Chapter 1: Luo Zhizhou

Wu Chenchen……

The old square-box television displayed static snowflakes, unable to receive any signal.

“Zhizhou, fix the satellite dish on the rooftop. The TV can’t pick up the signal.”

“Old man, fix it yourself,” came the voice from the room.

Lying on his bed after a day of running around, Luo Zhizhou was resting with his eyes closed.

“You brat, your old man’s getting too old to climb the stairs, and you won’t even help your father?”

The old man got up and stood at the door of the room.

“You’re not missing any limbs; climbing a few stairs won’t kill you,” Luo Zhizhou said leisurely, the electric fan blowing softly.

An ugly expression crossed the old man’s face.

“Still haven’t given me a grandson, and you have the nerve to come back and see me?” he muttered, pointing fingers at him.

The old man climbed the stairs on his own.

The house wasn’t big, just a single-story bungalow; the stairs led up to the rooftop.

Fiddling with the satellite dish, the old man called loudly down to Luo Zhizhou, “Zhizhou! Is the TV working yet?”

Not wanting to offend him, Luo Zhizhou glanced sideways at the TV; the screen flickered between clear and blurry. When the picture finally stabilized, Luo Zhizhou called up loudly, “It’s working, it’s working!”

Thump, thump, thump…… the old man came down the stairs.

“Always watching that broken TV, what’s so interesting about it?” Luo Zhizhou pulled out his smartphone and scrolled through short videos.

The old man didn’t bother arguing and focused on the TV.

“Up next is the Outstanding Individual Representative of He Ping County — Bai Guangcheng, Zhou Zuhao……”

The County Television Station played its usual boring programs, mostly watched by the elderly from the last century.

Luo Zhizhou closed the door; the TV’s volume was too loud, and its speakers were faulty, often producing piercing static noise.

He plopped down on the office chair bought from the town, his gaze falling on the poster stuck to the wall.

“Joining the army is glorious! Fight the Beast Invasion! Defend our homeland!” the big characters on the poster declared.

The poster was old, its corners taped over several times by Luo Zhizhou.

Now was a time of peace; the army no longer needed this retired soldier. Besides, with his special situation……

So he could only return to his hometown and spend his days idle, doing small jobs to make a living. Fortunately, with his sister sending money every month, the financial pressure wasn’t too heavy.

Jin Liang.

Several years ago, a “Glorious Home” plaque was hung by the door. Had he died in battle, the plaque might have held even greater meaning.

On the table lay a photo showing his comrades from the army, with each person’s name marked beneath—Zeng Tianle, Liu Lancheng, Ma Gaoxian, Luo Zhizhou……

The photo dated back nine years.

Luo Zhizhou set the photo aside and opened his newly bought laptop, starting to play games.

“As expected of the latest model, the graphics card performance is really good, but it sure was expensive.”

This laptop cost nearly ten thousand yuan; Luo Zhizhou certainly couldn’t have saved up that much on his own anytime soon.

Thankfully, his sister sent money home every month—around four or five thousand yuan—but the money was officially sent to his father.

Luo Zhizhou could only take part of it and save for several months to afford this.

“Up next is our special guest—Luo Xi, the pride of He Ping County!”

The TV blared the sharp sound again; his father had turned up the volume.

“Zhizhou, come take a look! Our Xi Xi is on TV!” the old man said excitedly, clutching the remote.

“Mm, mm, mm……” Luo Zhizhou responded impatiently. After finishing the current game round, he opened the door.

The curved screen displayed his sister’s face.

“Miss Luo Xi,” the host said.

“As one of the few S-Class Magical Girls in our country, how do you usually handle relationships with your colleagues?”

Magical Girl…… again with that term, Luo Zhizhou felt annoyed.

The Beast Invasion brought extraordinary power that descended upon girls of eligible age. These girls were called “Magical Girls.”

The term sounded so cheesy…… Why not call them superpowered individuals instead of borrowing a foreign cultural term? Luo Zhizhou couldn’t understand.

It felt completely out of place in this world.

The girl on the TV opened her mouth and spoke:

“As the country’s face and pride, Magical Girls always get along harmoniously. As an S-Class myself, I treat Magical Girls of all ranks equally.”

“Colleagues should help each other, right? Although there are a few individualists, the organization regularly conducts ideological work to promptly correct bad thoughts and ensure the stability of this important national combat force.”

“Look at your sister, her speech is truly different. Our family is proud to have such a child.”

Luo Zhizhou only responded flatly, “Oh.”

He didn’t have a deep emotional bond with his sister. In fact, since he enlisted, eight whole years passed without him accompanying her.

After he was discharged, his sister became a Magical Girl. They only had a few months of close contact……

“I’m such a failure as a big brother.” From time to time, he would blame himself like this.

He vaguely remembered when he left home, his eight-year-old sister held his hand tightly, not wanting him to go.

“Brother, where are you going? Mom is already gone…… Brother, are you going to be eaten by monsters too?” she looked at him pitifully.

“I’m going to take revenge on the monsters,” he had said back then.

Of course, the more realistic reason was that the beasts had destroyed the small town where he lived, and the family had nowhere to return to.

The policy at the time was that military service provided housing for families. The finances were tight; the housing and living supplies for families were paid with military funds……

In truth, it was a decision he felt no guilt about, but this act caused his relationship with his sister to hit rock bottom.

Luo Zhizhou optimistically thought his sister would understand his situation once she became a Magical Girl.

The TV continued playing on its own.

“Now is a time of peace; Large Extradimensional Beasts of the extradimensional invasion have almost all been exterminated.”

“Magical Girls must be living a very relaxed life now, right? And since you became an S-Class Magical Girl only in the peace era, it’s a pity you haven’t earned any battle merits.”

“May I ask, Miss Luo Xi, what are your thoughts on this?” the host asked.

Luo Xi shook her head.

“One must never let down their guard,” Luo Xi said solemnly.

“The current peace was won through the tireless efforts of previous generations of Magical Girls. Many places on the Shenzhou Continent still have Small Extradimensional Beasts that have not been exterminated, which can cause harm to civilians at any time”

” We, as Magical Girls, serve as the Rapid Response Force against these agile Small Extradimensional Beasts.”

“I became a Magical Girl for the country’s stability and security, not for battle honors or money, so those things don’t matter to me,” Luo Xi explained to the audience slowly.

“Xi Xi, at least earn some more money!” Luo’s father joked at the girl on the screen.

“Buy your old man a villa and move to Donghai City to enjoy your retirement. Zhizhou, remember to tell her this when she comes back next time,” Luo’s father turned to him and instructed.

“My old man…… Being a Magical Girl doesn’t pay much, even for S-Class, it’s only about eight thousand a month. Civil servants make way more. You’d better stop dreaming.”

“A villa in Donghai City costs millions — besides, what’s wrong with Ping’an New Village? All the infrastructure is here. The village next door doesn’t even have satellite signal; their roads are still dirt,” Luo Zhizhou said.

“Get out! Our Xi Xi is sensible and can get as much money as she wants. She’s nothing like you, so filial,” the old man retorted.

Luo Zhizhou had no words for this stubborn old man.

Actually, making money as a Magical Girl was quite easy, but it depended on personal willingness.

Ring, ring, ring…….

A phone call came through.

“What’s up, Liu Haochuan?”

“Brother Luo, I have some family matters to handle. Could you help me with some business tonight? I’ve sent you the details. It’s not far, just to the county. Don’t you have a car?”

“It’ll take about two hours. After it’s done, I’ll give you half the pay. And tomorrow I’ll treat you; come to the county and have some fun.”

Liu Haochuan was Luo Zhizhou’s fellow townsman and schoolmate. Since Luo returned from service, they had basically become colleagues.

“How much? Let me see…… Okay, I’ll help you get it done.” Luo Zhizhou hung up.

“So late and you have to go out again?” Luo’s father overheard their conversation.

“Unlike you, lying around the house all day.”

“Be quick and come back soon.”

Luo Zhizhou got into his domestically made Dong’an car—that was half his savings spent right there.

He drove onto the night road.

New Ping’an Village was brightly lit, with fully equipped street lamps and newly built roads from the past two years, though there weren’t many people around.

Farmland stretched on both sides. Luo Zhizhou recalled that his father had rented out the one and three-tenths mu of family land to a company for a few hundred yuan a year.

He couldn’t even grow and sell crops himself.

New Ping’an Village was a man-made settlement rebuilt after the disaster. Many homeless refugees had settled here. As a new development in the peace era, the infrastructure was quite new.

But it was different elsewhere.

Once out of New Ping’an Village, street lamps became sparse.

Luo Zhizhou switched on the high beams.

Only about twenty kilometers to the county seat, but most of the road passed through wilderness, with few settlements.

Beep, beep!

A car came toward him.

“Damn! This guy won’t turn off his high beams?”

Luo Zhizhou’s eyes ached from the glaring light.

“People’s manners are getting worse and worse.”

Feeling bored, Luo Zhizhou turned on the car’s stereo.

He didn’t usually listen to music—had no musical talent.

“The vast horizon is my love~”

Next song.

“That’s a magical sky road~”

“Why does this car stereo only have these songs? So outdated.”

Luo Zhizhou randomly selected a pop song that wasn’t quite so cheesy.

He got his driver’s license just in the past two years, but to be honest, he was pretty gifted at driving.

Mountain roads and winding roads didn’t faze him—he’d have to be untalented to waste the money he saved for the car.

The road was almost completely clear—if there was an obstacle, that would have been strange.

Beep, beep—

“Who the hell is this, blocking the road?”

A Japanese-made Honda blocked his way ahead.