Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 73: The Brilliance of Vitality

Tian Sheng clutched his abdomen, lying in an empty hospital room, gasping for breath.

The scorched wound on his stomach was slowly oozing blood. He could only use a simple recovery ritual to treat himself, but making a full recovery in a short time was impossible.

As expected, he had lost the battle against the black-robed figures.

A one-on-two fight was already hopeless for him. The enemy had a far greater reserve of spells and magic power, and they had the advantage in numbers. He had no chance to even peek out from cover under their relentless barrage of basic magic bullets.

And that was before reinforcements arrived from upstairs.

Facing an entire squad of black-robed attackers, Tian Sheng had no room to fight back—he was utterly defeated.

His Magical Barrier shattered in less than two seconds. His magic bullets couldn't break through the enemy’s defenses, easily blocked by their barriers. In the end, his only option was to jump out the window in desperation, but the moment he leaped, a fireball pierced his stomach.

They didn’t give him a chance to adjust his landing either—standing by the window, they unleashed a rain of magic bullets, determined to finish him off.

Tian Sheng managed to dodge most of the attacks, rolling into the corridor for cover. But even so, he was still hit mid-escape, collapsing onto the floor, his fate unknown.

He had fallen in a blind spot from the second-floor window’s view, but the black-robed figures suspected he was still alive. Two of them stayed behind to check his body, while the rest moved on—reporting their findings and chasing after Bai Jingxuan.

Seizing this brief window of opportunity, Tian Sheng crawled and stumbled his way into an empty hospital room, where he finally collapsed onto the floor.

And now, here he was.

To be honest, if not for the recovery ritual he had left as a last resort, he would already be dead.

Even though he was familiar with the layout of the building and had found a hiding place, his wound was fatal for an ordinary person. And to make matters worse, the two black-robed pursuers outside were searching the rooms one by one. Even though he had avoided leaving a trail of blood, it was only a matter of time before they found him.

His earlier moment of reckless heroism didn’t mean he was ready to die. Far from it—he desperately wanted to live.

His bank savings were still untouched, his research materials were still at home, and he had spent months preparing for the Countermeasure Bureau's entrance exam—if he died here, all of it would go to waste.

No matter what, he had to find a way to survive.

Of the three ritual catalysts he carried, he had already used all of them. His barrier spell had been cast the most, and its effectiveness was noticeably degrading. His magic bullets had held up better, but they were still limited. And as for the basic recovery ritual he was using now—it was completely useless in combat.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright, preparing for one final fight. The movement wrenched his wound, making his face contort in pain. He considered crawling under the nearby hospital bed for cover, but his injuries wouldn’t let him move any further.

The noise outside was getting closer. Tian Sheng tightened his grip on the die-shaped catalyst in his hand, ready for a last stand.

Room after room was opened. He could hear caregivers and patients screaming next door. But the black-robed figures showed no interest in ordinary people—they quickly moved on after searching. And before long…

They reached his room.

Suddenly—

The door swung open.

In that instant, Tian Sheng poured all his magic power into the catalyst, activating his last stored magic bullets.

Whoosh!

A high-pitched screech tore through the air as multiple gray projectiles shot out from the markings on the die’s surface, hurtling toward the enemy with deadly force.

Bang!

The magic bullets exploded on impact, shattering into a burst of gray-white magical particles.

At the same time—

Incoming magic bullets streaked toward him from the doorway.

The enemy had been ready to fire from the start.

Reacting instantly, Tian Sheng activated his Magical Barrier once more. But his catalyst’s conversion efficiency was at its limit, and the barrier drained the last of his magic power.

His head and chest throbbed in pain—so intense that he nearly let out a cry.

But this was all he could do.

If he had to score his own performance, he would give himself full marks.

Given his current spell proficiency, this was the best he could manage. As for the outcome? That was up to fate.

His final barrier managed to block the enemy’s counterattack. Tian Sheng forced himself up, squinting through the dissipating magical light.

Beyond the fading explosion, two figures slowly emerged.

And as the glow receded completely—his hopeful expression darkened.

His ambush had failed.

The black-robed figures had never let their guard down.

They had been maintaining a barrier the entire time while searching. Every time they opened a door, they were already fully prepared for an attack.

His final attack had done nothing but cause a few ripples on their defensive barrier.

His magic power was gone. His catalyst was spent.

Tian Sheng slumped to the ground, accepting his fate.

The black-robed figures stepped into the room, their approaching footsteps weighing down on his spirit.

They were like grim reapers, standing over him, ready to claim his life.

As his vision blurred, his mind drifted to the people left behind—

Would Uncle Li, the old caregiver, be okay?

Would Bai Jingxuan manage to escape?

Would his parents be sad when they heard the news?

Would his gaming buddies remember to wipe his hard drive?

And as for his girlfriend…

…oh, right. He didn’t have one.

At that final thought, Tian Sheng let out a bitter chuckle in his mind.

Not like it mattered anymore.

He let go of the die, closed his eyes, and abandoned his last shred of will to live, quietly accepting his impending death.

—— "It's not time to give up yet."

A voice suddenly spoke beside him.

Tian Sheng’s eyes snapped open—only to be met by a soft green glow.

A small shoe stepped lightly beside his arm.

Then, a figure emerged, graceful and light on her feet, walking out from behind him.

Tian Sheng propped himself up, turning his head in a daze.

And then, he saw her—

She wore a light green stage dress, its bodice pure white, while delicate green floral patterns adorned the puffy sleeves. The long flowing skirt nearly touched the ground, yet stopped just short enough not to hinder movement.

She was small in stature, stepping out from the glowing light, a wand resembling a conductor’s baton held in her gloved hands.

Her side ponytail, dyed with green and white streaks, gave her a look of both innocence and sanctity, as if she carried the very essence of life.

"Step back, Uncle Tian."

Her heterochromatic eyes—one yellow, one green—locked onto the black-robed figures.

Raising her wand, she spoke in a gentle yet firm voice:

"Magical Girl— Bosetsu. Commencing breakthrough operation."