October 3rd, 2018, exactly 7:00 PM, near a research park belonging to the Shengli Group.
Night had fallen, and since the research park was hidden deep within the mountains, the mountain roads leading to it were pitch black without any streetlights.
Tianlang and four others walked along the mountain path.
“This is your first mission, arranged by the organization. I’ll lead you through real combat practice, but I assume you already have some similar experience, right?” Tianlang said.
The other four were the defectors Miaoke’er, Lin Shuqing, Xiaosi, and Li Jing.
Lin Shuqing and Miaoke’er each carried long rectangular cases containing the gear for this operation.
“What kind of opponents are we facing?” Xiaosi asked.
“A bunch of lackeys, insignificant small players,” Tianlang replied dismissively.
Li Jing spoke nervously, “Do we have to kill people…?”
“Yes, of course, kill—kill some bad guys.” Tianlang wiped her modified large-caliber handgun, its muzzle reflecting a cold glint under the moonlight.
“But I can’t bring myself to do it…”
Miaoke’er patted her shoulder. “It’s okay, you just watch from the side. The rest of us are enough.”
They took a break just outside the research park’s security perimeter to rest and plan the operation.
Miaoke’er and Lin Shuqing set down their cases and opened them, revealing an assortment of various firearms, big and small.
“You need to learn how to use guns. I’ll teach you.”
Tianlang picked up one of the pistols.
“This is a Glock 17 Pistol, American-made, holds seventeen rounds, with an effective range of about fifty meters. When you run out of bullets, press this button to change the magazine.”
Tianlang tossed the pistol to Li Jing. “You’re a bit weak, so use this one.”
Li Jing hesitated as she examined the gun.
“Why do we have to use guns?” Miaoke’er asked.
“In terms of killing, firearms are much more efficient than magic—one magical blast and one bullet are equally deadly.”
Miaoke’er lifted an assault rifle; it was heavier than she expected. However, as magical girls have physical strength beyond that of ordinary people, handling most firearms was still easy for them.
“This is a SCAR Rifle, used by foreign special forces. The magazine holds twenty 7.62 caliber bullets. Miaoke’er, hand it to me; I’ll teach you how to use it.”
Tianlang took the rifle and demonstrated its handling step by step.
“This sniper rifle, I’ve seen it on TV… I really like it,” Xiaosi admired the AWM, an expensive sniper rifle.
“This one’s for you, Xiaosi. Do you know how to use it?” Tianlang assembled the AWM for her.
“As long as it’s a sniper rifle, I know how to use it.” Xiaosi excitedly picked it up and caressed it with fascination.
Lin Shuqing chose the last weapon—the Uzi Submachine Gun—which suited her combat style quite well.
Tianlang reminded her, “You need to conserve ammo with this. It can empty its entire magazine in two seconds.”
“I understand.”
The five then spread out, operating individually under Tianlang’s command.
“Listen up. Your four targets are the guards outside—take them out quickly. Don’t dawdle. Once you’ve lured the people inside out, I’ll storm in and extract the mission target. Understood?”
Tianlang communicated telepathically to the others.
The operation began.
Xiaosi set up a sniper position on a nearby hilltop and opened fire first, killing several patrolling guards above.
With a silencer on the muzzle, no one noticed her shots.
Lin Shuqing used her abilities to provide Miaoke’er with enemy locations for infiltration.
“Get ready to make some big noise. Li Jing, it’s on you!” whispered Miaoke’er, hidden in the shadows.
“Got it!”
Suddenly, the night sky brightened as if it were daytime. Above the park, Li Jing’s summoned creature appeared, landing in an open area and creating a large crater.
The guards were immediately drawn to this beast-like entity and opened fire, paying no attention to the lurking danger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Miaoke’er fired three consecutive shots, taking down three guards.
Others soon spotted Miaoke’er but were subdued by her puppet soldiers.
Killing… once you’ve done it the first time, the second time becomes easier. Miaoke’er discarded her hesitation—fighting for justice, this was a necessary evil.
She gradually understood Yingxian, feeling herself become like her…
Ratatat!
A burst of rapid submachine gun fire rang out, knocking down a row of guards from behind, their groans filling the air.
Lin Shuqing quickly swapped magazines and sought the next target. She saw them as bullies from her past, even feeling a twisted satisfaction while shooting them.
Behind Miaoke’er, a wounded guard lying on the ground raised his pistol, aiming to shoot her.
“Watch out!” Li Jing shouted, forgetting that she could communicate telepathically.
Trembling, she raised the Glock and fired five shots blindly…
The guard was hit in the head, blood splattering—
Li Jing fainted at the sight of blood.
“Li Jing?” Miaoke’er hurriedly helped her up.
“She just saved you,” Lin Shuqing said.
Seeing the guards inside the building rushing out, Tianlang took advantage of the chaos and charged in, slaughtering indiscriminately.
“Oh, try to run. Where do you think you’ll go?”
Watching the crippled researchers writhing on the ground, Tianlang couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t kill me…” one begged.
“Hah, what kind of dream are you having? You’re a bunch of scum. Let’s list your crimes—performing inhumane experiments on underage girls, indirectly killing countless people. Your sins are beyond forgiveness~”
“No… I didn’t do those things! I’m innocent! Magical Girl-sama, please spare me! I have a wife and children at home!”
Tianlang pressed her gun muzzle against his sweat-soaked head.
“Have you ever thought those girls had families too? Since you joined the Shengli Group, you’re complicit and deserve no mercy!”
Bang.
Scalding blood splattered all over Tianlang, but she didn’t flinch.
The corridor door in the distance was blasted open, and a team of fully armed private mercenaries stormed in.
“Tch, I don’t want to use magic…”
Facing their gun barrels, Tianlang showed no fear. She holstered her handgun and pulled out her secret weapon from her back.
“Good thing I have this.”
An MGL Grenade Launcher, capable of firing six high-explosive rounds in succession, each with a fifteen-meter blast radius.
Boom—boom.
With muffled blasts, explosions tore the mercenaries to shreds.
Tianlang walked past the carnage.
Broken limbs were everywhere, and the floor pockmarked by shrapnel was stained with black powder burns and deep crimson blood.
“Hahaha! How do you like the taste of grenades?”
The survivors tried to fight back, but their bullets bounced harmlessly off her magical shield.
Tianlang cornered the fleeing enemies and emptied the grenade rounds on them.
“A bunch of ants.”
After eliminating all who blocked her way, she reached the target location—the underground vault.
She took out C4 Explosives and planted them on the iron door. With a deafening explosion, the door caved inward. She gave it a light push, and it collapsed.
“Huh? Empty? How could there be nothing?”
The container inside was completely empty.
Tianlang quickly found the management room inside the building.
Someone was hiding there—the person in charge of the park.
“Tell me, where did the weapons in the basement go?” Tianlang grabbed his neck and demanded.
“Let go… I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!”
Tianlang released him, and he collapsed to the floor.
“Three hours ago, we received orders to transfer them out.”
“How come I didn’t know?”
“Because it’s a secret! I’m the only one in this base who knows. Magical Girl-sama, don’t kill me, I’ll give you information!”
“Tell me, where did they take it?”
“To the Tianfu Province Headquarters, via the highway. They should be in Nanhe Province by now…”
Bang!
The man died.
“Damn.”
On the Nanhe Province highway, an armored convoy escorted a special transport vehicle at the center.
Xingluo flew high above under the cover of night, surveying the convoy.
“Finally found it.”
She slowly closed in, darkness shielding her.
At last, she quietly landed on the transport vehicle’s roof and took out the Micro Spatial Distorter, ready to work.
Suddenly, another figure landed on the vehicle’s hood.
The tall girl wore the Shengli Group’s combat uniform, her stern face illuminated by flashing lights, an invisible aura surrounding her.
A golden badge adorned her chest—within the Shengli Group’s mercenary magical girl system, the golden badge represented the highest rank, meaning she was an S-rank magical girl.
The two locked eyes silently.
Xingluo understood that fighting here would be futile; she wasn’t adept at real-world combat, and her opponent had nullified the dream realm, her strongest domain.
A battle here would put her at a disadvantage.
She had no choice but to retreat.
Xingluo tossed out an Evacuation Orb and escaped through the portal.
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