NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 22
Chapter 22: Sea Without Light Part 22
As time raced forward, some individuals were fighting against each second.
It was a night without rain and wind, dry and clear with remarkably high visibility. Long-range sniping could be easily influenced by external conditions; occasionally, a gust of wind or a downpour could cause discrepancies in the shooting target. The weather tonight was quite suitable for sniping, which was the primary reason for Kui Xin’s choice of such a method.
During his journey home to meet up with Silverface, Red had sent Kui Xin a file, detailing the information of the entire team involved in the harbor blast task. Kui Xin paid particular attention to the details regarding Thorn Rose and Python Sphere, learning about their extraordinary abilities, thus having a general idea of what to expect.
At 22:27
Kui Xin returned home, while Silverface was not around because he went to the arsenal to retrieve equipment.
At 22:28
Kui Xin communicated with Thorn Rose, determining the route and the prearranged sniping location for the action that night.
Thorn Rose activated her personal positioning system and connected her listening device to Kui Xin’s communicator, ensuring Kui Xin could confirm her position in real-time and monitor any conversations when she joined up with Python Sphere.
At 22:41
Kui Xin communicated with Red, requesting that a team of non-formally enlisted operatives be dispatched from the headquarters to blockade the route to prevent Python Sphere’s escape in case of failure during an extreme situation.
“At first glance, I have similar thoughts. I trust your sniper capabilities, but we still need a backup plan.” Red noted. “The off-duty squad will be commanded remotely by me, so you can focus on firing.”
At 22:50
Silverface came back with the gear.
Kui Xin and Silverface counted and exchanged weapons before Silverface finished eating the roasted lamb Kui Xin brought home.
At 23:00
Kui Xin and Silverface left their home, heading towards the predetermined sniping location.
At 23:01
Python Sphere concluded the meeting and walked out of the casino, then contacted Thorn Rose.
“Boss, did the beauty treatment complete? Oh, yes it did.” Python Sphere said with a nodding bow at the other end of the communication, adding, “Hehe, also ate my midnight snack, heading over to meet you now.”
“Were you trying to make a move in the casino? Thinking about gambling after finishing the mission? Not the right time.” Thorn Rose sternly replied.
Python Sphere quickly responded, “Of course not, I just ate some night snack. Boss, you know I’ll need to have my energy… to do the job!”
“Hope so,” Thorn Rose hung up and immediately messaged Kui Xin, “Second-in-command, he’s on his way. We’re expected to rendezvous at Nautilus Street in fifteen minutes and then head to Port Number Five.”
Kui Xin replied: “Understood.”
At 23:16
Thorn Rose and Python Sphere met at the designated time.
Python Sphere, with an ingratiating manner, flattered Thorn Rose by saying, “Boss, the new nail polish looks great!”
“Cut the flattery, let’s go,” Thorn Rose said.
At 23:17
Kui Xin and Silverface arrived at the sniping location—an abandoned lighthouse at the old docks.
In times past, when the Black Sea City hadn’t yet expanded its harbors, the lighthouse guided incoming cargo and fishing boats back to port. Later, the harbor underwent significant reconstruction and expansion into a large harbor, with the dock extending into the sea and creating offshore floating platforms.
At 23:23
Kui Xin climbed to the top floor of the tower, assembled the K80 coldly with dispassionate resolve, loading the bullets one by one, setting up the stand, and attaching the silencer.
Before her eyes, she breathed onto the scope to clear it with a cloth, confirming it to be sufficiently clear, then aligned her vision through the scope, observing the street for suspicious individuals.
Silverface, bored, asked idly, “They have not come yet, who exactly are you aiming at?”
“Shut up, stay silent.” Kui Xin said coldbloodedly.
Silence followed.
At 23:24
Red’s voice came through the headset: “Off-squad members are in position, the street is cordoned off, he won’t be able to escape even with wings.”
Kui Xin replied: “Acknowledged.”
She took her eye off the sight and glanced at the projected map on her wrist, showing green dots indicating their units encircling the street like a pocket. Python Sphere was like the wild boar, the nets were set along the path where the boar would cross, and once the wild boar stepped into this trap, the net would close in, capturing the target.
At 23:26
The listener carried by Thorn Rose relayed her nearby conversations to Kui Xin.
Python Sphere: “Boss, ate too much at night, gotta go take a leak.”
Thorn Rose: “Why are you always finding things to complain about?”
Python Sphere: “Can’t help wanting to go when the urge hits…”
Thorn Rose: “Hurry up! Delaying the mission, you’ll be in trouble!”
Python Sphere scurried to the public toilet.
At 23:32
Silverface commented: “When wouldn’t be a good time to take a leak, choosing now of all times… Where is he? He’s taking too long, I’m getting anxious.”
At 23:32
Python Sphere prepared psychologically inside the bathroom stall.
Holding a glass tube containing invisible thread worms tightly in his hand, he muttered, “Act casually, tap lightly on her shoulder, put on the worm. She won’t notice… no, we’ve never been that intimate before, our closest physical contact being her slapping me. Blast it… now I’m mad, why’d she hit me?!”
“Maybe lie, remove something stuck in her hair first, then secretly put on the bug. But this move seems awkward… I guess follow behind, when she’s ahead, sneakily place the bug.”
Python Sphere tried to take a deep breath to calm down but then realized this place was filthy, and he worried he might puke.
Pounding his face lightly to remain lucid, Pyth Sphere left the stall for a quick wash.
Ordinarily, he wore gloves to hinder the worm’s entry; however, once outside, he planned to remove the glass from his pocket, pull out the worm quietly, and attach it to Thorn Rose’s hair.
Without nerve endings, Thorn Rose might not notice the worm placed there. Once it penetrated, Python was confident control over her would end.
Tucking away the glass tube, Python rearranged himself and exited the toilet.
Wearing a look of impatience, Thorn Rose checked the time, remarking, “We should be nearly at our destination.”
“Then let’s speed up,” Python mumbled guiltily.
Thorn turned and started walking ahead, with Python falling two steps back, watching her intently for an opportunity to act.
At 23:34
Red informed, “Target moving again.”
“Noted.” Kui Xin replied, completely focused.
Even though Kui Xin’s new mask could see in the dark, they still brought a spare night-vision goggles. Under the night vision and scope, everything in the harbor was vividly visible.
Tonight’s harbor was eerily calm because of the successive explosions at the Five Harbor. It wasn’t operational during the day, with workers and machinery repairing it, but at night, it was almost desolate.
The light tower no longer gleamed; as a silent guardian standing atop the harbor, it lost its luster.
A pitch-black gun barrel protruded from the top window of the tower. Shielded and hidden in the darkness, no one discovered the presence of someone there.
At 23:36
After confirming Thorn Rose didn’t look back, Python skillfully unsealed the glass tube with two fingers.
He caught up swiftly with Thorn, placing the worm atop her head, all swift and discreet.
But Python underestimated Thorn Rose.
She sensed a shift in the air’s flow, and instinctively dodged, her right hand automatically reaching toward her head. If Thorn Rose wasn’t privy to Python’s betrayal, her reaction wouldn’t be so brisk. Aware of Python’s treachery, she treated him with vigilance but no longer trusted him as before, ready to counter his moves.
Focusing back on Python, Thorn Rose backed away, altering her stance and expression, becoming cold and relentless.
Suddenly, Thorn Rose felt a slight itch on her hand. She examined close by and saw a small red thread-worm burrowing into her flesh, barely leaving its tail.
Her gaze hardened, and she tried to snatch the worm out, but the thread-worm was incredibly swift. Her hand reached, and the thread-worm was entirely engulfed within.
Thorn Rose, seasoned for countless missions, showed no hesitation.
With her left hand, she drew the dagger from her waist, slashed sharply, and amputated her right hand.
Blood erupted, splashing the floor, dyed by her meticulous fingernails, crimson and shocking.
“Python…” Thorn Rose’s eyes flickered with murderous intent.
Python stepped back, feeling a surge of shock.
“Traitor!” Thorn Rose sneered. “Thought you could scheme against me? Too early for you. Losing my manicure… I’ll gut you!”
The situation made concealment unnecessary. Python manipulated things behind their scenes, and she detected his actions; aware he was a traitor, he knew Thorn Rose was wary of his intentions.
Their false harmony shattered instantly.
Any pretense of peace once broken, meant they would only escalate hostility.
Orange-red, lava-like light shimmered on the blade held by Thorn Rose, its heat causing the air near the knife edge to distort slightly.
Thorn Rose pressed the blade to her right forearm, sparking smoke as she cauterized herself with it.
Python, immediately recognizing his exposure, sought to flee.
Thorn Rose identified him as the traitor! How could she know? When?
Had she alerted Red, or the headquarters? Was anyone lying in ambush?
Fear consumed Python.
He activated his extraordinary ability, body glowing with a thin veneer of fiery red matter and muscles swelling almost twofold. Twisting, he bolted in a chaotic sprint.
Thorn Rose aimed at her belt but it remained empty—a right-handed fighter, lacking her right hand, she couldn’t reach another weapon properly.
“Huh,” Thorn Rose, pallid and disdainful, said.
She watched Python’s fleeing form and threw the red-hot dagger, withdrawing a long metal whip from her waist. The whip, woven from resilient steel wire, was excellent at conducting heat.
The whip wound around Python’s feet, tugging him down. The sturdy steel whip rendered him incapable of breaking free.
“Lieutenant Commander, an unexpected situation,” Thorn Rose’s forehead dripped with cold sweat due to anguish. “Python tried to attack me; the plan went awry; the range and encirclement aren’t set yet…”
“I understand, I’ll be there in three,” Kui Xin said.
“Alright. I can handle three minutes,” Thorn Rose replied.
“Red, adjust the positions of the irregulars,” Kui Xin quickly issued instructions to her subordinate.
“Adjustments already underway. This hog really knows how to cause trouble,” Red replied.
Climbing out of the lighthouse window with Silverface’s hand as support, Kui Xin leaped to the ground with the water rope’s assistance, racing forward.
Upon hearing the situation change via the listening device, Kui Xin decided to abandon remote sniping and proceed with close combat.
K80 was incredibly heavy, making movement cumbersome and energy-draining.
Clutching the iron whip, its grip and cords gradually turning an iron-like orange-red hue under intense heat. The color signified the metal’s extreme temperature.
Python howled in agony, his bound legs smoking visibly. He struggled valiantly against the pain, attempting to drag the iron whip loose—but the high-tech material, reinforced by his extraordinary abilities, refused to budge. His attempts to detach the coils left him scorched across hands and knees.
Kui Xin listened to Silverface’s reports during her run.
Thorn was injured; this impacted her greatly.
A B-class Awakened, Thorn possessed the extraordinary ability ‘Blazing Edge’—granting metals searing temperatures—rendering her whip strikes akin to hot knives slicing butter as she swung.
Python’s power was ‘Burning Blood’, capable of boosting his combat prowess through self-inflicted bloodburning, albeit costly; despite his C-class rank, his short burst could match a B-class Awakened’s strength in the short term. His high muscle density rendered standard pistol rounds ineffective in harming him post impact; they became locked by his dense flesh, unable to inflict fatal damage unless K80 directly pierced his blood-marrow.
Kui Xin spotted two motorbikes near the road during the chase, she halted and veered, knocking them down swiftly.
“Can you ride a bike?” Kui Xin asked. “You drive, I’ll aim. We need steady.”
“I can,” Silverface hopped onto the bike and gripped the handlebar.
Kui Xin positioned herself behind, adjusting the posture, twisted the throttle, and the bike roared loudly. Like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, it sped forward.
“You little witch!” Python turned red-eyed, twisting to counterattack to lock blows with Thorn.
Thorn never engaged directly, knowing she couldn’t match him in strength and weakened from injuries, opting for a strategic skirmish with the whip.
She evaded Python’s grasps, looping him with the whip, branding burn marks on his torso, repeatedly. He failed to even graze Thorn’s garment.
Attempting to get a gun, but Thorn snatched it away with the whip.
Python considered retreating but the agile, metal-whip ensnared his limbs, compelling him to stay in battle. Even once, nearly trapping his neck.
Although invulnerable to ‘Burning Blood’, this burn from the iron whip caused excruciating pain, his clothes scorched, skin smoky.
With a resolute heart, Python stretched out to grab the scorching iron whip, pulling Thorn closer to resolve their conflict in an instant.
At that moment, Python faintly heard the roaring motorbikes.
The sound came with a whizz of bullets from the suppressed barrel.
“Gulp—”
A hole appeared in his chest.
Python loosened his grip on the iron whip, the flames on his body seemed to pause momentarily.
23:39
Kui Xin and Silverface reached the battleground!
Silverface’s motorbike moved straight, stabilizing Kui Xin’s shooting pose.
Kui Xin pulled the trigger again, the suppressed muzzle emitted a slight sound; shots hit Python sequentially with strong force, causing his body to shiver violently.
Exhausting all ammo, Silverface’s water rope coiled around Kui Xin, pulling both of them into a tumbling roll from the vehicle.
The motorbike, driven by inertia, slammed into Python, exploding into a fireball.
Python’s muscular body crashed down hard, covered in raging flames which soon ceased, his motionless state revealed.
“Lieutenant,” Thorn smiled at Kui Xin.
At last, she retrieved a vial of healing potion and injected it into her arm.
“The mission is accomplished! But things got messy,” Silverface remarked casually.
Kui Xin approached Thorn.
At this very moment, a throb pulsed at Kui Xin’s temple.
She looked to the fiery motorbike. Pressed underneath was Python’s charred corpse.
Python’s singed toes twitched slightly, and then his eyes snapped open. He picked up the motorbike and hurled it at Kui Xin.
“I intended to take it after I was prepared…” Python spat out the test tube containing Divine Blood and stood from the fiery sea, his eyes red as if drenched in blood.