In the quiet study, Ai Qing stared silently at the phone on the table. The light rising from the screen intertwined into an invisible screen in the air, revealing a man with a dull expression sitting at his desk.
She said, "I want to check the progress of the report I submitted."
After a moment of silence, the dull clerk looked away from the computer screen and replied, "Your reinforcement application has been approved. In accordance with the Sublimator Management Law of the host country, the application has been conveyed to the East Asia Social Security Bureau and will be approved within one working day.
It is the duty of every inspector to eradicate threats. Please continue to pay attention to the current situation and ensure that the situation does not deteriorate before the matter is resolved. "
Convey …
Ai Qing sighed.
In recent years, as the pressure outside the border gradually weakened, the United Nations began to further restrict the rights of the Astronomical Society. Now, in a country with strong sovereignty, a front-line inspector like her was no longer qualified to retain a military department. The staffing structure was getting smaller and smaller, gradually evolving from the original action agency to an observation agency.
In the face of the increasingly powerful Big Five, the Directorate of Command chose to give in and hand over the daily military operations to the host country to avoid disputes over sovereignty.
No, it should be said that the struggle between the sovereignty faction and the border faction within the Directorate of Command had reached a climax.
As the representatives of the Big Five began to demand more rights and resources, contradictions inevitably arose. If this continues, sooner or later, I will have to work in the Special Affairs Department, right?
But to still maintain such a conservative attitude towards this kind of matter involving the elements of destruction, it could be said to be indulgent, right? Or do they want to let the situation deteriorate and come out to clean up the situation in the end?
There were too many possibilities, and it was difficult to guess.
She rubbed her eyebrows and stopped thinking about this damned question.
She asked, "What about the other application?"
After the clerk operated the computer, he looked up and replied, "The 'Relic Application' you submitted has been approved —"
As he spoke, he pulled out a form from the vacuum pipe next to him and checked the contents and reply on it. "The border relic applied for is No. 1752, the Erosive Object with a threat level of S, Faust."
He looked up and said, "You will be allowed to question it three times. Please follow the relevant regulations and read the sixth, seventh, and nineteenth articles. Complete, please confirm."
A text appeared on Ai Qing's phone.
As usual, she took a look and said, "It's over."
The clerk nodded and tapped a few times in the air, pulling out a text box out of thin air. He turned to Ai Qing and said, "Please read the following words and promise to abide by them."
Ai Qing calmly read the words on it, "I promise to remain vigilant and suspicious of everything said by Border Relic Faust. I promise to keep the questioning of Faust within the scope of the incident.
I will promise to observe the precepts.
I will maintain my rationality and give up my personal freedom when necessary. I will accept the control and personality correction of the technical department. That's all. "
The moment she finished reading, her signature appeared on the text box. Then, it turned into a piece of A4 paper and fell into the hands of the clerk.
"Three questions. Please use them with caution."
The clerk picked up the seal on the side and stamped it.
Pa!
The crisp sound of the red stamp landing on the paper was like popping a bubble, reverberating throughout the room. That formless sound seemed to sweep through space, causing everything to ripple like water.
The authorization was approved and the world unfolded.
In a flash, Ai Qing felt a sense of weightlessness as if she was on a slide or in a sports car. But then, the strange feeling came to an abrupt end.
The screen projected by the phone had dissipated.
In the quiet room, a phantom appeared silently and slowly condensed into a substance.
Border Delivery.
[B · I · F · R · O · S · T]. If the abbreviation were to be translated, it could be called 'Rainbow Bridge'.
It was one of the three major blockades that wrapped around the world. It was also one of the three safety valves established by the Astronomy Society to prevent the world from being destroyed.
One of its most direct functions was to rely on the hundreds of thousands of channels and countless transit stations built above the world to place anyone in any corner of the world at any time.
Although many restrictions were formulated to prevent abuse, it was inevitable that it would become the most commonly used method of movement in emergencies.
The sound of steel clanging sounded.
It came from the armor.
It was a man whose age could not be determined. His face was covered with a beard, and he wore heavy armor. He held a flame-shaped greatsword in his hand, and his braided hair was engraved with layers of tattoos.
It was bleak and majestic.
But his face was palpitating. Not only were his eyes sewn together by needle and thread and his ears that were filled with molten iron, but even his open lips had no trace of a tongue.
He didn't look, didn't listen, didn't speak.
This was the caretaker of the border relic, Faust. At the same time, he was also the safety bolt that cut off the user's head when the relic went out of control or violated the rules.
He held a greatsword in one hand and a huge and heavy book in the other. The steel cover and lock looked like layers of restraints. With the release of countless iron chains, the lock opened.
Amidst the sound of viscous liquid boiling, countless words flew out from it, bumping around aimlessly in the air like flies.
In the end, they gathered together and formed a stooped old man. As soon as he landed, he coughed violently. His lungs were like an outdated engine, spewing out sparks, black smoke, and wisps of pitch-black liquid.
Before those things landed, they were pulled back into the book by an invisible force.
"Phew —"
The old man in a Roman robe slowly straightened his back, propped himself up with his walking stick, and sighed softly, "I'm finally a little more comfortable … It's hard to come by freedom. Who summoned me?"
He looked around, his strange, gloomy eyes sweeping around. Finally, his gaze fell on Ai Qing's body, revealing a mocking smile, "Ah, an interesting half-finished product, a broken soul.
Look, what did I say last time? Little slut, we meet again. "
As he spoke, he leaned forward and almost impudently sniffed the scent on Ai Qing's hair.
"The fragrance of a virgin. What a pity. You've clearly matured? In the end, no one plucked you? "He paused and chuckled strangely.
"Or is it that no one cares about you? In life, if you can't appreciate the beauty between the sexes, isn't it too desolate? Do you need me to help you? "
Bang!
The sound of a stun gun flashed.
The old man convulsed and fell to the ground. He knelt in front of the wheelchair and convulsed violently. After a long time, he raised his head stiffly, not knowing if it was because of pleasure or pain. "Oh, oh, oh … This feeling, is it declaring to me the right to be a master? To a book? Hahaha, how pitiful. "
As he spoke, Faust grinned and revealed a mocking smile. He spread his hands.
"Devil Faust, I answer your summons. Please ask, my … 'Master,' if you can bear the price necessary to reach omniscience."
In that instant, the armored man behind him clenched the hilt of his sword.
Commandment 1: No question will receive a direct answer, but there is still a price to pay.
Commandment 4: Do not ask Faust for anything.
Commandment 9: Do not ask Faust questions that involve too much, and do not seek answers directly. The only appropriate method is to verify indirectly to reduce the price.
Ai Qing closed her eyes, ignoring the Devil's impudent laughter, and began to think.
After a long time, she opened her eyes and asked,
"Is the Savior Society's current actions of their own volition?"
Faust laughed strangely, stretched out his hand, and opened his palm. "The price for this question is an Austin gold coin, the one you carry with you."
Ai Qing frowned and looked at the armored man. The armored man didn't have any reaction, nor did he object.
According to the question, Faust would ask for things around the questioner, not limited to himself and his possessions. Most of the time, the price would fluctuate according to the difficulty of the answer, but there were always exceptions.
Faust would always ask for things that were of great significance to them, such as the lives of their family members, the sacrifice of their children, and so on.
The serious consequences caused by this were countless.
Otherwise, the Astronomer wouldn't have let the armored man guard this book.
After the price exceeded the limit, he would directly cut off the head of the questioner to prevent Faust from giving the answer and concluding the deal.
One Odysseus gold coin was still within the range.
Ai Qing was silent for a moment, took off the gold coin on the silver chain from her neck, handed it over, and didn't say anything else.
Faust laughed proudly, held the gold coin, and greedily licked it, as if he craved the sweat and body odor on it. He swallowed it into his stomach.
Then, he wiped his mouth in satisfaction and answered her question.
"Just like how birds can't stop the storm."
In other words, after Wang Hai, there was still someone controlling all of this and brewing a plan?
Ai Qing frowned.
The item that was extremely precious to her was only exchanged for such a sentence. Even if she was prepared, she still felt very unhappy.
She was silent for a long time, let out a long breath, and suppressed her anger.
She raised the second question again.
"Will their plan lead to changes in the Deep Hell, Magic City?"
"Ah, interesting question." Faust smiled and looked around. "Let me think about it. What is the price of this question? What should I take away? No, what should I leave behind to make you feel unforgettable pain? "
Soon, his gaze fell on the wall.
It was a picture frame covered by a dustproof cloth.
He turned around and looked at Ai Qing's livid face. He smiled in satisfaction.
"I want it."
The sword-bearer didn't react.
Ai Qing was silent, her hands gripping the armrest tightly. Under Bai Xi's skin, the blood vessels were pulsing angrily. After a long time, she closed her eyes.
"Take it."
Faust laughed heartily and snapped his fingers.
The picture frame began to burn, and the dustproof cloth fell to the ground. In the dancing flames, the silhouette of a woman holding a child could be vaguely seen.
It was as if she was holding the world's treasure.
She smiled brightly at the camera.
Her smile disappeared in the flames.
"… Answer me."
Ai Qing said softly. "Answer my question, Faust."
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