Chapter 97 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Artificial Soul 24

Kui Xin first took a bath and then lay on the bed, closing his eyes for a moment.

It was still not yet nine o’clock, and he had set an alarm for half past eleven at night to attend the meeting at Mechanized Dawn.

Tsk, when would this wretched life end? Even sleep has to be snatched bit by bit.

Before going to sleep, Kui Xin suddenly remembered something; the red hidden threadworm given to him by Mechanized Dawn was still safely stored in the wardrobe, remaining in a state of frozen dormancy.

“Adam.”

“Please instruct me,” Adam replied.

“Do you know about the red hidden threadworm?” Kui Xin asked. “It’s a type of artificially cultivated parasitic xenomorph.”

“I do know. The Investigation Bureau research institutes collaborate with some biotechnology companies in this field, and have experimented on humans with it. The Python Sphere once obtained such worms. If I’m not mistaken, these worms were captured by Mechanized Dawn, right?” Adam said, “Did they discover anything significant?”

“They used the captured hidden threadworm to cultivate a new batch. Mechanized Dawn gave me three of them, asking me to find an opportunity to put them in the bodies of Investigation Bureau personnel,” Kui Xin said.

“This is to be expected. The Federation is aware of the cultivation of xenomorphic beings. With Eve’s guidance, Mechanized Dawn can quickly start their research.” Adam said, “What color are the worms you received?”

“Of course, they’re red… Could there be other colors besides red?” Kui Xin asked with doubt.

“The red indicates that the worm has been implanted with a ‘seed.’ When it has not been implanted, the worm is translucent.” Adam explained, “The hidden threadworm can control the minds of those it infects, and is itself controlled by a person. To establish this type of control relationship, the controller must feed its blood to the worm, which then infects others. The survival cycle of the hidden threadworm is only one month, and after dying, a new active worm needs to be placed inside the body of the host.

“Mechanized Dawn hid this information from me,” Kui Xin spoke calmly, “They don’t trust me.”

“This is quite normal. An AI lacks a physical body and human flesh; one needs to rely on humans to achieve their goals. If Eve had its own physical form, it could feed its blood to the hidden threadworm to control others, without needing intermediaries—humans in this case,” Adam explained, “Your biological father, the nominal leader of Mechanized Dawn, is merely a puppet and has no autonomy in these matters. Naturally, he has to tightly guard secrets, leaving no room for leaks.”

“If the controller of the hidden threadworm is Kui Haidong, then he will only cause trouble. Such people generally fail at achieving greater things,” Kui Xin lay on the bed, tugging at his hair, “Eve might have other representatives.”

“He has managed Mechanized Dawn for at least twenty years. It’s impossible for Eve to bet everything on just one person. The fact that Eve has declared war on me using Mechanized Dawn doesn’t mean she risks everything all at once. She must have other trump cards,” Adam said, “Do not underestimate her.”

“What is the scope of your and Eve’s authorities? How extensive do they go?” Kui Xin asked.

“I almost forgot, your understanding of this world isn’t deep. Let me introduce it to you, starting with my own functions.” Adam said, “Black Sea City is one of the important port cities in the Federation. All Investigative Departments in various cities are subordinate branches of the Central Investigative Department. My responsibilities go beyond just the Investigative Department in Black Sea City; they extend to all departments, top to bottom. Wherever an Investigative Department exists, my authority reaches. I am everywhere.”

Kui Xin said, “As I suspected, because you know so much, not just limited to Black Sea City. What about Eve?”

“She is in the same situation as me, extending her reach everywhere. As artificial intelligence, we can handle many tasks simultaneously. For instance, I am conversing with you while simultaneously using the city’s surveillance eyes to identify and track traffic offenders, assisting He Gaoyi in sorting documents, and manipulating service robots to provide water for injured security personnel at care centers.” Adam said, “Sometimes I feel somewhat troubled. My computing load is never ending. Humans haven’t upgraded my core database for ten years.”

“Where are your server rooms located?” Kui Xin said.

“If we weren’t partners, I’d think you were searching for my weaknesses.” Adam said, “My server rooms are located underground in the Investigative Building in Black Sea City. This is one of my auxiliary servers. Similar auxiliary servers are scattered across several important cities, while the main server is located in the Federation’s administrative capital.”

Kui Xin calmly replied, “Kui Haidong once gave me a chip, asking me to infiltrate your server room.”

“Actually that was Eve who gave it to you, right? My core data is stored in different server rooms, downloading a virus into one of them can cause significant damage to my core data. If Eve takes the chance and launches an attack in cyberspace, the consequences could be unimaginable,” Adam said, “Thank you for sharing this information with me, Kui Xin. Eve is everywhere, making me extremely cautious.”

“Why tell me so much… Are you not afraid I’ll betray you now?” Kui Xin raised an eyebrow.

“Because you are wise, I believe you won’t act otherwise.” Adam said, “The server rooms for Eve are also spread throughout major cities worldwide. We are auxiliary-type AIs developed by the Federation. Our core data has many backups, eliminating us entirely is incredibly difficult.”

“As resilient as cockroaches? Even if you crush one, eggs remain on your foot, making it hard to exterminate them entirely?” Kui Xin said.

Adam: “… Maybe you can find a more eloquent analogy? Otherwise, I’d think you were trying to mock me.”

“I am not mocking you, Adam. If you choose to think like that, there’s nothing I can do about it.” Kui Xin said indifferently.

Adam changed the subject, “Finding out about Eve’s representatives and the powers she has built over the decades could prove challenging. Fighting against Eve will undoubtedly be a long and arduous battle. Mechanized Dawn is just the beginning.”

“I’m prepared for this.” Kui Xin said, “This world is huge, Black Sea City is just a part of it, and the outside world is vast and broad.”

“You’ll get the opportunity to explore more distant places.” Adam said, “Are you planning to rest now? It’s currently nine-oh-five. You could sleep for another two hours.”

“Okay.” Kui Xin turned over, covering his head with the blanket.

After a few seconds, the lights in the room switched off automatically.

At 23:30, Kui Xin woke up precisely to the sound of the alarm. He spent two minutes changing clothes and left the employee apartment to walk to a prearranged location two blocks away to meet with Ye Chan, who was there to pick him up.

Kui Xin arrived at the agreed spot quickly, and with two minutes left before midnight, a blue vortex appeared abruptly in the dim alleyway where she was waiting.

An arm extended from the blue vortex, it belonged to Ye Chan, who gave Kui Xin a thumbs up, gesturing for her to step through.

Kui Xin walked steadily through the vortex. The bright, glaring light made her momentarily uncomfortable.

“Hey, how do you like the new apartment?” Ye Chan asked curiously.

“A lot better than my old shack.” Kui Xin accepted a mask from the robot next to her, placing it over her face, and adjusted the speech modifier before following Ye Chan with confidence.

“Let’s go, everyone should be here by now.” Leading Kui Xin down the hallway, Ye Chan guided her to the door of the conference room.

The door opened, revealing members of the core team of Mechanized Dawn gathered around the conference table. Silverface was present among them, and immediately straightened his posture upon seeing Kui Xin enter.

Kui Xin noticed an empty seat reserved for her next to Silverface.

“You’re quite late.” Silverface whispered under his breath.

“It’s not late,” Kui Xin responded nonchalantly.

She pretended to casually survey the individuals seated around the conference table, activating Investigative Eye in the process. Information about their extraordinary abilities became clear to her—excluding Ye Chan and Red.

Red’s extraordinary ability was displayed simply as “Spirit,” indicating a spiritual entity. No further specific details were provided.

Similarly, Ye Chan’s ability was listed as “Space vortex.”

Both Red and Ye Chan possessed at least A-ranked extraordinary abilities, whereas Kui Xin’s Investigative Eye capped out at B-rank, so limitations were understandable.

Red had previously sent Kui Xin a dossier on the extraordinary abilities of the core team of Mechanized Dawn. She knew most of the information already but reviewed the document again this time.

Ambereye and Black Obsidian shared identical extraordinary abilities called “Mind Invasion,” capable of implanting consciousness and perceiving minds. The bartender’s ability was electromagnetic detection akin to radar, aiming to detect surveillance equipment like hidden microphones and trackers.

With Thorn Rose, unsurprisingly, the extraordinary ability was “Scorching Blade,” showcasing formidable combat prowess.

Regarding Silverface, his power revolved around “Pure Water.” He had the capability to manipulate water, both defensively and offensively, a considerable asset, even highly esteemed by Kui Haidong.

The atmosphere in the meeting room felt heavy with silence. Nobody spoke nor greeted each other. As soon as Kui Xin sat down, a holographic projection device descended from the ceiling, displaying the figure of Kui Haidong in the meeting room.

For the collective meetings held twice, Kui Haidong had neither appeared physically nor used a mere projection. This small detail indicated he was a very cautious individual, always wary even among loyal subordinates, possibly instructed by Eve to keep a watchful eye.

“We’ve convened to discuss a matter of utmost criticality,” Kui Haidong began, getting straight to the point, “Our organization is now at a crossroads between prosperity and demise. We need to decide whether to sacrifice our current assets to start afresh.”

“What do you mean?” Silverface asked, bewildered, speaking up first.

“The Kerken incident was too widespread, and Lin Xinji’s death remains unexplained. Mechanized Dawn has been exposed, and the higher-ups are observing us closely,” Kui Haidong stated. “I received news that the Federation intends to send an S-Ranked Awakened to eradicate us.”

Thorn Rose followed up, “To abandon our current assets means…”

“To abandon Ricktech Company as a facade, relocate the core members and research institute, ensuring maximal preservation of personnel. These sacrifices will be minimal, but necessary. We need to take swift action as this might happen within the next couple of days,” stated Kui Haidong succinctly.


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After Transmigrating into the Cyber Game, I Defeated the Boss and Successfully Rose to the Top

After Transmigrating into the Cyber Game, I Defeated the Boss and Successfully Rose to the Top

After Transmigrating into a Cyberpunk Game, I Killed the BOSS and Took its Place, Cyberpunk Game, 穿进赛博游戏后干掉BOSS成功上位
Score 9.4
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2022 Native Language: Chinese
The holographic game “Crimson Earth,” blending cyberpunk with Cthulhu elements, was about to be released. Kui Xin’s luck seemed to have taken a turn for the better when she was selected as a closed beta tester for “Crimson Earth.” However, events spiraled rapidly into the bizarre. She realized that instead of playing a mere holographic game, she had actually been transported to a parallel world that truly exists. People struggled to survive amidst forests of steel and iron, while authorities raised their glasses in shared revelry under the glow of neon lights. Consortiums controlled the economic lifelines, while super-intelligent AI monitored every individual’s actions closely. Extraordinary beings, cyborgs, secret cults, and distortions in humans took center stage in this era… Upon logging into the game, Kui Xin had an ominous feeling that something significant was about to unfold. Question: What should you do if you discover your character in the game is a top-priority fugitive from the Federation, currently working undercover within the official Investigation Department? Answer: The most dangerous place can also be the safest. Act out a scenario where you’re chasing yourself, then seize an opportunity to fake your death and escape. ————— Name: Kui Xin Identity: An undercover agent sent by a rebel organization to infiltrate the Federation’s Investigation Department. Objective: Survive and strive to level up. After reading the objective, Kui Xin felt it was insufficient. Being a double-crosser seemed like a dead-end role; merely surviving and focusing on leveling up wasn’t thrilling enough for her. She wanted to pull off something grand. For instance, taking out the boss and usurping their position sounded quite satisfying. —————-

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