This time, the female protagonist is chaotic neutral—not a good person, nor a bad one. Emotionally, she possesses humanity, so her personality and way of handling things will gradually grow and change. However, what makes her frightening is that she knows the world is real, and she knows the NPCs are living people, yet she still chooses to treat this as a game. Not just to clear the game, but also to survive.

In a word: The journey of a normal person turning into a psychopath?

Chapter 4: The Lightless Sea 04

“Intern patrol security officer Blake White, your body has recovered. Please exit the recovery pod.”

Blake White woke up. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the transparent glass cover of the recovery pod. On the built-in display, her physical status was marked as green—healthy.

What she had experienced was not a dream; she had not returned to the First World.

A nurse walked in, helped Blake White open the recovery pod, and then removed the IV from the back of her hand and the bandages wrapped around her head.

“You can leave now. Take it easy for the next couple of days and avoid strenuous activity,” the nurse said kindly. “Remember to submit a training exemption request to your squad captain, or your attendance pay will be docked.”

“Okay.” Blake White nodded quickly, driven by her instincts as someone always short on cash.

Something as important as attendance pay must not be forgotten.

Blake White sat up, her feet touching the cold metal floor, and stood up to stretch her limbs.

After a good sleep in the recovery pod, Blake White felt refreshed. She took a few steps and, through the reflective metal wall, caught a glimpse of her current appearance.

In the First World, Blake White had long black hair. In the Second World, her basic features were about seventy to eighty percent similar, but her long hair had become a neat, close-cropped cut. Blake White's skin was on the pale side, and her figure was rather thin, giving her a somewhat frail look at first glance.

There were no visible injuries on her body; her wounds had healed completely.

She stood in the room, momentarily at a loss.

Because she didn’t know where she was supposed to go—she didn’t even know where she was. This world was completely unfamiliar to her.

Blake White guessed she was at the headquarters of the Investigation Department. From the few words of Dr. Howard, she had learned that there were different teams and departments within the Investigation Department. Dr. Howard's badge said he was the director of the medical office, so Blake White had probably undergone surgery and treatment in a place like the Investigation Department’s medical center.

From the identity settings on the game panel, Blake White learned that she belonged to the “Seventh Squad of the Field Team.”

There was no time to hesitate; she couldn’t afford to stand still.

Blake White composed herself and walked to the metal door.

The metal door opened automatically, revealing a corridor behind it with blinking indicator lights. The corridor was empty.

Blake White stepped into the corridor, and suddenly a cold mechanical voice sounded in her ear.

“Intern patrol security officer Blake White, your squad captain Eric Shaw has requested you report to his office. Please follow the green indicator lights.”

A row of indicator lights in the corridor turned green, guiding Blake White in the right direction.

Blake White calmly observed her surroundings and saw that the surveillance cameras embedded in the walls were aimed directly at her.

She paused for a moment, then followed the green lights forward. The cameras shifted their angle with her steps. When Blake White reached an intersection, the indicator lights in the right-hand corridor flashed at just the right moment, signaling her to turn right.

After passing through several long corridors, Blake White suddenly saw two people coming from the opposite direction. One of the men had an emergency bandage wrapped around his arm, with blood seeping through, but he didn’t seem seriously hurt and was walking lucidly. The other person surprised Blake White a bit—he was supporting the injured man, and Blake White could clearly see the hard, metallic gray sheen of his right arm… he actually had a mechanical arm.

In this cyberpunk world, people modify their bodies, and mechanical prosthetics greatly facilitate their work and daily life. Cyborgs are very common; those with no modifications at all are the minority.

Blake White now counted as a cyborg herself. Although it wasn’t visible on the outside, she had an indestructible iron skull.

The two men walking toward her didn’t seem to know Blake White; they didn’t react when they saw her.

Blake White thought for a moment and decided to take a risk and speak up.

“What happened?” She didn’t use any titles, as if she was just making small talk with colleagues she happened to run into.

Luckily, the two men also took Blake White for an ordinary colleague making small talk. The injured man grumbled, “What else? The port got blown up again. Those bastards must be tired of living. Once I’m healed, I’ll grab my gun and wipe them all out!”

“Save it. Wait for the minister’s orders before you act, or you’ll just get yourself killed,” the man with the mechanical right arm said coldly.

They walked off, cursing as they went.

The port got blown up again?

Blake White glanced at their backs, deep in thought as she followed the green indicator lights.

Two minutes later, Blake White stopped in front of a metal door labeled “Field Team Seventh Squad Office - Eric Shaw.”

The door opened. Blake White steadied her heartbeat and walked in.