance.

As for Proxy 129, data was scarce.

“Black Snake” leading The Shadowless coincided with the timing of Kui Xin’s death, suggesting a possible connection.

Summing up, it was suspected Kui Xin was Depriver 233 Number. Thus, The Shadowless was linked to her organization and Black Snake likely in contact or working with her, Kui Xin coming to White Whale City to join forces with Black Snake in the First World.

Conclusively, Adam and Kui Xin deceived Eve.

She reacted quickly later on, recognizing the deception resulting from her own pride. Kui Xin was a formidable enemy capable of rapid growth and possibly becoming all-powerful. Immediate elimination was essential before she grew stronger.

Having this realization, Eve decided to deploy her trump card—Reset.

Considering Kui Xin potentially possessed various abilities, only Reset’s capability might restrain her effectively.

“What’s the next task? The city is vast, and we can’t search every inch for Lady Fortune,” Thorn Rose mentioned.

“I just brought up how The Shadowless is recruiting, hadn’t I?” Night Cicada smiled, “We can send someone to infiltrate. If successful, having someone inside would be ideal.”

Moonlit Void stated, “As an emerging organization, The Shadowless is unfamiliar to us. Gathering secrets from within would undoubtedly benefit us. Connecting to any member in rebellion could yield multiple advantages.”

“Uh… then are we going to apply for jobs?” Silverface gestured toward the anonymous post, “Awakeners preferred, interviews following acceptance. Does ‘interview’ mean facing members of The Shadowless?”

“By the literal meaning, yes, it seems The Shadowless intends face-to-face talks,” Night Cicada said with interest, “It’s bound to get lively! The Shadowless is plotting something big.”

Silverface inquired eagerly, “Why say it’s a grand plan?”

“Their recruitment timing is off, attracting unwelcome attention. Especially during this tense period, it might draw the ire of other factions, like the Interrogation Bureau,” Night Cicada explained, “Many secretive organizations are also curious about this entity. Everyone wants to know who this group is and why they act so brazenly.”

Moonlit Void spoke flatly, “We aim for infiltration opportunities by joining their recruits. Other organizations likely have similar intentions.”

“That’s right,” Night Cicada agreed, “This is like a mutual fishing expedition. The Shadowless is using this to lure in other groups including us.”

“And you’d call our operation ‘Fishing Action’ then?” Thorn Rose murmured.

“Indeed, chaotic like a potpourri… What does The Shadowless want?” Thorn Rose questioned.

“Regardless of their goal, we aim to accomplish our mission. The first step is confirming if Lady Fortune is concealed within The Shadowless,” Night Cicada clapped his hands, “Next, send someone to drop off the application… Reset, you’re on this, no problem?”

Silence held until Reset, who remained quiet throughout, finally raised his head with a decisive nod: “No problem.”