[{"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-9":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},2349929,4594,"Chapter 9: After the Fierce Battle","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>After the great battle, the violent roars of the Remnant Beasts and the explosive sounds of magic clashing finally faded away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wetland park in the dead of night returned to its proper tranquility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the residual magical fluctuations and smoke dissipated, all that remained in the woods were the carcasses of the monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious dark-blue-haired girl retracted the magical threads that had covered the area, and the small scissors in her hand transformed back into a magic wand. With a few light leaps, she arrived beside the skeleton, pulled a brooch-like object from its neck, and points of starlight emerged from the Remnant Beast, gathering toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away, Lin Xiaolu observed for a moment and deduced exactly what the girl was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was collecting the \"Echoes\" of the Remnant Beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Echoes\" is the collective term for the residual magic and soul fragments left behind after a Remnant Beast is defeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magical Girls defeat Remnant Beasts, obtain Echoes from them, and hand them over to a Sower. The Sower then sends the Echoes back to the Magical Kingdom, which judges the Magical Girl's contribution based on the strength of the Echoes and issues corresponding rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the reward mechanism between Magical Girls and the Magical Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the current situation, although Lin Xiaolu was the one who first discovered the Remnant Beast and began the battle, the mysterious Magical Girl who suddenly appeared was undoubtedly the one who struck the final blow to defeat it, so it was only natural for her to collect the Echoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu tried to edge forward and walked to the mysterious girl's side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She did not care about things like Echoes; she had other things she wanted to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before she could speak, the mysterious girl asked first: \"You're a rookie, aren't you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? Uh, yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard by the question, Lin Xiaolu answered subconsciously, then remembered she had something to say: \"Um, thank you very much for lending a hand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is your Sower? Didn't it tell you not to challenge Remnant Beasts beyond your ability alone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the mysterious girl's words came like a barrage of cannonballs, giving Lin Xiaolu no chance to continue: \"And where are your companions? Didn't you notify them before you set out?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to the questions, Lin Xiaolu felt her head spin: \"Sower? Companions? I'm all by myself...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the mysterious girl lowered her eyelids and looked over, her face full of disbelief: \"You're all alone? No, wait, aren't you a Magical Girl from Fangting City?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu stammered: \"Um... that's right, is there a problem?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious girl did not answer her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, her gaze was no longer on Lin Xiaolu, but on Moke, the fairy who had been trying to minimize its presence on the sidelines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, fairy over there, are you this child's Sower?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke, having been called out, had been hiding behind Lin Xiaolu, constantly avoiding the mysterious girl's gaze until now; it crawled out reluctantly: \"Um, hello?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's not a very casual way to say 'hello,' is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious girl put her hands on her hips, somewhat aggressively: \"I have a belly full of questions waiting for you to answer. Why is this city, Fangting City, like this right now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pointed at the bewildered Lin Xiaolu: \"A city this big, and there's only one rookie Magical Girl who can't even use her magic armor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This child probably hasn't even participated in five battles yet. In other cities, a rookie like this would need a Magical Girl of the Leaf rank or higher to lead the team before they could participate in combat. You just threw her out here alone to fight a Remnant Beast one-on-one—are you trying to get her killed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke shook its head hurriedly: \"No, I never thought about hurting Xiaolu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu, standing to the side, also explained: \"It has nothing to do with Moke! I was the one who insisted on continuing the operation tonight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious girl crossed her arms, looking determined to get to the bottom of it: \"Where are the other Magical Girls of Fangting City?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke's voice was as thin as a mosquito's, looking guilty: \"I, I mean, I don't know...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you saying? I don't understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious girl was expressionless: \"A Sower doesn't know where the Magical Girls in their assigned city are?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even though they are all Magical Girls you signed a contract with personally?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even though everyone is supposed to be registered and filed with the Magical Kingdom?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... there's, there's no reason to tell you, is there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke showed obvious signs of wavering, but still insisted stubbornly: \"Although I am a Sower, I, I don't have the obligation to tell a visiting Magical Girl about the local personnel distribution, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the mysterious girl nodded in agreement: \"Indeed, you have a point. Information security is a good quality for an excellent Sower.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke felt the other's tone soften and breathed a sigh of relief. But before it could finish the breath, the girl's next sentence made its expression stiffen again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\"Then, what if I say I am an Inspector?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, nonsense, don't, don't try to trick me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pink cat fairy shrieked and clawed the air: \"You, you, you, don't lie, lie, lie to me, I, I, I don't believe, believe, believe you just happen to be...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu squatted to the side, clicking her tongue in wonder: \"Moke, you're shaking like you've been electrocuted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mysterious girl looked at Moke with suspicion, but still solemnly pulled a brooch-like badge from her collar. With a light tap of her finger, the glowing magic circuit was activated, revealing the pattern on its surface: a deep blue background with flower patterns engraved on top; a name was faintly engraved on the left in Favo runes, but it was blocked by her finger; at the same time, there was a shiny crown-shaped icon, with a number marked in script next to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She flashed the badge and put it away before Moke and Lin Xiaolu could see the text on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although you should have heard it just now, I will introduce myself again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She scanned the Magical Girl and the fairy coldly, lifted her chin, and spoke with some reserve: \"I am an Inspector of the Magical Kingdom, a Magical Girl with Flower Card certification number, Cui Que. I am now conducting a station investigation into the abnormal situation in Fangting City, and I hope you will cooperate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cat-shaped fairy's eyes widened: \"Ah?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahhh, ahhhhhh...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive shock left Moke able to squeeze out only hoarse hisses, and finally, it pulled its head in a daze: \"Meow meow meow? Meow meow meow. Meow meow meow meow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu also widened her eyes: \"Moke is starting to talk nonsense!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah—seriously!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief struggle, the cat-shaped fairy couldn't help but grab its own ears and shout in self-abandonment: \"Fine! I admit it! I'm not the original Sower of Fangting City, okay? I snuck out on my own!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I only came to this city last month myself. I came to seek out a senior I knew, but after I arrived, I found that this city had absolutely nothing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Nini isn't here at all! There isn't a single Magical Girl in this city, and instead, I encountered a Remnant Beast attack as soon as I arrived! Then I found out I had inexplicably been appointed as the Sower here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu, standing by, showed an expression of astonishment: \"Huh? Then? At that time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke laughed bitterly: \"Yeah, that Remnant Beast was coming for me. I was desperate and grabbed at anything, and when I saw you seemed to have the talent to become a Magical Girl, I chose you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you told me I was a genius, a once-in-a-century talent destined to become the greatest Magical Girl?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was all just me making things up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you said that Remnant Beast appeared there randomly to attack citizens?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was also me lying!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? Eh? You, you liar!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am a liar! I'm just rotten!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that the relationship between the human and the fairy was on the verge of collapse, the Magical Girl calling herself Cui Que had to speak up to stop their pointless argument: \"Alright, you two, stop for a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed her palm down with a solemn expression: \"I need to confirm again, that fairy... Moke, right? You said you only came to this city last month, and at that time, you didn't find the Sower or any Magical Girls in this city?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke, now completely resigned, nodded with a gray face: \"Yes, that's right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you were able to choose this one here...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu raised her hand: \"My name is Lin Xiaolu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que looked back at Moke: \"You were able to choose to contract with Lin Xiaolu and make her a Magical Girl?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke hung its head: \"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que pressed: \"In other words, you weren't originally a Sower, but after coming to Fangting City, you found yourself appointed as the Sower here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke continued to nod: \"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unheard of.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que pondered, pinching her chin: \"The Magical Kingdom's transfer orders shouldn't be such casual things. Didn't you try to contact the Kingdom to understand the specific situation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as these words were spoken, Moke, who was already looking gray, buried its head even lower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This caused some bad conjectures to arise in Cui Que's heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You guy, could it be...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't help but point at the cat-shaped fairy in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke turned its head away and closed its eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, when I snuck out, I cut off all means of contact.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, I'm starting to get a headache.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that said, Cui Que couldn't help but support her forehead with one hand: \"In other words, all effective information sources are now invalid, what happened in Fangting City is completely unknown, and the current magical defense force is close to zero?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's how it is, that's exactly how it is, Inspector, you have to help us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke quickly tried to build a rapport, using its rather cute appearance as a fairy, and with teary, pitiful eyes, it leaned forward and hugged Cui Que's shoulder:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tonight was already very dangerous. If you hadn't suddenly arrived here, Xiaolu and I would have been wiped out. If this continues, we definitely won't be able to withstand the increasingly strong offensives of the Remnant Beasts!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't butter me up! Let go first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que frowned and pushed it aside: \"Need my help? How to help?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moke, having been pushed away, was not at all annoyed, and a slightly ingratiating smile appeared on its cat face: \"Well, you just need to contact the Kingdom and ask for some support forces first. If it's other Flower Card ladies, then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Flower Card? You're dreaming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que squinted at it: \"And I regret to tell you that I cannot contact the Kingdom right now, because I don't have a magic mirror I can use on hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cat-shaped fairy covered its mouth: \"Can't contact them? Could it be that you also ran away...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not at all, I am authorized by the Royal Court to operate alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que raised her eyelids slightly, interrupting its groundless speculation: \"The contact issue is entirely my own personal problem, and I don't want to explain it for now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation seemed to have reached a stalemate. Upon learning that reinforcements could not be requested, Moke returned to a look of utter despair, while Cuique was lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, she was a bit angry now, even wondering if she should at least use her title as \"Inspector\" to punish the fairy before her, the \"culprit\" of this mess. But given her past understanding of how unreliable the fairy species could be, bullying them was the most pointless thing to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could make a decision, Lin Xiaolu, who had been left aside and forced to listen to gibberish for half a day, finally found her chance to speak and hesitantly raised her hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um, this... Senior Cuique?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cuique turned her face to look at her, her expression somewhat puzzled: \"Just call me Cuique.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then... Cuique?\" Lin Xiaolu called out tentatively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you so hesitant?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cuique raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly not very satisfied with Lin Xiaolu's reaction, but she did not pursue it further and brought the topic back on track: \"Ask whatever questions you have quickly; there is no need for so many formalities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu took a slightly hesitant deep breath, her gaze drifting for a moment before she closed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her chest:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I, I think you're amazing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\" Cuique was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean, you told me to watch your battle, and I feel amazing right now, my heart is racing! No, I'm so moved!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After shouting out what was in her heart, Lin Xiaolu seemed to have completely abandoned her reservations, her speaking speed increasing: \"Even now, the fluttering in my heart won't stop, my heartbeat has been so fast!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've loved magical girl anime since I was very little. I thought the magical girls in the anime were cute and powerful, able to do many things I wanted to do but couldn't, so dazzling!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wanted to change myself, wanted to forget the things I hated, wanted to fly out of a life that made it hard to breathe, so when I found out I could become a magical girl, I was so happy, feeling like my long-held dream could finally come true!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking to this point, she finally paused for a moment, her speed slowing down: \"It's just that after becoming a magical girl, I realized that apart from having to go fight disgusting monsters all the time, nothing changed. I still hate everything around me, and I even hate myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But, just now, when I was about to be killed by that remnant beast, feeling like I was about to say goodbye to this hateful world, you appeared, Cuique!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your battle was so cool! So graceful! It was like a magical girl from an anime appeared before my eyes, like a character from a fantasy had become real, so really, I'm really moved!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu's series of heartfelt shouts moved Cuique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she had never known that her daughter thought this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right, her own daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cuique was Lin Yun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yun, who had driven tens of kilometers from home to the park to save her daughter from the remnant beast, transforming into a magical girl for the first time in 19 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn't immediately revealed her identity to her daughter, but instead put on airs, using her status as an \"Inspector\" and intentionally adopting an aggressive attitude, just to keep that \"Sower\" called Moke in check so it would be easier to extract information from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just hadn't expected that while she did keep it in check, she got absolutely no information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other than knowing Moke was a fraud and that the current situation in Fang Ting City was not optimistic, there was no new information at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, it was her daughter, Lin Xiaolu, whose words had caught Lin Yun off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And besides the fighting, your weapon has great taste too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During Cuique's silence, she continued to gush, her eyes shining as if stars were twinkling within them: \"It's so imposing, it makes people feel steady and reliable!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your face is so cute, and being small is so cute!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your outfit is also very beautiful!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your way of speaking is so cool!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This series of almost sycophantic praise left Cuique increasingly at a loss. Although she kept a cold expression on her face, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but start to twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu delivered a series of praises like a machine gun, and finally, she bowed deeply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, I want to become a magical girl like you, to become the person I idealize. Could you please teach me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sentence was too great a shock for Cuique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn't help but start thinking about why things had turned out this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment Lin Xiaolu was born, their father-daughter relationship had lasted for fourteen years, but in all those fourteen years combined, she had never heard so much praise from her daughter. Especially the line \"I want to become someone like you\"—even during the most harmonious period of their relationship, Lin Xiaolu had never said such a thing to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this very sentence, which she found so moving, was now roasting her over a fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With her daughter so approving of and yearning for the \"Cuique\" she was playing, could she still reveal the truth to her at a moment like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If her daughter knew that the \"Cuique\" who had descended from the sky and whom she admired so much was actually her annoying old man, she would probably be very disappointed, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She might even hate her more, making it even harder to communicate with her in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As these thoughts popped into her mind, she felt a blur before her eyes, and saw Moke leaning in with teary eyes, saying with a pathetic expression: \"Lord Inspector—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Cuique!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu also looked over with stars in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both the human and the fairy looked at her with pleading expressions, their two pitiful faces right in front of her; Cuique felt her thoughts gradually becoming chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coupled with Lin Xiaolu's earlier praise, which made her feel a long-lost sense of being moved after suffering from a cold relationship with her daughter for so long, the less rational thoughts in her mind began to take the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine, fine?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cuique, in this situation, made a promise that the former her would absolutely never have agreed to.\u003C\u002Fp>",3001,"2026-06-21T02:45:47.620Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","0fde126108970371aa24c899fee18a3a96feeb5759ace1dcaeba32a5cffa90ae","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-10","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-8",364,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foff-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-cover.jpg"]