The Magical Girl carefully examined the Monster-formed Lu Liang before her, her mind racing with speculation.
The Magical Girl Headquarters had its own evaluation standards for Monsters.
Generally, based on the nature of their Miracle Power and the extent of the threat they posed to society, Monsters were divided into four ranks, ordered by class.
If the Tentacle Monster she had faced earlier was merely a low-tier B-class Monster, then what rank was the Monster standing before her now?
A B-class Monster? An A-class Monster? Or even higher?
What kind of Miracle Power did it possess?
While she was deep in thought, the Monster’s figure suddenly flickered, leaving behind a shadow that paused briefly before vanishing.
A Residual Image!
The Magical Girl’s heart jumped, and almost instinctively, she raised her Cleaver to guard her chest.
At the same moment, a tall and imposing black Shadow appeared before him, delivering a heavy punch to the Cleaver.
The force from that punch sent a shock through the Magical Girl’s scalp, making her body involuntarily stagger backward.
Although she used all her strength to root her feet firmly, she was still pushed back several steps, pinned hard against the Stone Wall.
After finally breaking free from the Stone Wall, she looked back at the ground she had just occupied.
The once neat and smooth surface was now pockmarked and uneven.
Such immense strength, such incredible speed.
The Magical Girl licked her lips, not feeling the slightest urge to retreat; instead, her entire body trembled with excitement.
No doubt about it — the Monster before her was at least an A-class from the start. Taking down one of it was worth as much as defeating ten Tentacle Monsters.
To be born so powerful—she was genuinely curious about what its Miracle Power could be.
Just as she was thinking this, two electronic notifications sounded simultaneously from both Lu Liang’s and the Magical Girl’s phones.
“Your Alipay payment of two thousand yuan has been made.”
“Your Alipay payment of two hundred yuan has been made.”
Damn!
Almost at the same time, both the Magical Girl and Lu Liang scrambled to pull out their phones, glaring at the screens with furious eyes.
On the screens, a glaring payment alert appeared. Checking the details revealed the payer was a mysterious user named “Ability Unlock.”
On the other side, Lu Liang looked utterly dismayed. Just moments ago, a message had flashed through his mind:
【Ability: Demonic Armament, pending unlock. Awakening progress 2200/100000 yuan】
Staring at the payment alert on his phone, Lu Liang felt his heart shatter.
Could it be that his ability forcibly deducted money during battle?
Not only deducting from the opponent’s funds but his own as well?
Damn! That was the money he had painstakingly saved to help his sister get into Magical Girl High School!
Though he sensed his Monster form was capable of growth, what good was that?
Was it power he wanted? No, it was money, money!
If each punch deducted two hundred yuan, then what was the point of being a cleaner!
“Come out!”
With no hesitation, Lu Liang slammed his fist into the ground.
The forceful punch immediately dented the earth, sending up a cloud of dust and debris that soon obscured vision.
“Mr. Monster! Don’t run!”
Seeing Lu Liang attempt to flee, the Magical Girl hurriedly grabbed her Cleaver.
Countless Clones of Cleaver materialized around her, floating left and right.
Judging by the stance, she was clearly about to unleash a Demonic Armament strike.
Demonic Armament was the Magical Girl’s trump card.
If she used such a move, even someone like Lu Liang now would be forced to stay put!
But just as she gathered her strength to perform her ultimate technique, a white rabbit-shaped familiar at her side flew up in panic, spreading its arms to block her path.
“Buddhist Monk, what are you doing?”
The Magical Girl frowned, clearly displeased.
“No, Pi Xing, you can’t keep fighting. You just destroyed so many structures in the Subway, if you keep going, you’ll exceed this battle insurance limit. Headquarters will be furious.”
The white familiar pleaded with teary eyes.
“Tch.” Hearing this, the Magical Girl named Star Splitter, though annoyed, could only relent. She lowered her Cleaver and shouted:
“Mr. Monster, my code name is Star Splitter! Make sure you remember that! This time I’ll let you go, but next time we meet, I’ll definitely, definitely kill you!”
Her voice lingered long after, refusing to fade.
When the dust settled, there was no sign of Lu Liang or the Tentacle Monster amid the ruined wasteland.
“That’s not right.”
Star Splitter’s expression changed again. She pulled out her phone.
The Alipay deductions kept coming.
Your Alipay payment of one cent!
Your Alipay payment of one cent!
Though the mysterious Monster had escaped, its Miracle Power seemed to still be draining her funds!
Even though it was just an insulting one-cent charge, it was her own money, and it kept draining relentlessly!
Deducted from herself, the pain felt deep in her heart.
“Come out!”
Star Splitter’s eyes blazed with anger, nearly grinding her teeth, completely losing her earlier grace.
“Next time we meet, I will definitely kill that Monster…”
Night had fallen. On a deserted street, Lu Liang crouched alone in a dark corner.
After checking that no one was nearby, he carefully pulled out the barely-alive Tentacle Monster, only a breath away from death.
“Pft, ha… human, I didn’t expect you to have some skill after all.”
The Tentacle Monster coughed violently but didn’t expel anything.
It struggled to look at Lu Liang, initially thinking everything would end in the Subway.
Unexpectedly, Lu Liang’s Monster transformation had miraculously saved the day.
With that enormous body and ghostly form, the Tentacle Monster could tell at a glance that Lu Liang’s potential far exceeded its own.
That made it like him quite a bit more.
Lu Liang remained silent. He felt a complicated mix of emotions toward the Tentacle Monster before him.
They were supposed to be enemies, but in the crucial moment, the Tentacle Monster had saved him.
To feel no gratitude was impossible.
But after gratitude came the cruel reality he had to face due to his dire situation.
Just as Lu Liang hesitated, the Tentacle Monster spoke:
“Human, where’s my butt?”
“Don’t worry, I brought your butt,” Lu Liang said, pulling the lower half of the Tentacle Monster’s body from his pocket and placing it before the creature.
“Good, human, remember this: I saved you.”
The Tentacle Monster struggled, moving until it rested its head against its shriveled buttocks, sighing in satisfaction. Then it said:
“You know, human, we Monsters also care about keeping our remains intact. If possible, when I die, I hope you can sell my whole body to the Black Market.”
Lu Liang gave a soft “okay,” but the Tentacle Monster interrupted:
“Forget it, I won’t trouble you. Selling me in pieces is fine. Hmph… anyway, with my value, no human exists who can buy me whole.”
“After you sell me, your sister’s school fees will probably be settled… Hey, human, why are you looking at me like that? Hahaha… do you hate me now?”
It shifted tone, whining:
“When I die, if you meet any of my old comrades, help them if you can. Consider it the price I’m paying for giving you my body.”
Lu Liang replied again with “okay,” waiting for any last words.
“Do you have any final wishes? I’ll do what I can to help.”
The Monster grinned with its hollow shell and nodded.
“Good, good, human. It’s rare for you to have such thoughts. Let me think… I’m hungry. Go buy me some food. I’ll think about what tasks to assign you while I eat.”
Lu Liang nodded and hurried toward a nearby Convenience Store.
The Tentacle Monster watched him leave, muttering quietly:
“Human, now you’re a Monster too. Hmph, if you didn’t have a sister like me, I wouldn’t have saved you… becoming a Monster is really tough…”
It raised its head, perhaps wanting to glimpse the stars, but lacked the strength to look up, instead lowering its gaze to the dry earth before it.
“By the way, my sister… she wanted to become a Magical Girl too. Sorry, Xiao Jiu… just like I told you, even to the end, I’m just a small fry.”
The Tentacle Monster’s voice grew weaker and weaker…
When Lu Liang returned, panting, carrying the prepared meal from the Convenience Store, he froze in place.
It was dead.
Just like an ordinary octopus, filthy and sprawled on the ground.
Passing winds blew debris onto it, making the scene unbearably desolate.
Stunned and silent for a long while, Lu Liang finally moved again, quietly wrapping the Tentacle Monster’s body and its detached butt in the plastic bag holding the meal.
Then he found a hidden spot, dug a deep pit, and buried the Monster’s corpse.
Lu Liang couldn’t explain what he was feeling.
Despite spending the whole day as a Sewer Rat, gaining nothing and losing two hundred yuan, and knowing he could’ve made hundreds of thousands by selling the Monster’s body on the Black Market, he just felt some things could never be sold, even in death.
Some money was just not worth earning, no matter how poor you were.
Lu Liang had his bottom line.
He left the prepared meal as an offering on the Tentacle Monster’s grave and mourned quietly for a while.
Hesitating, he then took the meal back home.
On the way, his face was expressionless, as if a living corpse.
When he got home, the lights upstairs were still on.
Apparently hearing the door open, footsteps came bounding down not long after.
“Brother! You’re back!”
Before he could react, a small, delicate shadow threw herself into his arms.
Her pale face was soft and supple, like a little glutinous rice ball. Bright eyes, perfect teeth, a neat nose and lips, chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders. On her head was a white ribbon embroidered with the words: [Three Win Four Lose, Prepare for High School Entrance Exam].
Even in simple, clean casual clothes, she looked like a princess.
“Xiaoling, still studying?”
Lu Liang ruffled the girl’s hair. She was his sister, Lu Xiaoling.
“Mm-hmm. To not disappoint Brother’s hard work, Xiaoling will study hard and get into a good Magical Girl High School.”
Lu Xiaoling clenched her tiny fists, her face full of determination.
Lu Liang nodded. His heart, once stagnant and deadened, suddenly began pounding wildly.
Although everything had gone badly today, as long as Xiaoling got into Magical Girl High School, everything would get better…
Reassuring himself, Lu Liang handed the meal to Lu Xiaoling.
“Wow! Brother! Pin Hao Fan! Thank you!”
Lu Xiaoling’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly took it and started devouring it with no regard for ladylike manners.
Watching her eat so contentedly, Lu Liang suddenly felt his numb heart race, then his eyes stung, tears spilling down.
“Brother! What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Lu Xiaoling was startled, stopping her meal. She quickly hugged Lu Liang, pressing him against her thin chest.
“Is it because work is too hard? Or did your boss bully you? Brother, it’s okay to cry. When Xiaoling becomes a Magical Girl, she’ll teach those bullies a lesson. Don’t cry anymore. If things get really bad, we can find another job. At worst, at worst…”
Xiaoling shyly said, cheeks flushed:
“At worst, Brother won’t have to work anymore. Xiaoling will take care of you.”
Lu Liang cried even harder, constantly apologizing in his heart.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Xiaoling, I’m sorry…
Brother will never return to his old life. This body of mine is already that of a Monster…