[{"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-84":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},2350004,4594,"Chapter 84: Anger (5k)","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-84",84,"\u003Cp>Once these words were spoken, Wang Tengfei did indeed imagine many possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the person named \"Lin Yun\" a disguise used by the magical girl Cornflower from the very beginning? Or was Lin Yun also a person with extraordinary powers who entrusted Cornflower to disguise herself as him? Or perhaps...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that Lin Yun had been widowed two years ago; in fact, the hottest gossip in the company at that time was whether the female subordinate in the after-sales department, who had always had designs on Lin Yun, could use the opportunity to move up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the truth was, until that female subordinate climbed onto another branch and was transferred to headquarters, her relationship with Lin Yun had not progressed in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the days past, everyone thought this was because Lin Yun was heartbroken and depressed, unable to move on from the grief of losing his spouse. Now, thinking about it again, Wang Tengfei tasted a different flavor to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coupled with the fact that whenever there was a company team-building event, Lin Yun always liked to work quietly by himself, and whenever he encountered social invitations, he always adhered to his bottom line, never getting entangled with other women in service establishments...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The experience of working together for over a decade, when combined, made Wang Tengfei feel that he had deduced the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You turned into Old Lin's appearance... is this also magic?\" That was why he asked this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His guess was that \"Lin Yun\" was just a fake identity used by Cornflower in the material world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although this speculation was very bizarre, many clues from the past seemed to point in this direction, and when it came to things related to magic, it was reasonable for them to be a bit bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something like that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bluebird had no intention of continuing the explanation. Leaving behind an ambiguous answer, she took two steps back, preparing to turn and leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that she had resigned from the company, she and Wang Tengfei were merely familiar strangers; there was no need to say anything more to him. For her now, the most important thing was to rush to the location where Moko last appeared to see if her daughter and the others had truly encountered a crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the exposure of her identity, once the Extraordinary Strategy Bureau was notified later, they would naturally have someone to handle it. After Wang Tengfei accepted the psychological suggestion from the Extraordinary Strategy Bureau, he would subconsciously treat today's experience as a grotesque dream and gradually forget it as time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intense headache had still not eased, but Bluebird knew she had no time to waste. She retracted the last wave of magic threads, opened her palm, and the wand reappeared in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\"Cornflower!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was at this moment that Wang Tengfei's voice came from behind her again: \"You resigned and left, is it because some dangerous enemy has appeared in Fangting City again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bluebird did not look back, but instead stirred the magic power around her, preparing to take flight once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn't have to resign! If you don't have time, I can give you a nominal position here!\" Wang Tengfei hurriedly added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To this, Bluebird still gave no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the figure he had looked up to from afar in his youth but could never reach about to leave just like that, Wang Tengfei suddenly found himself at a loss for words, because he truly did not know what else he could say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was very successful, but this success was still limited to that of an ordinary person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had plenty of money, but money was so useless in the face of the great power of magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only felt that every sentence he spoke was an insult to his once fanatical and pure self. Every time he tried to measure this once-beautiful memory with benefits, a voice would tell him: Stop talking, shut up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he really should shut up; silence was the best choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lin Yun submitted his resignation to the company, and when Cornflower appeared in this city once again, he should have understood that some things had already ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of why the other party disappeared in the first place, or why they had been an ordinary person in this ordinary branch company for so long, the moment they revealed their true identity in front of him, everything from the past had come to a full stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps watching her leave like this was the most rational choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that he still wanted to speak, not for the present, but for his past self. If that were the case, how should he express it now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the figure gradually rising into the sky ahead, in a trance, he seemed to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly knew what he should say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cornflower! Do your best!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly shouted, his hoarse voice sounding as loud as a boy's in that moment: \"The people who supported you before are still living in this city! Although everyone doesn't deliberately bring it up, we all still remember you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although I don't know why you disappeared, and what you are fighting to protect by appearing again now, it must be an enemy beyond our understanding!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if you need any help, we will all stand up to help you, because you are our hero from the past!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, *cough cough*, so...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the increasingly distant figure, he shouted at the top of his lungs: \"Don't just disappear suddenly again!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After shouting this, he felt a sharp pain in his throat, followed by a fit of coughing. His constitution, weakened by smoke and alcohol, and his stamina, which had become thin with age, made it impossible for him to shout easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how uncomfortable it was to shout, he felt that his former self—the self that loved magical girls—had floated up from the bottom of the lake of memory, and the once-blurred figure had become clear again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not regained that impulse of his youth, but he seemed to have regained himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he saw the figure, now level with the sun, make a gesture to him from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was waving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if promising \"no problem,\" the girl waved her wrist, hovered briefly in the air for a few seconds, and then erupted with magic power again, flying toward the other end of the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Wang Tengfei to watch that shrinking shadow; although he felt a sense of loss, for some reason, he suddenly revealed a relieved smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's take a half-day off this afternoon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the clear sky, a trail of azure magic power spanned the heavens. Although it was not accompanied by the other three colors as it had been in the past, that solitary blue was straight and clear, upright and firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the blue in many people's memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also the blue that belonged to Fangting City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"——ROAAAAAAR!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive beast claw slammed into the ground from mid-air, tearing through the concrete road and kicking up clouds of dirt and stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Lixing District, at the Fangting City First Fuli Academy, the battle was still continuing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Withdrawing from the position where the Remnant Beast attacked, Lin Xiaolu gripped her wand, turned around, and fiercely fired several magic beams at the Remnant Beast's head. However, after the light blue magic beams touched the Remnant Beast, they only left shallow wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"ROAR!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attacks that could not severely injure the Remnant Beast only made it angrier. The tiger-leopard-like Remnant Beast stood up on its sturdy, massive body, crossed the distance to Lin Xiaolu in just two steps, and then slammed down toward her position once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swinging her wand and maneuvering with magic power, Lin Xiaolu shouted with some unwillingness: \"Why is it so tough! This guy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiaolu, don't be impulsive, save your magic power!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Liang, standing to the side, reminded her earnestly. The Yinli Mirror beside her flickered, splitting into several fragments to dissipate the pitch-black magic bullets that the Remnant Beast spat out from time to time: \"This guy's skin defense is very abnormal, much harder than an average grub-tier!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Remnant Beast before them—or rather, the man in the black robe from before—if he still possessed complete sanity and could speak, would certainly be mocking them at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the three magical girls present, not to mention the complete newcomer Bai Jingxuan, the other two had also been unable to break through its defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Close-range attacks could only leave slight dents, and long-range magic shots could only graze the surface of its skin. Even if it didn't dodge their attacks at all, it never suffered any substantial damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The form he had transformed into, if classified according to the evolutionary characteristics of Remnant Beasts, was likely at the grub-tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the egg-tier, it possessed stronger magic power, and the special organs on its body were further mutated, covering most of its torso. From its disproportionately large claws, it could be seen that the Remnant Beast the man had transformed into should be considered an evolved state of the claw-corrosion type.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu were not unfamiliar with grub-tier Remnant Beasts. Although they had always been required by Bluebird to stay away from battles above the grub-tier, they knew roughly what range its strength was in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, a solid sprout-tier magical girl like Xia Liang should not be completely helpless against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if her magic equipment could not effectively enhance her attack power, and had not been fully developed because she had only obtained it a few days ago, she shouldn't be limited to only causing superficial damage to the man who had turned into a Remnant Beast like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even if they couldn't actually hurt the man, the battle had to continue, because behind them was the Fuli Academy, which contained countless innocent old people and children. If they lost here, the consequences would be unimaginable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light blue and hibiscus purple magic power circled the giant beast, constantly maneuvering and dodging, repeatedly striking and shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Bai Jingxuan helped Tian Sheng sit to the side and, under his direction, began to dismantle the magic barrier shrouding the outside of the Fuli Academy step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hurry, Xiaoxuan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moko watched the distant battle while urging with some worry: \"I feel like the situation over there is becoming more and more deadlocked!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they first came to aid and began fighting the man, the momentum of Lin Xiaolu and the other girl had been growing weaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, they were able to rely on a burst of momentum to suppress the frequency of attacks, but as the Remnant Beast discovered that their attacks were not very effective, this momentum faded endlessly as the rhythm of the battle dragged on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, there was almost no possibility of a comeback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Moko and the others could only pin their hopes on them holding the Remnant Beast back, allowing their side to quickly dismantle the barrier and call for Bluebird to come and support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed second by second, and the progress of dismantling the barrier continued to advance, until at a certain moment, the barrier, which had been hidden, began to flicker with unstable ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's working! *Cough cough*...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Sheng, sitting by the road, shouted excitedly, but immediately sat back down weakly because he had aggravated his injuries: \"Only a few structural points left!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Jingxuan did not say much; she nodded obediently and continued the work of dismantling the barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, unlike the steady progress on this end, the battle on Lin Xiaolu's side finally began to have problems after continuing for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Lin Xiaolu herself made a mistake. She failed to choose a good position while dodging the Remnant Beast's close-range attack, so she landed right in the trajectory of a magic bullet while in mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The purple-black spheres, each the size of a basketball, spat out from the enemy's mouth, rushed straight toward Lin Xiaolu in the air, and it looked like they were about to hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was at this moment that a mirror suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking those magic bullets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Xia Liang's magic equipment, which could deflect the enemy's magic attacks. But in this situation, she could only deflect and weaken the enemy's attacks; she didn't even have time to set up another mirror for teleportation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her desperate response also led to greater risks, because the Remnant Beast's reaction speed was faster. Almost at the same time she chose to use her magic equipment to protect Lin Xiaolu, it lunged forward and slashed at Xia Liang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a sprout-tier magical girl, Xia Liang had not mastered any techniques, and naturally could not deploy a barrier when being approached, so she took this attack head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xia Liang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu shouted in anger and alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her shouting was of no use, nor could it stop the Remnant Beast's pace. She could only watch as Xia Liang, who had been hit, flew out like a thrown sandbag and crashed heavily into the wall nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Remnant Beast looked at Lin Xiaolu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having eliminated the greatest threat of the two, even if its intelligence was far less than when it was in human form, it knew it was time to end the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The green pipes wrapped around its body suddenly began to pulse, and streams of purple-black magic power were pumped out from its heart to all parts of its body, causing hideous blood vessels to bulge on its already exaggerated physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, facing the last remaining magical girl here, it kicked off with its legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, Lin Xiaolu suddenly felt her vision freeze, a blur before her eyes, and where her gaze landed, the enemy had already disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strong sense of déjà vu made her subconsciously stop breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like this again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't help but think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that night in the Wetland Park, she had fallen into a trap prepared in advance and encountered the Remnant Beast's hunt within the barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, she had no power to resist; she was defeated by that beast in just a few moves and was nearly decapitated. If Cui Que had not suddenly appeared to block that attack for her, she would already be dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking back, it was precisely from that moment that she developed a deep sense of longing and reverence for Cui Que.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, even Cui Que herself had been attacked by the enemy, and she could no longer count on being saved by someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would she die here? Just like her mother, sacrificed in battle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly remembered the question she had asked Cui Que a few days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, Cui Que told her that if she couldn't figure it out, she shouldn't overthink it; she was still just a child, and she would protect her, giving her plenty of time to make a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This feeling of being protected was truly wonderful, very reassuring, very warm, and also very happy. She even wished she could always remain a child, hiding within that gentle harbor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But things were different now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she was in danger, she felt no urge to shrink back at all. What was she feeling? Was it fear? Regret? Or unwillingness?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was all of those, but more importantly, she felt anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anger at the enemy before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just because they attacked a place like the Fuli Academy, not just because they nearly killed the new magical girl of Fang Ting City, and not just because he had just severely wounded her friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also because that man’s words had insulted and trampled upon the very term \"magical girl.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Claiming to be noble, claiming to act for a greater cause, yet in reality, they were setting ambushes to slaughter ignorant girls. Their existence was an insult to the dream of being a magical girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the magical girls she saw in TV anime during her childhood to her friends, her seniors, and perhaps now another junior, the faces of all these magical girls surfaced in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magical girls ought to be shining and beautiful; she still believed this to be true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, she felt intense anger at the man’s talk of \"hunting\" and \"besieging\" magical girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beautiful imagery she longed for and cherished most was being easily trampled by the man before her; she couldn't even imagine the despair and helplessness felt by those girls who had just become magical girls, still pure of heart and full of longing for the future, as they were killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the more she couldn't imagine it, the more this rage burned, growing more intense until it felt as if it would burst through her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, this rage was also directed at herself, at that deep sense of powerlessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, even with such anger, she could do nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being merely a seed-level magical girl, she couldn't even wound the enemy; she was being toyed with, and she might even die here next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How shameful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sneered in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought more than anyone else, yet at the critical moment, she was more useless than anyone. Cui Que was fighting the enemy; Xia Liang was protecting her; even the newcomer was working hard to break the barrier and release the hostages; only she, despite being on the battlefield, was like a bystander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing her eyes like this, she felt as if she could see Cui Que looking at her with disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right, she thought. If she really died here like this, it would probably only make Cui Que feel deeply disappointed, wouldn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason, she still couldn't help but think of that night a few days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered what Cui Que said to her by the river that day, she remembered Cui Que holding her hand, and she remembered Cui Que saying to her, \"I am here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a trance, she felt as if her hand was indeed being held by someone, as if Cui Que were truly here, wrapping her hands around hers once more; there was a cool yet reassuring touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Believe in your own possibilities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Cui Que’s voice echoed in her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words made Lin Xiaolu suddenly open her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She began to feel that something had changed: the sensation on her hand gradually became real, became intense, becoming something she could no longer ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shifting her gaze to her hand, she saw only a silvery white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was magic, but not the familiar light blue; it was silvery-white magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw that white magic in her hand burning fiercely like a flame, flickering, and following it came power filling her entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the eyes of the beast, the magical girl who had just been standing there foolishly, as if waiting for death, had suddenly erupted with incomparably powerful magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a tidal wave, it began to dissipate in all directions; the white magic lit up everything on the girl—her eyes, the heart gem on her chest, her hair, even the nails on her fingers—all flashing with intense white light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scorching white light was like a dazzling sun, making the beast in the shadows feel as if all the magic in its body was retreating inward, as if it were about to be dispelled, losing its proper strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifting her head from the burning white magic, the girl widened her eyes, which had turned a scorching white, and like a falcon, she instantly locked onto the high-speed moving beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beam of magic like a flame was fired from the tip of her wand, striking the spot where the beast was about to land; the dangerous aura within it forced the beast to stop in its tracks and dodge the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely this pause that exposed its form to Lin Xiaolu’s vision once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s truly disgusting; it’s about time you stopped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the revealed beast, Lin Xiaolu frowned, lifted her chin high, and opened her mouth. The magic around her body fluctuated violently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The me right now is truly... absolutely furious!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",3391,"2026-06-21T02:45:47.620Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","d195172e19548f01f06245bb16f42ac3acaa1c6d84babb805c00a2671e92ce7e","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-85","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-83",364,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foff-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-cover.jpg"]