Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 126: Recruitment Examination

"Hehh—"

Lifting his head from the bustling crowd, Tian Sheng couldn’t help but let out a yawn.

With heavy dark circles under his eyes, a head of messy hair like a bird’s nest, and an outdated jacket, if it weren’t for the exam pass hanging around his neck while he stood outside the exam center’s gates, people might’ve mistaken him for some homeless drifter.

In fact, his suspicious appearance had already caught the attention of the security guard not far away, who had been keeping an eye on him from the start. That faint yet persistent gaze on his back was something even someone as dense as Tian Sheng could feel.

Awkwardly lifting the bottle of water in his hand, he took a big gulp and moved a little farther away from the crowd to prove he wasn’t a threat.

Looking like this wasn’t really his intention. He honestly just hadn’t had the time or energy to care about his appearance.

To prepare for the Countermeasure Bureau’s recruitment exam, he’d been burning the midnight oil every night. Aside from his day job at the welfare home, nearly all his time had gone into reading and solving problems. He had no room left to worry about life’s little details.

For most magicians seeking a stable job, the Countermeasure Bureau's exam was a major opportunity.

As long as you had no criminal record and a clean background, any magician could try their hand at getting into the Bureau. Passing meant becoming an official member, enjoying far better conditions than working as a freelance spell researcher.

As a law-abiding civilian magician, Tian Sheng might have only average spellcasting ability, but that didn’t stop him from dreaming of joining the Bureau.

In the process, even his sleep had been sacrificed. Even though he went to bed early last night, knowing he had the exam today, one night of rest wasn’t enough to make up for the sleep debt he'd built up.

At times like this, Tian Sheng would really miss his student days from years ago — back then he could pull several all-nighters and still be full of energy after just one nap. But now? No way. His body just couldn’t keep up anymore.

Wiping away the tear squeezed out by his yawn, Tian Sheng looked toward the exam center's entrance and smacked his lips. “I need to catch up on sleep after this.”

The exam hadn’t even started, and yet he was already daydreaming about the laid-back days to come once everything was over.

No wonder he was distracted — he'd worked way too hard for today. Now that the end was finally in sight, it was only natural to feel a little giddy.

That excitement was why he showed up so early, waiting in front of the gates before the venue even opened.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one with that idea. A decent number of candidates had also gathered at the entrance.

Some were mumbling to themselves, probably reciting notes; others stared unblinking at paper handouts, trying to cram something last-minute; and a few even spread their books and problem sets out on the ground, racing to review the toughest questions.

Heh, a bunch of slackers.

Standing on the edge of the crowd, Tian Sheng watched the scene and felt like all the hardships of his own prep were finally paying off. A strange sense of superiority rose in his chest.

A faint smile crept onto his face as he took another sip of his water like it was some fancy wine.

Unfortunately, no one else could understand his vibe. His odd behavior just made him look even sketchier, putting the guards even more on edge.

So when the exam venue finally opened with just thirty minutes to go, all the other candidates passed through the gates without issue—except for Tian Sheng, who got stopped at the entrance.

After being questioned back and forth and having his info double-checked, he finally entered the venue with the guards apologizing to him. By then, there were only fifteen minutes left before the exam began.

Quickening his pace, water bottle and pencil pouch in hand, Tian Sheng didn’t stop until the security post was no longer in sight. Then, all of a sudden, he whipped around and flipped off the direction he came from.

Not satisfied with just the middle finger, he clenched his jaw and followed up with a pinky, then turned his thumbs down, and finally both middle fingers at once—until the students around him started giving him strange looks. Only then did he put his hands down and keep walking like nothing had happened.

“If I actually get hired, I’m definitely coming back to rub it in their faces,” he thought, grinding his teeth.

Of course, that was just wishful thinking.

The exam wasn’t being held at the Bureau’s headquarters, but at one of their training facilities on the outskirts. Even by car, it took more than half an hour to get here. If he really came back just for that, it’d cost him extra travel money—not worth it.

His head full of random thoughts, Tian Sheng followed the crowd into the exam building, trying to recall his room and seat number while looking for the right corridor.

The building was pretty old. From the style of the interior, it was obvious it had been around for years. It reminded him a lot of the welfare home where he worked. Walking through it brought back memories of his daily routine.

Same old buildings, same lively atmosphere—it oddly soothed the lingering frustration in his chest.

And once again, it reminded him of a nagging worry he'd had for months now.

For some time, he’d had this weird feeling—like he’d forgotten something important.

He couldn’t quite explain it. It started one day out of the blue. Since then, he just couldn’t clearly remember what he’d done a few days prior.

He vaguely remembered going to work at the welfare home like usual... then something happened. A gray magic group had infiltrated the facility and launched a brutal terror attack that killed a lot of people.

But even though it should’ve been a deeply traumatic memory, it all felt like a dream to him—surreal and unreal.

In those memories, he seemed to be hiding in a storage room the entire time. He only came out after the terrorists were taken down by some Magical Girls and members of the Countermeasure Bureau.

And yet, some part of him just wouldn’t buy it. His instincts told him it wasn’t that simple. That his experience during that attack had been much more intense than he remembered.

That’s what confused him the most.

He knew exactly what kind of person he was—cowardly, comfort-seeking. In a real terror attack, of course he’d hide until the danger passed. That was totally in line with his personality.

No way he’d risk his life being reckless. That’d be downright stupid.

So why did it feel so fake?

Why did he feel like he’d played a part in that event—like he’d actually done something meaningful?

Was it just some over-the-top fantasy he’d cooked up?

Lost in thought, Tian Sheng didn’t notice what was ahead and suddenly felt a bump on his shoulder.

He turned to look. It was a young man in a Countermeasure Bureau uniform, with a badge on his chest identifying him as a proctor for the exam.

“…Ah, sorry about that.”

Getting on the bad side of a proctor right before the test was a bad move. Thinking of his exam results, Tian Sheng quickly bowed his head in apology. “I spaced out and wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m really sorry.”

His apology was crisp and sincere, but the man didn’t respond.

After bumping into him, the young proctor stopped where he was and just stared at him silently, saying nothing at all.

Tian Sheng’s scalp tingled. He couldn’t help but wonder if the guy was holding a grudge. That’d be seriously bad before an exam—what if the proctor decided to mess with him later?

He’d worked so hard for this test. He couldn’t let some random misunderstanding ruin everything.

Maybe he should explain a bit more and try to make peace.

Thinking that, he started reviewing the moment in his mind, trying to figure out what could’ve ticked the guy off… but came up with nothing.

Was it because he looked like he was zoning out? Or maybe the guy just hated physical contact?

Just as he was stressing over it, the young man suddenly moved again.

Still silent. No change in expression. As if Tian Sheng didn’t even exist. Without giving him a chance to speak again, the man turned and walked away.

Tian Sheng stood there dumbfounded, unsure if he should chase after him and apologize again.

But what if that just annoyed the guy more? Then again, if he didn’t go after him, would he miss his last chance to clear things up?

The indecision made him break into a light sweat. While he was hesitating, his nose started to itch. He scratched it without thinking—and watched as a tiny dark shadow fluttered out from under his hand and flew ahead.

His reflexes weren’t bad, so he managed to catch a glimpse—it was a moth.

It flew in the same direction as the proctor, hovered behind him for a moment, and then slipped into his collar.

Tian Sheng froze.

What the h*ll? Did that just happen? Did I imagine that?

A barrage of questions popped into his head. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the moth was gone.

“…Was that a spell?” Tian Sheng muttered. “Forget it. Better not mess with weirdos like that.”

He was here to take the test—not to play detective. No matter how strange that proctor seemed, it had nothing to do with him.

Maybe the weird behavior and the moth were some kind of warning… or just a prank? Whatever. Not his problem.

Shaking his head, Tian Sheng dropped the thought and kept walking in the direction he’d come from. Soon, both he and the young man in uniform had left the corridor, disappearing down opposite ends.

The quiet hallway returned to silence once again.

Well, not completely silent. If someone had stopped to really listen, they might’ve heard the faintest rustling sound.

Tian Sheng didn’t notice it, but the direction that proctor came from wasn’t exactly normal.

He had walked out from a nearby emergency exit. And in the shadow of that door, the rustling sound continued. If you got close enough, you could hear an eerie, soft “shhh-shhh” sound coming from the darkness.

Tiny scraping and shuffling noises, buried in the dark—overlooked by everyone.