The primary offensive methods for a Magical Girl are the long-range ‘Mana Cannon’ and the close-combat ‘Mana Slash’.
Since close combat puts most Magical Girls at a disadvantage, the Mana Cannon is used far more frequently in daily battles.
Xia Xue demonstrated in person, charging up a Mana Cannon—the green glow gathered before her magic circle, then fired, striking a distant target.
The intense heat evaporated the nearby traces of snow, along with the wooden target itself.
A faint black smoke rose; the target was already a burning ruin.
Everyone was amazed by the power of the Mana Cannon, including Xing Luo. Although she had seen the Mana Cannon fired during the previous attack, it had been too far away to see clearly.
This time, she witnessed its devastating might up close.
Even the strongest Beasts would have a hard time resisting such power, wouldn’t they?
Excitement.
Could I possibly wield this kind of power too? Xing Luo wondered.
She was a bit unsure. It felt as if all things solid in this world were nothing but brittle residue in the face of magic’s might. With a mere wave of her hand, she could destroy the world…
Xing Luo couldn’t help but try gathering mana in front of her just like Xia Xue, forming a magic circle.
The so-called magic circle was essentially a mana-constructed launching system. Xia Xue had already explained the principles, which weren’t that hard, so Xing Luo quickly picked it up.
Soon, she was forming her own Mana Cannon.
“Xing Luo? I haven’t even officially guided you yet—how are you so fast…?”
Xia Xue was stunned by Xing Luo’s talent, inwardly marveling at this girl’s potential to become an outstanding Magical Girl. She hurried over to Xing Luo’s side to help her aim at the target.
Crack.
Boom!
Even though it wasn’t perfectly aimed, the sheer force still sent the target flying.
The Mana Cannon Xing Luo fired wasn’t as powerful as Xia Xue’s, but it was still deadly. After the blast, only charred remains were left at the site.
“Ahem… Xing Luo, you’ve already mastered the ability to fire a Mana Cannon. Be careful with it in the future—without higher-ups’ permission, you must not use it recklessly.”
“I understand, Senior Xia Xue.”
Xing Luo looked at her own palm, feeling a newfound strength.
The others also began practicing one after another.
“I can’t do it!”
At that moment, a delicate voice spoke.
The speaker was Zhang Pei. She could hardly understand anything Xia Xue was saying, and the others quietly mocked the girl who knew nothing.
After all, even constructing a Mana Cannon required some basic knowledge of geometry.
“If you can’t… then you’ll have to specialize in close combat, Zhang Pei. Can you get used to fighting Beasts up close?” Xia Xue asked.
“I think it’s fine…?”
“Then practice how to use Mana Slash. It’s easier to execute than a Mana Cannon.”
Under Xia Xue’s guidance, Zhang Pei began learning how to use Mana Slash.
Magical Girls who focused on long-range attacks tended to be weaker in close combat, and vice versa.
If you specialized in melee, you’d face all kinds of close-quarter situations in the future—far more dangerous.
That’s why so few Magical Girls were willing to be that kind of thankless type. Xing Luo felt a little sorry for her. If Xing Luo herself had to fight terrifying Beasts up close, she might just faint on the spot.
Terrifying monsters and such were always a nightmare for girls their age.
Still, most of the time, Beasts could be controlled by Magical Girls. The few that ran wild only appeared before veterans like Xia Xue and the others.
From here on, it was all about repeatedly practicing firing the Mana Cannon… Once I’ve done that, I’ll be a qualified Magical Girl, right?
Day by day, things happened in the Dungeon, but Xing Luo only understood bits and pieces.
She heard about attacks occurring here and there, but they didn’t have much impact. The atmosphere of crisis quickly dissipated.
Yet sometimes, Xing Luo noticed people in green clothes moving secretly in the shadows. They didn’t look like guards, but she couldn’t tell what they were up to.
Qixing came looking for Xing Luo several more times.
She praised Xing Luo’s new name and was happy with her progress in magic, but she never stayed long—just a quick visit before heading off to work elsewhere. She always seemed to have something to do.
In the Dungeon, tamed Beasts controlled by Magical Girls were a common sight. After so many days, Xing Luo had grown immune to their appearances—some of them even seemed… cute?
She wanted to touch or even adopt a few.
Then there was the legendary “Dreamscape.” Xia Xue told the new recruits never to come into contact with it without permission, but Xing Luo and the others had no idea how to even access it…
Also, after settling in Song City, she started to miss the people of Wudong Town. Without the foreman and the others’ oppression, the residents of Wudong Town must be living peaceful lives now.
With the aid of the alliance under Song City’s leadership, there was no need to fear the Beast threat anymore. Surely, they’d already emerged from underground and started expanding.
Maybe, one day, humanity would no longer have to cower in the cold, dark underground, no longer need to fear the invasion of mighty Beasts, no longer be shackled by the wickedness of selfish hearts, and could once again embrace the open, free sky.
“Mana Cannon… gather.”
Xing Luo recited silently, skillfully constructing the Mana Cannon’s firing sequence.
After several days of training, she knew these steps by heart and could launch a low-power Mana Cannon in just a few seconds.
With a sizzle and a bang, her Mana Cannon shot out, destroying another makeshift target.
Was it her imagination, or did it feel like she could gather even more powerful mana, yet she could never break past a certain limit? Was there some secret restriction at play?
“Xing Luo.”
Suddenly, a strange voice rang out, from she knew not where.
“Look behind you.”
The voice seemed to come from inside her own mind.
Xing Luo obeyed, turning her head—she saw Xin Yu in a nun’s habit, smiling at her.
“Curious? Want to know how I can talk to you like this?”
Xin Yu’s lips didn’t move, but her voice echoed clearly in Xing Luo’s mind.
“Senior Xin Yu?”
“It’s me speaking~” Xin Yu said aloud.
“How does it work?”
“This method of communication is called ‘telepathy,’ and it uses the Dreamscape as a medium~”
“It feels so strange.”
“It’s fine, you’ll get used to it. Telepathy is a crucial way for Magical Girls to communicate. Once you master using the Dreamscape, you’ll be able to talk like this anytime, anywhere. Convenient, right?”
Xin Yu walked over.
“Wait!”
The voice came from Xia Xue, who flew over quickly and stood between Xin Yu and Xing Luo.
“Miss Xin Yu, you can’t just teach dangerous things to the new recruits!”
“Mmm~ Is that so? Not letting me get near the newbies? That’s not good.”
Xin Yu flashed that bewitching smile of hers again—the kind that could steal your soul.
“That’s… because Captain Qixing told me to…” Xia Xue said, stepping back a few paces. Despite that, she still stood firmly in front of Xing Luo, blocking Xin Yu’s way.
“Alright, so what did Qixing say to you?”
“She… she told me not to let Xing Luo get too close to you… that I should keep an eye on you…”
Xia Xue seemed reluctant to answer Xin Yu’s questions. Was she being threatened? Xing Luo wondered.
“I see…” Xin Yu seemed to be deep in thought.
“Thanks for the heads-up. I know what I need to do now. And Xing Luo, keep up your training! I’m rooting for you, okay?”
The last sentence was sent via telepathy.