Chương 66: The Strange Situation

After having lunch with Luo Bingli at the mall and choosing a gift, Lin Che said goodbye and then found a quiet corner near the mall.

After confirming that there were no pedestrians around, he took a deep breath, took out the transformation device from his pocket, and pressed the button.

A pinkish-gold light surged forth like a tide, completely enveloping his body. Familiar magic surged within him, and this time, the unsettling cognitive influence did not reappear, bringing him a sense of relief.

After transforming, "Star Frost" stood still, glanced down at the hem of her skirt, and couldn't help but purse her lips.

Although the cognitive effects of the punishment state have disappeared, the physical changes still make her feel uncomfortable, but at least she is now conscious and completely her own.

Moreover, the confusion in her heart and her doubts about the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs overwhelmed this discomfort. She thought of the stealthy virtual beast from a few nights ago, the late arrival of support, and the fact that other magical girls in the city seemed to have "disappeared".

She needed information, she needed to understand how this system worked, in order to better protect the people she cared about, so she decided to follow the previous plan, disguise herself as a newly recruited magical girl, and go to the Bureau of Extraordinary Events.

Starfrost channeled its magic, transforming into a streak of pinkish-gold light that shot towards the sky.

According to the information she found online, the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs was located in the city center, in a highly recognizable giant building. Under the blazing midday sun, the city shimmered with a metallic sheen amidst the towering skyscrapers, and she quickly found her target.

Like a sharp sword piercing the sky, it is made entirely of dark glass and metal. Under the sunlight, it stands out conspicuously and exudes an air of majesty. Various complex instruments and antennas are installed on the top of the building, which are obviously the monitoring facilities of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs.

Starfrost landed on the sidewalk across the street from the building, deactivated its flight mode, and then walked towards the building's main entrance.

She deliberately slowed her pace, trying to make herself look like an ordinary person who was here for the first time... no, a "new magical girl" who was here for the first time.

The gates of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs were solemn and dignified, with uniformed guards standing on both sides, their expressions impeccable. Xing Shuang straightened her skirt, took a deep breath, and walked through the automatic doors into the lobby on the first floor.

The hall was spacious and bright, with extremely high ceilings and huge chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime.

The floor was paved with smooth marble, and people were coming and going in the hall. Staff members in uniforms hurried along, their expressions serious, as they handled their respective tasks.

When Starfrost appeared in the hall, her petite figure clad in a pink Lolita combat outfit, almost everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to her.

Curiosity, surprise, and even a hint of secret excitement... all sorts of emotions flashed in those eyes.

Surprisingly, despite attracting everyone's attention, no one came forward to watch or speak to them.

A man who appeared to be an ordinary citizen saw Xing Shuang and excitedly tried to rush forward, but was quickly and politely stopped by a staff member from the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs, who whispered a few words to calm him down.

This well-trained and distant attitude stirred a strange feeling in Xing Shuang's heart. In other places, the appearance of someone with her appearance would definitely cause a crowd and a commotion.

But the staff here seem to be used to it, or rather, they are rigorously trained and know how to deal with it.

She silently gave the staff of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs a thumbs up for their "high quality" in her heart, and while observing everything around her, she walked towards the reception desk in the center of the hall.

Behind the reception desk sat a smiling, capable-looking young woman in the uniform of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs. When she saw Xing Shuang approaching, she gave her a standard, friendly smile.

"Hello, how can I help you?" Her voice was gentle and professional.

"Hello, I am... a newly recruited magical girl." Xing Shuang said softly, mimicking that slightly shy tone, "I'd like to register."

The receptionist's eyes lit up slightly, and her smile became even more sincere: "Welcome, magical girl. Please wait here for a moment. I need you to use this device to test your magic."

She pointed to a rather unusual, completely transparent device next to the front desk.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you." The receptionist seemed to notice the fleeting question in Xing Shuang's eyes and explained apologetically.

"In the past, some little girls with a slight affinity for magic came to register dressed in cosplay outfits, which caused some trouble. This test is a routine procedure, please understand."

Xing Shuang chuckled inwardly. It seemed that the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs had indeed accumulated a lot of experience in dealing with "special individuals." She walked to the device, stretched out her hand, and placed her palm on the transparent crystal surface as instructed.

Unlike last time, she didn't unleash a massive burst of magic power to kill the Void Beast. Instead, she carefully controlled her power, only releasing a very weak trace of magic.

However, even this faint trace of magic caused an astonishing reaction the moment it came into contact with the testing equipment.

The transparent crystal device instantly lit up with a dazzling white light, as if the entire reception area was enveloped by a small sun. All the staff in the lobby focused their attention on it again, and many of them showed expressions of shock.

"This, this..." The receptionist was clearly taken aback by the astonishing reaction. She looked at the enormous magic power value displayed on the testing device, her smile froze, and was replaced by an expression of disbelief.

Starfrost herself was also stunned for a moment. She did not expect that even outputting such a small amount of magic would cause such a big reaction. It seems that her understanding of "weak" magic is completely different from that of ordinary magical girls.

A few seconds later, the white light gradually faded, and the receptionist took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain her composure. The way she looked at Xing Shuang had completely changed, filled with awe and a hint of excitement.

"You... you really are... a genuine magical girl." Her voice trembled slightly.

"Your magic... is incredibly powerful."

Starfrost calmly withdrew her hand, her face maintaining the surprise and slight shyness expected of a newly minted magical girl, as if she knew nothing about her own magical level.

"Please, please wait a moment." The receptionist quickly composed herself, her face regaining its professionalism. She picked up a form and began registering her.

"What is your magical girl code name?"

"Star Frost".

"What about the level?"

"Um... I'm new here, so I should be... Stardust level, right?" Starfrost hesitated for a moment, then deliberately said a level offhand.

The receptionist looked at the values displayed on the testing device, gave her a complicated look, but still wrote down "Stardust level" as she had asked.

"How long have you been a magical girl?"

"About a week," Xing Shuang said vaguely. She wasn't lying; it had indeed been only about a week since her rebirth.

"Okay." The receptionist quickly wrote down the information on the form.

As Xing Shuang answered, she silently confirmed in her mind that the other party was asking for general information and did not involve her real name, home address, interpersonal relationships or any other information that might reveal her identity as an ordinary person.

The Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs seems to adhere to the principle of not prying into the private lives of magical girls.

After registration, the receptionist put away the form, a hint of apology on her face: "According to the procedure, I am supposed to explain to you the duties of a magical girl, the rewards you can receive, and the things you need to pay attention to, but..."

She paused, glanced at the PAD in her hand, and said, "I just received a message that the director would like to meet with you. He may be able to answer any questions you may have and give you a more comprehensive introduction to the Bureau of Extraordinary Events and the Magical Girl System."

"Director?" Xing Shuang's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. She had thought she would need to go through some maneuvering before she could meet someone of a higher rank.

"Yes." The receptionist stood up, her face regaining its standard professional smile.

"Please come with me. The director is waiting for you in his office on the top floor."

The receptionist led Xingshuang to an elevator on one side of the lobby. It was a completely transparent sightseeing elevator. As the elevator doors slowly closed and began to move upwards, the city view outside was unobstructed.

The elevator ascended smoothly, and the afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass, clearly revealing the city's outline. Xing Shuang looked out the window, a sense of realization stirring within her.

"It seems the staff of the Bureau of Extraterrestrial Affairs are quite familiar with magical girls," Xing Shuang asked tentatively.

"You don't seem to have much of a reaction to our appearance?"

The receptionist smiled slightly and said naturally, "Isn't this just the way it is? Not getting involved with magical girls, not prying into their lives, quietly doing what logistically is supposed to do, providing necessary support and cleanup—that's exactly the responsibility of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs."

She paused, then added, "After all, protecting the city is the responsibility of magical girls, and protecting the identities of magical girls from being revealed is our responsibility."

Upon hearing this answer, Xing Shuang was shocked. The attitude of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs was more professional and... pure than she had imagined.

They seem to be quietly providing support from behind the scenes, doing their best to protect the magical girls' privacy and normal lives.

Does this mean that the previous delayed support and the "disappearance" of other magical girls were not the responsibility of the Special Affairs Bureau? Or is there a deeper reason?

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask something more, but the elevator stopped with a "ding".

The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing a quiet corridor. At the end of the corridor was a heavy wooden door with no markings other than the logo of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs.

"The director's office is right here," the receptionist said, gesturing for her to enter.

Xing Shuang took a deep breath, feeling her heart beat slightly faster. She knew that many of her questions might be answered behind this door.

With a mix of trepidation and anticipation, she stepped towards the door, reached out her hand, and gently... pushed it open.