Chapter 131

Chapter 131: Artificial Soul Part 58

The subsequent interrogation was not much different from the previous one, and Kui Xin and Wei Zhi both successfully passed through the Brain Machine’s memory reading.

When she came out of the Brain Machine, her headache worsened.

Was this an illusion? She had been experiencing headaches quite easily lately. Ever since the Death Rebirth, her mental state had deteriorated significantly, and even just walking normally felt like having a dizzy head. After going through the Brain Machine, the discomfort in her head intensified.

Kui Xin walked out of the Investigation Building. On the way, he ordered some takeout and went straight back to the employee apartment.

She waited for the delivery in boredom. Once the food arrived, she ate and fell asleep. She slept until dark, missing messages from Red and Silverface entirely.

Red: “The sublocation has been confirmed; you can come and recognize it when you’re free.”

Thinking about it, “Maybe another day.”

Red replied quickly, “You didn’t reply to my messages all day; is something wrong? Is your interrogation going well?”

“Smooth. Got through the Brain Machine, but my condition isn’t good.” Kui Xin succinctly explained.

Red: “Got it. Rest well, just let me know if you have time. Oh, I almost forgot, we got a new member named Nightingale. They share some relation with Night Cicada and have a B-Ranked Spatial Vortex.”

“Understood.” Kui Xin replied.

Silverface’s message was still there on the bracelet.

Silverface: “Me and Red Bartender are back in Hei Hai City! The sublocation address has been confirmed; it’s at a casino on the edge of the city center! We’ll be teamed up again!”

The message was sent early, before the one from Red.

Next, Silverface fully displayed his chatty nature, reporting updates every fifteen minutes or so. He genuinely had nothing better to do, hence sending so many messages.

“The casino owner’s bodyguards are weak, their bones snapped after two hits.”

“The casino owner himself is also weak, falling after a punch.”

“The bed in the casino room is very soft, I have a private room! Of course, the house in Harbor Zone is nice too! But I prefer softer beds. However, I can’t sleep on them, or I’ll fall asleep too deeply and lose my alertness.”

“When will you come? It’s been a while.”

“Red said you’ll go through the interrogation; how did it go? Should be over by now.”

Kui Xin remembered his first encounter with Silverface: then he was hiding in the darkness of the room, wearing a silver mask, talking less; she thought he was a cold-blooded killer… Okay, fine, Silverface was indeed a cold-blooded killer, but Kui Xin hadn’t expected him to be such a slow thinker.

“Silverface.” Kui Xin sent only two words, and immediately got an instant reply.

“! Finally responded!”

“Are you always this talkative while working under someone else?” Kui Xin asked.

Silverface: “Ah, I think I’m not that much talkative? In the past, when following Red he would complain about me and didn’t want any messages from me… If you find me annoying, I won’t send any more.”

Kui Xin thought for a bit, “I don’t find you annoying.”

Silverface was touched, “You’re so good to me!!”

“But you sending so many messages makes me feel like I’m your mother or sister. I’m neither your mom nor your sister, so you don’t need to report everything to me.” Kui Xin said.

Silverface: “So you still think I talk too much!”

After a long pause, Silverface suddenly said, “Why does messaging me make me think of you as my mother or sister?”

Kui Xin’s fingers hesitated on the keyboard.

She realized, Silverface was a thoughtless automaton who followed orders well but seemed to lack family or emotional ties. Unlike Ambereye and Black Obsidian, who were different and had free will, even背叛了机械黎明.

An unexpected thought crossed Kui Xin’s mind—what if she planted the seed of freedom in Silverface’s heart? Could he potentially betray Mechanical Dawn?

She answered carefully, “In human society, young children often develop a dependence on family, showing strong sharing desires, wanting constant company, and concern. Your behavior matches these traits of a child, yet I am not your family.”

Silverface seemed to not understand Kui Xin’s point and said, “I don’t get it.”

“Look it up online if you don’t understand,” Kui Xin said dismissively.

Silverface obediently replied, “Oh.”

He really looked it up.

Soon after, Silverface recalled something, asking, “When are you coming to the subbranch?”

“Busy for the next few days.” Kui Xin replied, setting down the bracelet.

Lying on the bed, she felt the silence around her except for her own breathing.

She had briefly entered a lull. Through the interrogation, she had gained some clarity on changing her metal skull, but it wouldn’t be completed anytime soon. The new Anne Schalit was a troublesome figure whose intentions she couldn’t grasp, having already used up one death rebirth cycle, she couldn’t afford further turmoil.

Recalling the Death Rebirth, Kui Xin pondered deeply.

The shortened retrospective time could be linked to world traversals.

To put it metaphorically, a goldfish originally capable of swimming great distances was placed in a sealed fish tank, reducing its range within the confines of the container despite its capacity to swim far.

This was analogous to how her movements are limited by the boundaries between worlds. Kui Xin, trapped in this system, was akin to the goldfish swimming in each confined space but hitting walls when trying to extend beyond.

Death Rebirth worked similarly: when rewinding time, Kui Xin was forced back to the First or Second World due to barriers, much like hitting glass on reaching the end of a possible timeline.

“Should I…” Kui Xin muttered to herself, “…What is Schalit doing now?”

“Schalit is resting at the accommodation provided by the Investigation Bureau since she plans to pick suitable people for the Special Affairs Department. Given her demeanor, she intends to act as the interviewer.” Augustine said.

“Is the Brain Machine there?” Kui Xin unconsciously clenched her fists.

Augustine said, “It has been loaded onto a cargo helicopter and will be moved soon.”

There was another change! In the last cycle, after Anne Schalit completed the interrogation, she left immediately and took the two Brain Machines away as well. Now the Brain Machines were gone, but Schalit stayed behind.

“I am keeping a close eye on her; she hasn’t shown any abnormalities and hasn’t left the accommodation.” Augustine stated, “The critical issue is, we are unsure what she aims to achieve.”

An unknown element is usually the most anxiety-inducing; Schalit was this unknown.

“I wish to speak to her alone. At the Investigation Bureau, she might hesitate because she knows her words could be monitored.” Kui Xin said, “Perhaps in a private meeting, she would open up more.”

“It’s too risky, Kui Xin.” Augustine warned, “You can hardly resist her A-Rank Hypnotic Sound. With just one sentence from her, you might climb a building and jump, or willingly aim a gun at your own head.”

With the temporary break, Kui Xin thought deeply about the matter. Kraken had overcome its crisis; now she faced new challenges. Recounting the events over the past two weeks meticulously, she tried to recall every detail, every word spoken, in hope of uncovering forgotten clues.

Kui Xin recalled the assassination attempt against Black Flame, revealing three distinct forces involved.

On one side was Mechanical Dawn, another the Investigation Bureau, and the last being the “genuine Resistance Army.”

“True Resistance Army,” Kui Xin learned this term from Night Cicada’s mouth.

During the assault on Black Flame, captured, the Investigation Bureau suffered heavily, Kui Xin and Wei Zhi were taken, Kui Xin exposed as a Player, coerced by Eve, and Ambereye and Black Obsidian disappeared. Mechanical Dawn provided no substantial explanation regarding their betrayal.

If Ambereye and Black Obsidian turned against them, who did they support? Since the Investigation Bureau belonged to the Federation government, they were unlikely to switch allegiances. Thus, the true answer emerged—the true Resistance Army.

Resistance Army was not unfamiliar; Kui Xin was rather familiar with it.

During her initial game entry, she viewed her game identity setup, clearly stating four roles: “Key member of Mechanical Dawn Organization; Security Officer Assistant in the Federal Investigation Bureau’s Seventh Platoon; Top Federal Fugitive; Resistance Army Agent.”

With further unfolding events, her secondary role transformed to “Secretary to the Chief of External Operations for the Federal Investigation Bureau,” leaving other identities unchanged.

Upon entering the game initially, Kui Xin analyzed her identity, mistakenly believing that “Resistance Army Agent” signified that Mechanical Dawn was a resistance organization, and her role was as an undercover operative.

Now, remembering Night Cicada’s mention of the “true Resistance Army,” she realized something was amiss.

She assumed these four roles were prioritized by the first two, supplemented by the latter two. However, what if these roles were independent? The implications differ vastly.

The first two identities represented her positions within two organizations. The third indicated her status as a fugitive within the federal system. Each role held separate significance, including the fourth identity which needed independent interpretation.

A chill ran down her spine.

Would it be that bad? Was she truly that unfortunate? Having started as an agent was already daunting, but now it appeared more complex than she imagined.

“Cautiously speaking,” said Kui Xin, “do you know anything about the Resistance Army, Augustine?”

“Of course,” Augustine responded, “a movement formed to overthrow the Federation government, aiming to dissolve monopolistic entities. Initially, they were associated with political parties, but 25 years ago, they were declared illegal under charges of promoting reactionary ideas. Officially defined as a terrorist group by the Federation. This organization has existed for decades, with members scattered worldwide.”