Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 38: Magical Girl's Magical Training

"As I mentioned before, while Magical Girls can instinctively wield magic thanks to the presence of a Magic Source, that doesn’t mean we can’t control it with precision. The reason you're experiencing excessive magic consumption isn't just because your magic reserves are lacking—it’s fundamentally a result of using magic without any restraint."

Two days had passed since the parent-teacher meeting.

That night, in Lin Xiaolu’s home, Veronica sat on the living room couch, giving a lesson to two new recruits.

Because of some special arrangements for today, she had informed Lin Xiaolu two days prior—using Lin Yun’s identity—that she would be on a business trip in a neighboring city and wouldn’t be home that night.

Then, as Veronica, she had told the two recruits that future lessons might be held indoors and that she planned to request a training space from the Countermeasure Bureau. She asked if they had any concerns about this change.

She hadn’t considered how these two pieces of information might interact, but the result was that Lin Xiaolu volunteered her own home as the venue for their first indoor lesson.

After some thought, Veronica saw no reason to refuse and simply went along with it.

That night’s lesson focused on refining control over basic abilities—learning how to efficiently manage one’s own magic consumption.

For a Seed-tier Magical Girl, the four fundamental abilities were Flight, Enhancement, Magic Emission, and Magic Perception. Since this was still the initial Ability Blooming stage, their skillset was fairly limited.

As they progressed to Bud-tier, they would gain Magic Constructs. At Leaf-tier, they would learn Spells and Rituals. Their combat styles would gradually diversify, and their techniques would become more distinct.

However, regardless of the stage, the fundamental abilities acquired at Seed-tier were the most frequently used. Over time, many advanced techniques had been derived from them.

For example, Flight had various offshoots like Hovering, Magic Landing, Bullet Launch, Perpetual Flight, and Hyper-Speed Blink. These techniques could modify how Flight functioned and allow for more precise control over magic consumption.

Lin Xiaolu, however, had terrible magic control.

She constantly burned through her magic reserves while flying—wasting energy, moving inefficiently, and never gaining speed. Worse, she generated excessive magical emissions, turning her flights into a flashy fireworks display—all spectacle, no practicality.

Veronica’s lesson today was meant to correct this flaw—at the very least, to set a clear goal for future improvement.

After speaking continuously for two hours, even with a Magical Girl’s endurance, Veronica felt parched. She picked up her teacup, took a small sip to soothe her throat, and then continued:

"That’s all for technique for now. But ultimately, your own strength is the foundation. In addition to actively managing your magic consumption during battle, your magic reserves themselves are crucial."

Setting down her cup, she extended her right hand.

"I didn’t ask before since you had exams, but today, I need to check your magic growth."

A few Favored Runes unfurled from her palm, forming a glowing ring around her arm. The intricate markings pulsed with light, resembling the mystical symbols of fantasy stories.

Clearly, this was some kind of specialized Spell.

With a composed expression, Veronica gestured to the two recruits.

"Transform, then release your magic into my rune array. This will serve as your progress assessment for magic training."

From their very first lesson, she had emphasized the importance of daily practice and had already taught them the methods for enhancing their magic.

A Magical Girl's core power lay in both magic and soul. A girl’s aptitude in training depended on two things: her soul’s sensitivity to magic and her innate magic capacity.

However, since the power of the soul and will only manifested in the later stages of Ability Blooming, in the early stages, magic capacity was the primary focus.

A Magical Girl’s total magic reserves weren’t fixed—they could be increased through effort. A prodigy who never trained could easily be surpassed by a diligent "mediocre" girl who worked tirelessly.

There were two main methods for self-improvement, commonly referred to by Magical Girls as "Magic Forging" and "Soul Resonance."

• Magic Forging focused on quickly increasing raw magic capacity.

  • As the name suggested, it involved constant magic usage to expand reserves.
  • This didn’t just mean using magic in combat—even in daily life, a girl could actively train by emitting and refining her magic.
  • While effective, this method did little to strengthen the soul and was extremely exhausting, requiring strong willpower and perseverance.

• Soul Resonance was a more balanced approach, increasing both magic reserves and soul strength.

  • It worked by using the Magic Source within the Heartstone Seed to stimulate the soul, encouraging magic and soul energy to merge and refine each other.
  • While this method was more sustainable, it was slower than Magic Forging.

Neither method was superior to the other—they served different purposes.

• Magic Forging was ideal for short-term power boosts.
• Soul Resonance was essential for steady, long-term growth.

Only by consistently performing Soul Resonance—until both magic and soul reached the next threshold—could a Seed-tier Magical Girl advance into Bud-tier, unlocking the next stage of Ability Blooming.

Under Veronica’s gaze, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang transformed and, with hesitant expressions, released their magic.

Pale blue and amethyst magic flowed forth, forming two radiant beams that connected to Veronica’s rune array. The shifting lights conveyed vast amounts of information.

Honestly, their progress was better than she expected.

If measured in terms of minimum-energy magic bursts, Lin Xiaolu could now release about 50 bursts, while Xia Liang could manage 90.

For comparison, during their battle against the Melt-Chamber-type Ravager, those numbers had only been 40 and 75 respectively.

Considering they had balanced daily life with training, achieving such significant improvement in under a month was impressive.

"Hmm. Pass."

Dismissing the rune array, Veronica crossed her arms, a hint of satisfaction appearing on her face.

"You both did well."

The two recruits, who had been internally panicking, exhaled in relief.

For kids who disliked studying, Veronica’s evaluation was far more stressful than their school’s final exams.

Lin Xiaolu, in particular, knew that earning Veronica’s approval—from someone as strict as her—was no small feat.

But for Lin Xiaolu, this wasn’t enough.

Satisfying Veronica wasn’t her true goal.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up.

"Veronica."

"What is it?" Veronica turned to look at her.

Meeting those deep, gem-like blue eyes, Lin Xiaolu felt an unspoken pressure. The words she had prepared stuck in her throat.

Would she sound arrogant? Would she seem overly ambitious?

Doubt and hesitation crept in, making her regret her impulse to speak.

But then—she remembered.

She remembered the man standing in the rain a few days ago.

She remembered the feeling she had when she saw him.

Adults weren’t always as composed as they seemed.

And Veronica—who always acted like an experienced senior, like a capable adult—was she truly as effortless as she appeared?

Clenching her fists, Lin Xiaolu pushed down her fear.

She met Veronica’s gaze directly and, with unwavering determination, asked:

"How strong do I need to become before I can fight alongside you when danger comes?"