"You're not quite what the rumors suggest," Argentum remarked, arms crossed, leaning casually against the cupboard.

"Is that so?" Cyrus replied noncommittally.

It was a comment she couldn't afford to agree with directly. Any response could betray her true identity; ambiguity was her ally.

Argentum continued, "They say you're as cold as a machine, as precise as a computer—an unforgiving executor. Though you haven't awakened any supernatural abilities, you're considered an indispensable strategist for the organization."

"Huh," Cyrus chuckled dryly, her laughter devoid of joy or pride.

Argentum's pale pink eyes locked with her dark ones for a moment before he spoke disinterestedly, "No reaction, I see."

"What reaction do you want?" Cyrus asked. "I can emulate any response required by the role I'm playing."

"Do all undercover agents take their roles so seriously?" Argentum frowned. "Not even revealing their true selves to their comrades?"

Cyrus stared back calmly until Argentum averted his gaze.

"What are the next orders?" Argentum idly manipulated a small water droplet in his hand, tossing it up and down as he spoke, "Don't forget, we have less than half a month."

From his brief comments, it was clear that in this two-person mission squad, Cyrus held the position of decision-maker, while Argentum was the executor. Her standing in Mechanism Dawn was also higher than Argentum's, with the organization's members holding her in high regard.

"Head to the port, investigate the area where the explosion occurred," Cyrus instructed.

After much deliberation, she felt this directive was appropriate. From the data she had read and the intelligence she had gathered, the port was a chaotic hub for gangs and various factions, with more than one explosion occurring there. The causes could be gang wars or something else—like Mechanism Dawn's attempt to destroy the port, preventing ships from docking.

Understanding the basics before executing the port demolition was essential, hence Cyrus's directive to Argentum.

Argentum raised no objections to Cyrus's instructions, asking in detail, "What should I investigate? Personnel movements, the site of the explosion, or tracking and surveillance of suspicious individuals? The port has more than one explosion case."

"Look into everything," Cyrus said.

"You're overly cautious," Argentum muttered, but he agreed. "I'll go now. Contact me through the bracelet if there's any change of plans."

He secured his silver mask and hood, then stepped onto the balcony, opening the window. His body silently dissolved into the rain, merging with the night.

Cyrus closed the window to keep the downpour out.

Sending Argentum away gave her the quiet space she needed to think.

Cyrus was adept at managing her study time, praised by her high school teacher for her well-organized study plans.

Now, she would apply that skill, honed through three years of grueling high school, to plan her future.

Cyrus entered the bedroom, pulling a sheet of paper and a pen with only half its ink remaining from the desk.

Writing things down on paper always helped clarify her thoughts. The scratch of the pen against the surface helped her focus.

Currently, Cyrus faced two primary dangers.

"First, Mechanism Dawn. Second, the Enforcement Department," she wrote.

Being an undercover agent in the Enforcement Department was risky, but Cyrus had a wealth of data from the organization to fall back on. She planned to pull an all-nighter to go through the hundreds of pages of data and thoroughly understand the federal department. She had to memorize everything related to "Security Officer Cyrus"—her life story, her network of relationships, her habits. Every detail had to be perfect. Pretending to have amnesia was only a temporary solution, not sustainable in the long run.

As a trainee officer, it was normal for Cyrus not to be too familiar with her colleagues. She didn't need to be overly friendly with her squad or captain; maintaining a suitable distance was enough.

Compared to the Enforcement Department, Mechanism Dawn was more unsettling.

At least the Enforcement Department provided a comprehensive dossier for reference, but what about Mechanism Dawn? She knew nothing about the organization. She didn't know its goals, its leader, or even her own role within it; she had to guess and feel her way through.

Her teammate "Argentum," linked to her mission, thankfully hadn't interacted with her original self. Judging by his behavior, he seemed somewhat inexperienced, like a naive youth easily fooled, allowing Cyrus to pass muster.

With someone else, she might not have been so lucky.

Cyrus tapped her pen on the paper, deep in thought.

In her undercover life at the Enforcement Department, Cyrus aimed for stability. She established six guidelines: don't compete, don't grab, don't stand out, listen more, observe more, learn more.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Dealing with Mechanism Dawn was trickier. Cyrus had missions to perform and was an undercover agent with few chances to interact with other members. Her main issue was Argentum, her partner. Managing him well meant she wouldn't have to worry in the short term.

Having made plans for crisis management, Cyrus crossed out "Mechanism Dawn" and "Enforcement Department" on the paper.

Next up was "Mission."

She had two current tasks.

Mission One: Investigate the port explosion. This mission was assigned by the game system.

Mission Two: Prevent the Kraken from docking in Blackwater City. This was assigned by Mechanism Dawn.

Cyrus emotionlessly marked an 'X' over Mission Two.

Investigating the explosion might yield clues within the Enforcement Department, but blowing up the port and sinking the ship was tantamount to suicide.

This was a real game, without the option to save progress. If her life was lost, it might be gone forever. She couldn't gamble with her life on such a risky mission. Not even a hundred save slots would suffice.

Cyrus bit the end of her pen, her forehead furrowed in concentration, as she analyzed Mission One.

The port bombing was clearly not just a case of gang warfare. It was highly likely related to the Kraken's arrival.

Did the Enforcement Department notice anything unusual about the explosion?

Additionally, Cyrus suspected there was a "third party" involved in the bombing.

More than one organization or power wanted to destroy the port.

She drew a chart.

Party One, the Enforcement Department: their goal was to protect the port and apprehend criminals.

Party Two, Mechanism Dawn: their goal was to destroy the port.

The mission Mechanism Dawn assigned to Cyrus was "Demolish the Port," a directive she received tonight, and they assigned her the teammate "Argentum." However, before she officially transitioned to the second world, the port had already been bombed.

Which faction was behind that first bombing?

Gang wars were common in the quaint Blackwater City, but an ordinary gang clash wouldn't trigger a special mission from the game system. There must be something unique about this explosion.

Cyrus wrote on the paper—

Party Three, TBD: The cause of the bombing is suspected to be related to the Kraken.

But that was just Hypothesis One. There was also Hypothesis Two.

Cyrus's second guess was that Mechanism Dawn had dispatched more than one mission squad. The previous bombing was likely the work of another squad belonging to Mechanism Dawn, but they had failed.

Argentum said, "Our deaths don't matter. Our comrades will continue the mission and complete it before August 11th."

For a mission as perilous as demolishing a port and sinking a ship, Mechanism Dawn wouldn't pin their hopes on just one squad. Deploying multiple squads to execute the mission was the prudent choice. Thus, the previous bombing could still have been carried out by Mechanism Dawn.

Cyrus looked at the words "Party Three, TBD" on the paper

She stared at the few brief lines, lost in deep contemplation.

The undercurrents of Blackwater City, the frequent bombings at the port, Mechanism Dawn's directives, the tasks assigned by the game system... everything revolved around a focal point: the Kraken, the colossal freighter soon to dock in Blackwater City.

The Kraken was the eye of the storm, drawing closer with its cargo of secrets and intrigue.

Cyrus grabbed the paper from the table and tore it into unrecognizable shreds before heading to the bathroom to flush them down the toilet.

The paper had to be destroyed; it couldn't fall into the wrong hands.

She knew where the breakthrough for completing the mission lay.

—The Kraken.

If she could determine what cargo the Kraken was carrying and why Mechanism Dawn was so fearful of its docking in Blackwater City, the mystery would unravel.

Cyrus returned to her room, sat down on the chair, and powered on her bracelet to search for information on the Kraken.

The search results popped up.

"The Kraken, a giant bulk carrier, was built in 2086. It's the first year the Kraken is in service. With a maximum load capacity of eight hundred thousand tons, it's the largest bulk carrier in the world."

Bulk carriers typically transport goods that can't be packed in containers, such as sand, oil, coal.

What could possibly be aboard the Kraken?

Cyrus searched multiple times but found little information about the ship. She couldn't uncover anything substantial, so she opened the mission chip provided by the organization. There was still a portion of content she hadn't reviewed.

She read through the data from start to finish, and unsurprisingly, there was no specific detail about the cargo on the Kraken.

It was a tricky situation.

Cyrus's mind raced, and the game system's screen appeared.

She blinked in surprise, noticing that the progress for investigating the port bombing had unexpectedly increased.

"【Mission Progress】: 5%."

The slight uptick at least confirmed she was on the right track. She should continue along this line of inquiry.

Cyrus exhaled a long breath of relief.

Seeing progress in the mission felt like conquering a difficult math problem... no, even more rewarding than that. This sense of achievement was second only to earning money through hard work.

Cyrus reclined on her not-so-soft bed, rubbing her tired eyes. She didn't sleep, instead switching her bracelet's display to review the life details of 'Cyrus' and the intelligence on the Enforcement Department.

She read from dusk till dawn, with the storm outside never ceasing.

By nine in the morning, the balcony window was pried open.

Argentum clambered in, looking disheveled. He was soaked to the bone, with a gash on his cheek, surprisingly injured.

Argentum looked at Cyrus emerging from the bedroom and started to speak. "Hey! You..."

"I'm not 'hey.' You'd better address me by my codename," Cyrus observed the muddy tracks he had left. "You've dirtied the floor."

"Madame... Madame Riches... you..." Argentum's expression twisted as he called out the codename, then he closed his mouth, resigning himself to say, "It doesn't matter what I call you. I'm hurt. Do you have a first aid kit?"

Cyrus retrieved the medical kit from beside the bed.

Argentum carelessly removed his jacket and threw it on the floor, revealing three deep gashes across his chest. The wounds were severe, and yet, he hadn't bled out. He was still very much alive.

Cyrus noted the absence of blood in the tracks he left from the balcony to the kitchen sink. Even his torn shirt had only a small patch of blood.

"The monsters that lurk in the dark are multiplying," Argentum grimaced as he opened the medical kit, pouring hydrogen peroxide over his wounds and wrapping them with practiced ease.

Cyrus echoed with a hint of alarm, "Multiplying?"

"Yes, there are more than before. Last night, I encountered three," Argentum explained, catching his breath after bandaging himself. "They take advantage of the storm to come ashore, lurking among the containers on the docks, searching for hosts..."

Monsters? What kind of monsters?

Cyrus fought the urge to bite her lip.

The second world held too many things beyond her understanding. Just last night, she had struggled to learn how to make payments, navigate public spaces, shop online, and handle personal devices. She even crammed on the world's history, from the federation's foundation to humanity's technological breakthroughs that led them beyond Earth, attempting to establish colonies on other planets, along with major historical events and their broad outlines.

Chill's appearance had reminded Cyrus to be extra vigilant; she couldn't afford to make the same basic mistakes he had.

Cyrus was already overwhelmed, but Argentum's mention of "monsters" once again exceeded her comprehension.

To mask her anxiety, Cyrus suggested, "You brought in too much water. Clean up the balcony and living room."

Argentum: "..."

"If my ability wasn't to control liquids, I would have died from blood loss. You won't even help me bandage up, yet you complain about the floor," he grumbled, forming the water into a ball and tossing it into the kitchen sink.