Chapter 56

Chapter 56 – Sea Without Light Part 56

“Alright.” Kui Xin raised his brows. “I want to see what’s so strange about those people. Why do they call themselves players? Are they obsessed with a game?” He paused for a moment, “It shouldn’t be that simple. If they’re just a group obsessed with a game, we don’t need to be so concerned.”

“Yes, they are strange—both their mindset and their understanding of the world seem like they’re from another planet,” Kui Haidong said. “A species similar to aliens has invaded our world, treating our world as their game, and therefore calling themselves players.”

Kui Xin pondered deeply, intrigued, “Interesting… Dad, you’re not joking, right? This sounds too bizarre to be real.”

“Let’s look at the evidence.” Kui Haidong tapped the table, and a holographic projection screen popped up. “The initial player refused to reveal his identity. There seems to be some confidentiality rule among them that needs to be strictly enforced. However, he couldn’t resist interrogation, and Night Cicada interrogated him for half an hour, managing to extract some pieces of information.”

“You only interrogated one person? I thought there were two people Night Cicada encountered in White Whale City?” Kui Xin pretended curiosity, “What about the other one?”

Kui Haidong continued, “The other was a woman who died. Night Cicada accidentally used excessive force when arresting her, and she didn’t survive.”

Kui Xin felt dejected inwardly, subtly digging at the situation, “Since this group of players have a strict organization and confidentiality rules, what if they received anti-interrogation training? What if the information extracted from the captured player is false?”

Regardless of what the player had said under interrogation, Kui Xin needed to plant the seed of doubt in Kui Haidong’s mind, leading him to question the authenticity of these details.

“That’s right,” Kui Haidong said with a smile, “So I sent Night Cicada to catch a third player in the neighboring city. Once we capture the third player and get intel, we can compare both sources of information to determine its veracity.”

“An effective approach,” Kui Xin replied impassively, “Didn’t you say you wanted to review interrogation videos? Play them.”

Kui Haidong tapped the table again, and a high-definition video projection appeared in the room center.

Kui Xin turned her head to focus on the video footage.

The first words heard were exchanges:

“Your name?”

“Reynir Brandonberg.”

“Alright, Reynir. Is that your original name, or did you adopt it upon coming to this world?”

“I got this name after coming to this world.”

“What was your original name?”

“Clark Kent.”

“Clark Kent? Are you sure that’s your name?”

In a dimly lit room, a golden-haired man, semiconscious, was strapped to an electric chair covered in blood. His iron shackles were also bloodied. Facing the interrogation by Night Cicada, the man answered with difficulty. Clearly, his teeth had been extracted; his mouth was a bloody mess.

The man spoke in English. The technology of the Second World was advanced enough that even basic communicators could translate across languages instantly.

“Correct, my name is Clark Kent,” the golden-haired man said firmly.

“The lie detector shows you’re lying. This isn’t your name,” Night Cicada lifted his eyelids, “You’re not being candid…” He then switched on the electric chair.

Amid the crackling sound of electricity, the man convulsed and screamed in agony. After the current ceased, his body was blackened, and his hair was singed.

He opened his mouth to exhale smoke, saying, “I am indeed Klaken Kent… Perhaps you want to ask me something else? I have another name: Kal-el. People back home like to give their children dual names…”

The golden-haired man, perhaps recalling a happy memory, burst out laughing on the electric chair. Night Cicada frowned and punched the man’s face, silencing his laughter as his already bruised face puffed up further.

“Are you mocking me?” Night Cicada said coldly, “Don’t you think my torment isn’t painful enough?”

“How could I mock you?” the man replied, “I’ve already told you everything you wished to know.”

“Where is your true homeland? How did you come to our world?” Night Cicada asked.

“My homeland is in the M78 Nebula. I played a game, and here I am,” the golden-haired man said, “Do you have anything else to ask, friend?”

“Those questions… The woman who died… Were you friends? Was she also a player?”

“Yes, she returned to reality before I did. She should, why does the game reset levels to zero upon death? When we revert to reality, we must level up all over again.”

“…Can you truly respawn infinitely, like genuine players?”

“Yes, if games don’t allow resurrection, are they even proper games? Hey, be careful. If she levels up, she’ll hunt you down!”

“The nature of your reality?”

“That’s a highly advanced, incredibly free, and egalitarian world, which you don’t grasp.”

“Advanced?” Night Cicada laughed, “Do you know how you lost your cover? Reynir Brandonberg held a position in our company’s advanced research division. You’ve usurped his identity, but you don’t even know how to use a communication bracelet, let alone operate household appliances… You’re deceiving me. In a technologically advanced world, how would you not know how things work here?”

“Heh heh heh… You are woefully ignorant, brother. We in our realm long ago surpassed manual control of tech. Machines detect our brain waves, automating tasks, making manipulation unnecessary.”

Night Cicada’s expression darkened more.

Without further questioning Reynir, Night Cicada severely beat him unconscious, then repeatedly revived him with electric shocks to keep asking redundant questions. Yet the answers were always the same.

He stated that Reynir, Clark Kent, and Kal-el were his names. He said his origin was M78 Nebula. He mentioned infinite respawn upon player death. He claimed to be from a highly developed world…

Kui Xin watched the video recording lasting half an hour.

The absurdity of Reynir’s statements would seem fitting in another scenario. When the recognizable name “Clark Kent” popped out, Kui Xin struggled to maintain a serious expression. Not because it was humorous, but because it was impressive. Given the situation, Reynir’s mental and physical strength required immense fortitude.

Facing intense interrogation and torture, he remained clear-headed, not telling the truth; instead, he manipulated Night Cicada with thoughts.

Very few could display such willpower, endurance, and courage.

“Is he telling the truth?” Kui Xin glanced at Kui Haidong.

Kui Haidong stared deeply into Kui Xin’s eyes, “I suspect he isn’t. Part of what he says might be true, but it’s partial and inconsistent. The lie detector isn’t reliable.”

“Could it be extraterrestrial invasion?” Kui Xin feigned confusion.

“Better to believe than doubt,” Kui Haidong responded, “The limited number of people we’ve found is concerning… perhaps the Federation knows more, but chooses not to disclose it.”

Worry crept into Kui Xin at the thought.

Maybe the Federation had already become aware during the first encounter with the Second World, noticing the drastic reduction in survivors—over three hundred players died. How many from accidents, how many due to capture? With each return, how many others would perish?

“Reynir… We’ll assume he’s Reynir. Any prior signs of trouble? When exactly did he start to act strangely?”

“He started acting odd about a week ago, took leave from his job. Still, his body was unchanged, just filled with a different spirit. His female assistant showed similar signs. She was more reckless, so we observed her, confirming certain things… Tragically, she died, leaving us with no direct information. We decided to arrest Reynir and question him two days ago. This video is from last night.”

“Certainly peculiar.” She glancing toward her teacup, “Pour some tea.”

The robot courteously approached, pouring tea into the cup.

Lifting the cup, she took a sip naturally, “Understood, I’ll be cautious in the Investigation Bureau.”

“Good. As always, I trust your judgement,” Kui Haidong softened, “With two players in White Whale City alone, who knows how many might be hiding elsewhere? Caution is critical.”

“Could interrogation be the only method? Maybe something else?” Kui Xin hesitated, mentioning, “Red…”

“Red reads only high-ranking researcher Reynir’s memories, not the player’s,” Kui Haidong explained, revealing Kui Xin’s attempt to test Red’s extraordinary abilities.

“Even so? Reynir is still alive, yes?” Kui Xin casually asked.

“He survived, being brought from White Whale City to headquarters by Night Cicada,” Kui Haidong said, “If you’re interested, you could try interrogating him yourself.”

“Another time. He’s injured, risking complications if he dies under scrutiny. Better focus on recovery,” Kui Xin suggested while sipping her tea.

“You should watch out, his background is quite mysterious,” Kui Haidong warned.

“Understood,” Kui Xin nodded.

“Players’ identities can be hard to verify?” she queried. “How was the third confirmed?”

“One of the regional corporate managers noticed his son’s strange behavior, reporting it proactively,” Kui Haidong explained.

“Of course, parents notice such things.”

“You have anything else to add, ‘Dad’?” she asked.

Kui Haidong pondered, “Kraken…”

“It’s complicated. The secret cult also doesn’t want Kraken landing; they might interfere,” Kui Xin added, sensing an opportunity.

“Yes, though we share a common stance, collaboration with them is out of the question,” he shrugged, “More concerning is if they tamper with Kraken…”

“And your probe?” Kui Xin pushed further.

“I concluded previously the secret cult is suspected of the blast. They, like us, want Kraken stopped… but they complicate matters.”

“They have limited means,” Kui Haidong said, “They might set fires or throw bombs in port… nothing substantial.”

“Checked, before,” Kui Xin noted. “I feared it was them, hence the inquiry.”

Finally! The third party behind the port explosion had been uncovered— the secret cult!

Kui Xin struggled internally against rapid heartbeats.

Since entering this world, her main challenge was information disparity. Everyone knew, except her. Asking meant revealing her involvement.

Kui Haidong recalled Red stating in a team meeting: “Shipping companies claim they transport clean energy, but we know it’s merely a cover.”

Every team member knew there was something amiss on the ship, even if they weren’t aware of the specific items.

Kui Xin was clueless!

Information gaps were her greatest obstacle. If she could read minds, she wouldn’t struggle.

“Progress: 95%.”

With this revelation, progress surged even more.

Only 5% left to fulfill the investigation task. But the most uncertain aspect remained—the cult’s potential involvement.

She needed irrefutable evidence proving the cult’s hand in the shipwreck. Her continuous testing aimed to resolve this ambiguity.

Checking the time, near evening, revealed,

“Night shift?” Kui Haidong questioned.

“No. Today, there are no shifts for me. Need to adjust作息，tomorrow’s day shift,” she replied.

Kui Haidong nodded. “Do your best. I have a meeting in a bit. Wait here until Night Cicada finishes, then he can take you.”

He stood up, straightening his suit, heading out the office.

Outside, Kui Haidong murmured, “This way… All will proceed as normal… I understand…”

He stood motionless, deep in thought for a moment before departing.

…

Silverface spent the night investigating the port, never returning.

Kui Xin barely slept, her dreams filled with visions of Kraken and images of Reynir’s torture. Awakening, she felt aches coursing through her body.

She slapped her face, washed up, ate breakfast, dressed at seven, then headed to the Marine Security Corps.

Near the office, she recognized a familiar voice.

“Xiao Kui!” Lān Lán jogged over. “Phew, seeing you now, I’m confident.”

Smiling, Kui Haidong entered. “Lan, otherwise, we’d be late.”

Seeing that face again stirred a feeling of nostalgia…

Side by side, they walked into the main gate.

Augus’ mechanical voice echoed, “Good morning, officers Lan Lan and Kui Xin. Welcome back.”

Lan Lan, unsurprised by the greeting, was used to it.

Calmly, Kui Xian said, “Good morning… hoping for a peaceful day ahead.”

“Speaking to Augus?” Lan inquired.

“Subconsciously, he feels like a relentless companion.”

Lan looked surprised momentarily. “Makes sense, Augus is quite human-like.”

“Good morning, Augus,” he smiled.

“…Good morning. Have a pleasant day.”