: The Clever Magical Girl

Squeak, squeak—

In the not-so-spacious living room, sofas, tables, cabinets, and the like were piled up together, leaving an empty space.

Mu Ming used his magic to roll the accumulated dust on the ground into a trash can, then stood in the center of the open space.

The magic of the Seed of the Heart began to spread throughout his body, and he entered a state of [cultivation].

Mu Ming lowered his body slightly, spread his legs, and then suddenly jumped up...

I did a backflip.

No stinging pain was felt anywhere on my body.

"It's done!"

His two fists were raised upwards, and there was a lot of white dust on his head, but the smile on his face was genuine.

It's been a while since I became a magical girl, and now I can maintain my "training" anytime, anywhere, no matter how intense the movements are.

The next step is to make cultivation a regular habit, just like breathing, combining natural improvement with cultivation.

His body felt relaxed after a long time. He returned to his bedroom, where a large patch of wall dust remained on the bed.

Mu Ming changed into a new set of clothes, and the frustration from when he had crashed into the wall while doing a backflip on the bed earlier was completely gone.

After a quick clean-up, I went out.

Li Huanhuan is having some problems with her cultivation and needs his guidance.

As Mu Ming's "companion," I naturally hold the attitude that her affairs are my affairs.

Following the location given by Li Huanhuan, Mu Ming arrived at a high-end residential area he had never set foot in before. Even the gatekeeper was not an old man but a capable young man.

Even entering the elevator requires swiping a card... or the residents have to do it for you.

Even though the elevator goes straight through, it still felt like I waited for ages.

When the elevator doors opened, he saw the oversized House, who could do a backflip on the bed without hitting the ceiling.

It can even fly inside a house.

A girl in loungewear stood with her hands behind her back, waiting for him at the door.

As someone who still receives monthly subsidies from the Jin Yu Family Welfare Home, Mu Ming felt an even stronger hatred for the current situation—the world's disapproval of men becoming magical girls.

If it were common for men to become magical girls, he could apply for a job at the Bureau of Statistics, fight monsters every day, and earn a lot of money.

Even though he doesn't have many expenses right now, the allure of capitalism's sugar-coated bullets should not be underestimated.

Mu Ming decided to buy a lottery ticket to see if he could win the jackpot.

If he wins the jackpot, he will have the funds to live in a big house, and it will be convenient for him to cultivate himself without worrying about damaging his home.

"You need to train harder. Once you reach a point where the entire Bureau of Control can't afford to mess with you, even if you're a male magical girl, people can only criticize you in private. After all, power equals authority."

"I'll get a nominal job at the Bureau of Statistics and be paid by them. They'll support me, and I won't have to worry about being arrested and used for experiments."

As Mu Ming secretly swore an oath, Li Huanhuan looked at him with puzzlement, wondering why he was standing in the stairwell and wouldn't come out.

"Muming, if you don't come down soon, the elevator will go down."

She reminded him, and Mu Ming seemed to wake up from a dream, uttered an "Oh," and stepped down from the elevator.

Li Huanhuan led the way, and Mu Ming entered her house, only to find that the huge house was empty.

As I passed by the window, I only glanced at it, yet I was able to take in the entire cityscape of Changming City.

Seeing him gazing intently out the window, Li Huanhuan smiled and said, "Isn't the view nice?"

"Hmm." Mu Ming nodded. If he were at home, all he could see were the residential buildings that weren't too far away.

"Is there no one else at home?"

When Mu Ming asked, he realized that he had not paid attention to Li Huanhuan's family situation.

"No, I usually live alone. My parents only come back occasionally."

Somewhat surprisingly, magical girls' household registration books are usually not thick, and single-page ones are not uncommon, but occasionally there are those like Li Huanhuan who have both parents.

Children without parents generally mature earlier than their peers, but for magical girls who rely on emotional outbursts to become stronger, this can also be a weakness.

If a girl becomes a magical girl, there is a considerable chance that she will experience the tragedy of her parents' death.

In a sense, one cannot have both parents and power; but there are occasionally a few winners like Li Huanhuan.

Under Mu Ming's thoughtful gaze, Li Huanhuan's face showed a strange expression, and she scolded him playfully:

Why are you asking this... Even if no one else is home, you shouldn't overthink things.

"Um."

"Are you really thinking something strange?" she asked incredulously.

"What's wrong?" Mu Ming asked back. Although it was a little impolite to speculate about someone's family structure, it was only in his mind.

"How shameless! I misjudged you..."

"What's wrong?"

Hearing his seemingly unaware question, Li Huanhuan's cheeks flushed slightly. Although people of this age like to fantasize, they are still shy and wouldn't admit it out loud.

I thought Mu Ming was the cold type, and his face was always cold even after he transformed, but I didn't expect him to be a carnivore.

"No...it's nothing, but it's a serious matter, so please think it over carefully."

She forced a smile and waved her hand, preparing to change the subject.

"Yes, I'm sorry." A happy family is indeed a good thing, even though it doesn't have much to do with me.

However, Mu Ming also hoped that when the girl became a magical girl, she wouldn't have to sacrifice her family.

"Let's get straight to the point." Mu Ming got straight to the point, having made a special trip to resolve all of Li Huanhuan's problems.

"Are we about to begin?" Li Huanhuan asked.

She's been practicing alone lately, and she was hoping that since they finally met, they could chat and reconnect.

Although we chat on "Xinda" every day, it's still not as good as face-to-face interaction.

"Otherwise what? Is there anything else?"

"I...I'll do as you say."

She muttered to herself, "It seems that Mu Ming is still a teenage boy after all. His head is full of dirty thoughts and fighting."

I don't know what his hobbies are. The information I got from him was mostly unavailable, with only his ID number and home address.

The only social relationship is with a nominal guardian who is unreliable.

Li Huanhuan sat on the sofa opposite Mu Ming, closed her eyes, and magic flowed from the Seed of the Heart, gradually filling her whole body.

Entered the [cultivation] state.

Just sitting still is fine, but any movement, even just moving a finger, causes a sharp, stinging pain.

"Take a deep breath," Mu Ming said.

Li Huanhuan did as instructed, but with the slightest effort, she felt a tearing pain in her lungs.

Mu Ming couldn't help but widen his eyes...

He rested his chin on his hand, recalling the time when Li Huanhuan made up her mind to become stronger.

It's been almost a week, how come I still can't even take a deep breath when I'm "cultivating"?

Even though you played pretty badly before, you can't be this bad...

"Do you practice every day?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Li Huanhuan exited the [Cultivation] state.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hmm... I don't feel well."

Li Huanhuan toned it down a bit, but her actual feeling was that it was "completely useless, not even worth mentioning."

Not only can you not move while practicing, but you also have to practice continuously for several hours before you can feel your magic improving.

That progress is so small, it's truly pitiful.

It feels like the magic amplified by even the slightest stimulation or emotionally uplifting event far exceeds the power of this practice.

Becoming stronger that way is not only easy, but also very effective.

"How long do you practice each day?"

"Two hours every day..." Li Huanhuan forced herself to practice for two hours, after all, this was a method personally passed down by Mu Ming, so she had to give him some face.

"Only two hours?"

"How long will that take...?"

"Don't you get completely absorbed in your practice?"

"Will it...?" Any movement triggers excruciating pain, and I can't do anything except listen to songs or audio, which is very boring.

Those who get so absorbed in it are either masochists or fans of idle play...

Mu Ming lowered his head, his eyes cold and piercing.

He couldn't understand why someone would not use a method that offered obvious rewards for effort, which was right in front of him.

"So what do you do the rest of the time?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Oh, this includes surfing the internet, shopping, eating, hanging out with friends..."

She mumbled a string of strange words.

It's clear that she has so many things to do, and it's really tough for her to still find time to cultivate every day.

But it's not fair to criticize Li Huanhuan for this.

Mu Ming became a magical girl so that her life and existence would not be suddenly destroyed by natural disasters such as calamity beasts.

If he had the means, he would definitely enjoy life.

Unfortunately, the nature of the Disaster Beasts means that only by possessing their own power can they find a sense of security.

However, understanding Li Huanhuan is one thing, accepting this fact is another.

She's the one who says she wants to become stronger, but she's also the one who doesn't focus on becoming stronger.

Mu Ming didn't want to be a nanny, but she was now the only "companion" by her side.

Becoming a "comrade" is very difficult; it's not as simple as just yelling at a magical girl.

Magical girls don't abandon their companions, but leaders must strive to find better subordinates.

That being said, it's not easy to recruit subordinates when you're weak, and right now, my boosts are still relying on Li Huanhuan.

I believe that Li Huanhuan's idea of ​​learning cultivation on her own is a bit far-fetched, so I'll lend her a hand here.

It's always easier for those who learn first to guide those who learn later.