Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 62: Bud Level

In truth, Lin Yun knew very little about Aya's death.

He wasn't there when it happened, nor did he ever see her body. Everything he knew came from the accounts of younger Magical Girls.

But even then, he couldn't comprehend it—how could Aya possibly die?

A Flower Card Magical Girl recognized for her combat prowess stood at the very peak of all Magical Girls. And Aya was hailed as the "strongest Flower Card."

Guarding Fangting City should have been no different from a casual stroll through a backyard for her. Forget danger—if anything, she was the real disaster for the Ravagers.

Yet, her death had been so swift, so effortless, that it felt unreal—like a towering mountain that stood firm one moment, only to collapse into nothing the next.

Aya was gone. Crimson blood bloomed from her chest, like a Lycoris radiata piercing through the branches of a cherry blossom tree. Her eyes were closed, a peaceful, content smile on her face, as if she'd seen something beautiful before drifting into a sweet dream.

But the road to that dream was a one-way street. Once she stepped onto it, she never returned.

Lin Yun never saw her one last time.

By the time the other Magical Girls arrived—shocked, grief-stricken, trying to take her body away—Aya’s form had already dissolved into fine particles of magic, scattering before their very eyes.

She left nothing behind in this world.

In the end, the only thing that marked her existence was a small, lonely gravestone.

That was why Lin Yun never let Lin Xiaolu see Aya’s body—because there was no body. And he had no way to explain why.

Back then, Lin Xiaolu had been confused, even angry at him. But now, after learning the truth, she realized—maybe she had been wrong.

Several days had passed since Lin Yun and Aya’s wedding anniversary.

Ever since Lin Xiaolu learned that her mother had been a Magical Girl, she had been out of sorts, lost in thought for days.

Lin Yun, meanwhile, was finishing the final handover of his resignation, preparing to dedicate himself fully to the affairs of Magical Girls.

Moko was halfheartedly continuing its Seeder work—most of the time, it lounged around at home watching the two new recruits train. Occasionally, it would go out in search of potential new Magical Girls.

According to Moko, it had found traces of something similar in Lixing District, which at least gave it some motivation.

As for Xia Liang, one of the two new recruits with a particular talent, she had spent the past few days advancing at a pace that would leave anyone speechless. She was already on the verge of breaking through the bottleneck between Seed-tier and Bud-tier.

And today, as expected, she reached the opportunity to construct her True Form.

A Magical Girl’s True Form was a concept that sounded mystical but was actually quite concrete. Structurally, it was a special construct formed by fusing a Magical Girl’s magic and soul, with the Magic Source as its core.

It was the foundation of all future abilities—whether it was Magic Constructs, spells, or anything else, they all required a True Form. It was also the source of a Magical Girl’s life—no matter how severe her injuries, as long as her True Form remained intact, she could heal over time through magic.

Likewise, this meant that if her True Form was destroyed, her life would come to an end.

This was why protecting one's Magic Source was crucial—since the Magic Source was the core of the True Form, any damage to it would be devastating.

And now, Xia Liang was doing just that—constructing her new True Form with her Magic Source at its heart.

It was 10 PM, at Xia Liang’s home. The study session was halfway through when, as if struck by sudden inspiration, she turned to the others and declared, "I think I’m in the right state now."

Under Veronica’s watchful instructions and Lin Xiaolu’s bored gaze, she began attempting to construct her True Form.

Holding her Heartstone Seed in her palms, Xia Liang closed her eyes and quietly felt the flow of magic within her.

Consciousness was the external projection of the soul. By tracing and following the movements of magic, she let her awareness resonate with it. Then, she reversed the process—guiding the magic’s frequency to match the wavelength of her consciousness and soul.

As the two gradually synchronized, she used the Magic Source as a bridge, fusing them into one—thus forming a new power.

Bit by bit, the Heartstone Seed in her hands emitted a different glow than before.

Like a sprout breaking through soil under nourishing rain, the once-round Heartstone Seed changed shape. From a smooth sphere, it became droplet-like, a tiny tip forming at its peak—giving it an almost adorable appearance.

Of course, by this point, it was no longer a Heartstone Seed. It had a new name—Heartstone Bud.

Amethyst-colored magic rippled out from the Heartstone Bud, enveloping Xia Liang. The fluctuations of magic projected a faint mirage of her figure—one that flickered and then merged back into her body.

Not far away, Lin Xiaolu rubbed her eyes. Was she seeing things? For a moment, she could’ve sworn there were two Xia Liangs—one translucent, like an illusion.

Veronica stood with arms crossed, quietly observing the process, occasionally nodding in approval. Once again, she was amazed by Xia Liang’s talent.

To succeed in constructing a True Form on the first try—she wasn’t sure how many had done it in the history of the Magic Kingdom, but she had certainly never seen it before.

Twenty-two years ago, in Fangting City’s Magical Girl Squad, among the four original core members, the fastest to construct her True Form had been Su Shengzi—she succeeded on her third attempt.

The slowest had been Aya—who had tried seventeen times.

Of course, Aya’s struggle wasn’t just a matter of talent. In truth, she was incredibly gifted. But back then, she had been the first in the squad to reach the Bud-tier bottleneck.

And the lineup in Fangting City at the time was far rougher than it was now—they had no senior mentor like Veronica. Just a bunch of clueless rookies fumbling through things.

The only one who had any knowledge of training was a rabbit spirit named Wobo, but calling its teaching style "misguided" would be an understatement.

Thinking back on how she had spent ten attempts constructing her True Form under that damn rabbit’s guidance, Veronica couldn’t help but feel how much things had changed.

As the amethyst glow faded, Xia Liang opened her eyes. Holding the flawless Heartstone Bud in her hands, she flashed a playful smile at Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu.

Clearly, she had succeeded.

And now that she had constructed her True Form and reached Bud-tier, the next step awaited—awakening her Magic Construct.