“I don’t think it’ll be long before Eternal Star’s identity is exposed. Her fame is so huge now—who would be willing to waste that kind of reputation for nothing?”
“That’s why Luodie can’t stay. Even if she can transform into a Magical Girl, she’s still a freak who can transform into a Magical Girl!”
Outside the door, Luodie had already overheard everything. She slowly released the door handle, giving up the idea of going in to argue with them.
Pink Sweetheart was right. Even if she could transform into a Magical Girl, it didn’t change the fact that she was a freak.
People might love the Magic Girl Shandie, but if her identity were ever exposed, would they accept her as the freak she truly was?
That night, Luodie once again left without a word, quietly slipping away from the base. She understood it was only because she didn’t have the courage to confront them face to face.
After this incident, Luodie gave up on continuing as a Magical Girl and no longer paid attention to any news about Eternal Star.
The ideals Eternal Star spoke of might be true, but they didn’t apply to her… After all, Eternal Star wasn’t a freak.
If she couldn’t be accepted by others, then the identity of Magical Girl meant nothing to her. After all, she was originally just a freak capable of using magic.
Life returned to its previous routine. Luodie no longer seriously considered what the future held, but after a few years, this kind of life became unsustainable—because The Chaos had ended.
History books now have this entry: “The end of The Chaos was marked by the complete destruction of the Divine Summon Order.”
As social order gradually restored, Luodie’s previous life of petty theft could no longer continue. It didn’t take long for her to find life growing difficult because she simply couldn’t find work.
People had yet to fully recover from the fear of The Chaos, and someone with such obvious freak characteristics as Luodie found it extremely hard to secure a job.
After trying a day of labor and getting fired by the boss, Luodie sat blankly on the roadside, seemingly lost in thought, but her mind was completely empty.
She knew the employer was just exploiting her as free labor, but she had no desire to argue.
Luodie was truly out of options. She hadn’t received any proper education, had no skills, no one to rely on, and had never really considered her own future.
Faced with this situation, she didn’t feel frustrated—only numb confusion.
“Miss Luodie seems troubled. Looks like I’m not coming at a good time?”
A sultry voice suddenly sounded behind her. Startled, Luodie spun around but saw no one.
“If you can’t find a job, why not consider working for me? I quite admire you.”
A pair of cold hands silently climbed onto Luodie’s shoulders. Fear surged through her.
During The Chaos, she’d been through many battles, but this was the first time an enemy had approached without her noticing.
If the person wished, they could have broken her neck just like that, without anyone knowing.
This was Luodie’s first meeting with Black Rose. At that time, she didn’t accept Black Rose’s offer. This strangely alluring woman instinctively gave her a dangerous vibe.
But Luodie had little choice. Survival was paramount, so she told Black Rose, “Give me a day to think about it.”
She planned to try local interviews the next day and decided that if she still couldn’t find work, she would accept Black Rose’s proposal.
However, night was already deep. Her immediate priority was to find a place to stay. She’d just been kicked out of the dormitory by her last employer and naturally had nowhere to go.
Unlike during The Chaos, now renting a place required paying rent. There weren’t many abandoned houses to move into with just a bag.
But it was late, and finding a place wasn’t easy. After wandering a street aimlessly, Luodie began to regret not having accepted Black Rose’s offer earlier.
As she rounded a street corner, she almost bumped into a passerby. She muttered “Sorry” and walked on, but a probing voice came from behind after only a few steps.
“Hey, hey! That girl just now! You’re Luodie, right?” The middle-aged woman who almost got hit hurried over and sized her up. “Ah, it really is you!”
Luodie couldn’t immediately remember who she was until the woman’s words triggered her memory—it was the middle-aged woman she had stolen from before.
“What are you still wandering around alone at this hour?” the woman asked.
Luodie opened her mouth but couldn’t say anything. Seeing this, the woman didn’t press further and kindly took Luodie back to her home.
This was how Luodie met Zhang Ayi. Later, Zhang Ayi helped her settle in the Underground Residential District.
Most of the neighbors here were people who had moved because of financial hardship.
This was the first time Luodie felt the kindness of those around her; neighbors like Zhang Ayi were very friendly.
However, Zhang Ayi had a bad temper and loved to nag. Luodie’s years as a petty delinquent hadn’t given her many good habits, so she was often scolded at first.
At that time, Zhang Ayi had just saved some money and opened a restaurant in Old Town. Although Luodie tried to decline, she was still called to help.
It wasn’t laziness that made her refuse but worry that her image wasn’t suited for such a public-facing service job.
But over time, Luodie got used to it. She gradually became familiar with the neighbors, and life settled down.
Sometimes she thought this kind of ordinary life wasn’t bad at all. As long as she stayed out of Old Town, no one would look at her differently.
Until one day, long afterward, Luodie came home to find Black Rose sitting in her room.
“Ah, long time no see, Miss Luodie. Looks like your life is going pretty well now?”
“What do you want? I’m not interested in working under you.”
Luodie’s expression darkened. After settling down with Zhang Ayi, she had long forgotten about Black Rose. She didn’t expect the woman to come straight to her home.
“Don’t be so quick to refuse. I’m about to start moving soon. Don’t you want to hear what my plan is?”
“No interest. I’m happy with my life now.”
Luodie was about to send her off cleanly, but froze in place after hearing Black Rose’s next words.
“Really not interested? I know your secret, Miss Luodie. Don’t you want to know why you, as a freak, were able to awaken as a Magical Girl?”
“Besides, as a freak, you must have suffered plenty of unfair treatment. Don’t you want to change all that? Listen to me. My plan can… save this world.”
In the dim room, Black Rose flicked out her tongue like the Serpent tempting Adam in Eden.
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