At 11 p.m., Song Wuli was still awake and had already transformed at home.
Holding her phone, she entered a chatroom where there were only three people.
Besides herself, there was Huang Yi, and someone of unknown identity with the nickname ‘Once Most Beautiful’.
This was a voice chat, with no video.
Huang Yi introduced everyone first, saying, “Let me introduce you all. This is Xiao Yao, and this is Mr. Zhang, a Psychological Counselor.”
“Uh… hello.” Out of courtesy, Yao Songlin greeted the other party.
“Hello, Xiao Yao, no need to be nervous.” A kindly, somewhat elderly male voice came from the chatroom.
Tonight’s matter began a few days ago. After the showdown with Magical Girl Lvyie, Huang Yi had sent a message showing concern, faintly guessing something.
He then consulted a colleague about it, namely, Once Most Beautiful.
Once Most Beautiful felt that Xiao Yao was likely in trouble, and that it was a very serious psychological issue.
So, after repeated invitations from Huang Yi, who even used extremely forceful wording, saying Yinlin must come to the chatroom or he would send the Special Task Force and Failure Squad to bring her in personally.
That was why Yinlin appeared in the chatroom.
“I’m not sick.” Yinlin dropped the bomb, obviously having guessed their intent.
Psychological Counselor? Like I’ve never seen a movie before?
Out of five horror films, four have Psychological Counselors who don’t believe the three patients’ stories. In the end, two die, and the protagonist survives alone.
In Yinlin’s eyes, so-called Psychological Counselors were basically doctors at mental hospitals who diagnosed people as crazy.
A clear misunderstanding, but not entirely without overlap.
Once Most Beautiful chuckled, his voice still kindly and reassuring, the result of long years and countless experiences.
Completely different from Yinlin’s naturally moving tone.
Once Most Beautiful leisurely took up the topic, “Xiao Yao, you must be living a very fulfilling life, right? Every day of yours.”
He changed the subject quickly, and Yinlin, still wary, answered, “So what if I am?”
“I’m quite envious of you. Back when I was your age, there were many Demonic Incidents. That was a crazy era, a time of big gun doctrine…”
“Grandpa, please summarize in 100 words or less.”
“Uh… haha, you’re a funny kid.” Once Most Beautiful wasn’t angry, and continued, “In our time, due to outdated technology and urgent situations, we relentlessly pursued bigger calibers for our weapons. That was the quickest and simplest way for us to increase lethality. Even a child could understand how much damage a certain caliber could do to a city’s concrete buildings.”
“Thirty words left.”
Once Most Beautiful laughed, “Haha. Nine out of ten shots would miss, hitting near people or buildings and streets instead. In this era, whether it’s ordinary citizens or the Human Alliance, some people talk about resistance.”
Once Most Beautiful took a sip of water before continuing, “In this era, weapons’ calibers are getting smaller and smaller, not because of technological advances, but because something else can replace caliber.”
Yinlin still didn’t take the bait, “You’ve exceeded the word count.”
Her tone had clearly softened.
Once Most Beautiful changed the subject again, “My name is Zhang Qi.”
M
Out of politeness, Yinlin also gave a fake name, “Yao Ruoning.”
On the other end of the chat, Huang Yi, who was eavesdropping, clearly breathed a sigh of relief—finally, the brat’s first layer of psychological defenses had been breached.
He continued listening to Zhang Qi and Yao Ruoning chat, though the topics all seemed trivial.
They even chatted about the Gao Kao, which stumped Yao Ruoning.
All she knew was that the Gao Kao was today; she knew nothing about its content or subjects.
If you asked her about the Double-Angle Formula or Subjective Expected Utility Theory, she could have recited them a decade ago, but now she had no idea what they even were.
It was clear that Psychological Counselor Zhang Qi had no intention of making things difficult. Seeing she couldn’t keep up with high school knowledge, he switched to Junior High School topics.
Like Carbon Element and Ohm’s Law.
The conversation had Yinlin sweating all over, and she even turned the air conditioner down two degrees.
By the time they finished talking, it was already one in the morning; they’d chatted for two hours without realizing.
The next morning, she saw Jin Luan’s message, wanting to ask Yinlin to watch a movie.
Old Song refused.
Even Huan Hong, whom she rarely contacted, sent a private message inviting her for a meal.
Old Song refused again.
What was going on? Why were they all asking her out? Were they up to something?
On the subway, she got separate invitations from both of them.
They said there was a Comic Convention in a few days and asked if she wanted to go.
Old Song still refused.
Women only waste my time and lower my combat power.
Right now, I am a heartless hunter.
With a training plan to stick to, she didn’t want to waste time on idle fun.
That day, like always, she worked and went to the gym downstairs at noon, using her male body.
She left work early at eight in the evening and went to a deserted place to train in her Magical Girl form.
Towing tires for running, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, squats—pushing her body to the limit.
Having been active as a Magical Girl for over two months, she was already quite familiar with the body. After these days of harsh training, her control had improved even more.
She was beginning to feel, this really was her own body.
As her identification with the female body increased and her proficiency improved, she realized something unpleasant—her Magical Girl body’s strength hadn’t changed at all.
Or perhaps it had changed, but so subtly she couldn’t sense it.
What exactly was a Magical Girl’s body? Was it a body formed of magic? Or flesh and blood, like a human’s?
After tonight’s training, she took off her high heels and looked at the callused soles of her feet.
Then she looked at her hands, which had been gripping her staff for more than two months—there was hardly any change at the tiger’s mouth, no broken skin, no calluses, just as it had been when she first became a Magical Girl.
Only some red marks from the workout just now.
Training the way humans do might not make a Magical Girl stronger.
After finishing training tonight, she still didn’t go home but went to the cemetery.
The questions in her mind were piling up, and there was still that hot potato, the Gravitational Pearl, sitting at home.
She should go ask the Contract Goddess.
Suddenly remembering something, she took out her phone to browse a bit, read some comics, listened to music, and then tried entering the False Space.
She got in easily, with hardly any obstacles.
Inside was still the familiar scene—the towering tree oozing black sap, always standing there, giving a contradictory sense of being on the verge of withering yet eternally surviving.
The Tentacled Octopus Monster was marching in step, one-two-one-two, very orderly.
In the vast space, the Contract Goddess’s true voice was no longer concealed.
“12025… 12012027, huh? You’re here? Pretty punctual.”