"Haha! Look at that! It looks exactly like Karen's face!"

Maggie stared suspiciously at the baboon that Joe was pointing to.

"I ...... I guess it's a bit like that. ”

"Wait a minute, I'm going to take a picture. He'll have fun with it later. ”

The man waved his hand at a drone hovering in the air. He stood in front of the monkey's cage, grinned silly, and raised two thumbs up to his face. The machine understood his intentions, took a picture, and immediately emailed it to Joe. He was eager to see what the results were, but didn't immediately run to the nearest public data terminal. This may have been a wise decision, as the humorous nature of the photo is somehow ruined by the seething hostility on Maggie's face. Seeing this would definitely ruin his good mood.

"Alright. Hopefully it catches your pout too. You're unexpectedly cute when you're angry, you know?"

Probably not.

"My anger makes you happy, and it makes you feel relieved," she replied blandly.

"That's ...... Is that ironic?"

Irony is a form of satire. Sarcasm is a form of lying. You even think I'm going to resort to this tactic, it's an offense. ”

Sarcasm is not lying, though. Well, I guess what you said was the exact opposite of what you wanted to say, but you also expressed it with the right expression and tone. See what I mean?"

Maggie winked at Joe, trying to make sense of his ill-fated argument.

"Then, by making deception obvious, it is no longer considered deception?"

"Exactly!"

"The concept seems dangerously subjective."

"Oh yes. A lot of people don't understand sarcasm. Especially when they have to. Uh, I mean in a text message. A lot of this has to do with body language, etc. ”

"Curious. So, would these animals be considered a kind of irony?"

"Uh...... I mean, I've never really thought about it, so ...... Maybe?"

"Irony is a more complex topic than I initially thought. I'll have to look into it in more detail. ”

Joe felt good as he managed to make Maggie happy a little, if there was any hint at her soft expression. Admittedly, her "thinking face" didn't look very happy, but it was a noticeable improvement from the lifeless anger of the past twenty minutes. Of course, he understood her frustration. The girl was excited to see some real animals, but what she found was a replica of a robot. Jo didn't know how she could see it, because he definitely couldn't. In fact, he didn't know until she pointed it out. Whoever built these terrible robots, he was already giving it his all. Not only do they look like that character, but they act exactly like the real thing. They even have wet tongues, steaming breaths, and vital signs of all other observable creatures. It impresses in its own way.

Maggie, on the other hand, was less grateful. Yes, these lifelike machines are the product of precision engineering and do their job flawlessly, but they are also inherently fallacious. The biggest problem is that the zoo's promotional materials don't mention that their animals aren't real. Of course, it makes sense that they use alternatives. Machines do not require the supervision or care of employees, and any maintenance they require is likely to be less expensive than the food, medicine, and other expenses incurred by real machines. The biggest problem is that none of these creatures are Butte

po

D-4 protists, which means they must be imported from other planets, while replicas can be made locally.

That being said, even if she understands that this is logical, it doesn't stop the zoo's innate deceptiveness from annoying her greatly. Especially after she dashed her high expectations for the second time in a day.

"Let's go check out the Terran Serpent exhibit. I'm sure, Azgod 'Kala

It would be exciting to meet his relatives!"

However, the unrelenting cheerfulness of her companions also infected her. Maggie doesn't understand where his boyish laugh is coming from, which only adds a convincing mystery to Joe Mulligan. Just when she thought she had mastered the thought process of this curious man, he exhibited a whole new set of incomprehensible behaviors.

What she didn't know was that what brought Joe such great joy was that he was on a real date. He didn't really think about it until today, and although he and Maggie were in some kind of strange interstellar contract, which he chose to interpret as a romantic relationship, they didn't do much as a couple. True, they played a lot of games together, discussed all sorts of topics, got to know each other and usually had a lot of fun in each other's company, but none of this counts. These are all things Joe and the lads can do, but taking a meaningless picture in front of a robot monkey is something that couples would do.

"Oh my God, these are some long scarves," he exclaimed when he saw the ball python. "Thick, too. If they wanted to, they might break me like a twig!"

"Monty pythons don't kill people by squeezing force." Maggie corrected him. "They either suffocate their prey or cut off blood circulation to the brain. It is a hunting technique that relies more on accuracy and anatomical knowledge than brute force. ”

"It's pretty cool on its own, too. Do you think your little friend will learn it one day?"

"It's a bit of a pity, but from what I've seen online, the subspecies of Azgold Caral has surgically removed most of the ferocious parts."

This little snake is a genetic branch of the round python – its big cousin. They have been specially bred and genetically modified to make them suitable for humanity's latest space travel. They are smaller and more docile than ball pythons, although they do retain some of their adorable aggressiveness. It is also worth noting that they are far from the only animals to receive this treatment. Over the past few centuries, humans have forcibly adapted more than 100 species in a similar way as part of the Good Friends program. This effort is actually part of a serious effort to stop people from adopting and adopting particularly dangerous extraterrestrial life forms just because "they look a little cute."

That's how strange humans are.

"Nope. He's going to grow big and strong," Joe said confidently and unwarrantedly. "How could he not like having such an amazing master taking care of him?"

"That's my hope, too."

Maggie laughed for the first time since entering this den of deception, known as the zoo. It was also the first time she had uttered the word "hope" so naturally. She was looking forward to Azgod 'Kala

The young reptile grows up physically and mentally and not just because she wants to study the process. Maybe it was a side effect of that ill-advised fear experiment, but her attachment to the little guy increased significantly. She is well aware that this increased emotional investment will lead to a lot of unpleasantness when this mortal inevitably dies, but this is her future self's problem. Now, her only concern was to fully enjoy the company of the little snake, which was sticking the front half out of the girl's left sleeve and gently coiling it around her thumb.

Of course, the same goes for Joe, including the finger-scratching part. Usually, he is more conservative when it comes to skin-to-skin contact, but today, he seems to be noticeably less hesitant to grab her hand and pull her to various exhibitions. He was so excited about this "girlfriend experience" that he visited the same exhibition several times without realizing it. He could have spent the day like this, but he and Maggie were catching the subway. All in all, the visit to the zoo only lasted about an hour in total before the couple had to leave.

The return trip was not much different from the first time. The only noticeable difference is that Joe sleeps well during the two-hour train ride, while Maggie is actively researching the game she is going to be involved in. When he returned to his apartment, he felt that he was full of energy and could continue his virtual space combat practice. However, an unexpected problem awaited him. It was really unexpected for a loose person like Joe. Any ordinary person would have foreseen this particular development and would have taken steps to address it.

When the couple returned to his apartment, they found a formal-looking notice posted on the door for all to see.

"Ah, nonsense." He cursed. "I guess the Headmaster found out about your, uh, pod mods."

The lady in charge of managing the skyscraper noticed that it was only a matter of time before the tampering was done. According to this document, she was tipped off with some anomalous electricity readings from the residence. People called her Mrs. Janice Beckett, and she was very strict. She and Joe have never met, but her reputation is well known. Undoubtedly, she was furious when she found out that one of the residents was carrying her behind her back and did not fill out the proper paperwork.

Thankfully, her actual power is very limited, so she can't do something as drastic as the eviction. The severest punishment she could give was to reduce Joe's pocket money from fifty to thirty pounds for the next six months. She also told him that the lifetime warranty for his fully immersion Pod 3000™ had expired, but he wasn't worried at all. He has Maggie's technical magic for all his mechanical needs.

Regardless, the odd couple was on V-Life in a matter of minutes. Joe activates his underwater yoga blaster. Since she technically shares his pods, Maggie can join his game as a guest without having to purchase the title separately. The two of them appear in Joe's virtual hanger. It's a staging ground where players can prepare their ships and gear before engaging other teams. The rest of Joe's team members were busy with all sorts of trivial things, so it took them a while before they received his call to a meeting.

Benny appears as a fairly ordinary fighter pilot, while Cullen is what he calls a "retro/space pirate fusion". Maggie was a little impressed with his creativity, but she doubted that the blindfold, prosthetic legs, and hooked hands would get in the way of his play. The last member of their wing chose to appear as a military commando, dressed in body armor, camouflage uniform, and armed with a fully automatic assault rifle. He bears a striking resemblance to the soldiers who have tried and failed to prevent Marasrak the Observer from entering their reality.

"Magazine, right? The stranger shouted. "Nice to meet you. I'm Huey. ”

Hubert Peterson. A desperate nerd, obsessed with military technology, he is even willing to sell his mother for a ride in a helicopter gunship. ”

The girl's answer was exactly the same as Joe's description of Huey a few minutes earlier, leaving everyone stunned.

"Ah," she realized her mistake. "I apologize. The power of habit. ”

"Hah! Hahaha!" Karen laughed. "Well done, Maggs!" Ahahahaha !”

“Oh-hoh。 Benny barely held back. She spoke the same way. It's like Huey is a gunslinger with a scientific basis. ”

"I'm sorry, man," Joe apologized. "I'll ask for this."

"You cheeky guy. Next time I see you, I'm going to slap you. ”

It's hard to tell what the guy's face looks like in an armored helmet, but at least his tone suggests he's in good spirits.

"If I were you, I wouldn't do that. If you do that, my girlfriend will be angry, she's scary when she's angry. Here, see?"

Joe then shared that photo of the baboon he had taken earlier, which he projected into the air in front of him. It is in this photo that Maggie's angry mouth stands out.

"I don't know, man," Huey was ambivalent. "I don't know if she's going to rush out and hide in the corner and sulk, or if she's going to take someone else's guts out with her bare hands."

"What's more, I recognized that ugly face," Benny said, pointing to the monkey in the camera, and then to Karen.

"Oh, yes! Said the bewildered pirate. "Isn't that the one in Dave's 157 Zoo?" The house where Uncle Ryan works?"

"Yes. Maggie and I went there to repair his cabin. Well, yes. Long story short, it turned out that he was just tired from our endless training and wanted to leave, so he made up a story about the blockage of Note glue. ”

As they dealt with the news that came out of nowhere, they were silent. They looked at each other and wondered what the others thought. It was an awkward situation, but at least none of them were particularly angry about it – just disappointed and maybe a little guilty. They then have a brief debate about their friend's dishonest behavior, but Joe's completely relaxed atmosphere ensures that Ryan's behavior is not exaggerated by some pointless dramatic incident. In the end, they agreed that everyone was at least a little at fault, and they began to discuss who would take his place.

"So I brought the Maggie with me. She will take his place," Joe proudly announced.

His three friends looked at each other again, silently confirming that they were on the same page.

"I don't know, man," Benny exclaimed. "I'm sure Maggs meant well, but has she played this before?"

"I didn't," she admitted.

"Yes, that's a big problem. U

- Yo-Bee is not beginner-friendly. Didn't like it at all. ”

Indeed, between the wide variety of ship choices, loading options, and complex controls, players need to spend a lot of time and effort learning this game. It's a team-based experience, which also means that, in some ways, it's better to play with a short person than with a heavy one.

"I studied 42 different tutorials and guides detailing the features, content and mechanics of the game," the girl declared. "I will put this knowledge into practice without any difficulty."

Everyone turned to Joe for confirmation. He knew best if she could prove her bustle, and they believed he wouldn't shoehorn her into their little social circle just to be with his girlfriend. The three of them all knew that Joe was a shameless guy who would rather look foreign than cause inconvenience to others. And he's happy to admit his mistakes, which he has to do with amazing regularity.

"Well, now that I think about it, it can be a little tricky," he looked at her with his arms crossed. "Don't get me wrong, Maggie, you're a quick learner, and you have some very important skills when it comes to reflexes and accuracy. The problem is that you're not good at strategizing and you're not good at teamwork. ”

The girl had nothing to say, as it was Joe's honest assessment of her abilities as a player after watching her browse the interactive media library.

"I have an idea, we can have her as a rover instead of Karen," Huey suggested.

"Uh, that means I have to support you!" The man complained. "I hate playing 'fake support.'"

"It's okay, if you come to be a tank, I can do it," Benny interjected.

"yes, okay."

"Sounds good, right?" Joe asked. "Do you think you can handle the position of a rover?"

Even though the game is a hyper-realistic space combat simulator, competitive matches in open space are very rare. The virtual battlefield is either full of obstacles and hazards, such as asteroids or nearby mines, or it takes place on huge cavernous asteroids, filled with tunnels and passages. This makes navigation and flanking attacks crucial, and the rover's job is to prevent the enemy from sneaking up on the rest of the team. It's a perfect "lone wolf" type, and that's what Maggie seems to be, according to Joe's description, her playstyle.

"Good," she agreed. "I agree to keep a vigil alone."

With the end of the role realignment, the team immediately got into the groove. In the beginning, they played against a number of AI-controlled opponents to get Maggie used to the game. She was outstandingly incompetent in the first few races, but she quickly improved as she got used to flying her starfighter. Calling her a "fast learner" is a pathetic underestimation of her processing abilities. Within a few hours, she was able to complete evasive moves that made her nearly unmatched in one-on-one grappling. She was even able to take on two opponents at once, albeit with understandable difficulties. Her precision is equally impressive, despite the different speeds and angles at which her flying machines fly.

Because her mechanics are correct, the team focuses on tinkering with her poor strategy flaws. Maggie sometimes loses the big picture, which causes her team to be unable to complete the objective, even though she wins the battle. Also, just like in some fighting game, she is tricked by all the tricks and feints thrown at her by Joe's team. For example, one person will shoot with a suppressive volley, forcing her to dodge in the line of fire of another person. Maggie isn't too angry at these underhanded tactics, as she recognizes that misinformation is a powerful weapon in both war and combat. Although she does not like this deception and refuses to use it, she does not feel sorry for others to use it.

All in all, Maggie was able to practice in time-accelerated virtual reality for almost two weeks before the big day arrived. While others call it the "Big Game", it's actually the annual Blastopia event of the year, a massive galaxy race that lasts for months. Teams compete to declare the champion of their respective big city, and then must compete for the planetary champion and then the star cluster champion. If they do that, they get to the national level and then culminate in a grand show of honor and glory to be named Galactic Champion.

Joe's team had no such desire. In Blastopia, a group of people from Butte

po

It is impossible for such a small person as the D-4 "people's farm" to defeat military flying squadrons and space pirates. Their goal is to reach the top eight of the megacity of Dave-156, which is already tough. With more than 100 teams in competition, they must win four consecutive best-of-five knockout matches to get to this point. Thankfully, they're unlikely to meet any big names in the preliminaries at these places, so they feel like they have a good chance of succeeding.

Joe, Culle

, Be

Y, Huey, and Maggie made their way to the virtual meeting area of the Dave-156 race. It is a huge room with the theme of an orbital station. There is enough seating to accommodate thousands of people, and the ridiculously high walls are lined with a large number of monitors for spectators to watch the game live. Contestants will also wait here until it's time to play, when the tournament officials call them on. As the person in charge of registration, as well as the official captain of the team, Huey chose "Three Fires" as the name of their team. Looking at the lineup, their first opponent seems to be Dangerino Donglino.

As the name suggests, the group turned out to be a joke team who wanted to make themselves some cheap jokes. Their sense of humor also turns out to be very vulgar. They showed up with five human ships dyed pink, which were equipped to maximize self-destruction. Needless to say, T

iple Misfi

E won comfortably 3-0. While it was a free win, its nature left a foul smell in the mouths of all of them. Except, of course, for Maggie. She fully understands the vulgarity of the situation, but she chooses to address an incredibly puzzling question: why would someone come to a match with the intent to lose?

Thankfully, the second game was a decent one. Peter and his friends did their best, but they didn't resemble T anywhere

iple Misfi

It is obvious that there is so much practice like that. They managed to narrow out the win, but one of them narrowly missed Joe's engine, causing his ship to lose control and collide with Benny's support boat. Without the latter's energy and ammo supplies, the player can only crush other enemies through consumption. The other three rounds they lost badly, which was much more satisfying than the farce of the first game.

When they entered Game 3, morale was high, only to find that their opponents – the Galactic Murder Force – had employed what was known as an "off-the-field" strategy. 《U

-The generally accepted lineup in Yo-Bee is quite balanced. There's an agile rover managing the flanks, and that's Maggie's job. Cullen was the tank of his team, which consisted of piloting a heavy helicopter gunship that served as a mobile cover and weapon platform. Huey and Joe are offensive interceptors who put pressure on the enemy. Last but not least, Be

Y is in charge of the support ship, which is responsible for ensuring that everyone is in the fight, while also hindering the opposing team through cyber warfare attacks.

However, the Galactic Murder Force took an unconventional approach, deploying five helicopter gunships. Protected by thick armor and a high-capacity force field, this is a formidable form of firepower. Their main drawback is mobility, but this doesn't seem to matter, as they can turn any enemy target they encounter into scrap metal in a matter of seconds. This is something scary when you consider that a ship usually takes 1 to 5 minutes of fighting to be destroyed.

Due to the lack of prior investigation of the opponent, the "Three Fires" team was caught off guard in the first game and suffered a heavy defeat. The team held a frantic strategy session during a two-minute pause between rounds to try to figure out how to respond to this ridiculous practice. The obvious solution is to use hit-and-run tactics that slowly deplete the enemy's helicopter gunships. The problem with this is that it takes so long that the 30-minute time limit runs out, leading to a draw. Since the enemy has already won, a draw is equivalent to a loss.

Surprisingly, Maggie gave them the answer. When a team loses a round, they are allowed to change their equipment between rounds in an effort to counter their initially ill-equipped opponent. The girl took advantage of this rule and swapped her agile battle-class ship for a navy-class ship. The best description of this type of ship is a huge ion cannon with several engine bolts on the sides. It is sometimes used in ten-on-ten or twenty-on-twenty matches, but never in competitive five-on-five matches. Not because it's forbidden by the rules, but because its limited mobility and lack of armor make it easy for rovers and interceptors to take it out. The others, who had three misfires, almost forgot about the existence of such ships and therefore did not consider them until Maggie pointed out that they were a reasonable counterattack to the enemy's strategy.

The Galactic Murder Force also ignores the presence of the Abalet class, and their gunship is completely shattered by Maggie's Abalette class before it can go into effective range. That massive cannon was so destructive that it blew through even any asteroid they were trying to cover. In the third round, they completely abandoned the non-meta combination and returned to the standard combination. The winning team can't change their ammo, so they think that aiming for a vulnerable cannon will give them an easy win.

But that didn't happen. Galactic Murder Power underestimates a

The proficiency of the Balest pilots, and within seconds of the start of the engagement, their support ship was annihilated. They did manage to blow up Maggie's ship, but the rest of the "Three Fires" were able to clean them up without much difficulty. Those back-to-back defeats were so disgraceful that the Galactic Murder Force – who, by the way, was talking crazy nonsense on the open communication channels of the first round – immediately canceled the tournament.

As they unexpectedly ended the game early, "Three Fires" returned to the lobby to wait for the next match.

"Great!"

"Bloody splendor!"

"Whoa, whoa!"

As soon as they entered the general audience area, they were suddenly greeted with a small cheer and applause. It's not often that one gets to see a player of this caliber in a five-on-five match, let alone produce such spectacular results. As a result, their performances have earned them some fans. One of the monitors even featured highlights of Maggie's decisive strike at the start of round three. The girl herself has received a lot of attention, not only because of her unique acting skills, but also because of her avatar. After all, her half-woman, half-terrifying appearance is completely unique.

Everyone naturally felt good about all of this, but Maggie was especially happy that she had experienced something new.

That is, the thrill of victory.

It feels good.