Chapter 15 : Is your strength in doubt?

Cang Lang was a man with a clear sense of self-awareness.

His gang, the Mang Lang Gang, was nothing more than a bunch of small-time thugs.

The strange abilities he had happened to acquire were mainly for showing off and intimidating other gangs—he wouldn’t dare use such powers casually.

Until recently, a mysterious figure approached him with a big job for the Mang Lang Gang.

Not only did this person promise absolute safety, but they also paid a hefty deposit upfront.

Alright, Cang Lang knew the other party was lying.

How could such a thing be risk-free? But the amount offered was just too tempting, and he took the gamble, clinging to a slim hope.

“Don’t rush, Mr. Cang Lang. Business always involves risk. You’ve already received a good chunk of my payment. Besides, there’s nothing I can do in this situation,” the deep voice continued over the phone.

“Go capture your three magical girls. One of them is the S-Rank [Nightingale Songstress], Mu Xingge. You can’t expect me to let you snatch the prey from the tiger’s mouth, can you?”

“I could send a car to pick you up, but you’ll have to find your own way out of that building.”

“You… There are magical girls all downstairs! How am I supposed to run?” Cang Lang panicked.

“Don’t you still have a trump card? Mr. Cang Lang, maybe now’s the time to use it.”

Cang Lang was stunned. After fumbling through his pockets, he shakily pulled out a syringe.

“You’re…” Cang Lang ground his teeth, realization dawning on him. “You planned for this from the start, didn’t you? You set me up!”

“I’m just making a suggestion,” the deep voice tempted. “Once you inject that serum, you should be able to break through one of the exits. I’ll have a car waiting outside for you.”

“The S-Rank [Nightingale Songstress] is at the C building exit. The magical girls blocking the other two exits shouldn’t be above D-Rank based on their mana signatures. Don’t take the wrong path, Mr. Cang Lang.”

With that, the other party hung up cleanly.

Cang Lang’s knuckles turned pale as he gripped his phone.

He knew he was being used as a guinea pig, but he had no other choice.

Recalling the magical girl who had punched his men out with a single blow each, Cang Lang hesitated for a moment before deciding on a route in his mind.

This was Mang Lang Gang’s territory, and no one knew the layout of this building better than him.

Then, gritting his teeth, Cang Lang plunged the syringe deep into his arm.

His body collapsed heavily to the ground, a painful whimper escaping his throat.

At this moment, the three magical girls had already sealed off the exits.

The logistics department had entered the building to conduct a search.

The Magical Girl Association had many departments, but only the Magical Girl Division was responsible for combat.

When it came to magical beasts and strange beings made of mana, only attacks using magical energy could harm them.

But since it was confirmed that the Mang Lang Gang was just a bunch of small-time crooks, even the more numerous logistics personnel could handle clearing them out.

There was no need for the magical girls to take action.

A light drizzle began to fall from the sky, like a closing curtain.

Just as Little Red Riding Hood, guarding the A building exit, thought today’s mission would end easily, a staggering figure stumbled out from inside the building.

The leader of the Mang Lang Gang?

Little Red Riding Hood readied to subdue him but immediately sensed something was wrong.

With every step, Cang Lang’s body swelled like a balloon.

Black wisps of energy curled around him, a bad omen.

“Get out of my way!” Cang Lang roared, his eyes glowing red. Like a runaway truck, he barreled toward Little Red Riding Hood.

Taken aback, she quickly took a defensive stance while alerting the other two through her communicator.

“That guy’s appeared! At the A building exit, but he looks… off…”

A wolf-like howl crackled through the communicator, then Xiao Keke’s voice cut off abruptly.

Xiao Xi, who was guarding the B building, felt her heart tighten.

“Li—Little Red Riding Hood, are you okay?”

No reply. Xiao Xi couldn’t waste time and dashed out like an arrow.

When Xiao Xi arrived, Xiao Keke was already unconscious on the ground.

Standing beside her was Cang Lang, transformed into a werewolf about two to three times a person’s height, covered in fur.

A strange being? Xiao Xi frowned. Before acting, Ms. L had warned that the Mang Lang Gang might possess some sort of monster technique.

She hadn’t expected this guy to actually dare to use it on himself.

“Get out of my way!”

Immature monster techniques could drive one to madness.

The Cang Lang before her was clearly on the brink of losing his mind, but he still vaguely remembered to flee. Ignoring everything, he charged at Xiao Xi.

This magical girl had punched out his men with ease before, but he wasn’t the same anymore.

If he could take down one D-Rank magical girl, he could take down a second. Magical girls were no threat to him now!

“She’s just a D-Rank magical girl. Don’t get in my way if you don’t want to die!”

But facing Cang Lang’s ferocious charge, Xiao Xi didn’t focus on him.

Her gaze fell on Little Red Riding Hood lying nearby, her expression icy.

“I’ve never had the heart to hurt my little sister…”

The next moment, Cang Lang felt as if time had frozen for a second, as if he had blacked out.

The pain in his abdomen hadn’t even spread when Xiao Xi’s second punch slammed into his face.

It was like a university brother picking up his middle school sister after class, only to find her cornered by a gang of bullies at the school gate.

It was impossible not to switch to savior mode instantly.

Xiao Xi transformed into Master Ye in that moment, her fists a blur as she didn’t know how many punches she had thrown in three seconds.

From around the corner of the building, a streak of purple light shot over.

“Axing, hold back a little, Xingge’s here!”

Only when Ms. L’s voice came through the communicator did Xiao Xi stop.

She casually tossed aside the battered Cang Lang and hurried over to check on Little Red Riding Hood.

“Let me handle this.”

Mu Xingge descended from above and immediately began healing Little Red Riding Hood.

Sound waves shaped like musical notes gently passed over her.

“Don’t worry. She’s just fainted. It’s nothing serious.”

Hearing Mu Xingge’s words, Xiao Xi finally relaxed.

But Mu Xingge furrowed her brow, casting a curious glance at the fallen Cang Lang.

She had arrived only about ten seconds after Sirius. Could this newbie really have taken down the enemy so quickly?

Although her post at the C building exit was the farthest from A building… was this really the strength expected of a D-Rank magical girl?

Meanwhile, on a secluded path outside the abandoned building, a figure in a black trench coat stared thoughtfully at the building and nodded.

“Interesting…”

After Mu Xingge’s appearance, he didn’t linger.

He turned and got into a car, disappearing quietly into the night’s cover.

He never expected to rescue Cang Lang.

He just wanted to watch the show but unexpectedly ended up witnessing something far more interesting.