Chapter 219

Chapter 219: The Boundless Dark Realm – Part 74

Kui Xin’s eyebrows twitched, feeling a bit relieved.

She had sent Su Rong to another base where they could contact each other through communicators. Su Rong was a C-rank individual too. If she happened to meet that girl, her mind might be read.

Reading minds—this ability belonged to the mental category.

“Explain to me why you chose us,” Kui Xin’s voice, twisted by the voice modulator, reached the other side.

The interviewee, Wei Li, mentioned her name and age —twenty-five years old—and some experience with fetching tasks in the dark web. All of her missions were small and insignificant with no criminal records.

“You have a reputation for being someone who should not be taken lightly, even if it’s on the dark web,” Kui Xin stated.

“We have a vendetta against the Popov clan. They murdered my brother,” replied Wei Li.

“I see. Continue,” Kui Xin requested calmly.

“My brother, Wei Zhou, was an artist signed to one of the Popov company’s entertainment branches. He underwent bullying inside the company and… he committed suicide,” continued Wei Li.

“Suicide?” Kui Xin immediately instructed Augus to access the records about “Wei Zhou.” He was indeed a minor celebrity who vanished quietly only six months after he started. There had been no news about him since.

“What do you hope to gain from us?” Kui Xin asked next.

“The chance to strike back at the Popov clan. That’s all I care about,” Wei Li said frankly.

“Your value isn’t much,” Kui Xin remarked, “but what can you bring to the table?”

“Nothing besides my life. My ability is reading minds,” Wei Li explained. “I never reported this ability to the Federation or tested it, so I don’t know exactly how powerful it is. However, I roughly understand its effects and limits. I cannot read your thoughts. It must mean you are strong, at least B-ranked. You might not need me, but I will contribute all that I have if you let me join.”

“Can you fight? Can you kill?” Kui Xin pressed on.

“I can,” Wei Li asserted.

“And your principles?”

“I have none when it comes to achieving a goal,” Wei Li admitted after a significant pause.

“Thank you for the interview. You may go now,” Kui Xin said briefly. “Be cautious of surveillance once you leave.”

Before, Mechanized Dawn had targeted the first round of interviews, but although their plot had failed, there was still a risk of people like TQC or Investigation Bureau sneaking through undetected and leaking information about the interviews.

Wei Li did not expect the interview to end so soon, standing up in surprise. She glanced back at the clear but invisible glass wall one last time before stepping through a portal.

“Next candidate,” Kui Xin contacted Su Rong again.

“Alright,” Su Rong responded. “The first one went well. Hopefully the next ones will follow suit.”

“It’ll go smoothly, considering Special Affairs Department and Investigation Bureau haven’t yet closed in on us. They want more players to fall into our hands,” Kui Xin replied.

Another interviewee arrived at the location under Su Rong’s guidance. This person was nondescript, ordinary, neither outstanding in appearance nor aura, easily overlooked in a crowd. His self-reported ability was optical projection, creating illusions by controlling light refraction in the air.

While somewhat redundant due to advanced technology, this person also had decent overall capabilities and completed missions efficiently.

During questioning, he gave standard answers.

“Why did you choose to come to The Shadowless? Fame. What do you seek here? Money. Any principles? Those in our world do not talk about principles…”

“Next,” Kui Xin welcomed in another candidate.

The candidate, named Jin Huan, had a somewhat interesting extraordinary ability—touch-induced detonation.

This ability allowed him to convert materials into explosives upon touching them, implying he could create bombs anywhere. His capability ranked at B-level, indicating considerable power.

“Are the reports on the Black Snake accurate?” Jin Huan interrupted Kui Xin mid-question.

“You don’t have the right to ask questions. Answer mine first,” Kui Xin responded sternly.

Jin Huan apologized immediately.

“You’re here because of the ‘Black Snake’, aren’t you?” Jin Huan explained. “The organization is led by Black Snake. If he knows me as a kindred spirit, then you should know why I am here.”

The candidates usually had similar reasons, citing Black Snake as their motivator.

“What are you hoping to get out of this?”

“Safety, companionship. To avoid fighting alone,” Jin Huan replied.

“And your principles?”

“To survive. I would protect others unless it conflicts with my own protection,” Jin Huan pondered.

Kui Xin briefly noted, “Your codename is Serpent-related.”

The young man beside the glass spoke softly, “I admire Black Snake, hence my codename choice.”

“Fine,” Kui Xin responded ambiguously.

As expected, such nicknames were not unusual.

“You can leave. Await further instructions,” Kui Xin concluded, “Be mindful of surveillance.”

Jin Huan nodded, entering a portal afterward.

The subsequent interviews went uneventfully. Each candidate varied in gender, strength, and abilities, all of which Kui Xin evaluated and dismissed.

Finally, the last candidate entered the room, showing an “extensive vision” ability. She claimed to see distant scenes clearly.

But upon meeting her gaze, Kui Xin discovered her true power was not extended vision, but rather X-ray vision—she lied.

“Most of those with ulterior motives are skilled actors. They hide themselves well despite my scrutiny,” Kui Xin muttered.

Her probe had been thwarted by this deceit, had it not been for Kui Xin’s Investigative Eye capability.

Kui Xin opened the glass door, approaching and striking the interviewer unconscious, sedating her instantly.

“Scalpel, is everything alright?” Su Rong called anxiously.

“No major issues,” Kui Xin replied, scanning the body and noticing no tracker.

Then a critical warning alarm sounded, detecting an unidentified device in the woman’s heart—a bomb.

“This is dangerous, we need to move quickly,” Adam warned.

They swiftly moved, collecting blood sample from the corpse before opening a portal out of the area.

“If she hadn’t been last, we might have faced more complications during the process,” Kui Xin mused.

“She appeared inexperienced. A professional would have remained composed,” Adam commented.

“Is she a player controlled by the Federation or Mechanized Dawn?” Kui Xin pondered.

Her mood worsened, “It seems… We’ll confirm it once I read her blood memory.”

Checking the time, it read two o’clock PM—she needed rest, especially given her recent exhaustion.

Reaching home base, Kui Xin contacted Su Rong.

“Meet me. Let’s return to the safe house,” Kui Xin ordered.

“Understood, I’m on my way,” Su Rong responded.

…

At 23:50, Kui Xin woke to her alarm, readying herself for the incoming day.

23:59:00.

Adam said, “See you in a minute.”

“Seven days later,” Kui Xin repeated solemnly.

00:00:00.

Darkness overcame her swiftly, enveloping her as ever.

But this transition felt different—the black tide surged in and carried her away.

In this chaos, she saw a shadowy figure holding scales—red and blue gems on either side.

“Which will you choose—the red gem or the blue?” the shadow demanded.

Shocked, Kui Xin hesitated, but darkness faded, bringing her back to a familiar reality—she stood in Tonglin City, the old factory casting a sinister glow under the moonlight.

She shivered, feeling the vibrations of the alarm on her phone.

Her blood pulsed urgently, marking the start of a renewed journey.