Chapter 212

Chapter 212 – The Dark Boundless Realm 67

“Remove all the devices on you and throw them away,” Kui Xin said.

Ambereye raised her eyebrows and removed her equipment. Even after scanning him from head to toe with a scanner, Kui Xin still couldn’t relax completely and said, “Let’s go.”

“Augus, wake up Hunter Falcon and have him leave for a while.” Kui Xin connected to Augus via data manipulation.

“Alright. I’ve had the home butler bot wake him up. He’s currently leaving the safe house,” Augus replied.

She led Ambereye through alleys and streets for quite some distance before arriving at a hidden location and opening a spatial vortex, “Go in.”

Ambereye looked at her silently and walked into the vortex without saying a word.

When Ambereye came out of the vortex, he found himself in a sparsely decorated rest room complete with a bathroom, living room, and a sleeping nook.

Four Leaves was lying on the sofa, curled up tightly and fast asleep.

Ambereye walked quietly over, examining Four Leaves’ face closely.

“In any case… thank you,” Ambereye turned to look at Kui Xin, “Trading with you was risky, but it seems like I made the right call.”

“He’s named Four Leaves. He chose that name himself,” Kui Xin said calmly. “After observing him, part of your doubts should be dispelled. Let’s talk about something else now.”

“Alright.” Ambereye nodded, but there was no sense of relief on his face, “You’re a former undercover agent, Kui Xin…”

“Don’t call me by my real name, call me the codename, Maotoufu,” Kui Xin interrupted him.

Ambereye glanced at her in surprise and followed her lead, “I’m sorry, I offended you, Maotoufu. Since you have so many codenames, I wasn’t sure which one to use, so I called you that name.”

“Don’t talk about this here, let’s go upstairs,” Kui Xin said.

Ambereye also feared waking Four Leaves, and thus gently nodded in agreement.

As they went upstairs, Kui Xin briefly explained, “Four Leaves has a very young psychological age. He was rushed to grow up; the time he spent growing naturally is much less than his outward appearance suggests.”

“A tactic frequently used by Mechanized Dawn,” Ambereye lowered his eyelids, “Those who are grown artificially don’t live as long as ordinary people; about thirty to forty years normally.”

“Are you similar?” Kui Xin asked, “Your lifespan?”

“My assessed operational lifespan was forty-five years,” Ambereye said.

That truly was a cold concept—the “operational lifespan.”

Kui Xin and Ambereye arrived at one floor of the safe house, standing facing each other.

“Go on,” Kui Xin said.

“Alright… considering your past identity, you should understand how important information is for someone like us. It’s key to our survival and forms the basis of our strategic plans,” Ambereye said, “My original plan was if we achieved our trade, I would stay with the Resistance Army to gather intelligence…”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Kui Xin responded, “But do you think you’ve earned their trust?”

Ambereye fell silent, “No.”

“Do you think the Resistance Army will trust you in the future?” Kui Xin questioned further.

“It’s unlikely,” Ambereye responded, “Especially since Ghost knows I only joined them as a temporary measure…”

Kui Xin posed another question, “If you stayed with the Resistance Army, what sort of missions or tasks do you think they would give you?”

“In the early stages, I would mostly follow Ghost around. Later on, if they loosen surveillance on me, they might have me brainwash fringe members or continue to expand their network within various societal strata,” Ambereye said apathetically.

He was clear about his standing within the organization and his role.

The Resistance Army is unlikely to delegate core matters to him, and Ghost would keep a close eye on his activities. Having just joined the organization, it would take months of dormancy to build trust… But Ghost isn’t naive; he is aware of Ambereye’s thoughts.

“The effect you could have staying with them is minimal, and you may not even obtain critical information. You might provide details about the Resistance Army’s recruits, contacts, and who’s embedded within the Federation and the wealth clans… but those are small fry. The true big fish—truly significant leaders of the Resistance Army—have never made an appearance. I’ve never met them; possibly, Ghost has. Their information security measures are strict, and individual members only communicate on a single line,” Kui Xin stated, “I get that now. Because staying with the Resistance Army isn’t useful, you consider that being near me can offer greater assistance, hence wanting me to remain.”

“Exactly right.” Kui Xin affirmed.

Being labeled as useless didn’t bother Ambereye, for it was the unvarnished truth—the Resistance Army and the Mechanized Dawn both viewed him solely as a tool, valuing his abilities but nothing more.

He desired freedom, yet Eve forbade him to pursue it. His ambition to save Black Obsidian was similarly thwarted by Ghost’s refusal.

Compared to Kui Xin, while she valued his talents and desired his help, she had at least made and fulfilled a few commitments. She rescued Four Leaves, ensuring he lived, proving her benevolence towards artificial humans.

After deep reflection, Ambereye spoke softly, “I agree.”

“I’ll stay and assist you… hoping you honor your promise.” He made his decision resolutely, “If the Resistance Army seeks revenge…”

“We will confront and defeat them together,” Kui Xin replied without hesitation.

Ambereye’s expression softened, “Alright.”

“I’ve noticed how much you value your fellow countrymen,” Kui Xin observed looking at Four Leaves, “You care deeply about Black Obsidian and Four Leaves… then what about Silverface and Reset?”

“They were ‘tamed’. I wanted them to become like me, though it is difficult. I once requested Ghost to spare Silverface,” Ambereye said.

“He surely refused?”

“Yes.” Ambereye admitted, “I expected rejection when I proposed it, but I still had to bring it up. Through repeated requests and probing, I learned their limits and intentions—they wouldn’t invest in me.”

“Did you ask Ghost to spare Reset?” Kui Xin inquired, “He possessed him.”

“No. Ghost wanted me to help him infiltrate the Mechanized Dawn for a body, and I did,” Ambereye said self-deprecatingly, “I knew his criteria for choosing a body—basically, strength mattered above all. Although I guessed that, I still helped him.”

“Hmm? Are you blaming yourself for Reset’s death?” Kui Xin arched an eyebrow, “Reset is dead because I killed him. Whether Ghost possessed him or not, I’d still kill him as nothing threatening me should exist.”

“I understand. So I made my choices. From the moment they were sent to kill me, it was destined—it could be me dead or them. I fought for survival, while they were mere tools executing orders. On this point, I cannot blame you.” Ambereye met Kui Xin’s gaze directly.

“I know I cannot save Reset or Silverface. Thus, I remain an observer. Though Ghost might possess Reset, I cannot change his mind and did not stop him. On matters beyond my control, I choose to observe.”

“You indeed went to great lengths for Black Obsidian, willing to sacrifice yourself,” Kui Xin remarked, “Risking yourself to see Four Leaves is dangerous, yet you came.”

“People have their closeness and distinctions. As a human, how could you miss this? Family means differently; Black Obsidian differs from Silverface or Reset for me.” Ambereye said, “Silverface and Reset are already trapped. No matter how hard I try, I cannot rescue them. In contrast, Four Leaves is different; he has moved beyond the quagmire. He will be a companion to me and Black Obsidian, unlike Silverface and Reset.”

“Indeed, good,” Kui Xin said, “I always thought artificial humans lacked intellect. Due to limited experiences, certain areas make them seem immature. You are a complex artificial human with thought, breaking my stereotypes.”

Ambereye was partly selfless, partly selfish. He was not purely altruistic nor purely egocentric, making him more human-like than not.

Kui Xin changed the subject, “Do you remember how the Angel planted the mental coordinates in your mind?”

“I simply slept and dreamed… Upon waking, the mental coordinates were planted in my brain,” Ambereye said.

Kui Xin pondered, “Could the Angel be an S rank Awakened?”

“That’s right,” Ambereye replied, “Ghost is one. There’s no reason he isn’t.”

“Do you have any differences in abilities compared to Ghost?”

“I’m too low-ranking. I can barely control regular humans and small animals. Those whose rank is lower than mine, I can manage as well,” Ambereye said, “If I attempt to possess the thoughts of another Awakening, I cannot use their ability, yet Ghost can. His powers seem forcibly occupying that soul.”

“Ghost cannot possess anything other than humans and cannot simultaneously control multiple bodies. However, I can,” Ambereye explained.

“They sound nearly comparable once your power reaches the S Rank.” Kui Xin assessed.

“Then, it’s extremely hard,” Ambereye said.

“Does Ghost have any weaknesses?”

“His weakness is that when he possesses another body, if that body is destroyed, he must return to his own body,” Ambereye said. “Don’t ask me where his original body is. I don’t know, and he certainly won’t tell me.”

“I guessed you didn’t,” Kui Xin slowly stated, “You mentioned Abra Popov, a contact of the Resistance Army from the Popov Clan… Have you met him before?”

“Will you target him?” Ambereye coolly questioned.

“Yes, you’ll lead me to him,” Kui Xin said.

Ambereye immediately agreed, “Deal.”

He suddenly recalled something, “Has the Popov Clan’s young master, Dmitri, really been kidnapped by you?”

“No, he has long since died. His body has been picked clean by fish in the sea.” Kui Xin said.

Ambereye’s expression showed the obvious, “I figured… The Popov Clan repeatedly held press conferences demanding talks with the Shadowless. The Shadowless ignored them. Clearly, there was an issue. They couldn’t deliver a live person, so they had to disregard them.”

“I kept busy dealing with Mechanized Dawn. Left them dangling for days. Likely, the Popov Clan realized their son was most likely dead.” Kui Xin smiled, “‘Lost’ a son? Then we’ll create another one.”

Ambereye stopped in disbelief, “Abra Popov…”

“Tie him up. He’s both Popov Clan and Resistance Army, beneficial on two fronts,” Kui Xin said. “Initially, I didn’t intend this for lack of surety. But with you, the chances improve.”

That one hundred billion, Kui Xin was determined to get. The Shadowless Organization was indeed short on funds, supplies, and manpower!

“It’s a rather good plan,” Augus approved Kui Xin’s strategy. “The special affairs department has received messages stating they will arrive in White Whale City tomorrow at request of the Popov Clan. They need to resolve the Shadowless issues, and the electromagnetic storm from last night hastened their journey. Kidnapping someone from a wealthy clan member might serve as leverage to hold the special affairs department in check.”

“When do we act?” Ambereye instantly adjusted his state for action.

As a warrior cultivated by the Mechanized Dawn, Ambereye possessed high combat capabilities and valuable experience. His potential contributions exceeded those of He Kangshi and Su Rong.

“Tonight,” Kui Xin checked the watch, “Today has been a continuous rush. Every second counts.”

“Alright.”