NOVEL WEB Chapter 117
Chapter 117: Artificial Soul 44
The speed of the train gradually increased, the wind roaring louder in her ears as the long carriage snaked its way through a desolate and densely vegetated mountain forest.
Along the railways were surveillance systems, and Kui Xin had to divert some attention to manipulate these cameras, making sure she remained hidden from view.
Both Kui Xin and the dark-clad figure opposite her stood stably on the roof of the train car, seemingly unaffected by the wind and the speed of the train.
Kui Xin slightly bent forward, legs apart for balance.
The passive skill “Investigative Eye” activated.
In an instant, Kui Xin identified all the specific extraordinary abilities possessed by her opponent.
“Blood Regeneration C Rank… Nightmare Manipulation C Rank…” Kui Xin scrutinized the dark-clad figure opposite, distaste evident on her face upon observing his supernatural capabilities.
Nightmare Manipulation referred to a battleable avatar that could split off from one’s body, with each avatar lasting longer and more numerous leading to greater depletion of one’s own power. The key was that the manipulated nightmare needed to be artificially created, which required eating. If a person devoured someone with special extraordinary abilities, their own might retain those abilities after transforming into a nightmare.
Holders of Nightmare Manipulation were essentially another form of “Deprivation,” which showed the versatility and uniqueness of such abilities.
Most Heterogeneous Blooded possessed Blood Regeneration. Those with exceptionally good fortune might withstand the erosion of Divine Blood and awaken other extraordinary abilities. The dark-clad figure opposite was either a Heterogeneous Blooded or a Deprivation who had seized the powers of one.
C-Rank was no small accomplishment, Kui Xin surmised. Most autonomously awakened players likely still operated at E or D Ranks, and instantly reaching a higher rank would be highly improbable.
As Kui Xin watched, the dark-clad figure twitched and then violently split open, a bloodied monstrosity emerging from his body.
It had limb structures similar to a human but lacked skin, showing exposed muscles and tendons. Its body continuously oozed mucus, making it nauseating to look at.
Its arms and legs were grotesquely disproportionate; its hands ended in thin spike-like protrusions. Crouched low with legs overlapped like a frog, it ominously fixed Kui Xin in its gaze.
With a scream, the nightmare opened its mouth lined with sharp teeth, its long tongue flickering over lips.
“Speed-oriented.” Kui Xin concluded.
This nightmare’s body seemed light and nimble, capable of great bursts of speed and impressive dexterity.
From Kui Xin’s experiences at the Investigation Bureau, she knew that Awakeners in lower stages relied primarily on physical enhancements, as these directly boosted their abilities, whereas water or fire control skills were less impactful. Hence, low-level mages had little advantage against刺客ors Berserkers at the same level.
This nightmare could be likened to a physique-enhanced Awakener, posing a significant threat.
But how many nightmares did it possess?
For how long could they last? As C-Rank, they wouldn’t be overly formidable.
Kui Xin didn’t want to report killings on the forum and originally intended to resolve enemies without direct intervention if possible. But given the dark-clad figure’s potent Blood Regeneration ability, she couldn’t confirm if a kill was truly made if he wasn’t dealt with instantly.
She had to adapt accordingly.
After a brief standoff, the dark-clad figure grew impatient.
The blood-red nightmare lunged forward like a frog, its spikes aimed direcly at her eyes.
The train’s roof was uneven, and though it wasn’t nighttime, the sunlight scattered into shadows across it. Using these, Kui Xin effortlessly dodged the attack via spatial teleportation, then side-kicked the nightmare off the train.
It screeched shrilly as it tumbled several times along the tracks.
Then, it abruptly turned and chased the train with incredible speed, becoming a red shadow, quickly leaping back onto the roof.
Kui Xin dodged again, but the nightmare’s spike penetrated the roof and lodged itself inside the carriage instead.
An unpleasant expression appeared on Kui Xin’s face, not out of difficulty of the encounter, but because of terrified screams she heard from passengers…
“No way, could I have become an outlaw?” Kui Xin murmured.
This couldn’t grow any larger!
Seeing the nightmare about to pull its spike from the carriage, Kui Xin lifted her leg high and delivered a knee strike, dislodging it. The nightmare fell back onto the tracks, and Kui Xin took the opportunity to perform several shadow transitions, placing herself mere meters from the dark-clad figure.
The dark-clad figure reacted swiftly, tearing open his coat and drawing a knife from his waistband. A nightmare was even beginning to emerge from his bare chest area.
Kui Xin’s heart skipped a beat as she dashed forward, performing a spinning kick that propelled the weapon away.
A shining knife spun through the air; Kui Xin stretched her right hand towards it, and the knife, seemingly attracted by an invisible magnet, returned mid-flight, stabbing back into Kui Xin’s grip as she used its force to impale the nightmare-riddled chest of the dark-clad figure. Another nightmare was repelled.
Kii Xin heard the dark-clad figure’s cry but remained expressionless.
Magnetic Sword C Rank!
An extraordinary ability to manipulate metal with a magnetic field; although not overpowering, it could prove strategically invaluable.
Kui Xin noticed the wind, her body turning to mist to dissipate. In the next second, a sharp spike swept through where she had been standing, missing the blood-red nightmare completely.
The darkness behind the figure condensed and vanished, the knife embedded within him pulled out by unseen hands and soon halted the bleeding. The wound swiftly healed as well.
The bloody knife curved around and flew back into Kui Xin’s hand. She held the blade with precise grip and stabbed it neatly into the dark-clad figure’s vertebrae seam.
His body immediately spasmed and collapsed.
“The game isn’t over. We’re not alone… a God watches us! You can’t escape!” The dark-clad figure spoke, pale-faced, his first words after the fight.
The nightmare persisted in its attack, sprinting toward Kui Xin. However, the train was entering a mountain tunnel.
Kui Xin transformed into a misty black haze, her vision plunging into darkness. Meanwhile, the nightmare met the tunnel entrance, being sent flying back by a collision, producing horrifying impact and roars.
All was silent once the menace was gone. Kii Xin lowered herself and continued across the top of the train. When close enough to the figure, she kicked him off with no hesitation.
Distorted screams echoed in response as the train’s wheels and the tight tunnel compressed his limp figure. After roughly ten seconds, light returned, the tunnel passed, and the screams ceased.
The pursuing blood-red nightmare staggered and fell to the tracks, dissolving into a pool of blood.
Kui Xin straightened up, staring at the tunnel’s exit, but no further figures emerged.
She didn’t receive a killing confirmation since it was the train and tunnel, not her own hand, that killed the dark-clad figure.
Opening her mobile phone, Kii Xin checked the forum. Refreshing the page, she found a new posting at the bottom of a player death list:
“Proxy Number 9986, Killed on August 12.”
Returning to the main page of the forum, she saw an ongoing post: “Another Proxy has died. It appears just now, alone, without any evidence of players killing players.”
Seeing this notification, Kii Xin breathed a sigh of relief and put her phone away.
She didn’t immediately go back to the train interior, instead checking the rooftop for any signs of suspicious individuals before messaging He Kangshi.
“Was there any commotion in the carriage?”
He Kangshi responded hastily, evidently frightened, “My lord, we’ve heard some heavy banging, and people from another carriage rushed in saying there was a hole in their roof and some claw-looking thing inside. We think it might be wild animals from the mountains, and the train is running despite a request for it to stop for inspection. Now, the staff is saying it’s nothing serious… Have we been attacked?”
“We’re okay for now,” Kii Xin replied, “A Heterogeneous Blooded individual attacked, likely with accomplices, unknown if on the train or elsewhere. They seem off the train. Check the surrounding passengers, no need to let anyone suspicious board.”
She thought carefully: “The carriage has surveillance, so they won’t disguise as passengers unless they have face-changing abilities.”
“That’s good, I’ll keep an eye on them,” He Kangshi responded.
A moment later, He Kangshi sent another message, more nervous, “Something’s off. Normally, trains would stop for maintenance on encountering issues. The main station would know the risks of continuing. Why would they insist on keeping the train moving? This doesn’t align with standard procedures.”
Kii Xin pondered this critical question too.
Normally, trains would halt for check-ups, yet this one didn’t. Unless… Whoever ordered it knew the disturbances weren’t due to mechanical problems or faulty rails but because of external pursuit.
Lifting her arm to shield her eyes from the sun, Kii Xin gazed at the cloudless blue sky.
Amid vast space, controlled satellites captured images silently.
In the technological society, surveillance techniques went far beyond simple CCTV cameras.