Chapter 32: The Fourth Day

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Today was a rare sunny day.
Hill stood behind Xing Yu, bending down to gently grasp the sword in Xing Yu’s hand with her own gloved hand, clad in black leather.
The soft, delicate texture of the leather carried a coolness that seeped into Xing Yu’s skin.
“The way you hold the sword is very important,” Hill’s voice was low and steady, her breath brushing against the back of Xing Yu’s neck. “Too tight restricts flexibility; too loose, and you lose control. Feel the strength I’m applying.”
Unconsciously, Xing Yu held her breath.
“...Why don’t we use your ‘Mental Link’?”
“That wouldn’t reflect most real combat situations,” Hill replied. “You haven’t developed instinctive reactions in battle yet. I have to make sure you can fight properly even when I’m not there. Relying on my guidance isn’t ideal.”
Hill slowly released her grip, letting Xing Yu feel the pressure of holding the sword on her own. She moved in front of Xing Yu, carefully observing her posture.
“We’ll start with the basics of the downward strike.”
She drew one of Xing Yu’s short swords and casually demonstrated a simple downward chopping motion.
The black blade sliced through the air, emitting a faint humming sound.
“...”
Xing Yu was silent.
She still felt that Hill’s strength and speed were beyond what she considered “normal.”
“This is simple. Remember to keep your wrist stable and transmit the power,” Hill explained. “The force of the strike doesn’t just come from the arm; it mostly comes from the body’s rotation and shifting your center of gravity.”
Xing Yu listened carefully to the explanation, imitating Hill’s movements as precisely as she could.
But by comparison, her strikes felt clumsy and stiff.
Though it was a simple action, what she produced was completely different from Hill’s effect.
Once again, she felt the immense gap between them—even though her body had been reinforced again, practicing still made her feel frustratingly awkward.
Moreover... Hill was not actually skilled with the sword.
In fact, she preferred hand-to-hand combat and was only helping Xing Yu find the key to power in these simple exercises.
“I’m a bit... tired,” Xing Yu said after a long practice; her arms ached slightly.
If she could choose, she would rather learn hand-to-hand fighting—just like Hill.
But with her current combat experience, she simply couldn’t fight without relying on a weapon.
She took a deep breath and looked up at Hill, who still appeared relaxed and composed.
“Why... do you have such a good physique? Is it natural?”
“Huh?” Hill was momentarily taken aback, then gave a wry smile. “Many people think I’m more of a physical-type superhuman than a mental-type. Do you think so too?”
Her tone carried a hint of unease.
Xing Yu asked, “What’s the difference?”
“Physical superhumans are definitely stronger and have better bodily qualities than ordinary people—like that guy Kuna,” Hill said, picking up Xing Yu’s short sword, which felt heavy to Xing Yu but seemed like a feather in her hands.
“But, believe it or not, I wasn’t always like this. I was just like everyone else, crawling through piles of dead bodies growing up, stumbling into becoming an agent, and... that’s just how it happened.”
“Oh.” Xing Yu nodded.
“Do you believe me?” Hill’s voice held a trace of surprise.
“Why not?” Xing Yu retorted.
There were so many things in this world she didn’t understand; one more or less made no difference.
Besides, she couldn’t comprehend it all, so there was no point doubting.
Hill did not continue the topic. She chuckled softly and patted Xing Yu’s shoulder gently.
“Let’s keep going. You still have a lot to learn.”

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...
The lunch at Raindrop Commission wasn’t as good as before.
Xing Yu poked listlessly at the mushy food in her lunchbox with a spoon.
She had finished most of it, but a few small bites remained, and she suddenly found it tasteless, unable to swallow.
It was edible but had nothing to do with “delicious.”
Compared to the meal she bought for Qi Xue last night, it was worlds apart.
She felt that what she truly wanted to eat was something else...
Shaking off the strange thought, she glanced around the Raindrop Commission’s office area.
Hill had left early after lunch, and the others had started handling their own tasks.
Now, only her partner for the day remained—
Bian Yin.
Though she hadn’t exchanged many words with Bian Yin, Xing Yu already sensed from their brief interaction that she was a taciturn but pragmatic person.
She was a bit older than Jing Cheng but had only been an agent for a few years.
In just a few years, she had risen to Level Seven—truly gifted.
“Let’s go.”
Without a word, Bian Yin didn’t even glance at her but walked to Xing Yu’s side, signaling her to follow.
By comparison, she suddenly felt Jing Cheng was much friendlier...
Xing Yu inwardly scoffed and pulled up the day’s mission information on her terminal.
She wondered what they were transporting today.
The item was wrapped tightly in a plain brown paper box inside a shoulder bag. Bian Yin clearly had no intention of explaining anything to her.
As she read the mission details and stepped out the door, Xing Yu frowned at the destination.
The target location... was somewhat far.
The street number was also blurry and unclear; as a newcomer, she struggled to understand.
Just as she looked up to ask Bian Yin, she realized the figure beside her had vanished.
“...”
A cold wind blew, and Xing Yu blinked in confusion, scanning her surroundings but found no sign of Bian Yin.
Her terminal flashed—a message from Bian Yin appeared.
“Deliver it yourself.”
...She truly hadn’t expected Bian Yin to just leave her behind.
But it was understandable...
According to Hill, Bian Yin had been at Raindrop Commission for three to five years, and Xing Yu felt there was a subtle distance between her and others.
She rubbed her temples helplessly and continued trying to figure out the way.
There was no “navigation” feature on the agent’s terminal.
To find an unfamiliar neighborhood, she had to rely on roughly dividing the map into blocks and the small neighborhood maps that appeared at boundary intersections.
It wasn’t difficult. After a quick glance, Xing Yu felt she already had a clear route in her mind.
Placing her hand on the shoulder bag, she stepped forward.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to take a vehicle; after all, after buying dinner last night, she was broke again.

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The streets were not crowded.
Xing Yu gradually drifted into thought.
Since last night, she had talked a lot with Qi Xue and begun to piece together some of the past.
According to Qi Xue, the original owner and she had lived as orphans wandering the vast wastelands outside the F Ring.
The land was littered with ruins and even more desolate than the F Ring. Xing Yu could hardly imagine their former life.
They had met when very young and had supported each other as they grew.
Most residents of the Mutual Aid Alliance were impoverished scavengers managed by the Nine Rays.
After Qi Xue brought her into the Mutual Aid Alliance, she was strictly restricted, only able to move between the alliance’s domain and the wasteland daily.
Even if Qi Xue met others, she couldn’t fully reveal her experiences.
Moreover, she had no desire to change her current situation.
In contrast, Xing Yu could come and go freely, perhaps simply because these organizations never cared about her.
This world wasn’t without real medicine...
Despite Qi Xue desperately obtaining “medicine,” the original owner remained ill, likely because these organizations never intended to truly save her.
The next rent day was in three days.
What would happen if the supervisor discovered the original owner’s illness had fully recovered?
...Xing Yu couldn’t predict.
She had to see the supervisor, even if only from a distance.
If she could use “[Information Reading]” to learn more about him, maybe a new breakthrough would come.
But according to Qi Xue, he only appeared on Monday mornings; no one knew where he was at other times. Qi Xue knew nothing of his name or identity.
Would anyone in the nearby gangs know?
If she wanted to inquire, she’d have to visit the Affairs Bureau again today...
Deep in thought, her pace naturally slowed.
Suddenly, a barely perceptible ripple in the air alerted her.
She realized something—an assailant burst out of a nearby alley, swinging a sharp blade straight toward her face!
Xing Yu’s pupils contracted sharply.
The sudden attack caught her off guard. Though she clearly saw the trajectory, her body reacted a moment too late.
At the critical moment, two gray crossbow bolts whistled like lightning.
The first struck the attacker’s wrist precisely, forcing her to release the knife; the second shot directly into her right eye. The attacker let out a piercing scream, staggering back, clutching the wounded eye with both hands.
This was the perfect moment to counterattack. Without hesitation, Xing Yu swung her sword, the sharp blade piercing the attacker’s chest accurately.
Warm blood gushed out, quickly spreading across the ground.
Xing Yu instinctively stepped back, but the side of her leather boot was stained with a little blood, turning a dull red.
“You’re not focused during your mission.”
Turning around, Bian Yin’s voice came from behind, distant but clear.
“If this were any other time, that would have cost you your life.”