Chapter 200: Dark Boundless Realm 55
“They… who are they really?” Su Rong said fearfully. “All they have to do is use that ability, and our Extraordinary Abilities will all be nullified. I can’t fight up close; my marksmanship is terrible. All my combat effectiveness comes from my Shadow Double… are they enemies of The Shadowless?”
“The organization they belong to is called Mechanized Dawn. It’s a large and tightly organized group with branches and members everywhere. Their members include ordinary people, combat personnel, Awakened, and Bioroids,” Kui Xin said. “This is the largest organization I’ve encountered and interacted with so far, and they’re terrifying.”
Su Rong was astounded. “Are they more frightening than the Popov Clan?”
“Yes,” Kui Xin looked at her. “They came for this interview to test us, but we aren’t without gains; we’ve learned about that person’s ability activation effect.”
“Right. They didn’t come alone; I saw several people rushing over before my Shadow Double dissipated. He has teammates,” Su Rong said, still trembling. “It’s good that it was my Shadow Double being tested. Even if it gets shattered, it doesn’t affect me. Otherwise…”
She shivered and then asked, “If only we could send him into the Spatial Vortex. We could teleport him to another location, and maybe then we could…”
“No, you saw it; his companions are very close to him,” Kui Xin replied. “Do you know why I set up twelve different coordinate points nearby, using the Spatial Vortex to open in different locations each time? It’s to prevent the Mechanized Dawn personnel from following him to see my Spatial Vortex. I assume our disruption strategy is successful. They don’t know where you brought the interview participant, so they won’t realize that I possess this key ability. And I suspect that even if the Spatial Vortex is opened, that person won’t go in. If forced, he would use his own ability. He’s not stupid; he knows I want to take him out and won’t go off alone.”
“Right! Concealing abilities is crucial,” Su Rong realized. “Maotoufu, you’ve thought of a lot of details… is this strategy?”
In truth, Mechanized Dawn could likely guess that Kui Xin killed Nightingale, but guessing is only speculation. They can’t be a hundred percent certain, probably only eighty percent. Similarly, they can’t be a hundred percent sure that Kui Xin is Remover 233. But once Kui Xin reveals the Spatial Vortex, that eighty percent certainty will turn to a hundred. They would immediately conclude that Kui Xin is Remover 233, deducing her Extraordinary Ability and formulating clearer, more specific, and targeted tactics.
The difference between guessing and certainty is vast, and the tactics resulting from each are significantly different.
Kui Xin can’t just give up and expose her true identity because the opponent might guess. On the contrary, she must seize every moment to confuse the enemy, even if the smoke screen she produces only tips the scales of victory slightly in her favor.
Su Rong felt enormous pressure from Kui Xin’s meticulous thinking.
In this interview, she was an assistant, marking her first formal involvement in the organization’s affairs. She still had more to participate in and learn.
Kui Xin trusted her and entrusted her with important matters, so she had to give her all to do well. The most she had ever put her heart into was preparing for the college entrance examination, but now her attitude was even more serious than for that.
Su Rong’s facial expression was strange, feeling somewhat stiff due to her recent face-changing surgery. Her new face and muscles had yet to fully adjust. Her voice had also changed; the cosmetic surgeon had made slight adjustments to her vocal cords.
Due to the numerous procedures, they had to be completed in batches. Her fingerprints and palm prints had not yet been altered, and she was wearing contact lenses that could prevent devices from recognizing her iris.
Her original face was too eye-catching, while her new one was more ordinary but still coordinated and pleasant to look at.
“I remember! I know this organization; I saw intelligence about it on the forum. Players said Mechanized Dawn assassinated the Deputy Minister of the Bureau of Investigation and Order Maintenance in Black Sea City. The news repeated for days,” Su Rong gasped. “Why would they…”
She intended to ask why Mechanized Dawn had targeted Kui Xin, but swallowed the question as it came to her lips, sharply sensing—this was a dangerous question that she couldn’t ask. If it were something that could be answered, Kui Xin would have just told her outright instead of holding back.
“What do we need to do to solve this trouble?” Su Rong asked gravely.
“Good question. I don’t have too many ideas about this. The only thing I can think of is a decapitation plan, and the first thing to take down is that one with the nullification ability,” Kui Xin replied. “He poses a significant threat to all of us.”
Su Rong nodded heavily.
“Additionally, we need to guard against their siege tactics. The technology and equipment of this organization are highly advanced, and carelessness can lead to pitfalls. Their core combat team mostly consists of the Awakened,” Kui Xin summarized the key points. “I only know a few of them well enough to be aware of their abilities… but I fear that Mechanized Dawn might send someone even stronger, like that one with the nullification ability. I’ll compile this personnel information and send it to you shortly. Take a good look.”
Sister Xin understands that organization very well… Su Rong thought anxiously. She was clearly in a life-and-death situation with that group.
“The reason I had you and Hunter Falcon change your appearances is to prevent your real faces from being recorded by Mechanized Dawn; that’s too dangerous. Mechanized Dawn is a ruthless organization. They will torture players and brainwash them,” Kui Xin said. “You need to stay alert these days. Now that your face has changed, I allow you to leave the Safe House and go outside, but you must hide and not expose yourself.”
Su Rong couldn’t stay hidden in the safe haven forever; it would be detrimental to her growth.
“I know. When you took the Shadow Double outside, I memorized all the hidden routes you took. I will be careful,” Su Rong said.
Kui Xin felt a flicker of relief in her heart and continued, “Ash, you need to meet Hunter Falcon to get familiar with each other. When necessary, you will have to cooperate.”
Su Rong smiled. “Getting familiar won’t be with our original faces.”
As soon as she said it, Su Rong realized the deeper meaning behind Kui Xin’s actions.
Kui Xin hadn’t initially allowed them to meet using their true faces but instead had them change faces first before meeting. Whether in front of others or alone, Kui Xin always referred to them by their code names and never by their real names. This was actually a double protection for both of them; they wouldn’t have to worry about exposing their identities once they returned to the First World, nor would they have to fear being caught and revealing critical information while in the Second World.
In The Shadowless, member information is the highest secret.
“I know that anyone who can join The Shadowless must be trustworthy,” Su Rong said.
“Yes,” Kui Xin replied.
Kui Xin mentioned Mechanized Dawn but did not mention the Resistance Army. In fact, she had already specifically spoken about it to He Kangshi when he returned to the base last night. He Kangshi was sufficiently frightened but did not back down; upon hearing about Mechanized Dawn’s cruel actions towards players, he said through teary eyes, “Damn it, they will pay for this one day.”
Knowing too much isn’t good for them either; they only need to understand the general situation and be mentally prepared.
Someone is after her; someone wants to eliminate The Shadowless. The enemy is extremely dangerous—this is what Su Rong and He Kangshi need to understand.
What they need to do is exert their limited power, not hold back, and help this organization that has just started getting on its feet. Beyond that, Kui Xin cannot expect too much from them for the time being.
Fortunately, both Su Rong and He Kangshi are quite capable; although inexperienced, they are still striving to play their parts and do what they can without being a burden.
Kui Xin and Su Rong left the temporary base; Su Rong was headed to find He Kangshi, while Kui Xin temporarily separated from her.
She had used too many Spatial Vortexes today and consumed a lot of energy; she couldn’t deplete all her strength just to rush, needing to retain some energy to handle unexpected situations.
Kui Xin took out a pair of specially made glasses from her pocket.
Normally, electronic eyes do not require glasses and can adjust automatically, but the glasses she was wearing had special lenses that helped the electronic eye’s camera filter and process things that normal cameras could not see.
The room used for the interview was “enhanced.”
Kui Xin had spread a completely colorless and odorless transparent fluorescent agent all over the ground, and some fine fluorescent dust was floating in the air. Anyone entering that space would have their clothes and exposed skin covered in the fluorescent agent, and wearing the special glasses would allow her to see the fluorescent marks.
Fluorescent footprints would stick to the ground, and the fluorescent dust on the clothes could adhere to anyone who had come into contact with the interview participant, helping Kui Xin lock in on a range and target.
Kui Xin deliberately prevented Reset from participating in the interview to force Mechanized Dawn to act.
If the Shadow Double suddenly attacked Reset, it would basically confirm that The Shadowless and Kui Xin were connected; otherwise, why would they strike without grievance or enmity?
Mechanized Dawn would certainly want specific intelligence about the interviewee, eager to know what The Shadowless said and did during the interview, and most importantly, who was hosting the interview. But since Reset had failed to infiltrate the interview, they’d have to obtain information elsewhere.
Who would they target?
They would focus on the other interview participants.
If they cannot obtain intelligence directly, they can torture others for it.
That has always been Mechanized Dawn’s style.
Everyone in this interview was bait for Kui Xin, herself included.
“Augus, have they left?” Kui Xin asked.
“They should have,” Augus responded. “They discovered the hidden cameras you deployed on-site and removed them.”
“As expected,” Kui Xin remarked. “Let them discover it.”
“In the last two days, you’ve totaled about thirty cameras and listening devices, costing around five hundred thousand Federation coins,” Augus continued. “When you go to the black market to buy these items again, change your disguise so the shop owner doesn’t recognize you.”
“Okay,” Kui Xin replied.
The black market owner was ecstatic to have such a big client as Kui Xin, making in one day what would usually take him three months to earn.
Kui Xin quietly returned to the gathering place for the interview participants. She patiently waited for a moment to ensure the area was secure, then put on her special glasses to scan the surroundings, quickly spotting several sets of footprints.
She marked the footprints, took out a mechanical box the size of a fist, pressed a button, and the box automatically expanded into a super-miniature reconnaissance drone, flying silently and invisibly. She had purchased this at the black market just this morning for one hundred thousand Federation coins… a significant expenditure for Kui Xin.
She connected to the control system and maneuvered the drone into the sky, following the marked footprints.
