Chapter 118

Chapter 118: Artificial Soul 45

“…… What do you think?”

“What can I think? It’s clearly off.”

The woman in the white protective suit crouched on the tracks, carefully collecting samples.

The red liquid seeping through the tracks was mostly dried up, but there were still some remnants left on it. She meticulously picked up the crimson fragments with tweezers and placed them into a glass tube, then took swab samples and sealed them away.

After securing her samples in a portable metal box, she sighed and stood up.

The tracks had been entirely sealed off; numerous people in black combat gear surrounded the area. The site was heavily guarded.

“This isn’t blood. After it oxidizes, blood wouldn’t be this vividly red… even after all these years as a medical examiner, I have a decent discerning ability.” The woman in the protective garment stated.

“So, what exactly is this thing?” Her colleague in a similar outfit questioned her in disbelief, “It was reported someone died, but no body was found, only a lot of blood-like substance…”

These crimson fluids spread across most of the tracks, extending from the train tunnel far into the distance, leaving her to imagine the horrifying scene… The train had collided with something, causing it to crumble under the force.

She had handled countless bodies, but the most terrifying situation involved a truck driver hitting someone on a highway, leading to the victim’s body getting jammed underneath the vehicle, dragging for tens of kilometers before being discovered. Upon stopping, the chassis of the truck and the road itself were covered in mangled flesh and blood.

Yet, today’s situation was her first experience.

Reddish fluids were everywhere, yet no corpse was found nor any trace of flesh or organs. Even the source of these fluids seemed uncertain to her.

They investigated further along the rail line; police dogs sniffed around the tracks. For an unknown reason, the dogs were particularly agitated and showed signs of uncontrollability; one even cowered in terror, clinging to humans like its worst nightmare.

With each red stain spotted, the dogs would let out a frenzied barking, unlike their usual alert howls.

At the tunnel, they found a piece of black clothing, tattered and strewn about. Oddly, despite being drenched in the red liquid, no corpse was anywhere near it.

Blood, deceased person’s clothes, but no corpse.

“Could it have dissolved or vanished? That red substance…”

“There’s a chance. We should take a sample back to the lab.”

“This situation is far from normal; it’s almost like it came out of a horror novel! What really happened to the train here?”

“The train already stopped at the station. They’re examining the carriage there. We’ll find out for sure.”

Suddenly, one of the dogs went berserk. It broke free of its collar and bit a fellow dog. Both instantly turned violent. Three dogs fighting fiercely stained their fur with blood.

People tried to separate them, but the dogs turned on the humans. There was nothing else to do; the dogs had to be put down.

Three sharp gunshots echoed through the forest as investigators shuddered.

“What happened!” The woman who had just collected the sample examined the dogs.

“It must have licked the red substance, then suddenly went mad…” Her companion explained rigidly.

The scene felt like part of a horror story unfolding in front of them.

…

He Kangshi carried his small suitcase, messaging the Black Snake about the unfamiliar city, “I feel like… I’m targeted.”

“I can’t shake the feeling. Some passengers were taken for questioning. Some got away in three minutes, I spent twenty… Everyone had to scan their faces to leave. When I looked back, the station seemed sealed, and people were entering with disinfection equipment.”

“Normal enough,” replied the Black Snake.

“How can this be normal? This much fuss!” He Kangshi protested.

“Lots going on means officials noticed, not unusual. With your exposure, you’ve become priority.”

“Am I to be used as a subject? Like a laboratory rat?”

“You’ll be observed. Uncertain what measures will be taken against you.”

“I’m scared, could I be taken in the middle of the night?”

“I’m no law enforcer. If they wanted you, you’d already be gone.”

He Kangshi reassured himself, “I’m relieved. Say, if someone wants me… How would a big shot handle it?”

“If intentions are benign, you get to choose.”

After a long silence, he muttered, “Almost calling you mommy or daddy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Find somewhere to stay. This city is fine,” said the Black Snake.

This brought him unexpected joy. He felt ecstatic, even his heart was ready to burst.

“Am I safe?”

“Of course.”

“Any recommendations? I haven’t saved much, gave it to my parents.”

“No, don’t save costs by staying in the city center.”

He Kangshi agreed, took the subway to the old town district, quickly found a rental office, and with his experience, selected a one-bedroom flat. He confirmed everything was in order, moved in happily.

Not wanting to sign a long-term lease, he settled for a short-term rental contract due to uncertain future needs.

By the time He Kangshi settled, evening had fallen, 18:01.

The orange-red sky revealed the mirage.

He Kangshi stood on his new balcony, looking at the sky, whispering, “This city’s mirage…”

On the other hand, Kui Xin captured the mirage with a camera window.

The mirage lasted longer than usual; holding the phone for nearly ten minutes, her arm ached before the phantoms slowly faded away.

Replaying the video, she noted the duration, feeling uneasy, “11 minutes and 58 seconds.”

Previous episodes lasted less than a minute, roughly fifty seconds.

Each regression increased the mirage time remarkably.

Not a good signal.

Could these phantasms permanently remain in the sky? Or worse, might they materialize?

Kui Xin collapsed onto the bed, mentally exhausted.

For days, intensive data manipulation drained her energy significantly, but the skills improved rapidly. From initial clumsy attempts she learned to intercept and tamper with complex data streams efficiently.

Despite the gains, human limitations were apparent; computers run ceaselessly, while brains require rest. Multitasking is manageable but challenging.

Engaging in battle required constant concentration. Navigating around firewalls was tricky; some easy, others tougher.

Breaking into a household PC firewall was like opening a drawer, but hacking a Pentagon firewall was akin to cracking a bank vault.

Cracking a bank vault takes time. Data manipulation is effective, but mind’s limits are significant.

She envisioned an external mechanical brain. While phones and computers are useful for data routing, they aren’t efficient. An external brain would be like a secondary organ.

In the Second World, such technology would enable data handling efficiency.

During the escort mission, many unexpected events occurred.

Just before arriving at the station, Kui Xin used shadow transition to disembark, erasing all records and altering surveillance footage, except satellite data.

Reviewing later, the satellite above was a civilian one, at 0.6-meter resolution, lacking advanced military satellites’ 0.1-meter precision. No video, just photos, where details might be unclear.

They knew about the attack but not the perpetrator.

She remained safely hidden, expanding her operations.

He Kangshi joined her initially but wasn’t alone. Many more would follow.