Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

While most teams in the gathering square had already assembled and started forming groups of three, Lin Xiaolu was still wandering aimlessly, searching for her teammates.

She suspected that the number badge she received might be malfunctioning.

Every time she followed the magical power fluctuation on the badge to its designated location, she couldn't find her teammates; instead, she sensed the so-called "teammate" was somewhere else entirely.

Initially, she thought perhaps this unseen "teammate" had simply gone the wrong way, thus moving away from the rendezvous point. But when this happened not once, but twice or thrice, she had to start questioning whether this was still a coincidence.

Either her number badge had an issue, or this unknown "teammate" had a problem.

Lin Xiaolu was more inclined to believe it was the former because she didn't think anyone would mess around during such a critical initial team formation. If the team couldn't be properly formed at this stage, it would be considered as directly forfeiting the test!

So, when she failed for the fourth time while following the badge's direction, the thought in her mind wasn't to continue finding her elusive teammates but rather, "Should I go to the staff and get a new badge?"

——"What happened, can't find your teammates?"

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan's frantic behavior among many assembled teams was quite noticeable. Many squads adopted a 'mind your own business' attitude and watched coldly, but there were some relatively kind-hearted Magical Girls who sensed that these may be two elementary students forming part of a squad encountering trouble.

"Is it too crowded here, making it difficult to properly sense the magical power fluctuations?"

The speaker was a slightly older Magical Girl who smiled gently while asking Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan, "Perhaps I could help you sense them?"

"Thank you, but that's not it."

Feeling a bit uncomfortable with this stranger's goodwill, Lin Xiaolu said stiffly, "I can sense where my teammates are, but when I get there, I never see anyone, so I suspect there might be a problem with the equipment…"

"Well, that person must be a troublemaker." Bai Jingxuan, having been fruitlessly following Lin Xiaolu around, clearly showed dissatisfaction. It seemed she thought the other party was deliberately toying with them, as her expression was clouded.

"Huh? You can sense your teammates, but can't find them at the indicated location?"

The kind-hearted Magical Girl was first surprised, then seemed to think of something troubling, looking hesitant: "This… seems really possible…"

"No worries, thank you for your concern."

Lin Xiaolu knew what the other was thinking, not less like how Bai Jingxuan assumed "the other party is messing with us," which was most people's line of thinking. Even she, under usual circumstances, might think the same way.

But now, since Emerald Sparrow entrusted Bai Jingxuan to be cared for by her, she had become the senior in the team and needed to stay calm. Even if she felt a bit annoyed inside, Lin Xiaolu still forced herself to stay rational.

So after thanking the other party for her kindness, she pulled Bai Jingxuan towards the staff area, hoping to replace the number badge before the team formation deadline approached.

But strangely enough, when she abandoned searching for her teammate and headed towards the staff area, the magical power fluctuation on her badge showed she was getting closer to her target.

Indeed, the badge must be broken.

Lin Xiaolu felt more convinced of her speculation and sped up her steps, striding vigorously toward the staff area. But just as she thought she had grasped the truth and could clearly proceed, a shadow suddenly emerged from the crowd and blocked her path.

Because the apparition appeared so abruptly, Lin Xiaolu, who was preoccupied, failed to react in time and directly bumped into the other's chest.

"Ouch!"

"Ah!"

The two who collided took a step back; Lin Xiaolu instinctively reached to shield her head but then belatedly realized she had hit the other's chest, not her head, so it didn't hurt.

As for the shadow figure Lin Xiaolu bumped into, she clutched her chest uncomfortably, looking puzzledly at Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan.

"Sorry, I was hurrying and didn't watch where I was going." Lin Xiaolu paused momentarily before apologizing.

"Haha… No worries, I suddenly popped up beside you, hope I didn't startle you?" The other party laughed it off, quite magnanimously dismissing the issue.

Then both sides had a moment to evaluate each other.

The figure who had blocked Lin Xiaolu's way was evidently another Magical Girl, although her short grayish-blue hair cut into a symmetric style and her more assertive features gave off an air of confidence, her faint eyeliner, dangling metal earrings, and rather striking figure affirmed her identity as a girl.

The Magical Girl wore a big white hoodie with its hem reaching her thighs, and beneath the open coat was a somewhat futuristic-looking body suit. The blue and white color scheme, glowing motion lines, and metal armor distributed at joints gave her attire a distinctly sci-fi look.

The suit extended to her feet but from the calves, a pair of metal combat boots emerged with air vents surrounding them, indicating these boots had a more practical function rather than just being ornamental.

If one had to sum up this Magical Girl's aura with one word, it would undoubtedly be "cool." If allowed another word, it would be "refreshing."

It's hard to imagine such words typically describing boys could fit a Magical Girl so well. Moreover, this slightly "boyish" aura didn't render her coarse or tough; she still retained the captivating and serene aspects of a girl. These dual qualities blended perfectly, creating a very unique charm.

If a girl like her were placed among a crowd of Magical Girls—all females...

Undoubtedly, such a person would become the focal point of attention anywhere.

Not least because even now, the number of secretive glances directed at this girl is countless.

"Hmm, just bumped a little, no big deal."

Even Lin Xiaolu initially took a pause due to her impressively cool appearance but quickly stood up straight again with the justification that "I know even cooler Magical Girls," as if trying to prove something:

"But I'm sorry, I have urgent matters to attend to now, may I leave first?"

"Urgent matters?"

The surprisingly cool-looking girl raised her eyebrow slightly: "Ah, ah, you can, but I'm looking for you guys, could you spare a couple of minutes?"

She said as much, reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out a number badge: "My code name is Mint, and this is my badge. Squad 629… is that your squad's number?"

Lin Xiaolu was genuinely stunned this time.

She widened her eyes to check the number on the other's badge, then looked down at hers, confirming both read "629," and silently nodded.

"Phew, so it really is you guys, my badge sensed you moving here, so I ended up chasing you for a while."

The girl seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, grateful: "I was worried if I couldn't catch up, I'd miss the deadline."

"We've been looking for you the whole time too."

Lin Xiaolu's expression was complicated: "But my badge seems to have a problem, every time it senses someone, I get to the indicated location but fail to see you."

"Ah…" The girl blinked, hesitating.

"Hmm?" Lin Xiaolu, sharply observant, noticed her subtle actions, her eyes instantly narrowing.

All the while, Bai Jingxuan discreetly moved by Lin Xiaolu's side, staring sternly at the girl.

"How should I say…"

The girl scratched her chin, her gaze wandering: "About that, I think it's my issue."

"I can see that."

Lin Xiaolu held Bai Jingxuan's arm, but she too had narrowed her eyes: "What exactly is the reason? Could you please explain properly?"