"Trainee Patrol Security Officer Cyrus, your body has fully recovered. Please exit the healing pod."

Cyrus stirred awake, her eyes opening to the transparent glass lid of the healing pod. The built-in monitor showed her health status marked in reassuring green.

This was no dream; she had not returned to the first world.

A nurse entered, assisting Cyrus out of the pod and removing the IV from the back of her hand and the bandages wrapped around her head.

"You're free to go. Take it easy for the next couple of days, no strenuous activity," the nurse said kindly. "Remember to submit an exemption request to your squad leader, or you'll lose your attendance pay."

"Understood." Cyrus nodded promptly, her survival instincts kicking in. She couldn't afford to forget something as crucial as her attendance pay.

Standing up, her feet made contact with the cold metallic floor. She stretched, feeling refreshed after her rest in the pod. Taking a couple of steps, she caught sight of her reflection in the glossy metal wall.

In the first world, Cyrus had long black hair, but here in the second world, she retained a strong resemblance to her original self, except her long locks had been replaced by a practical, ear-length bob. Her complexion was pale, and her frame lean, giving her a somewhat fragile appearance.

There was no sign of physical injury; her wounds had healed perfectly.

She stood in the room, momentarily lost.

Because she didn't know where to go next, she didn't even know where she currently was. This world was completely alien to her.

Cyrus guessed she was in the headquarters of the Enforcement Department. From the snippets of conversation with Dr. Huang, she understood that the department was divided into various teams and divisions. His badge had identified him as the head of the Medical Office, so Cyrus surmised she had undergone surgery and treatment somewhere within the Enforcement Department's medical center.

Her game panel's identity settings indicated she belonged to "Field Team Seven."

There was no time for hesitation; she couldn't stand still.

Cyrus steadied her emotions and approached the metal door.

The door slid open automatically, revealing a hallway lit by indicator lights, empty and silent.

As Cyrus stepped into the corridor, an icy mechanical voice filled her ears.

"Trainee Patrol Security Officer Cyrus, you are instructed to report to the office of your squad leader, Captain Shu Xuyao. Please follow the green lights."

A row of lights on the corridor floor turned green, directing her path.

Cyrus observed her surroundings discreetly, noting the surveillance cameras embedded in the walls, their lenses trained on her.

She paused briefly, then followed the green lights ahead, the cameras adjusting their angles to track her movements. At each intersection, the lights on the right flashed, guiding her turn.

After navigating the lengthy corridor, Cyrus saw two men approaching from the opposite direction. One man had an emergency bandage wrapped around his arm, stained with blood. Despite his injury, he seemed coherent enough to walk. The other man supporting the injured one caught Cyrus by surprise; his right arm had a rigid, gray metallic sheen—a mechanical arm.

In this cyberpunk world, it was common for people to enhance their bodies with mechanical prosthetics, greatly aiding their work and daily life. Those who had undergone no such enhancements, the naturals, were the minority.

Cyrus was now one of the enhanced, albeit not visibly, with her indestructible metallic skull.

The two men didn't appear to recognize Cyrus, showing no reaction to her presence.

After a moment's thought, Cyrus decided to take a risk and initiate conversation.

"What happened?" She spoke casually, as if merely exchanging pleasantries with colleagues.

Fortunately, the two men treated Cyrus as just another coworker stopping for a chat. The injured man cursed, "What else? The port's been bombed again. Those bastards are asking for it. Once I'm patched up, I'm going to take a gun and clean them out!"

"Save it. Wait for the chief's orders before you do anything rash. Don't get yourself killed," retorted the man with the mechanical arm, his voice cold.

They continued on their way, cursing as they went.

The port had been bombed again?

Cyrus watched their retreating backs, pondering their words as she followed the green lights to her destination.

Two minutes later, she stopped in front of a metal door labeled "Field Team Seven Office - Shu Xuyao."

The door opened, and Cyrus calmed her racing heart as she stepped inside.

A circular desk greeted her, with a floating holographic screen above it displaying dense arrays of text. A man in a gray-blue uniform stood before the screen, not looking back as he commanded, "Sit."

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Cyrus scanned the room, noting the long circular table

The man turned to face her, saying, "You've had a rough time. I've approved three days of leave for you. No need to report to the training room for the next three days."

"Thank you, Captain," Cyrus replied.

It seemed the man before her was her direct superior, Captain Shu Xuyao. He appeared to be a considerate leader, even proactively granting leave.

"No need to thank me. I bear some responsibility for not protecting my team," Shu Xuyao said, rubbing his temples. "Before you rest, you'll need to make a statement at the Criminal Investigation Division about the details of your attack."

Here it came. Cyrus felt a surge of nervousness, her palms dampening.

As a time-traveler without any inherited memories, she truly knew nothing.

Before entering the second world, she had been worried about living expenses. Now, after crossing over, her anxieties were radically different. She had to consider how to stay alive.

"Captain... I..." Cyrus hesitated.

"What is it?" Shu Xuyao asked patiently.

"I don't remember much about the attack," Cyrus admitted sincerely. "I seem to have forgotten a lot of things. I can't recall the details no matter how hard I try."

Shu Xuyao frowned. "What do you remember?"

"I remember my identity, a trainee security officer from Field Team Seven." Cyrus watched his expression carefully.

As expected, Shu Xuyao's frown deepened.

He glanced at Cyrus and said, "Adam, contact the Medical Office. Have them send a doctor over to examine Cyrus."

A cold mechanical voice responded, "Your instructions have been relayed."

Adam? The mechanical voice belonged to Adam?

Was Adam the name of a super artificial intelligence?

Cyrus sat in the chair, Shu Xuyao observing her in silence before asking, "You really don't remember anything?"

"I really don't remember," Cyrus shook her head. "What happened exactly?"

"Only you know what happened," Shu Xuyao tapped the desk. "You had caught up with a suspect planting explosives at the port, but when we arrived, you were lying on the ground, injured, and the suspect had escaped."

He spoke earnestly: "Cyrus, we need you to remember. Identifying the suspect is crucial for our follow-up operations."

Cyrus looked up and said, "I'll try my best."

Adam chimed in, "The doctor is outside the door. Shall I let him in?"

"Let him in," Shu Xuyao commanded.

The metal door opened silently, and Cyrus's old acquaintance, Dr. Huang, bustled in with his medical equipment, sweating profusely: "Captain Shu, what's the matter? I rushed here straight after surgery."

"Cyrus has amnesia, possibly due to a head injury. Take a look at her," Shu Xuyao directed his gaze at Dr. Huang.

Dr. Huang looked at Cyrus with slight surprise: "Amnesia?"

He immediately brought out a scanner, running its pale blue light over Cyrus from head to toe.

Muttering as he read the data on a monitor, Dr. Huang said, "Anesthesia can cause temporary amnesia, but the problem doesn't seem to be there. A cursory check shows nothing. Officer Cyrus might need to come back with me to the medical center for a detailed and comprehensive examination."

"Go now," Shu Xuyao instructed.

"Let's go, Cyrus," Dr. Huang nodded at her.

Cyrus stood up, "Thank you, doctor."

"It's no trouble, it's my duty," Dr. Huang replied. "Captain Shu, I'll report the results to you as soon as they're in."

Cyrus followed Dr. Huang out of the office in silence. He chattered away, "The port bombing caused quite a few injuries. Several people needed mechanical limb transplants, and some had biotic organ replacements. I've done five or six surgeries today alone, haven't even had a moment's rest."

"You're one of the lucky ones," Dr. Huang sighed. "Some didn't make it. You're so young, and it's a relief you pulled through. When will the gangs of Blackwater City be cleaned up? They're always causing trouble, and now they've even targeted the economic lifeline of the port."

Dr. Huang was quite the actor... If Cyrus didn't know he was an undercover agent, she might have believed this kind-hearted doctor was genuinely dedicated and concerned for the public good.

He was subtly feeding Cyrus information, which she absorbed and memorized.

If this were a game, every hint from an NPC could be crucial for completing it.

After arriving at the medical room, Dr. Huang tapped his wristwatch, dimming the room's lights.

"Adam is omnipresent. We need to use a device to bypass its surveillance to communicate freely, or it might eavesdrop on us," Dr. Huang dropped his benevolent façade. "I didn't expect your strategy to be feigning amnesia... but it's surprisingly effective."

Outside, Dr. Huang spoke to Cyrus with the tone of a senior to a junior. But here, away from Adam's watchful eyes, his demeanor showed respect. Cyrus held a higher rank within Mechanism Dawn.

Dr. Huang was a man with two faces.

Cyrus instinctively touched her pocket, where the silver communicator bracelet and data chip given to her by Dr. Huang were securely stowed. She suspected the bracelet also carried a function similar to the device in the medical room, able to block AI Adam's surveillance when used correctly.

"Can you forge a medical report for me?" Cyrus asked directly.

"Of course," Dr. Huang smiled warmly. "Isn't that why I brought you here?"

Half an hour later, the forged medical report was ready.

Cyrus, holding the report, returned to Captain Shu Xuyao's office.

Shu Xuyao scrutinized Cyrus's medical report several times, his eyes lingering on the last line of recommendations: "Adequate rest may aid memory recovery."

"Go home," he sighed, resigned. "If you show any signs of regaining your memory, report to me immediately. Your leave is still three days."

"By your command, Captain," Cyrus said.

As she left Shu Xuyao's office, she felt the weight that had been pressing on her chest finally lift.

A thin layer of sweat had formed on Cyrus's back.

She knew she had passed the first test, preserving herself without arousing suspicion. The challenges ahead would only grow more difficult.

After all, this was a world where advanced technology coexisted with supernatural forces.

"Mission Triggered."

A screen visible only to Cyrus suddenly appeared.

"【Mission Description】: Blackwater City, known for its simple customs, is a vital port for the Federation and a nest for numerous gang factions. Now, a dark conspiracy looms over Blackwater City, with unknown claws reaching out. You must thoroughly investigate this conspiracy."

"You may choose to accept or decline the mission."

"Declining might spare you some risk, but accepting could lead to unexpected rewards."

"【Mission Content】: Investigate the Blackwater City port bombing."

Cyrus recalled the sixth piece of advice she had committed to memory before entering the game.

—Everything has its price.

Fate's gifts always come with a hidden cost. To gain, one must be willing to take risks.

Cyrus was a player navigating the second world, an explorer of a new realm. Danger and opportunity lay before her.

Now, at fate's crossroads, she stood.

Cyrus chose to accept the mission.

"You have accepted the mission."

"【Mission Progress】: 0%."