"That's it."

It wasn't until he heard the girl's reassurance that Officer Maloney dared to open his eyes again. He glanced cautiously at Maggie and was relieved to find that his eyeballs hadn't tried to leave his face as they had before. However, this chaos is far from over. There were also half-melted holes in the walls, and Mr. Mulligan looked horrible. He was still breathing and his head hadn't moved from where Maggie had been on his lap, but the officer asked Joe if he could recover from what had just happened. Not only physically, but also mentally.

Thankfully, there is an unfathomable wise man in his ear, and he will surely have the answer.

"Will he be okay?"

"He's just exhausted." Maggie replied calmly. "A few days of rest and adequate nutrition should be enough to promote a full recovery."

"That's good. I've called an ambulance and they'll take care of him. Until then, we'll have to carefully transfer him and you to the elevator. The titanium-reinforced barrel should make it harder for the gunner to shoot again. ”

"Your vigilance is commendable, but not necessary. I have already dealt with the aggressor. ”

"Ahh Is that what the eye is all about?"

"Yes."

Maloney shuddered at the thought of how terrible a man like Maggie had done to criminals, but he still needed to bring in what was left.

"Can you tell me where his or her body is?"

"You're wrong about me, Officer Grant Maloney. I didn't kill the gunman. I'm just making sure he never endangers other sentient lives again. ”

"You don't mind if I say that, really...... It's so merciful. ”

"I assure you, it's not mercy," she said coldly.

A chill hit the officer's spine, but he mustered up the courage to persevere.

"I ...... I'm still going to arrest him. It's due process, and so on. ”

"I understand. Kevin Baker is currently in elevator number three on the fifty-sixth floor of Superscraper 2561-A. ”

"That's not ...... How many kilometers away?"

"Yes. 4.5 km to be exact. ”

"Damn it. All right. ”

Ma Hongsheng was taken aback for a moment. Hitting a target through several walls from such a distance is quite a remarkable feat, although the girl's ability to fight back so quickly and decisively is no less impressive. In any case, he tried to inform his colleagues about the suspect's situation, but found himself unable to do so. His headphones didn't respond. He carefully removed and examined it, only to find that it had been blown into a pile of useless plastic and wires. Almost all of his electronic devices are in a similar state, and there is no doubt that this is a side effect of what Mahras Rak did. It's unfortunate, but it's not in a hurry. In less than a minute or two, reinforcements and medical services arrived on the scene.

As he waited in the hallway, the police secretly congratulated themselves on how well the apartments were soundproofed. In an emergency, the last thing he needs to do is deal with panicked civilians. If someone dares to stick their head out in the "eye thing", things will get very bad. Thankfully, the residents of this skyscraper were unaware of the attempted murder, and if all went well, they would never have known. The hole in the wall might have let them know what was going on, but the problem has been solved.

Swarms of hand-sized spider-like repair robots poured out of the walls, busily scanning the hallways. The micro-machine fills the cavity with some kind of insulating foam, seals it with a polymer spray, and then paints it on it. They even cleaned up a few drops of blood. Once they were done, there was no physical evidence of what had happened. However, they did record everything before cleaning it up. The maintenance robot host will compile an accident report with a variety of images and analyses that will allow local law enforcement to virtually recreate the crime scene.

Of course, things don't end there. Maloney is enthusiastic and wants to investigate the mysterious gunman. There are so many problems that he can't wait to solve them. Who is this Kevin Baker? Why did he shoot Maggie? Does he know who or what he's targeting? And more importantly, where and how did he get an energy weapon capable of precise destruction at such a distance? In addition to solving the mystery, the simple cop also felt the sting of opportunity, which fueled his ambitions. If he can solve this case, he will have the opportunity to be promoted to a truly meaningful police career.

Unfortunately for the aspiring detective, the answers to most of the puzzles came to him when the three of them stepped out of the elevator. Judging by their uniforms and bulky weapons, they are definitely military men. On the left is a woman with ginger hair, who seems to flinch when she looks at Maggie. On the right is a dark-skinned gentleman typing on a console worn on his wrist. The man in the middle was the nervousest of the three and, as the police correctly guessed, the highest-ranked. He was old, gray-haired, with a bushy mustache and flat head, and both were gray from age and stress. He had a very obvious mechanical prosthesis in his left eye and left arm, and the expression on his scarred face made it clear that he really didn't want to be there.

Maloney's adrenaline is still a bit high, so he makes a rather risky but responsible decision to confront these heavily armed strangers.

"Stay where you are, identify yourself!"

He raised one hand and holstered his gun in the other, shouting to them, and the three of them stopped. The two soldiers in the back raised their hands, but did not hold their weapons. The commander motioned for them to stand down and immediately introduced himself.

"Major Gordon Archer, 206th Imperial Assault Force, under the direct command of the Occult Expulsion Agency. This is my subordinates, Second Class Psionic Agent Sarah Johnson and Sergeant Damian Bennett. On the orders of the emperor, I order you to leave this topic. ”

Ma Hongsheng hesitated. Although they look and behave alike, there is a good chance that these three people are imposters. However, the weapons they have are absolutely real. Even if they weren't in the military, he wouldn't be able to stop any of them once things turned violent.

“…… Yes, sir. He wisely stepped aside.

Three soldiers walked past him without saying a word, and the major patted Maloney on the shoulder as he walked, comforting him. The young man could swear that he heard the phrase "well done, boy", although the senior officer's lips did not move. Despite this, Major Archer, Agent Johnson, and Technical Officer Sparks cautiously approached Maggie.

"McGrach in The Observer?" The person in charge shouted.

"We meet again, Major Gordon Archer," said the girl calmly. "Why did you come to me personally?"

The man grimaced. He was sure that this damn monster knew exactly why he was there. But if that's how things go on, then he has no choice but to accept it.

"I'm here to take you to a hidden place. Now it's time for us to meet face-to-face. ”

The girl looked up at them, expressionless and emotionless.

"I refuse," she said bluntly.

"I'm afraid I'll have to persevere."

AJ and Spa

ks raised his weapon at Maggie.

"It's not wise to do that," she told them calmly. "I must fulfill my obligations, and any attempt to prevent me from doing so will be dealt with with appropriate measures."

Then she put Joe's head in her lap again and slowly stroked his cheek.

"Professional? Shall we start blasting or what?" Bennett asked.

"Don't fire." He commanded, then turned back to the girl. "What are these obligations?"

"Make sure Joe is safe and healthy."

"We can provide excellent medical assistance."

Maggie looked up, her eyes swirling with hostility.

"It's all your fault that he's like this!"

"I assure you, Lieutenant Baker did not shoot on my orders."

The girl's anger subsided for a moment. There was not the slightest hint of deception in that sentence. She thought—apparently wrong—that the sniper was told to shoot her. In retrospect, it makes sense that he acted on his own. By the time she "found" him, his mental state was shaken and even unstable. It exposes a feeling of lack of conviction and self-doubt that should not be present in a professional soldier who has just performed a mission. However, this did not excuse him and the major.

"According to the laws of your army, the commander of the field is legally and morally responsible for the actions of his subordinates. This includes disobedience to orders or dereliction of duty, in which case your failure is something you could not have foreseen or prevented. ”

"I know, damn it!" He shouted. "I know. I shouldn't even have done this, but you're forcing me by killing the lieutenant. ”

"Kevin Baker isn't dead."

"Poop...... Burnett?"

Sparks quickly checked the console on his wrist and looked back.

"His neural implant report has no vital signs, sir."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Well, technically, it doesn't transmit a signal at all, but the only way-"

"Idiot! The major shouted. "Tell me first!" Contact Team 2 and ask them to find him quickly!"

"Elevator No. 3, on the fifty-sixth floor."

All three soldiers stared at the policeman who had just walked from behind.

"That's what Maggs told me before, sir."

If the girl hadn't accidentally blown up all the electronic devices in her line of sight, the base's surveillance team would have known.

"Well, you heard what he said! The Major shouted again. "Go find that bastard, get him back to base, and I'll be able to grab his goddamn foreskin and hang him up"

"Here it goes, sir."

"Ben and Burnett? If you do it again, Queen, give me a hand, and I'll shove my boots into your ass and let your breath smell of shoe polish. ”

“…… Yes, sir. It won't happen again. ”

"Agent, keep your defenses," he turned to the next agent. "Let's wait and see how the lieutenant goes, and then relax."

After a few tense minutes, Maggie felt like she was alone in the hallway with Joe, and the Major finally heard back from the rest of the team. They found the disobedient sharpshooter alive and conscious, but huddled in the corner of the elevator, screaming incoherently. He also made himself dirty. The team doctor had to tranquil him in order to quickly and quietly bring him back to the base. It was clear that his brain had been hit so badly that the chip on his skull had been blown up, although the severity of the damage to his spirit had yet to be determined.

"What the hell did you do to the lieutenant?" The Major asked Maggie.

She replied with a blank face: "I planted a serious fear of guns in his head."

In other words, the sniper is in this terrible state because the portable particle cannon under his feet is discarded. Archer was not very happy to hear it, because it meant that his sniper was no longer suitable for the mission, but Maloney was visibly relieved to learn that this was all the girl had done. Given her previous comments, the police were imagining something worse, which is why he decided to fix it.

"Mags, didn't you say you weren't merciful?"

"I didn't. I retaliated in the way that my obligations requires. No more, no less. ”

She didn't care that she was being attacked, but in doing so, the gunman indirectly and unintentionally hurt Joe. By stripping him of the ability to shoot, she ensures that he will never make such a mistake again. However, she realized that she was not addressing the root cause of the problem. The man had taken a fancy to her because he had been ordered to do so, probably by accident. If she leaves things as they are, there's a good chance something like that will happen again. Or worse, the army could target Joe to approach her, and she has shown that she can't react faster than the speed of light. Maggie wasn't stupid enough to think that she would be able to protect him if she started an open hostile operation with 3BE's army.

In short, as much as she hated what they were doing, her best bet was to accept the initial offer of these belligerent soldiers.

"Major Gordon Archer," she said, looking up at the officer. "I have reconsidered my previous position and want to negotiate a long-term non-aggression pact."

The man was visibly taken aback. He stroked his beard for a few seconds before making a decision.

"Good. It takes time to schedule a formal hearing—"

"Nope. With you. Here and now. ”

She wanted to strike while the iron was hot, as the ancients said.

“…… Okay, but I'm going to report to my superiors anyway afterwards. ”

"It's allowed."

"Bennett, cordon off the floor and make sure no one disturbs us. While you're there, tell local law enforcement that we've taken care of the situation and evacuate the area. ”

"Yes, sir. What about ambulances?"

The two of them looked at the girl and the man with the wounded leg in her leg.

"There's no need," Maggie said, before asking, "cancel your gunship." I could hear it hovering over the façade, and the frequency of its engine was uncomfortable. ”

The technologist cast a questioning glance at his commander, which was answered with a firm nod. He busied himself with his orders, while the girl slowly and carefully picked Joe up from the floor, led him into his apartment, and put him in the pod. He needed rest, nourishment, and safety, all of which the possessed machine could provide. She really should have done it sooner, but his condition was stable and she felt guilty about leaving him, so she postponed it.

Maggie smiled to herself as she watched the pods hang next to Joe. She felt as if she had better understood why humans were so ambiguous about their intentions. This is not just because they are emotional, but also because their feelings are often at odds with the rational side. There she was, ready to sit down and talk to a mob of thugs who could barely stand the way they looked after what they had done. It's the best way to go, but it's offensive to think about it. As a creature who has lived solely on logic for thousands of years, this inner conflict is new and foreign to her. However, what happened next was not personal. It's not time to vent her feelings yet, so Maggie did what a lot of people wish she could do.

She forcibly changed her mental state, put herself in a neutral state, and walked out with a calm smile. Without saying a word, she didn't hesitate to shoehorn some of the materials from the walls and floors into a basic and elegant set of concrete furniture. There is a wide table in the middle, with three chairs on one side, one on the other, and a fifth against the wall. Accepting the hint, the soldiers sat down opposite the girl, and the policeman - who, by the way, really doubted whether he should be there - played the role of witnesses.

"Okay. To reiterate, I'm Major Archer, and these two are Sergeant Bennett and Agent Johnson. We were gathered here at the request of the third-class cadets, because about ten minutes ago Lieutenant Baker had disobeyed the order and fired."

"McGrake the Observer," the girl introduced herself formally, "but I must insist that you call me Mags." ”

"We'll see. The thing is, we don't know what your motivation is, so why don't you help us out and tell us why you're here? He got straight to the point.

"I am negotiating a non-aggression pact."

"I didn't mean that, you know!"

The girl tilted her head slightly, and the strange smile on her face did not waver in the slightest.

"No, I don't know, Major Gordon Archer. Maybe you should be more cautious about asking questions. ”

"She's a true person, sir." The policeman said from the side.

The soldier exhaled gruffly.

"Why did you enter this reality?"

"Go study it," she replied simply.

"For what purpose?"

"I am a seeker of knowledge. That's what I do. ”

Major Archer sighed. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he couldn't possibly believe this seemingly innocuous reaction. Frankly, he didn't want to talk about this at all. Unfortunately, the third class student suddenly became very demanding, and he didn't want to risk letting her go. Whenever they don't get what they want, such people usually become very sensitive, and if Major Archer knew his cosmic entity from behind the veil, which he thought he knew, it wouldn't end well. He may have wanted to start a fight for a long time, but that's when he knew that his opponent wasn't actually dead, just ...... Before complete incapacitation.

So, just like Maggie herself, he had to ignore his own feelings about the matter and do everything he could to make the most of the mess.

"What happens once you get all the knowledge from us?"

"Not sure. I'm likely to move on to the next uncharted territory. ”

"Suppose you do, you continue to learn things from various worlds and dimensions until you know everything. And then what?"

"In this way I will gain omniscient knowledge, and my purpose will be accomplished."

It seems that the ultimate goal of a super nerd is to be a know-it-all person. While it was indeed a frightening prospect, the Major did believe it was a motive.

"You said you wanted a non-aggression pact. Why? He changed the subject.

"To make sure Joe is safe and healthy."

"Why do you care so much about that random fool?"

"I have an obligation to him. I won't give out the details, but I know that I have an obligation to protect him from harm at all costs. ”

Right? So, theoretically, what would you do if we rejected your agreement and tried to subjugate him or you?"

"I will retaliate by any means I deem necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"In order of severity, they are negotiations, bribery, cyber warfare, brute force, psychic attacks, and division."

"Oh, please. You can throw us into a wall or two with a wave of your hand, so why bother talking?"

"Because, Major Archer, although it is possible to substitute a baton for conversation, words always retain their power. Language provides the means to express meaning, and for those who are willing to listen, language is an elaboration of truth. Alan Moore, 1983. ”

The soldiers looked at each other, bewildered by this incredibly obscure quote from centuries ago.

"Oh! I see!" Maloney shouted from the sidelines, and immediately remembered the situation he was in. "I'm going to shut up now."

"Okay," the major politely ignored his words. "Here's the thing, I've been on more than fifty missions related to people like you. Do you want to guess how many of them ended up chatting happily over tea and biking?"

“…… It's sarcasm, isn't it?" The girl noticed.

"Good," he continued. "It seems that they don't call you the Observer for nothing!"

Some may question whether it is a good idea to say nice things about third-class students like this, but the Major feels that it is necessary. If the girl's ego is so fragile that she would react negatively to such a faint provocation, she may well turn into a full Cthulhu in an instant. No agreement with such a capricious creature can last. Thankfully, Maggie wasn't offended by those words. Contrary. She laughed even wider, her eyes narrowed, though it was hard to tell if it was a mockery or a joy.

"Definitely. I've been working on the subtleties of sarcasm lately. I'm sure I'll soon grasp this elusive concept. ”

No one in the room could tell if she really said that, or if she was just laughing at herself.

"Putting these distractions aside," she tightened her expression, "I now understand why you're hostile to me, Major Archer. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of my nature. ”

"Hah! It would be nice that way. Well, let's hear it. What's the difference between you and other sentient nightmares I've encountered?"

"I am an orderly person, not a chaotic person."

"Okay......"

Hearing this, the veteran nodded slowly. He wasn't quite sure how to make sense of it. He casts questioning glances at AJ and Sparks, but they seem to be as clueless as he is. The only person who seemed to understand what the third-class student was saying was the policeman who stood by and nodded, but the major was not quite convinced that he wanted to hear his opinion. It's possible that McGrach had put him in it, and if Archer was to be spoon-fed cow dung, he would rather grab it at the source.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't want to spend the next 56 hours fully explaining the difference between these cosmic forces. For the sake of brevity, I will summarize my views. There are two types of cosmic entities – two factions, as there is no better term. Those who cross the line into this reality are usually born in chaos. They crave senseless sabotage, often engage in deliberate deception, and encourage malicious breaches of obligations. People like me, who emerge from order, have diametrically opposed emotions. ”

"So what, are you that indescribable horror?"

"You're good at sarcasm," she noted, before continuing. "But no. Some of my relatives would be seen as tyrants, oppressors, and slave owners by your standards, though they rarely cross the veil as I do. They prefer to control things remotely from the other side. It's more efficient this way. ”

"All I hear is, 'I'm not like other sentient calamities.'" This is not a reasonable argument. ”

"I know that my words alone will not convince you, so I ask that you consider my words as well as my actions."

The Major was reluctant to admit it, but on closer inspection, the reports of Sergeant Bennett and Agent Johnson did confirm her account. Yes, Mahlatrak caused several minor damages and exhibited some anomalies, but nothing to retaliate against his team. His observations also made it very clear that the entity was aware of their monitoring activities, but that it had taken no action to obstruct their investigations or to cover up its own actions. It behaved so well that it really drove the major away. It's unsettling to look at her because they don't know when and where things are going to happen. In some ways, this constant surveillance is more stressful than the usual way of solving problems with excessive firepower. He didn't want to raze a skyscraper or two just to get it back to its place, but deep down he was a little happy that his stupid subordinate had given him an excuse to do something.

Major Archer suddenly had an idea. He hadn't quite understood why the Occult Expulsion Agency had asked him to take such a negative wait-and-see attitude towards the monster. Normally, they would not hesitate to let him subdue a Level 3 threat by force, even though they knew full well that doing so would result in serious collateral damage. Such orders are given and carried out under the notion that these monsters will cause more damage in the long run unless they are dealt with quickly. However, in all of these cases, the entities in question have shown that they are extremely hostile to sentient beings.

This time it was clearly not like that. In fact, it can be said that the advantages of its existence outweigh the disadvantages. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, it highlights a potentially catastrophic vulnerability in 3BE's digital banking services. Being able to patch it up before any foreign power or evil individual misuses it, the few hundred pounds of "ghost money" is worth it. "Actually, that's an understatement. This trade is so distorted in value that it is an outright crime.

The problem is that, perhaps, just maybe, those restrictions that have so far bound the hands and feet of the major have been set up in order to avoid unnecessarily irritating a "man of order". "If that's the case, then how is he not aware that these things are obviously factional?" These were unsettling questions, although the tired soldier already had a premonition of the answer. It's because the paranormal expulsion agency is run by a bunch of selfish fools who believe their precious secrets are more important than the lives of countless people. Admittedly, there are some things that humans should never know, but not all cosmic entities are a collection of madness and murder, and this idea does not seem to belong to one of them.

Archer pondered in awkward silence for a few minutes before making up his mind.

"Okay, I'll be honest."

"Didn't you say your name was Gordon?"

The man's train of thought was interrupted by the first real sarcasm of Class 3. There was no reason for this sentence, and Ma Hongsheng had to hold back laughter. Agent Johnson just stared blankly, while Sparks winced, wiggling his hand as if to indicate that it needed to be repaired. As for the major, he took a deep breath and skillfully pretended that everything that had just happened had not happened.

"What do you think of this contract?" He asked a big question.

Maggie raised her hand, and an ominous piece of parchment appeared on it. The soldiers had seen her do this once or twice, so they expected it. The Major picked up the conjured document and looked at it carefully. It unequivocally details what exactly the girl wants. She wants to be granted 3BE citizenship, with all the rights, privileges and protections that come with it. It implicitly asks the military to refrain from hostile actions against Maggie and her acquaintances. As a girl, she also explicitly lays out this condition in the next line, while also including Joe, removing any wiggle room in the contract. In return, she pledged not to take any action harmful to the empire and its people, unless her existing obligations required otherwise.

It was this last admonition that prompted the Major to ask some questions, which, in retrospect, he really ought to have studied more closely.

"Joe Mulligan. What's your relationship with him?"

"I refuse to answer."

This was Maggie's first time doing this. She loves to spread knowledge and information and therefore does not hesitate to answer any and all questions that are put to her. However, exposing Joe as her anchor and their presence is linked only to putting him in greater danger. The commandos have realized that she has resurrected herself through him, and there is no doubt that they plan to eliminate him if the situation turns violent in order to prevent this from happening. If they also knew that Maggie would be very weak without Joe, it would be possible for them to go to Joe immediately.

"We'll find out soon," the major said ominously. "Go ahead and talk about these engagements you've been making. I thought, if someone is stupid enough to break their promises, something terrible will happen, right?"

"Yes, there will be consequences."

"What are the consequences?"

"I will be forced to completely abolish this agreement, exempting me from the obligation to bear it."

There was a brief silence, and the major waited for the girl to continue, only to realize that she had finished.

“…… That's all?" He asked, wanting to make sure.

"Yes."

"Looks a little ...... Light, isn't it?"

"This is a reasonable response to a party's breach of the terms of the agreement."

"Well, yes, but you're damn level three. Shouldn't you have skinned them alive, or eaten their souls or something?"

Maggie's calm smile turned into her usual smug smirk.

"What did you say, man?" She borrowed Cullen's words.

“…… Huh?"

"This act of violence will not bring anything good and will not advance my goals. This is an abuse of time and effort, and I try to avoid wasting that time and energy. I see no justification for such a means unless I am required to do so by my other obligations. ”

"So what's the point of signing agreements and contracts?" He raised his arms in exasperation.

"According to statistics, people are 153% more likely to comply with the terms of an agreement if it is submitted in a formal manner."

She's not entirely sure why this is happening, but she can't argue with the data. That's not to say she can't sign a soul contract. She just doesn't feel the need to use them when dealing with humans. The same is true for Joe. The supernatural connection between him and Maggie is neither enforced by nor dependent on their trades. Even the documents he signed with his blood did little other than make him feel better about the whole thing. Well, it will serve as an official record, and things will be a little easier if Maggie's peers or elders ask about her actions and activities.

"But what's going to stop you from breaking your word?!" Archer.

"I don't have that option. Once I have agreed to an obligation, I must fulfill it to the best of my ability. That's why I reject terms that I don't want or can't follow. ”

Okay, and she'd the Inquisitor Agramtar, but she thought that mentioning the Elder's name would unnecessarily complicate things.

"As if I could believe it!" The man across from her yelled.

"Neither your faith nor your belief can change the facts, Major Gordon Archer."

These calming words helped the veteran realize that he might be a little too excited. He mentally took a step back and reminded himself that this kind of trade was really outside his power. In fact, he and his team were barred from entering into any agreements with Level 3 entities. Such a thing should have been obvious, but his superiors clearly did not allow it. Considering what he was told today, Archer realizes that it may not be just the bosses' redundancy thoroughly.

"In any case, I cannot agree to your request, either personally or on behalf of my country. As mentioned before, I'll have to tell my boss what you suggest before I get back to you. ”

"I understand. I thank you. She bowed deeply.

"Your gratitude is unfounded, not at all worthy of gratitude," he replied mockingly.

"You're kidding, but I think it was an enlightening encounter for both of us. Goodbye, Major Gordon Archer. ”

"Hmph."

The three-man commando team got up from their seats and quickly left the scene. They squeezed into the elevator and boarded an external landing platform, where their helicopter gunship was waiting for them.

"Sparks, you recorded everything, right?" The Major asked on the way upstairs.

"Yes, sir."

Not only video and audio, but also the various measurable outputs it emits. It was a job that he did not say during the extraordinary session. As for Agent Johnson, she is there to protect her team from any potential telepathic attacks. She won't hold out for long against a level 3 enemy, but at least she can buy her allies enough time to fight back. The fool was certainly relieved that things hadn't gotten to that point. As her silence during the interrogation indicates, she did not feel any suspicious psionic activity.

Except that Maggie kept glancing at her without anyone noticing, which was to be expected at the time.