Some time later, Freya, Nolan, and Reina returned to the police station and headed straight to the third floor.
Nolan explained, “This entire floor is where the Special Operations Division usually operates.”
Ultimately, these special operatives were still police officers, working alongside their colleagues in the police station.
Their duties simply focused on different areas.
Nolan led Freya to his office and began rummaging through his cabinet, muttering to himself, “Hmm, I thought I left it here…
Where could it be?
Oh, here it is!”
He retrieved a sheet of paper and handed it to Freya.
“Sign this Contract first,” he instructed.
Freya took the contract and carefully reviewed it.
The terms were straightforward: she was required to maintain strict confidentiality about her Beyonder abilities, avoid discussing them indiscriminately, and after drinking the Fate Potion to gain her powers, she must not use them for malicious purposes or act against the interests of the Special Operations Division.
The contract was valid for one year.
Freya noticed that all the writing on the contract was in gold, and upon closer inspection, she could even see faint streams of light shimmering through the characters, making them exceptionally beautiful.
Nolan explained, “This is a product of the Law Pathway, imbued with the power of mandatory enforcement.
Once you sign it, even if you wanted to tell an ordinary person about your Beyonder abilities, you wouldn’t be able to.”
Freya asked, “Why is there a one-year term?
Does that mean I can talk freely after a year?”
“No,” Nolan replied.
“The Beyonder power of this Contract will dissipate after a year.
You’ll need to sign a new one then.”
Well, that’s a brutally simple reason.
Without hesitation, Freya picked up the pen and signed her name on the contract.
In the next moment, she felt a golden lock forming within her consciousness.
To be honest, she wasn’t entirely sure whether signing this contract in the simulation would affect her in the real world.
But even if it did, it was just about maintaining secrecy and not doing bad things—hardly a significant concern.
More importantly, the veil of the Beyonder world was gradually lifting, and she knew she needed to seize this opportunity to learn more about Beyonder power!
After Freya signed, Nolan took the contract and put it away, saying, “I know you’re currently attending Khovd National Academy, but from now on, you must come here every day after school.
Moreover, if any emergencies arise at the Special Operations Division requiring you to take leave, you must prioritize these matters above all else.”
“Then, I’ll assess which type of potion suits you best based on your circumstances.”
Nolan sighed.
“Though, to be honest, the only potions available here now are from the Law Pathway and Fate Pathway.
Reina drank the last Mind Pathway potion earlier.”
Freya asked, puzzled, “So, anyone who encounters a Beyonder event with such vivid memories that they can’t be hypnotized is immediately recruited into the Special Operations Division and even given a free potion?”
Isn’t that a bit hasty?
Hearing this, Nolan explained the situation.
“When hypnosis fails, we bring them in to sign a contract.
But this Contract is extremely valuable and rare.
We certainly wouldn’t just let them go home after signing it, treating it like a mere confidentiality agreement.”
“Normally, we recruit them into the Special Operations Division and provide a free potion.
After all, even the most basic potion is worth more than the contract itself.”
Regardless of the new recruit’s character, their contract bound them to serve the Special Operations Division wholeheartedly for at least their first year.
Given the extreme danger posed by supernatural events, many recruits…
simply didn’t survive that long.
If they directly replaced the Captain, Freya might drop out of Khovd National Academy altogether.
What good was a promising future if she couldn’t even survive a year?
Nolan sighed.
“Honestly, I’d recommend the Fate Pathway.
Its combat capabilities are relatively weak, which would spare you from most battles.
You could stay in the rear, providing support as needed, like Reina does.
It’s a much safer option.”
Freya nodded, her mind racing.
After grasping the basic framework of this world’s Beyonder system, she suddenly realized how useful her simulation system could be.
For example, in this simulation, after consuming the Fate Potion and gaining its powers, she could save that Save Slot.
Then, in her next simulation, she could repeat the same process, but this time forcefully choose the Law Pathway.
After the simulation ended and she exited, she could save that Save Slot too.
Wouldn’t she then possess the powers of both Pathways simultaneously?
Moreover, just because she currently had only two Save Slots didn’t mean she’d be limited to just two forever.
Save Slots could usually be expanded, right?
If so, once she had more slots, couldn’t she simply run simulations repeatedly, exploring every possible path?
In reality, she could then summon over a dozen “Save Slot Clones” with a wave of her hand, each clone following a different path and possessing unique abilities.
Just imagining it felt incredibly powerful, wouldn’t it?
Lost in thought, Freya turned to Nolan, her voice trembling with excitement.
“So, when can I get my Fate Potion?”
Nolan replied, “Don’t rush.
Your constitution is too weak right now.
First, focus on eating well and exercising.
Then, I’ll train you in basic combat techniques and marksmanship.
Let me think…
In a month, I’ll give you an assessment.
If you pass, you’ll receive the potion.”
“Ah?” Nolan’s words were like a bucket of ice water drenching Freya’s head.
Her current simulation time limit was exactly one month.
This meant that even if she trained diligently and passed the assessment, the simulation would forcibly end before she could drink the Fate Potion!
Nolan, unaware of Freya’s thoughts, said, “It’s late now.
You should go back and rest.
Come back after your classes tomorrow, and I’ll formally begin your training.”
Freya frowned slightly as she left the office.
Reina was still standing by the door, her expression one of guilt.
The moment she saw Freya, she lowered her head and apologized, “I’m sorry…”
Freya quickly waved her hand and said, “There’s no need to apologize!
I’m fascinated by the supernatural!”
Reina replied, “But it’s incredibly dangerous.
Captain Nolan is actually quite considerate.
I’ve heard that some captains don’t even bother keeping their team members away from Beyonder incidents.
Their teams lack Mind Pathway practitioners, so instead of using hypnosis to maintain secrecy, they simply drag anyone who witnesses anything back to the Special Operations Division, force them to sign a Contract, and feed them a Law Potion.
By the first day, they already possess some combat capabilities.”
“Then they’re treated like disposable assets, thrown into Beyonder incidents as cannon fodder.
Their lives are left to fate and fortune…”
“Captain Nolan is a good man.
That’s why other teams might have seventy eight or even a dozen members, while Captain Nolan only has the three of us.
But this also puts immense pressure on him.
Now that the team has gained another member, I can’t tell if it’s a good thing or a bad thing…”
After chatting with Reina for a while, Freya returned home accompanied by an ordinary police officer.
The next day, she still skipped school and went straight to the hospital to visit Amy.
But shortly after arriving, she received devastating news: Amy had died from excessive blood loss after failed resuscitation attempts.
Freya fell silent for a long time.
To be honest, she and Amy weren’t very close in her current life.
However, reviewing the original owner’s memories revealed that Amy had been incredibly kind to her, always looking after her, helping her with daily tasks, and offering unwavering support.
The thought of such a caring, kind-hearted, and lovely girl dying because of her was unbearable.
Supporting her chin with one hand, Freya untangled the causal chain: Because she called the police, Nolan and his team came to help; because she didn’t go to school, Amy came looking for her; because Amy stayed for dinner at her house, she left late and accidentally crossed paths with the “pervert,” leading to her death.
Amy’s death had spurred Nolan to rush to save her, forcing Freya to witness too much for hypnosis to work, which ultimately led to her joining the Special Operations Division.
Is there any way to optimize this?
Freya wondered.
Could I avoid inviting Amy over and urge her to return home immediately?
But that would force me to stay home, preventing me from witnessing the battlefield and ultimately leaving me vulnerable to Reina’s hypnosis.
In other words, if I want to join the Special Operations Division, Amy has to die?
Yesterday, witnessing Amy’s injury, and today, her death—despite Freya’s seemingly muted reaction, it was because she knew this was just a simulation.
She had already resolved that when she returned to reality, she would absolutely never choose this “route.”
However, not joining the Special Operations Division meant Freya would never gain access to the Law Potion and Fate Potion, crucial elixirs for the Law and Fate Pathway.
She would lose her chance to obtain Beyonder power.
But…
if I can’t become Beyonder through the Special Operations Division, perhaps I should try another approach.
Freya immediately set off for the Special Operations Division headquarters.
When Nolan saw her, he couldn’t help but look bewildered.
“Shouldn’t you be in class right now?”
Freya cut straight to the point.
“Captain, what exactly is this Obsidian you mentioned earlier?
Amy didn’t make it—it’s all because of that pervert…”
Nolan was silent for a moment before explaining, “About a month ago, a large number of Rank 1 Beyonder individuals began appearing across Auxerre City.
While their individual strength isn’t great, they’ve caused considerable trouble for the Special Operations Division.
We’ve been working tirelessly, almost to the point of exhaustion.”
“We soon discovered that each Beyonder carried a black envelope containing an address and a code phrase.
The contents of each envelope varied, suggesting someone was secretly distributing potions to these people.”
“We’ve captured many of these ‘Handlers,’ but before we could extract any information, they all died suddenly and without warning, completely halting our investigation.
The mastermind behind this is extremely cautious.
This is the ‘Obsidian Incident’ that every branch of the Special Operations Division is currently working to investigate.”
Perhaps sensing Freya’s grief over Amy’s death might lead her to resent the culprit and, by extension, the case itself, Nolan added, “I know you’re heartbroken right now, but your immediate priority should be training hard, passing the assessment, and drinking the potion.
Only then can you truly help.”
No, what I really wanted was the black envelope from that pervert yesterday.
My reasoning was simple: the authorities couldn’t get me a potion, but that pervert was a Beyonder too.
Could I obtain a potion through the criminal underworld?
According to Nolan’s description, if someone is secretly distributing potions, why couldn’t I be the recipient?
If I could get that envelope, go to the rendezvous point, and meet the Handler, couldn’t I get a potion from them too?
But Freya quickly realized that asking for the envelope now would definitely arouse Nolan’s suspicion.
After all, what else would I want it for?
To go to the rendezvous point and use the code phrase?
That would be a dead giveaway.
So I’d have to get the envelope some other way.
Like…
not reporting the pervert to the authorities in the first place, dealing with him myself, and then taking it from his corpse.
Having come to this decision, Freya didn’t rush to end the simulation.
Instead, she looked Nolan in the eye with unwavering determination and said, “I want to start training right now.
What do I need to do?”
“You’re not going to school anymore?” Nolan asked.
“No,” Freya replied.
“I need to get stronger so I can avenge Amy.”
Of course, this was just a ‘plausible excuse’.
In this simulation, Freya woke up early every day to train at the Special Operations Division, practicing close combat, martial arts, and marksmanship.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, the Obsidian Incident seemed to be escalating.
Attacks by Beyonder individuals became increasingly frequent across the city.
But today, as Nolan reviewed Freya’s training results, a rare smile spread across his face.
“Excellent work,” he said.
“The application for the Fate Potion has been submitted.
Tomorrow at this time, you and I will go to Headquarters to collect the potion.”
“Tomorrow?” Freya murmured.
Just one more day, and this save slot would become a Rank 1 Beyonder.
But unfortunately, today was the final day of this simulation.
Though she felt a pang of regret, there was nothing she could do about it.
As time ticked by, a notification appeared before her:
[Simulation time limit reached.]
Then, like surfacing after holding her breath for too long, Freya gasped and her eyes snapped open.
She found herself back on the day she had first transmigrated, standing at her doorstep, at the exact moment she had been about to call the police.
“Overwrite Save Slot 00,” she commanded without hesitation.