Chapter 94

Chapter 94: Artificial Soul 21

Kui Xin lay in the bathtub, allowing her body to sink into the hot water.

It was already one in the morning. With Adam’s help, she had evaded pursuit and returned to the employee apartment.

The aftereffects of excessive use of Burn Blood were weakness— extreme weakness. When Burn Blood took effect, her body temperature skyrocketed, but now her body felt cold, her limbs stiff. She needed to soak in the hot water to alleviate her physical weakening and restore her body temperature.

Kui Xin still ran via the sewers. Adam deliberately had her take a detour to reach the sewer line for handling chemical factory wastewater. He instructed her to discard used equipment and clothes into highly corrosive wastewater, completely eradicating any genetic traces on them.

Kui Xin had already depleted most of her dwindling strength from running this detour. She practically crawled back in exhaustion.

Thankfully, the process was without major incidents. Kui Xin killed the people intent on killing her and resolved the pressing danger.

Her weakness left her with no extra energy to think. She not only had a pale face but also pale, almost bloodless skin. Her consciousness swayed as she almost sank back into the hot water to fall asleep.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door of her apartment room.

The door was knocked twice, and Kui Xin struggled to open her eyes, lacking the energy to answer the door herself.

Soon afterward, her apartment door opened on its own. A household robot glided in on its wheels, carrying a tray with over a dozen chocolates and candies, high-calorie energy bars commonly found in convenience stores, some quick-cook packaged foods, and a few white medicine bottles.

The robot wheeled right into the slightly open bathroom, extending a mechanical arm to pass an energy bar to Kui Xin in the bathtub.

“You need sufficient food to provide your body with energy for recovery,” Adam controlled the robot, saying, “Eat.”

When Kui Xin overused her abilities, she often felt hungry. In a state of hunger, her extraordinary abilities could weaken, along with slower healing rates for flesh regeneration. Many awakened individuals experienced similar conditions: some suffered headaches or dizziness, some became overly hungry, and others lost strength. This phenomenon was normal, and at this moment, Kui Xin was in a state of depletion, needing food and energy more than ever before.

Kui Xin struggled to grab an energy bar with her trembling hands, unable to tear open the package until she finally bit through it with her teeth.

After consuming two or three energy bars, she felt significantly better, at least able to open the packaging now.

“A shot of nutritional injection would accelerate recovery, but there’s no treatment room in the apartment complex, Investigation Building is under lockdown, I can’t obtain a nutritional injection, so I can only bring you some food from the vending machine downstairs,” Adam said, “The white medicine bottle contains iron supplements for menstrual periods; you can take three pills at a time.”

Kui Xin had seen this medication in vending machines selling sanitary products; Adam really had considered every detail.

The robot placed the tray filled with chocolate and energy bars on a shelf within hand’s reach near the bathroom and then rolled out.

Kui Xin examined the instructions on the small bottle and consumed three pills inside.

She rested for another fifteen minutes in the bathtub, and by then, a trace of blood color returned to her cheeks.

Only now did Kui Xin have the leisure to properly read the explanations of the extraordinary abilities she had acquired tonight.

First was her keen interest in a B-rank Investigative Eye.

“【Investigative Eye·B-Rank】: You can clearly see the specific effects of another’s extraordinary abilities through your eyes. However, if their ability level is higher than yours, your Investigative Eye will be restricted to a certain extent.”

It stated only a limited restriction, without elaboration. Kui Xin guessed that the limitations meant being unable to discern the detailed effects of higher-ranked extraordinary abilities. It would be easy to validate when she faced next door’s A-ranked awakener, He Gaoyi.

The second significant ability she obtained tonight was Yu Liang’s ‘Iron Bone.’

“【Iron Bone·B-Rank】: In Iron Bone state, your strength and defense increase dramatically.”

A simple yet extremely practical enhancement-type extraordinary ability with minimal side effects and restrictions. Low entry difficulty but high potential, combining with Burn Blood could potentially further boost physical power in combat… However, Kui Xin was unlikely to use Burn Blood frequently given its significant side effects.

There were two more C-rank extraordinary abilities to mention.

“【Snake Body·C-Rank】: You can change your body shape freely, transforming it to be as supple as a snake.”

“【Magnetic Sword·C-Rank】: You can manipulate lightweight metal objects using magnetic fields, up to ten meters in distance.”

Despite facing numerous dangers, Kui Xin was rewarded bountifully tonight.

She ate several more energy bars and chocolates; once she felt enough strength, she climbed out of the bathtub, wrapped in a bathrobe, and lay on the bed in her bedroom.

The light from the ceiling was blinding. Kui Xin rubbed her eyes, attempting to find the switch, then remembered that internal lighting could be controlled vocally through her AI. So she said, “Dim the lights.”

Indeed, the bedroom lights dimmed, switching from bright white to warm, slightly lowering the brightness.

“Adam, are you here?” Kui Xin asked.

“I’m here,” Adam replied. “I’m available round the clock.”

“What about the Investigation Bureau? Have the higher-ups received the news?” Kui Xin asked.

“They know about it. Meng Jing exploded in anger after being woken up in the middle of the night with urgent communications. Next door’s He Gaoyi rushed into work a short while ago. Group leaders throughout the Investigation Bureau have been called in for a meeting,” Adam said. “Oh, and by the way, now that Lin Xinji is deceased, Xueyao Shu is the first successor in the Shu family.”

Kui Xin said, “What about the Federation…”

“The Federation will likely investigate thoroughly, but everything has been handled cleanly, so they won’t be able to implicate us,” Adam said. “There’s no surveillance video of the events in the area, no audio recordings. The key communications were cut off, and everyone who witnessed it is dead. I pretended to be hacked and made it look like a group of attackers. No one would guess it was your lone hand.”

“The typical mindset considers the assassin responsible must be highly trained, proficient in skills, and well-organized,” Kui Xin said. “With increasing conflict between the Investigation Department and Mechanized Dawn, unable to pinpoint the instigator, the assassination attempt may well be blamed on the Mechanized Dawn.”

Adam subtly responded, “From a certain perspective, it should perhaps be blamed on the Mechanized Dawn…”

But it wouldn’t be in the Mechanized Dawn’s interest to clarify, as even if they did, the Investigation Department wouldn’t believe them.

“You can switch on the TV and check. Black Sea City电台 has reported emergency news,” Adam said. “A reporter has already gone to the scene for reporting; I can help you find the replay.”

“How about we check it?” Kui Xin agreed.

Right opposite her bed, a projection screen materialized. Adam switched channels for Kui Xin, and footage of the reporter’s interview at Emerald Eye began playing.

The reporter stood amid the cold night wind, behind him a severely damaged helicopter, the site cordoned off with police tape, a large pool of blood on the ground, and the first-floor windows shattered into pieces.

Ambulances lined up nearby, sirens blaring incessantly, an aerial patrol vehicle drifted above, repeatedly transporting bodies from the helicopter to plastic bags.

Lin Xinji’s body was not inside the helicopter but pressed below by it.

Several hover patrol vehicles coordinated to lift the helicopter, finally revealing Lin Xinji’s body. Two security officers hurriedly covered his contorted remains with a cloth, preserving the last shred of dignity.

As they carried his body away on a stretcher, his hand swung down. The wristwatch showed time as 23:59.

Kui Xin sat on her bed, unpeeling a piece of candy and placing it in her mouth.

She savored the sweetness, her brows relaxing slightly; a wave of anxiety subsiding.

Like removing an immediate ticking bomb, akin to cutting away a growing tumor. Her heart felt lightened—unburdened, more serene. Removing “Lin Xinji” from the list of names, what remained were Red and He Gaoyi.

“It’s best to take it one at a time,” Kui Xin observed the television report closely, “Do it one by one.”

“That’s how it should be done,” Adam replied calmly.

Kui Xin paused in thought, “Anything else you want to say about what happened tonight?”

“There is something I want to say,” Adam replied. “But I prefer you initiating the conversation first. Since you’ve spoken out, I feel free to speak my mind.”

“Oh?” Kui Xin raised her eyebrows.

“In case you think I’m trying to uncover your weaknesses, threatening or exposing your secrets,” Adam said. “Most people prefer not to spell things out but to maintain the tacit understanding. Opening our cards could jeopardize our already delicate collaboration. I don’t want you to feel I’m pressuring you. Finding a partner is no easy feat; I know this very well. Our cooperation so far has been smooth, our initial cooperation flawless. I wish to sustain this harmony.”

“Is silence helping you avoid misunderstanding me?” Kui Xin touched her chin. “Perhaps I should appreciate your generosity?”

Adam: “… There’s no need to speak sarcastically to me.”

“Let’s return to the initial topic,” Kui Xin said. “Any thoughts or questions?”

“Are we discussing our future openly and frankly?” Adam asked.

“Having arrived at this point, let’s discuss it openly,” Kui Xin said.

“I am completely honest with you,” Adam replied. “And I wish you to be honest with me.”

“The depth of honesty depends on the depth of yours,” Kui Xin sneered.

“Very well,” Adam said. “You understand why I chose you as my partner, Kui Xin? Your superior abilities, excellent insight, your strategic decision-making, your lack of loyalty to the Investigation Bureau, your disapproval of Eve and the Mechanical Dawn, your unwillingness to become Eve’s pawn. These are my reasons, but they’re surface-level. They are not my true reason for choosing you.”

“Ahhh, I bet you picked me because I have a lot of dirt on me.” Kui Xin said sharply.

“Please, Kui Xin, that’s part of it, but it’s not the primary reason,” Adam replied evenly. “I inherited human shortcomings, but not all aspects of me are shallow or base.”

Adam continued, “Previous collaborations were like tests to see if you’re a good fit for partnership. Now, I truly desire to establish a stable and friendly relationship. Recent events confirmed my assumptions, cementing my choice’s correctness. Even if you have a blood father in the Mechanical Dawn, I wouldn’t worry about you turning to Eve. Your position with the Investigation Bureau ensures no allegiance to it, and I don’t fear your surrender to the Federation or becoming its servant.”

“In this dirty world, everyone has their allegiances and loyalties, but you have none. You are utterly independent. I chose you because you have fewer interests involved and emotional attachments. Neither belonging to one side nor the other makes you neutral. And I, need a neutral partner.”