[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl":3,"chapter-off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-11":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Off the Clock, Then a Magical Girl",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2349931,4594,"Chapter 11: A Magical Girl's First Lesson","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-11",11,"\u003Cp>\"Since this is our first time, let's start with some common knowledge that every Magical Girl needs to know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the twilight, standing on the roof of a silent office building, Cui Que crossed her arms and said to Lin Xiaolu, who stood before her: \"The first thing you must learn is how to judge the strength of your opponents and yourself, so you don't fight battles you cannot win.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood, please teach me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu responded with great enthusiasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid the evening rush hour and arrive on time, Lin Yun had found a secluded corner after work, transformed into a Magical Girl, and left the company by flying high above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Magical Girl's attire was quite conspicuous in an urban environment. To avoid drawing attention, he had chosen an office building not far from home as the meeting point, making it convenient for Lin Xiaolu to come after school. Furthermore, the top floor of this building was usually locked to prevent unauthorized access, so there was no need to worry about being disturbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, she was about to conduct the first lesson of Magical Girl training for Lin Xiaolu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I haven't told you this before, but Remnant Beasts have corresponding levels based on their evolutionary stage. Starting from the most basic 'Egg,' they progress to the more advanced 'Larva,' followed by 'Pupa,' 'Metamorphosis,' and several other life stages. Each evolution brings a leap in strength compared to the previous stage, and correspondingly, they become much more dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sounds like... bugs.\" Lin Xiaolu, standing opposite, felt a subconscious sense of disgust, followed by a moment of contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can just think of them as bugs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que added expressionlessly: \"They have no empathy when they kill or even eat you, so when you kill them, you should treat it like crushing a pest; do not harbor any sympathy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her hand and extended five fingers: \"And, correspondingly, we Magical Girls also have five stages of ability development. More precisely, this process is called 'Blooming,' meaning it takes five stages for one's Heart Seed to grow from a seed into a flower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the very beginning, just like you are now, it is a Seed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que held her hand out flat, pointing her finger at Lin Xiaolu's chest: \"This is the initial stage of your heart and abilities. The circular gem looks much like a seed, signifying that you have just become a Magical Girl and are still ignorant of everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu realized: \"So that's why you could tell I was a novice earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it's simply because you are too weak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Cui Que's answer was even more stinging: \"The Blooming stage is not reflected on the Heart Gem on your chest. No matter how far your ability has bloomed, your daily transformation will always show a circular gem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her chin and pointed to her own chest to demonstrate. Beneath the ribbon at her neck was a classic lace choker, from which hung a small, circular gem. However, because a soft shawl was always draped over the shoulders of this outfit, the gem remained partially hidden, which was why it hadn't been noticed before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu, who had just been crushed by that one sentence, looked over and instantly perked up: \"Ah... this outfit really is cute.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're focusing on the wrong thing, idiot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que sighed: \"Anyway, I can't demonstrate the other stages to you right now. Releasing magic in the city center is too eye-catching. Just memorize their names like you're studying for a test.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The slumber of New Dreams and True Origins, the 'Seed' of quiet repose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first sprout of True Form and Constructs, the 'Bud' of unfolding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The tendrils of Myths and Spells, the 'Leaf' of extension.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The formation of True Self and Wonderlands, the 'Calyx' of cultivation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The awakening of Super-bodies and full bloom, the 'Flower' of flourishing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu listened to Cui Que's long, poem-like recitation, her eyes glazing over: \"Um, New... uh, Seed? And then what was it again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\"Just remember it simply as Seed, Bud, Leaf, Calyx, and Flower. The rest are just descriptions of the abilities at those stages; you'll understand once you reach them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Moke, the cat-like fairy who always followed Lin Xiaolu, spoke up from the side: \"My advice is not to get ahead of yourself. Just remember that your next stage is Bud.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que glanced at Moke, noncommittal about the sudden interruption, and continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Seed stage is just as the name implies. It refers to the formation of your Heart Seed and the initial construction of your magic source, allowing you to begin fighting with magic. You should understand what that feels like.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu pondered: \"As for the feeling... although I don't really understand it, whenever I think about using magic to do something, I just subconsciously do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I want to be faster, I subconsciously use magic to accelerate; if I want to attack from further away, I project my magic; if I want to fly into the sky, I can use magic to lift myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que gave her a few examples: \"As long as the thought is there, your body moves on its own, right? That is the magic source at work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The magic source forms a bridge between the body and the spirit, generating magic both inward and outward, allowing magic to circulate in both directions and imbuing the connection between body and spirit with magical properties.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Simply put, once you have a magic source, using magic becomes an instinct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lin Xiaolu raised her hand and asked: \"Do Remnant Beasts have magic sources too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They do. Since it's called a magic source, it is the origin of all magic; magical power is born from the magic source, and Remnant Beasts are no exception. In fact, the Echoes we recover are the remains of the Remnant Beasts' magic sources.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que reached out and pointed to her own Heart Gem: \"As for Magical Girls, the magic source is within the Heart Gem. This is something you must never let others touch.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused for a moment, then continued: \"Let's move on to the next Blooming stage, which is 'Bud.' The characteristics of the Bud are what we call...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between the buildings, the girl's voice drifted away into the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two Magical Girls, one large and one small, stood there asking and answering questions, and time slowly slipped away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yun said a lot, and Lin Xiaolu listened to a lot, feeling that the outline of the magical world had never been so clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although there were still many things she didn't quite understand or couldn't fully remember, the world of Magical Girls that Cui Que described made her feel once again that becoming a Magical Girl was the right decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her feelings toward the identity of a Magical Girl were no longer just a vague longing for a character from a children's cartoon, but now carried a yearning for a brand-new world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying this yearning, when the lesson ended that day and they said their goodbyes, she took out her phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... Cui Que, do you have a phone in this world? I mean...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke a bit awkwardly, but suggested with full enthusiasm: \"Can we... exchange numbers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A phone number meant contact in daily life. If such a connection were established, the two would inevitably have more interaction in their daily lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que knew that if she were merely Cui Que, there would be no reason to refuse this request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was necessary for Magical Girl companions to share information; whether it was reporting a location when encountering a Remnant Beast or discussing progress while investigating an incident, frequent communication was required.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the magical realm, Magical Girls often used magic mirrors to contact each other, but neither Cui Que nor Lin Xiaolu had magic mirrors now, so a phone was the best choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after a brief moment of thought, she feigned indifference and said: \"I have one, but I don't have it with me right now. Give me your number, and I'll contact you when I get back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't give Lin Xiaolu her number right now; that was Lin Yun's number. No matter how strained the relationship between Lin Yun as a father and his daughter was, they at least knew each other's contact numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To maintain contact with Lin Xiaolu in reality as Cui Que, she would have to get a new number, and perhaps even buy a new phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expense behind this wasn't much for Lin Yun; he would just consider it a sacrifice for accompanying his daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, she pretended to hear it for the first time and noted down the number Lin Xiaolu gave her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since she could establish a new connection with her daughter, she hoped she could at least know her daughter's heart better, understand her a little more, and bridge the gap between them just a little bit more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed her eyes and hoped for this in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu was also full of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted to understand Cui Que, wanted to know what she was like in daily life, wanted to see what her life was like, and even more, wanted to become close to this Magical Girl who was her ideal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, that would surely be able to change this self she hated, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, neither of the two under the night sky could have expected that the numbers they exchanged would be used the very next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't because of a Remnant Beast, but something even rarer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lin Yun, sitting in his office, found that his newly purchased phone was ringing and the contact displayed was \"Lin Xiaolu,\" he had to immediately take out his Heart Flower and transform into the appearance of Cui Que.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sat back in her office chair and pressed the call button, and a deafening shout immediately came from the other side:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Lady Inspector! I found one!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the voice, she could tell it was Moke, and he was very excited: \"I've found a girl with magical talent! We can recruit a new Magical Girl!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new Magical Girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que frowned. Because, in her heart, she didn't really want to increase the number of Magical Girls casually. For one, it meant bringing a girl into a dangerous world, and for another, it was hard to guarantee the quality of team members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that Fang Ting City was indeed short of Magical Girls, and she also had to consider cultivating a team for Lin Xiaolu, and she herself should be able to look after the newcomer's safety...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of thoughts passed in just a few seconds. She smoothed her brow, made her decision, and spoke in a calm tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is she?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1816,"2026-06-21T02:45:47.620Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","86e6dfc8883c71e4e56231a5f30e5518955efd0dfc85f316dbe78058dd22e36f","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-12","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-10",364,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foff-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-cover.jpg"]