Chapter 202: A Piece of Cake

"Magic... hmm." Mike nodded in thought.

He and Leon were among the first investigators to explore Tyrella, where they personally witnessed the magical technology there. They also knew that as the son of the boss, Fulgrim had inherited some supernatural powers.

However, the magic Fulgrim spoke of wasn't the power produced by Tyrella's unique magnetic field. In fact, it was psyker energy drawn from the Warp.

Although Fulgrim could have directly called it "psyker energy," his father had not officially disclosed the existence of the Warp and demons within the company. Thus, he avoided using any words related to "psyker energy" to prevent unnecessary complications.

As for his proficiency in using psyker energy, he admitted that he wasn't as skilled as his father or his older brother, Magnus. But erasing someone's memory from the past half hour was still an easy task for him.

"Actually..." Leon spoke up at this moment, "After investigating the details of Arcadia, I had already thought about Fulgrim's proposal. I believe it's worth trying."

"Since you agree, Fulgrim," Mike stood up and commanded Fulgrim, "Once our investigators complete all the prerequisites, you will infiltrate the ONI facility alone to obtain detailed information about the Forerunner ruins."

"Yes, sir."

March 5th.

Late at night, the city of Pierce was still brightly lit.

Travelers and local residents were mostly concentrated in the downtown commercial district and the eastern beaches, enjoying the tropical nightlife.

However, thirty kilometers south of the bustling downtown, the southern district of Pierce City was much more desolate. In the low-rise residential areas and high-rise apartments, only a few homes had their lights on, as if the residents had gone to bed early after nightfall.

Moreover, at the main roads leading to the busy districts and the entrances to the two bridges, the police had set up checkpoints and stations. Yet, within the southern district itself, there were very few patrolling police cars.

Gang activity thrived here, and some of the higher-ups in both the police force and Arcadia's administration relied on the gangs to a certain extent. This contributed to the poor security in the southern district.

It's important to note that Arcadia had a colonial history of nearly a hundred years, which meant that at least three generations of people had been born there. They now made up the majority of the population.

So, the wealth distribution among residents couldn't remain as equal as it had been at the beginning of colonization.

The combination of power and wealth magnified the darker sides of human nature, leading to corruption, abuse of power, and misconduct among the Arcadian authorities.

In Halo: ODST, Earth became the primary battlefield between the UNSC and the Covenant.

During a mission, the ODST encountered an unexpected situation and were forced to scatter across the city of New Mombasa in Kenya.

One of the ODST soldiers, through various clues and details, uncovered that Police Commissioner Kinsler had been running the city with an iron fist.

He was involved in all sorts of crimes, from extortion to murder.

Even as the Covenant invaded Earth, Kinsler was still attempting to commit heinous acts.

Although Kinsler ultimately met his end at the hands of an enraged mob, who beat him to death, had the Covenant invasion not occurred, he might never have faced justice.

And New Mombasa was a major city on Earth, home to shipyards and orbital elevators, as well as the headquarters of both the UEG and UNSC.

Despite this, corrupt officials like Kinsler were countless.

In far-off colonial territories, governors wielded tremendous power. A governor's decisions could easily determine the fate of an entire colony.

In Halo: The Fall of Reach, Sergeant Johnson strongly advised the newly appointed governor of Harvest to request fleet support from the UNSC on Reach, to help drive off the hostile Covenant forces.

But the governor refused, and even entertained the idea of peace talks with the Covenant, costing thousands of lives and causing humanity to miss the opportunity to strike first.

It's no wonder that many colonies felt dissatisfied with the UEG and UNSC, leading to widespread rebellions. Even with the strength of the UNSC Navy, these colonies desired independence.

Some colonies would settle for appointing smart AIs as their governors.

So Arcadia was no exception to the "tradition" of corruption and embezzlement. The police benefited from the gangs, while the gangs expanded with the help of the police, forming a "perfect" mutual aid chain of interests.

At this moment.

Under a night sky illuminated by two "moons," a figure moved swiftly through a run-down park.

As the figure neared the park's edge, it made an extraordinary leap, defying common sense, and landed atop a warehouse in the blink of an eye.

After performing these actions, the figure slowed down and crouched at the warehouse's edge, observing.

It was only then that the figure's appearance became clear.

It was Maggie Shaw, wearing black clothing that accentuated her impressive figure.

Maggie was also wearing a custom-made black mask that hid her hair and face. She watched the two gang members guarding the warehouse entrance.

Seeing them about to light each other's cigarettes, Maggie leaped forward and stomped down on their heads.

Splat! Crunch!

The two gang members were crushed under Maggie's feet. Their bodies ruptured, blood splattered everywhere, and the sound of their bones breaking quickly faded away.

Back when Maggie was a high schooler, around 15 or 16, she often acted as a vigilante in her home universe. Dealing with gangs like this had become second nature to her.

She stepped away from the two puddles of corpses, leaving behind bloody footprints that didn't match her shoe size, and walked straight into the warehouse.

A few moments later.

"Ah!"

"Ugh!"

"What's—"

A series of screams echoed from within the warehouse.

Not long after, Maggie Shaw emerged unharmed, now carrying a black suitcase in her hand.

Inside the suitcase was the target of this mission—plastic explosives.

As for killing the gang members with her bare hands, Maggie felt no remorse.

After all, the ones assigned to guard important materials were the gang's "elite." Killing them only served to vent Maggie's frustration.

Having completed her mission and left some misleading information behind, Maggie vanished into the night once again.

The next day.

On the beach in eastern Pierce City.

Leon, Mike, Maggie, and the other investigators were lounging in their swimsuits, appearing to enjoy a relaxing sunbath under the bright, cloudless sky.

Around them, other tourists and locals were playing and relaxing.

The lifeguards patrolling the shore assumed it would be another peaceful and beautiful day, but—

Boom! Boom!

A sudden explosion shattered their optimism.

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