In an instant, crimson flames erupted from the Magic Circle, engulfing Lu Ren’s body in scorching fire.
Amid the raging blaze, Lu Ren’s form quietly began to change.
His height of 1.75 meters suddenly vanished, replaced by that of a girl barely over 1.5 meters tall.
The sportswear he had been wearing disappeared without a trace, replaced by a crimson off-shoulder sleeveless dress that danced with the firelight.
The black box that had been forcibly opened earlier transformed into an incredibly sharp Greatsword, hovering before Lu Ren.
Lu Ren closed his eyes and reached out to grasp the Greatsword.
The next moment, a pure black Black Bracelet floated out from the sword, landing gently on Lu Ren’s left wrist.
He glanced at the bracelet, seeing a Battery Icon displaying 100% power, and let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew… good. Sixth transformation successful. No signs of rejection from my body, and the bracelet’s power remains stable.”
“Next, it’s time to save people.”
After confirming his body was in perfect condition, Lu Ren gripped the Greatsword with both hands, pointing the tip toward the sky.
Then, he slowly closed his eyes, as if a devoted believer silently praying.
With the flow of magic power inside him, the silver-white Greatsword quickly burst into flames.
Opening his eyes, Lu Ren lightly swung the weapon, and the flames traced dazzling arcs through the air, revealing a miniature Map of A City floating before him.
Amid the fiery red hues on the map, dozens of small black dots in the northern part of A City stood out sharply.
“An abnormal magic power source in the north of A City… So the Monster actually appeared in the Science and Technology Development Zone.”
Sensing the direction of the strange magic power source, Lu Ren didn’t hesitate. He ascended into the air, transforming into a shooting star, and sped toward the source.
***
Inside a finely decorated Office Building, countless people still working late ran down emergency staircases, hoping to reach the nearest Emergency Shelter quickly and avoid the Monster’s attack.
“Roar!”
Occasional roars from the Monster outside pierced the night, tormenting the already fragile nerves of the people, forcing them to quicken their pace to escape the death looming nearby.
“Beep~ Woo~ Beep~ Woo~ Beep~ Woo~”
Below the building, sirens blared continuously.
Several cars marked “Monster Response Department” were parked beneath the Office Building, their interiors empty.
Staff Members holding megaphones stood at various emergency exits and corridor entrances on each floor, maintaining order on the scene.
“Dear citizens! I am a Staff Member from the national Monster Response Department! Please follow instructions, remain calm, and evacuate in an orderly manner!”
“Time is life! Please leave the building as quickly as possible! Follow the guidance of Staff Members downstairs to reach the nearest Shelter!”
“Attention! Do not shove or crowd! The Monster has not reached us yet! Stay calm and evacuate orderly!”
Guided by the Staff Members, the late-night workers descended floor by floor, streaming into the first-floor lobby of the Office Building.
At the building’s main entrance, a Staff Member wearing a black Uniform held a sign high, waving to the evacuees. The sign indicated a “Left Turn.”
Standing beside him, another Uniformed Staff Member shouted loudly at the people.
“Dear citizens! After going downstairs, come this way! Follow me to the left! There are spare vehicles to take you to the nearest Shelter!”
Hearing the Staff Member’s voice, several middle-aged men who had just descended smiled with relief, as if reborn, and ran toward the Staff Members.
Seeing the approaching citizens, the Staff Member nodded, gestured toward his colleagues behind him, and continued shouting.
“Dear citizens! After going downstairs, come this way! Follow me to the left…”
“Bang!”
But the unexpected arrived faster than anything.
The Staff Member who had been encouraging citizens to come and get on the vehicles was suddenly slammed by a dark shadow, flying into the distant street, losing consciousness, his fate unknown.
The Staff Member holding the sign was also swatted away by the Monster’s massive paw, knocked unconscious.
The middle-aged men froze in place, the smiles on their faces bursting like bubbles, shattered by ruthless reality.
“No, didn’t they say the Monster hadn’t reached us yet? Why is it here now?!”
“I… I still need to go home and help my daughter with her homework. I don’t want to die!”
At the front, a bespectacled middle-aged man fell into despair, cloudy tears rolling down his wrinkled cheeks.
He stared blankly at the terrifying Monster before him, his voice cracking as he voiced his unwillingness to accept his fate.
“Roar!!!!!!”
The Monster, over two meters tall and covered in hooked spikes and claws, roared angrily in response to the man’s sobbing, then vanished in a blinding flash before everyone’s eyes.
The bespectacled man’s body suddenly weakened, collapsing to his knees, bowing his head, resigned to his impending death.
“Damn it, if you don’t want to die then get lost! I’ll die for you!”
Suddenly, a scolding voice came from behind the man.
His body was shoved hard toward the door, narrowly escaping the Monster’s fleeting deadly strike.
The man turned sharply, shocked to see an unfamiliar stranger standing behind him.
The stranger scolded him harshly but smiled as he waved his hand, as if blessing him to survive.
The middle-aged man quietly closed his eyes, shedding tears again, unwilling to witness the kind stranger’s fate.
“Clang!”
But instead of the expected sound of flesh tearing, only the clash of metal echoed.
The previously cold Office Building suddenly grew warm.
Crimson flames silently wandered the building, illuminating every face.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
With the flames appeared a clear and melodious girl’s voice echoing through the lobby.
The middle-aged man dared to open his eyes in disbelief.
Before him was no terrifying Monster but a girl about the same age as his daughter.
The only difference was that the girl wore a splendid dress, held a Greatsword far too large for her size, and was surrounded by burning red starlight, clearly no ordinary person like them.
She looked more like the Magic Girl he had only seen on TV, the one who fought to protect them…