Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Sea Without Light Part 35

The sky gradually darkened, with oppressive heat in the morning heralding an approaching storm.

The summer weather was exceptionally capricious, with bright sunshine giving way to cloud-covered skies within the span of an hour.

Wolves, polar bears, sharks – apex predators in nature – would track prey for kilometers upon detecting blood. Once they locked onto a target, they wouldn’t easily relinquish it.

Kui Xin was a patient hunter and tracker.

Whenever Fang Zhi turned or looked back, Kui Xin positioned herself in his blind spot. If there were no obstructions, she entered Shadow Transition mode, blending into the fog to remain hidden effectively.

Fang Zhi had a somewhat logical mind, avoiding cameras while walking through less populated areas.

Surveillance cameras were increasingly ubiquitous in major cities, making it hard to find paths without them. Fang Zhi often raised his head, glancing left and right to assess camera positions. He frequently zigzagged down streets several times to find a suitable path, turning what should have been a one-hour journey into a two-hour adventure.

Kui Xin followed him for two hours, her emotions steady and heart rate even. To avoid her phone emitting notifications, she switched it to flight mode.

Fang Zhi clearly feared Kui Xin’s pursuit, constantly avoiding cameras and sometimes accelerating around corners before circling back to check for any followers.

He repeated similar maneuvers five or six times at different corners, fake-moving forward before abruptly looking around. Whenever he spotted shadows, he stared intently for a moment as if confirming something. After passing through the shadows, despite his apparent relief, he would suddenly reach out to grab the air nearby, still wary.

This behavior interested Kui Xin deeply. Fang Zhi wasn’t just aware of her but also possessed some extraordinary abilities. His fear seemed genuine and palpable, indicating real trauma, akin to the lingering effects of a past trauma.

His fear was so realistic; he seemed to have truly experienced it.

Kui Xin could predict future events and faced danger fearlessly, with clear goals and deep hatred for her.

Combining these clues, Kui Xin almost guessed what Fang Zhi’s superhuman ability entailed.

If this were true—if such abilities existed—she needed to change her strategy.

Kui Xin kept tracking Fang Zhi meticulously. She pulled out a handful of weeds, carefully binding her shoes with them, ensuring they were completely concealed from view. Shoe prints revealed details like brand, size, depth, and stride length…

Returning to the First World, she continued learning forensic techniques, aiming for absolute perfection. Hiding from surveillance alone was insufficient; every detail that might reveal her identity required careful handling.

Rain increased… even the heavens seemed to assist her.

Rain washed away scent traces and blurred footprints, hindering pursuit by the finest trackers.

After cleaning up personal information, Kui Xin wiped her face and initiated Shadow Transition, diving into the abandoned tobacco factory.

Such tasks became easier with experience.

Kui Xin drew the kitchen knife and surveyed the factory for signs of Fang Zhi. Wet clothes left distinct muddy prints underfoot.

She confidently navigated using Shadow Transition, treading lightly to avoid leaving more footprints.

The factory was dilapidated, with rusted metal ladders, peeling walls, shattered glass, and rain pouring through broken windows. Wind whistled eerily through the corridors, echoing like a chorus of spirits.

Kui Xin ascended to the second floor, narrowing the gap between her and her prey.

Finally, she turned a corner and saw Fang Zhi – his face pale and strained.

Fang Zhi was sitting on the ground, wringing out his soaked shirt when Kui Xin appeared silently, resembling a specter.

She watched him icily, eyes cold as dead water, the kitchen knife reflecting faintly.

“I have questions,” she said quietly. “Answer them, and I’ll let you go.”

Fang Zhi sat on the ground trembling.

“You know what my abilities are, don’t you?” Kui Xin said. “Don’t try to run. You can’t escape. Answer my questions, and I’ll let you go.”

Fang Zhi looked terrified. His eyes bulged as he stammered, “Y-you…”

“Answer the questions and survive. Don’t answer them and die,” Kui Xin said firmly. “It’s simple enough. Do you understand?”

Fang Zhi didn’t ask if she would keep her word; such queries were futile. The female hunter could always renege on her promise. If she intended to release him after he answered her questions, she would.

Responding might give him a slight chance of survival; silence ensured instant death.

“Fang Zhi, did you drink any Divine Blood?” Kui Xin asked sternly.

Fang Zhi visibly tensed.

“Did you?” Kui Xin kicked him, sending him sprawling and wailing, “I’m asking you once. Answer me, or do you want to test my patience?”

Fang Zhi lay there momentarily stunned. Seeing him still inaudible, Kui Xin delivered another powerful kick to his stomach.

Fang Zhi curled up, shouting, “Yes, yes!”

He answered because the question mattered little; all players knew there were two ways to gain superhuman powers—natural awakening and ingestion of Divine Blood. Whether he answered or not made little difference.

His earlier hesitation stemmed from fear, expecting more dangerous and sensitive inquiries.

“Have you undergone any changes?” Kui Xin’s eyes cut across his body sharply. “Take off your clothes.”

Fang Zhi grimaced, struggling to remove his shirt under her intense gaze. His muscles showed no signs of mutation, typical human physiology.

“In the First World, your body isn’t affected. How about the Second World?” Kui Xin pressed on.

“Nothing…” Fang Zhi replied.

“Where did you get your Divine Blood?” Kui Xin demanded.

Fang Zhi flinched, unwilling to speak.

But Kui Xin kicked him again, relentless in her assaults. With each kick, Fang Zhi screamed in agony, begging without mercy from Kui Xin.

She punctuated her assault with each word:

“I—” *Snap!* He broke his arm.

“Ask you—” *Crack!* His leg was fractured.

“Where from!” *Thud!* His skull met the wall, blood trickling down the cracked façade.

Fang Zhi fell unconscious, his vision filled with blood. Kui Xin found his discarded shirt, wrapping it around the knife then plunging it into Fang Zhi’s abdomen. Blood seeped through the shirt onto her hands.

Recovering, Fang Zhi’s wound healed rapidly. His body regenerated the damage swiftly.

“No! It’s from my church… Please, spare me!” Tears streamed down Fang Zhi’s face. “The church gave it to us. That’s all I know, please, spare me!”

Kui Xin remained emotionless. “You lie. I know you belong to the cult, and I want to know who supplies your Divine Blood.”

Fang Zhi quivered, tears mixing with mucus. “I swear, I only joined recently… I’m not lying, truly!”

Kui Xin stood up. “Which city do you live in the Second World?”

“White Whale City,” Fang Zhi said.

White Whale City was near the Polar Sea in the Second World, corresponding roughly to Russia’s Siberian border in the First World.

Fang Zhi’s mind worked, thinking himself clever. “You want our Divine Blood, don’t you? Let me go, and I’ll send you a bottle when I return home!”

Kui Xin scoffed. “Send? Do you think I’m as simple as you?” She paused, then asked, “Is your deity real?”

Hearing this, Fang Zhi stopped shivering. His tone spiked sharply, nearly hysterical. “How dare you doubt my Lord!”

Kui Xin’s eyes hardened, delivering a barrage of kicks. Fang Zhi’s ribs snapped several times.

Cursing wildly, Fang Zhi transitioned from cursing to pleading.

“Let me be! Why punish me!”

“Last question.” Kui Xin stepped back, hand holding the knife. “What’s your extraordinary ability?”

Finally, the question came!

Fang Zhi’s eyelids twitched as he spoke swiftly, “I foresee the future… I know you’ll kill me.”

Kui Xin stabbed him repeatedly. Fang Zhi howled in agony, nearly frenzied.

“You think I’m foolish, relying on your guesswork? Is religion delusional?”

Fang Zhi whimpered on the ground, his body recovering but his spirit failing.

“If you won’t answer, I’ll guess. Your ability involves time reversal… Am I correct?”

Fang Zhi coughed blood violently, gasping, “Impossible… No one should possess such power.”

“But my intuition tells me otherwise. I always guess right.” Kui Xin chuckled.

Her smile frightened Fang Zhi, as if facing death itself.

“By killing me, you’ll return to the past! Next time, I’ll end your existence. If you set me free now, no one will know! You know nothing about me!”

Kui Xin responded coolly. “Your desperation comes from loss. If resurrection was assured, you wouldn’t want to live so badly. Your rebirth must be limited. Limitations mean you can’t casually abandon your life.”

“Do I choose correctly?” She raised the knife, stabbing his eye, destroying his brain in one fatal blow.

“You killed the Proxy [Fang Zhi].”

“You deprived the Proxy [Fang Zhi] of their extraordinary ability.”

“You acquired extraordinary ability [Death Rebirth A-Class].”

“Death Rebirth, Class A: You can be revived after death, with fewer and fewer days between death and revival. Perfect overlap results in irreversible death. Your revive cooldown resets every seven days.”

Your ability [Tissue Regeneration] has upgraded.

Class C Tissue Regeneration: Your healing rate far exceeds that of normal humans.”

Meanwhile, on the Inner Beta Test Forum of Crimson Soil, a new notification appeared, pinned to the top.

Proxy 1286 was slain by Depriver 233 on July 29.