Chapter 94: The End of Summer Vacation (4k)

With the claw marks and the Black Ash Dawn's attack on Fang Ting City concluded, the magical girls' lives returned to their previous rhythm.

Driving away the Remnant Beasts, training, studying, and occasionally playing; the girls' summer vacation passed more than half its time this way.

But for Senior Cuique, these days were actually not easy either.

Although she successfully resigned, it also meant she had poured her energy completely into cultivating the several Newcomer magic users, so her life did not become particularly easy because of it.

The white magic power Lin Xiaolu used in previous battles, according to her own description as well as those of Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan, seemed to possess greater lethality than ordinary magic power. The origin of this lethality was unclear, but the effect demonstrated was the ability to easily injure Remnant Beasts that even Xia Liang at the Bud level could not break through the defense of.

Regarding this special magic power, Senior Cuique and Hong Siyu both unanimously believed: Lin Xiaolu was a Deviant.

A Deviant's magic power is born with special properties, and the properties manifested by different people are not entirely the same. The manifestation of this property on Lin Xiaolu was penetration, or lethality; both were quite possible.

And the reason for saying "quite possible" is that Senior Cuique has yet to see that so-called white magic power.

Because Lin Xiaolu could not produce it anymore.

According to her own words, it was "no feeling," "no state," but in any case, no matter how hard Lin Xiaolu tried, she never produced that white magic power again.

This was undoubtedly a quite tricky problem.

Deviants themselves were quite rare existences; regarding such a constitution, Senior Cuique actually knew very little and could not directly judge what obstacle Lin Xiaolu had encountered.

So, she could only adopt the most primitive, yet most solid method—controlling variables.

Based on the scene when Lin Xiaolu produced this magic power, and the factors in that scene that might affect her, she tested them one by one.

However, because the scene at that time was too complex and there were many possible conditions, no results had been found yet.

And besides Lin Xiaolu, the one Senior Cuique had invested the most energy in recently was Bai Jingxuan's special training.

As a very standard Deviant, Bai Jingxuan's performance was actually much more qualified than Lin Xiaolu's, and the development of her magic power properties was also very smooth.

According to the tests over this period, the properties manifested by Bai Jingxuan's green magic power were not just simple healing of physical injuries; even after long-term contact, it had a certain maintenance effect on the True Form.

In the battle at Fuli Academy, the injuries Xia Liang had received had actually slightly affected her True Form, but with Bai Jingxuan's help, she gradually healed and became nothing major.

To Senior Cuique's knowledge, even ordinary spells could not achieve such outrageous effects; spells capable of affecting the True Form were extremely high-level existences, and hardly anyone could learn them. Even if learned, their effect would not be superior to Bai Jingxuan's simple magic power properties.

The only pity was that it had no effect on Senior Cuique's own old injuries.

Senior Cuique did not intend to mention her old injuries to the girls, because even if they knew, it would only add unnecessary worry. But whenever she was with Bai Jingxuan, helping her research her magic power properties, Senior Cuique would always try to draw a portion from it to see if it could affect her Heart Gem.

The fact was there was no effect, or rather, the magnitude of the effect was too tiny to feel at all.

Even so, there was no doubt that this magic power property also held extremely high value.

Even if placed within the Magic Kingdom, such a magic power property would certainly arouse the interest of many; if Bai Jingxuan went to the Kingdom now, even just to research and utilize her magic power properties, there should be no lack of invitations from various factions.

However, as the days of getting along grew longer, Senior Cuique gradually discovered that this child, Bai Jingxuan, indeed was not as ordinary as she appeared on the surface.

It was not only because of her ability with special properties, but because of her personality.

Just as she had vaguely felt before, in the subsequent direct combat against Remnant Beasts, Bai Jingxuan lost control.

Even with teammates nearby, she paid no attention to the injuries she might receive, launching an attack on the Remnant Beast with a ferocious, injury-for-injury fighting style.

If Senior Cuique had not stopped her in time, Bai Jingxuan would likely have easily injured herself while facing an enemy that was not dangerous.

If it were only this, it would have been fine; the bigger problem was that this child had no self-awareness of the danger of this fighting style.

Just as she appeared quiet and sensible in daily life, her mind remained clear, even calm, during combat. And this dangerous "injury-for-injury" combat style was the conclusion she chose through thought and decision.

She was not clouded by hatred, nor was her thinking influenced by anger; she simply thought this was how one should fight, so she did just that.

Even when Senior Cuique, who was watching the battle, intervened to stop her, she looked at Senior Cuique with a curious face and asked, "Teacher, do you think there is any problem with this?"

When asked the reason for doing this, her answer was, "Because I feel this is the fastest way to eliminate the Remnant Beast."

This left Senior Cuique speechless for a moment, not knowing where to start correcting her. In the end, she could only sigh, casually obliterate the Egg-level Remnant Beast that was still struggling, take Bai Jingxuan back to the training ground, and have a long heart-to-heart talk with her.

She not only emphasized to her how to pay attention to her own safety during combat; she also instilled in her the pros and cons of long-term attrition warfare; and more crucially, when encountering enemies stronger than oneself, one must escape in time.

During this process, Bai Jingxuan was very well-behaved, even occasionally asking Senior Cuique detailed questions about the content she taught, nodding her head continuously like a chick pecking at rice. Her performance was that of a well-behaved child among well-behaved children, seeming to have truly taken all these words to heart.

After that, time passed. A week later, when she encountered an Egg-level Remnant Beast again, she lost control once more.

In another round of practical combat training specially reserved by Senior Cuique, Bai Jingxuan initially remembered Senior Cuique's instructions, wearing down the Remnant Beast's vitality with magic beams using a mid-to-long-range kiting method, fighting with a steady and solid rhythm. But as the battle gradually drew to a close and the Remnant Beast was clearly powerless to resist, she didn't know what she was thinking and started charging in with her wand for close combat again.

This time, when Senior Cuique pulled her away, she had already driven her wand directly into the Remnant Beast's head and was about to reach out to gouge out its eyes.

During this process, she paid no attention at all to the fact that her leg was already suspended in the Remnant Beast's mouth, only a few seconds away from being bitten by the Remnant Beast, which would go berserk from the pain.

After finally pulling Bai Jingxuan away and casually obliterating the nearby dying Remnant Beast, Senior Cuique was truly a bit angry this time, so she admonished the other quite seriously.

Bai Jingxuan's attitude was still very good; she seriously expressed to Senior Cuique that she would pay attention next time. As for whether she would actually pay attention next time after this incident, no one knew.

Senior Cuique only knew that in the matter of guiding Bai Jingxuan, she had encountered an unprecedented difficulty.

Just like that, time arrived at the end of August, and the summer vacation gradually entered its final days.

Due to a quite healthy holiday schedule, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang had both finished their summer homework early, and with the initial results of the special training during the vacation, the most tiring special training had already become a thing of the past.

In the evening, in the living room filled with air conditioning cold, Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu huddled together on the sofa watching television.

"—We can see that after the previous Remnant Beast attack incident, the damaged areas of Luoming District have been put back into use, and the destroyed office buildings have reopened for business..."

On the television, a young and beautiful anchor was facing the camera lens, introducing the situation on the scene to the evening news viewers.

"Xia Liang, change the channel." Lin Xiaolu stared at the TV screen with a bored expression, extended her foot, and kicked Xia Liang on her calf.

"Change to what?" Xia Liang lazily raised her head and glanced at her.

"I want to watch cartoons."

"I don't know which channel the cartoons are on."

"Just tune and look at the same time, isn't that fine?"

"Seems like it is."

Propping herself up, she picked up the remote control from the coffee table in front of the sofa. Xia Liang pressed the buttons on the remote while speaking: "By the way, Xiaolu."

"What is it?"

"Is that building mentioned in the news just now the place where your father works?"

"Which one?"

"That's the news about the disaster-stricken area reopening."

"Oh, that one, yes, that's right." Lin Xiaolu stared blankly at the television.

"Doesn't that mean your father is in danger too? Because of that claw-marked evil Magical Girl."

"According to him, no one was injured, and Senior Cuique also said she deliberately protected ordinary people during the fight."

"... The Junior Senior protected your father."

"Yeah, after all, Senior Cuique is the strongest."

Lin Xiaolu hardly thought at all; as if triggered by keywords like a robot, she instinctively began her fan speech: "Strong, gentle, mature, and cute..."

"Yes, yes, yes, right, right."

Dismissing Lin Xiaolu as if coaxing a child, Xia Liang couldn't help but chuckle dryly and change the subject: "However, recently..."

Her gaze flicked toward the study not far away, Lin Xiaolu's study.

Lin Xiaolu also couldn't help but glance toward the study, then turned her face away:

"Tsk."

"That's a very un-cute sound you made."

Xia Liang looked helplessly at Lin Xiaolu: "Is it that important to you?"

"Important? What's important to me?"

Lin Xiaolu pouted: "It's just temporary tutoring because the new person can't keep up with the progress; isn't that perfectly normal?"

"But the expression on your face says something completely different, you know?"

"The expression on my face says I want to watch an anime right now."

"It's already switched to the anime, look." Xia Liang pointed toward the TV screen.

"... Oh." Lin Xiaolu responded stiffly.

Just as Xia Liang said, right now, her focus wasn't on the TV at all.

In the latter half of summer vacation, with Bai Jingxuan's joining, although Senior Cuique was already trying hard to ensure no one was favored over another, due to the difference in progress, she still had to set aside some time separately to help Bai Jingxuan catch up on more basic knowledge.

Bai Jingxuan was very young; learning many things required more prerequisite courses, and combined with the various unstable behaviors she displayed during combat, this gradually caused Senior Cuique to increase the time spent on her.

And by the last few days of summer vacation, her main interaction time with Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu was basically spent on evening tutoring, while the daytime was completely dedicated to correcting this "problem child," Bai Jingxuan.

This also led to their relationship with Bai Jingxuan rapidly warming up recently.

Senior Cuique's teaching style has always been cold but not indifferent, simple but not superficial. Although the requirements and standards were slightly strict, they were not to the point of being harsh; she could be said to be a qualified good teacher.

After half a month of getting along, if at the beginning Bai Jingxuan saying "Teacher" was merely a polite expression; then by now, when she said those words, she truly believed it from the bottom of her heart.

This also made Lin Xiaolu, who saw everything, feel quite bitter.

Regarding this junior, Bai Jingxuan, her attitude couldn't be called close or distant, but at least her impression of her was much better than her initial impression of Xia Liang.

Such a pitiful child with a disability in her body, she couldn't possibly speak harshly to her; in daily life, she had already tried her best to get along with her friendly.

But when Bai Jingxuan and Senior Cuique's relationship gradually became closer, she still felt a sourness in her heart.

She tried hard to tell herself she had no reason to take a child three years younger than her seriously; moreover, the other person had always greeted her with a smile and great respect; wouldn't it seem too petty to be jealous of her now?

Besides, Senior Cuique spending more time with that child was a necessary measure; Magical Girl teaching and training are no joke. Precisely because the other person's progress was slow and full of problems, Senior Cuique needed to pay more attention; doesn't this just prove that Senior Cuique is more satisfied with her?

Just like Xia Liang; she was the one among them who gave Senior Cuique the least worry, so the attention invested was actually the least; isn't that natural?

But even thinking this, she subconsciously puffed out her cheeks.

Because thinking is one thing, but not being able to hold back is another.

Just like that, staring blankly at the TV, after a while, the noise from the study suddenly caught Lin Xiaolu's attention. She jolted, slightly lifting her head.

Her gaze refocused; she looked toward the study door, where she saw Senior Cuique leading Bai Jingxuan out of the room with a blank expression. And Bai Jingxuan followed behind her, as if she had done something wrong, trailing along like a dejected little animal.

Lin Xiaolu couldn't help but feel a touch of ugly joy in her heart, but this joy didn't last a few seconds before it completely vanished along with Senior Cuique's actions.

"I'll take Boxue back to her place; you two continue resting. Come to Xia Liang's house after dinner and wait for me."

Stopping at the door, Senior Cuique faced the two girls in the living room and said: "Remember to watch TV for an hour to let your eyes rest, and don't keep tilting your head to watch; these behaviors are bad for your eyesight."

After saying this, she walked out of Lin Xiaolu's house and closed the entrance door behind her.

"Click."

With this brief, crisp sound, Lin Xiaolu also froze in place.

(End of this chapter)