Chapter 53 Faust (Part 1)_1

In the silent study, Ai Qing gazed silently at the cell phone on the desk. The light rising from the screen interwove into an invisible screen in the air, revealing a man sitting rigidly at his workstation.

She said, "I want to check on the progress of the report I submitted."

After a moment of silence, the bureaucratic clerk shifted his gaze from the computer screen and answered, "Your reinforcement request has been approved. In accordance with the Sublimators Management Law of the country in question, the East Asia Social Security Bureau has been notified. A response will be forthcoming within one business day.

Eliminating threats in the Current Circumstances is the duty of every Inspector. Please continue to pay attention to the situation and ensure that matters do not deteriorate further before the issue is resolved."

Relaying...

Ai Qing sighed.

In recent years, as the pressure from outside the borders gradually weakened, the United Nations began to further restrict the powers of the Astronomical Society. Now, within the territories of countries with strong sovereignty, inspectors like her no longer had the authority to retain armed departments, and personnel were becoming increasingly scarce, shifting from an operational to an observational agency.

In face of the Five Constants' growing assertiveness, the Jurisdiction Bureau chose to compromise, leaving the daily armed operations to be handled by the countries themselves to avoid sovereignty disputes.

No, should it be said that the internal struggle between the Sovereignty Faction and the Border Faction within the Jurisdiction Bureau had already reached a white-hot stage?

As the representatives of the Five Constants began to demand more rights and resources, conflicts became inevitable. At this rate, would she eventually find herself working at the Special Affairs Department?

But for incidents involving Elements of Destructive, this conservative stance was tantamount to indulgence, wasn't it? Or perhaps it was the wish to let the situation deteriorate so as to come in and clean up the mess at the end?

There were too many possibilities, making it difficult to guess.

She rubbed her temples and stopped pondering these infernal issues, and asked:

"And what about the other application?"

After performing a few operations on the computer, the clerk looked up and replied, "The 'Relic Application' you submitted has been approved—"

As he spoke, he extracted a form from the tube beside him, checking the content and replies. "The requested Border Relic is number 1752, the S-level Erosion matter 'Faust'."

He looked up and said, "You will be granted three inquiries with it. Please follow the relevant regulations and pay close attention to the sixth, seventh, and nineteenth clauses. Confirm upon completion."

A text appeared on Ai Qing's cell phone.

As was customary, she glanced at it and said, "Completed."

The clerk nodded, tapped his fingers gently in the air a few times to pull up a text box, then turned to Ai Qing, "Please read the following text and ensure compliance."

Ai Qing read calmly from the screen, "I will ensure that I remain vigilant and skeptical about everything said by the Border Relic 'Faust.' I will ensure that my inquiries to Faust will stay within the scope of the incident.

I will ensure compliance with the regulations.

I will retain my sanity and, if necessary, relinquish my personal freedom to accept the control and personality correction of the Technology Department, the end."

As she finished reading, the text box displayed her signature, which then transformed into an A4 paper, falling into the clerk's hands.

"Three questions, use them wisely."

The clerk picked up a stamp beside him and stamped the paper.

Thwack!

The crisp sound of the red stamp hitting the paper echoed through the room, bursting like a bubble. The invisible sound seemed to ripple through the space, making everything undulate like water.

Authorization confirmed, the Current Reality unfolded.

In an instant, Ai Qing felt as if she were in a slide or a racing car, a sensation of weightlessness taking hold—but then, the bizarre sensation abruptly stopped.

The projection from the cell phone had dissipated.

In the silent room, a phantom appeared noiselessly, slowly solidifying into substance.

Border delivery.

The acronym B·I·F·R·O·S·T, if translated directly, would be called 'Rainbow Bridge.'

It was one of the three major blockades wrapped Above the Current Circumstances and the most widely disseminated of the three safety valves built by the Astronomical Society to prevent the world from destruction.

One of its most direct functions was to deploy tens of thousands of pathways and countless transfer stations set up Above the Current Circumstances to deploy anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Though many restrictions were in place to prevent misuse, it inevitably became one of the most commonly used methods of transport in emergencies.

The clanging of steel resounded.

It came from the Iron Armor.

It was a person of indeterminable age, his face covered in a beard, draped in heavy Armor, with a flame-shaped Great Sword in hand, and his braided hair adorned with layers upon layers of tattoos.

Grim yet majestic.

But his face induced palpitations—not only were his eyes sewn shut and ears filled and solidified with molten iron, even his open mouth showed no signs of a tongue.

See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing.

This was the guardian of the Border Relic 'Faust,' also the fail-safe to decapitate the user in case of relic malfunction or unauthorized operation.

He held the Great Sword with one hand and a sizable and heavy tome in the other. The steel cover and clasps appeared bound in layers. As countless chains loosened, the clasps opened.

Amidst the sound of bubbling viscous fluid, countless words fluttered out like flies, battering aimlessly in the air.

Eventually, they gathered together, forming a hunched old man who, upon touching the ground, coughed violently. His insides rattled like an outdated engine, spewing sparks, black smoke, and strands of pitch-black liquid.

Before these substances could reach the ground, they were pulled back into the book by an invisible force.

"Phew—"

The old man in the Roman-style robe slowly straightened, leaning on his cane and softly exclaiming, "That's somewhat better... Rare freedom indeed. Who has summoned me?"

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He looked around, his eerie, shadowy eyes sweeping the area, finally landing on Ai Qing's figure, revealing a mocking smile, "Ah, a fascinating unfinished product, a broken soul.

Look, what did I say last time? Little wretch, we meet again."

With that, he leaned in, brazenly sniffing the scent from Ai Qing's hair.

"The fragrance of a virgin, what a pity. So ripe and yet, unclaimed?" He paused, then let out a cackling laugh:

"Or is it that no one has shown interest? To go through life without experiencing the wonders of intimacy is too bleak. Do you need my assistance?"

Crack!

The sound of a stun gun flashed and was gone.

The old man spasmed to the ground, kneeling before the wheelchair, convulsing violently for a long time, and then stiffly raised his head, either in relief or agony, "Oh... this sensation, are you proclaiming our master-servant rights to me? To a book? Hahaha, that's pitiful."

With that, Faust grinned, showing a mocking smile, and spread his arms.

"—Demon Faust, summoned here, ask away, my... 'master,' if you can bear the cost necessary to attain omniscience."

At that moment, the Man in Armor gripped the hilt of his sword more tightly.

Rule one, no question shall receive a direct answer, and yet the price must be paid.

Rule four, do not ask Faust for anything.

Rule nine, do not ask Faust questions that are too broad or seek direct answers; the only proper way is through indirect confirmation, to alleviate the cost.

Ai Qing closed her eyes, disregarding the demon's brazen laughter, beginning to think.

After a long time, she opened her eyes and asked:

"Is the Savior Association's current action truly of their own volition?"

Faust chuckled strangely, extending his hand and opening his palm, "The price for that question is an Odysseus Gold Coin, the one you carry with you."

Ai Qing frowned and looked at the Man in Armor, who gave no reaction and did not object.

Based on the question, Faust would demand something from around the questioner, not limiting himself to one's person or possessions… Most times, the price fluctuates depending on the difficulty of the answer, but there are always exceptions.

Faust would always ask for something of great significance to the questioner, such as a family member's life, the sacrifice of a child, sacrificial offerings, and so on.

The dire consequences were countless.

Otherwise, the Astronomical Society would not have tasked the Man in Armor with guarding this book.

Should the price exceed the limit, he would promptly sever the questioner's head to prevent Faust from speaking the answer and completing the deal.

An Odysseus Gold Coin was still within the acceptable range.

Ai Qing was silent for a moment, took off the gold coin that hung on a silver chain around her neck, and handed it over without saying anything else.

Faust laughed in triumph, holding the coin, greedily licking it as if craving the sweat and body odor sticking to it, and then swallowed it down his belly.

Then, contentedly wiping his mouth, he answered her question:

"—Just as a bird cannot stop a storm."

In other words, following King Ocean, was there someone else orchestrating all of this, brewing some kind of plan?

Ai Qing frowned.

Trading something so precious to her for such a vague response, despite being prepared, felt particularly unpleasant.

She was silent for a long while, took a deep breath, and suppressed her anger.

She posed her second question.

"Will their plan cause a transformation in Depth Hell·Metropolis?"

"Ah, an interesting question," Faust laughed, looking around, "Let me think, what shall the price of this question be? What should I take, no, what should I leave for you to forever engrave the pain into your memory?"

Quickly, his gaze fell upon the wall.

On the picture frame covered by a dust cloth.

He turned back, looking at Ai Qing's ashen face, and smiled contentedly:

"I want it."

The sword-bearer gave no reaction.

Ai Qing was silent, her hands gripping the armrest tightly, the veins in her pale skin throbbing in anger, and after a long while, she closed her eyes.

"Take it."

Faust laughed heartily, snapping his fingers.

The picture frame began to burn, the dust cloth dropped to the ground, and within the dancing flames, one could faintly glimpse the silhouette of someone holding a child.

As if holding the most precious treasure in the world.

She was smiling radiantly at the camera.

The smile vanished into the flames.

"...Answer me."

Ai Qing said softly, "Answer my question, Faust."

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