Chương 252: An Attempt

These vehicles have sharp lines, a matte finish, and thick, dark glass that makes it impossible to see anything inside from the outside.

On the roof of the vehicle, several detection instruments were slowly rotating, seemingly scanning for residual virtual energy fluctuations in the area.

The convoy stopped precisely a few dozen meters away from the girls. Then, almost simultaneously, the car doors unlocked with a "click" and slid open. Dozens of field agents from the Bureau of Paranormal Affairs quickly and orderly stepped out of the cars, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they had practiced hundreds of times.

They were tall, agile, and powerful, wearing dark gray combat suits made of a special fiber material, with lightweight composite armor covering their joints. The front and back of their suits bore the silver emblem of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs, a symbol of interwoven swords and shields.

Each person is equipped with standardized tactical gear: a tactical helmet with a built-in communicator, a medical and tactical pouch at the waist, a holster on the leg, and a portable device on the back that can monitor the environmental energy index in real time.

After getting out of the car, the group did not disperse immediately. Instead, they quickly formed several standard three-person tactical teams, each based on their vehicle, and scanned their surroundings with sharp eyes.

The group of captains at the front were looking down at the miniature terminals on their wrists, receiving real-time instructions from the command center. Then, they began to issue tasks to their team members using concise and precise hand gestures.

Some teams were responsible for setting up a cordon and completely sealing off the scene; others took out professional sampling equipment and began to carefully collect the virtual energy residue; still others began to conduct a preliminary assessment of the damage to the surrounding buildings and plan the safest entry route for the professional engineering vehicles that would be arriving later.

The entire process was quiet, swift, and professional, with everyone operating like a perfectly functioning machine, demonstrating the exceptional competence of the Bureau of Extraordinary Events as a national-level special response department.

One of the team leaders, who appeared to be in charge of on-site command, briefly responded by pressing the communicator button on the side of his helmet after listening to the report of the special situation in his headset.

He then turned his gaze to the few figures standing quietly not far away, completely out of place with the somber atmosphere.

After a moment's hesitation, he took a step and walked towards them.

The captain stood at a safe distance from the group, then removed his helmet, revealing a well-defined, resolute face, and gave everyone a standard military salute.

"Jiangchuan City Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs, Team Leader of Field Operations Group One, codename A-007, salutes you all." His voice was steady and powerful.

"Thank you for your contributions to this city!"

"You're welcome, it's our duty." Xingxian stepped forward, waved her hand gently, and responded in an attitude of equality, "Is there anything we can help you with?"

She paused, a hint of inquiry in her silver-gray eyes: "If I remember correctly, your operational guidelines clearly stipulate that during the post-disaster phase, you will not proactively communicate with us to ensure that our identities are not exposed to unnecessary insiders."

"Yes, Lord Hoshino." Captain A-007 nodded, his expression serious.

"We've broken the rules to bother you because some special circumstances have arisen that are beyond our jurisdiction. I just received a report from our colleagues in Group B, who are in charge of another area."

"Those monsters on the other side of the shopping street"—please allow me to use this general term here—are currently in a very eerie state.

"This has left us uncertain about the right way to deal with them, so I have come here to seek your advice."

"I see." Xingxian immediately realized what was going on and understood the other party's intention.

A proud smile appeared on her face as she turned to the side, gesturing to Xing Shuang beside her, and then said, "As for this matter, just ask your senior how to resolve it."

"By the way, we will be following her lead in all future operations. If possible, please convey this to your other colleagues."

"Senior—is that right?"

Captain A—007 was immediately confused. The word carried significant weight coming from the mouth of a powerful inspector.

His gaze was filled with incomprehension, not only because of the title, but also because of the almost worshipful attitude Xingxian was showing at that moment.

The meeting that was urgently organized the night before last due to the arrival of the inspector was one that he, as a middle-level manager in the field team, was qualified to participate in.

At that time, the magical girl in front of us showed a completely different side.

Decisive, resolute, and assertive, she even appeared somewhat irritable due to her dissatisfaction with the recent situation in Jiangchuan City. Even when facing Director Roland, whom all members of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs respected immensely, her attitude was far from friendly.

This inspector, who clearly holds a high position within the magical kingdom of Esmeralda, actually spoke to me in such a gentle manner, explicitly stating that he would prioritize the other magical girl, and even—addressing me as "senpai" with such respect.

His gaze swept among the girls for a moment, finally settling on the pink-clad figure who stood out even among them. He asked hesitantly, "You are—Miss Xingshuang, right?"

Remembering the characteristics and code names of every magical girl registered with the Bureau of Extraordinary Events in this city is a basic requirement for every member of the Bureau.

He certainly remembered some of the information in the girl's registration file—her registration level was Stardust, and the registration time was nearly half a month ago. She was a pure newcomer who had recently signed a contract and become a magical girl.

For a powerful Rainbow Light-level Inspector to address a Stardust-level newcomer as "senior"—this is simply too absurd to contemplate.

Xing Shuang was slightly taken aback, but then she realized that she had indeed registered with the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs before, so it was normal for the other party to recognize her.

So she smiled and nodded in response, her demeanor composed and gentle.

Captain A-007's hesitation lasted only a short time, and he did not show his doubts on his face. His professionalism as a member of the Special Affairs Bureau made him give up the idea of continuing to investigate the reason.

As Director Roland repeatedly emphasized in internal meetings, the magical girls are the true heroes fighting on the front lines.

As logistical support staff, they don't need to question or speculate; they only need to think about one thing: how to better help them and give them 100% trust in their choices.

He immediately raised his hand, quickly operated the miniature device on his wrist, and then said to Xingxian, "Lord Xingxian, as you requested, the subsequent operations will be under the full command of Lord Xingshuang." This message had already been transmitted to the command center through my personal terminal.

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"Soon, this instruction will be synchronized to the personal terminals of all personnel present."

"Huh?" Xingxian was immediately taken aback. She hadn't expected the other party to be so decisive and act so without hesitation.

She waved her hand somewhat awkwardly and said, "I—didn't I say it was just a casual remark? There's no need to go to this extent, and don't you all think this is too hasty?"

"Our trust in your abilities and judgment is our best reason." Captain A-007 saluted her again, then turned his gaze back to Starfrost.

He took two steps forward and knelt on one knee before the petite figure with utmost respect, continuing the previous topic: "Lady Xingshuang, based on our experience, some of those monsters are relatively weak, juvenile-level Void Beasts, but most are highly evolved humans who have transformed into Void Beasts."

"But whether it's the former or the latter, a considerable portion of them were directly fixed in place by some kind of mysterious force that we cannot understand."

"There are no obvious external injuries on their bodies, and our instruments can detect clear biological reactions on their bodies. Obviously, from a natural perspective, their mobility has not been affected in any way."

"But even when our team members got too close to them, or even made some dangerous attempts, they remained in the same position as when they were restrained, without any reaction."

He looked up, his eyes filled with inquiry and awe, and asked, "Excuse me—was all of this caused by your abilities?"

Starfrost nodded frankly and said, "That's right. They will be absolutely unable to do anything until I actively deactivate their abilities or my own magic power is exhausted."

"Truly... incredible power." Captain A-007 exclaimed sincerely, his respect deepening.

"Then, when our team members touch those 'monsters,' they shouldn't be affected, right?"

"Don't worry about that, that kind of thing won't happen," Xing Shuang shook her head and said confidently.

Perhaps in the future, as her understanding of the laws deepens, the "Star String" will truly achieve that terrifying effect of binding anyone who touches it.

But at least for now, a single "Star String" can only "bind" one target individual at most.

"Is that so? Then I'm relieved." The captain visibly relaxed, nodded, and continued, "Then, could you please not deactivate your abilities until we have all the monsters under control?"

"We need time to distinguish which are the real Void Beasts and which are humans who have become Void Beasts, and we also need time to deal with them in the most appropriate way."

Upon hearing this request, Xing Shuang did not immediately agree. She lowered her head slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her deep purple eyes. After a moment, she raised her head again and asked softly, "What you mean by dealing with 'humans transformed into beasts' is to try to treat them after controlling them, so that they can turn back into humans, right?"

"That's right," A-007 replied solemnly, "We've accumulated considerable experience in past operations, whether it's treating them or dealing with them."

"Then—" Xingshuang continued, "how many cases of successful recovery have been achieved in past treatments? Based on your experience, judging from their appearance—what are the chances that those monsters can still be cured?"

Upon hearing this question, the captain's expression darkened. He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking in a detached tone: "Based on our department's long-standing data, people who experience discomfort or minor skin abnormalities due to exposure to virtual energy radiation generally recover smoothly."

"These people are basically people who came into contact with the energy core of the virtual beast out of curiosity or by accident, and were thus exposed to the radiation of the virtual energy."

"If the limbs have already undergone significant deformation due to radiation, then even if they eventually recover, the deformed limbs must be removed."

"As for cases like this one—" He paused, his tone becoming even heavier, "cases where the entire body has undergone severe deformation, barely retaining even the most basic human form—"

"Forgive my bluntness, but the probability of them being successfully cured is probably—close to zero."

"Of course," he added immediately, "no matter how slim the hope, we will provide them with the best treatment options available, and we will never give up any hope of curing them."

"At least—we should ensure that 'they' don't suffer too much in their final journey."

"Is that so?" Xing Shuang nodded somewhat heavily.

Then, she fixed her gaze firmly on the captain before her and said in an extremely solemn tone, "My magic power is enough to last for a long time. I will absolutely not deactivate my power before your operation is over."

"In addition, I hope to make an attempt without disrupting your work."

"An attempt?" The captain asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Specifically—in what aspect?"

"Regarding my abilities." Xingshuang slowly raised her right hand, and several nearly transparent threads shimmering with pink and gold light appeared out of thin air, deftly winding and extending around her slender fingertips.

She gazed at the threads that represented hope and miracles, and whispered, "Perhaps, I have a chance to save—them."

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