Vol 2 Chapter 94: Special Training Begins
Veronica squinted slightly as she studied the pristine scepter placed before her.
This wasn’t the first ti she’d seen Lin Xiaolu’s Magical Armor. In fact, she had already caught a glimpse of it on New Year’s Eve that night.
But compared to that fleeting glance, this closer observation made it feel much more real.
There was no doubt—just in terms of appearance, this was easily one of the most flamboyant Magical Armors among all Magical Girls.
Using a scepter as the base form wasn’t exactly unheard of, but it was definitely rare. Combined with the massive, eye-catching gem embedded at the center, if Lin Xiaolu strolled through the Magic Kingdom with this thing, every passerby would absolutely turn their head.
After all, no matter who saw Lin Xiaolu’s Magical Armor, the first thing they’d think of would be “Jewel Scepter.” And that term was practically synonymous with top-tier Magical Girls in the Kingdom—everybody knew it.
Of course, considering how Magical Armors ca in all sorts of wild and weird designs, the occasional duplicate scepter design wasn’t completely out of the question. Most people, after the initial surprise, would just chalk it up to coincidence. Compared to many of the more bizarre Magical Armors out there, Lin Xiaolu’s scepter really wasn’t that hard to accept.
But that—was exactly what worried Veronica the most.
Because she had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn’t a coincidence at all.
She didn’t voice her thoughts, simply because they were still just suspicions. Saying them aloud wouldn’t do any good—aside from worrying the kids, it would serve no purpose.
So after thinking it through, she decided to keep it to herself for now and revisit it later when the ti was right.
Setting the thought aside, her gaze shifted downward, following the shaft of the scepter to its midpoint—where four obvious slots were embedded.
Four crystal slots. Only the top one glowed with a blazing white light. The others were all dull and dark.
“You ntioned before that your Magical Armor can change form?”
She didn’t let her thoughts drift. Instead, she looked at Lin Xiaolu. “Can you show us here?”
A Magical Armor that could change its form significantly before blooming? That was a first for her. In fact, she still had doubts—not that she thought Lin Xiaolu was lying or boasting, but she figured maybe the transformation was just so kind of built-in chanism.
Like the enemy they’d encountered before—Yuan. Her Magical Armor, Hundred Arms, could also shift into various weapons with different forms. But that transformation was the chanism and ability of Hundred Arms itself. Its base form had always been that blob of black liquid tal—that never changed.
In her mind, Lin Xiaolu’s Magical Armor might be similar—what looked like “transformation” could just be a visual effect after activating its powers.
It still didn’t explain how Lin Xiaolu’s Magical Armor could gain new abilities after transforming, but that was at least more believable than the idea that the Armor itself could literally change form.
So she had to confirm it for herself—just what was up with Lin Xiaolu’s Magical Armor.
“Of course!”
Lin Xiaolu, sitting across from her, nodded eagerly the mont Veronica spoke.
Honestly, she’d been waiting for this chance. Over the past few days, she’d dropped more than a few hints—so subtle, so not-so-subtle—hoping Veronica would ask to see her Magical Armor. Now that the opportunity had finally co, she was determined to make the most of it.
In her mind, her Magical Armor had two forms. The base form looked cool and imposing, sure—but what she really wanted Veronica to see was the Guardian Form.
So she reached out and gripped her Magical Armor, trying to recall the feeling she had when she changed its form before...
Nothing happened.
She let go and looked down at the Armor. It was still the sa scepter. The only difference was a faint glow from the second crystal—but there was no sign of transformation.
“Huh?”
The puzzled sound slipped out of Lin Xiaolu before she could stop herself.
“That’s weird…”
She picked it up and tried again. Still nothing. No matter how she waved it or spun it around, it stayed exactly the sa.
Xia Liang and Bai Jingxuan both looked unfazed, and even Veronica showed no surprise. After all, this kind of “perfect during battle, useless during practice” thing had happened with Lin Xiaolu more than once—everyone was kind of expecting it.
There was a reason Veronica hadn’t started analyzing the situation and instead asked Lin Xiaolu to demonstrate her transformation ability first.
Of course, their calm didn’t an Lin Xiaolu wasn’t affected. She stood there awkwardly, gripping her scepter, her face turning beet red with embarrassnt.
“I swear, I pulled it off so smoothly during battle…” she mumbled, trying to defend herself.
“Ahaha…”
Xia Liang gave an awkward but polite chuckle. “It’s fine. I’ve seen your Magical Armor before—I know you really can do it. Maybe you’re just not in the right state right now?”
“Yeah! You’ve got this, Sister Xiaolu,” Bai Jingxuan added with a comforting smile.
Their tily encouragent did help Lin Xiaolu feel a bit better, but she still shook the scepter with frustration. “But I don’t think it’s just about my state... So what’s the issue?”
—“Was there anything different about your condition last ti, when you transford your Armor?”
Veronica, who’d been silent up to this point, suddenly asked, “Any conditions that were t before but aren’t t now?”
Unlike the flustered Lin Xiaolu and the other girls, who were a mix of confused and concerned, Veronica was processing sothing far more important.
Even though Lin Xiaolu hadn’t successfully demonstrated her transformation, Veronica had already learned enough to throw out a few previous assumptions and lock onto a new possibility: Lin Xiaolu’s Magical Armor might not be like Hundred Arms with its shifting chanism—but an Armor with multiple distinct forms and multiple distinct abilities.
Why? Because she knew Lin Xiaolu well enough to be sure: if the transformation were just a costic change, there was no way she couldn’t pull it off now.
Just like her unnad white magic—back then, Lin Xiaolu had trouble using it not because she wasn’t smart or hardworking, but simply because she hadn’t mastered the technique.
“Different condition, huh?”
Veronica’s question helped Lin Xiaolu focus. She started trying to recall her physical and emotional state that night. “Different environnt? I was more emotional? I was hurt? Magic drained? Or maybe it was nightti…”
She listed every possible difference she could think of, and the more she listed, the more frustrated she looked. “I guess… there are a lot of differences.”
“Forget about external factors.”
Veronica shook her head. “I’ve told you many tis—your Magical Armor is a manifestation of your true form. Its changes depend on you, not the environnt. Unless it’s an extre condition, outside influences shouldn’t matter this much.”
“So… just focus on myself?”
Lin Xiaolu frowned and went back through her list, this ti narrowing it down. One possibility ca to mind after a long pause: “Corruption?”
And just like that, she picked up the scepter again. At the sa ti, she began to Corrupt her magic. White flas burst forth, engulfing the Magical Armor. The crystal in the scepter’s core glowed even brighter.
Feeling that distinct, unfamiliar magic coursing through her, Lin Xiaolu imdiately felt grounded—like she’d finally found the right path. She spoke again:
“Royal Key, form shift—Guardian Form.”
This ti, the Magical Armor responded.
Wrapped in blazing white light, the scepter transford into a streak of radiance. That light stretched and reshaped—until, monts later, a pale blue spear appeared in front of them.
The spear was about 2.3 ters long. Its tip was a simple, tapered blade, and the shaft was slim but resilient. Most striking of all were the threads wrapped around the spear.
At first glance, the threads looked like engravings or designs on the shaft—but a closer look revealed they were spiraled around the surface, separate entities that could be detached.
Seeing her Magical Armor finally shift form, Lin Xiaolu breathed a huge sigh of relief. And once she relaxed, the first thing she did wasn’t to celebrate—but to look eagerly at Veronica.
To Lin Xiaolu, the ability to use threads ant that she and Veronica had sothing deeply in common. In her mind, that had to count for sothing big. If she could express her desire to learn how to wield threads, surely Veronica would be willing to teach her. And that would give her a massive edge over Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang—she’d get to learn Veronica’s entire combat style.
That ant more attention, more one-on-one lessons, and a whole private tutoring deal!
Just imagining that future made her smile unconsciously.
Unfortunately, what she saw when she looked at Veronica wasn’t excitent—it was a perfectly blank face.
In fact, compared to Veronica’s usual self, she was even calr now. Her brow, her eyes, the corners of her mouth—none of them moved. Her face was frozen in ti.
But only Veronica herself knew—it wasn’t calmness. It was stiffness.
Because of the emotional shock. Because of the storm raging inside her.
She was frozen in place, unable to react. The only thing betraying her inner turmoil was the tightly clenched fist at her side.
If it were just that her daughter’s Magical Armor could change form, she wouldn’t be so stunned. Lin Xiaolu had already ntioned it, and she’d ntally prepared for it.
If it were just that her daughter could also control threads, she still wouldn’t be this shaken. After all, Lin Xiaolu was her own flesh and blood—it made sense for their true forms to share traits.
But she had seen it—clearly. After Lin Xiaolu said “Guardian Form,” the first crystal went dark and the second one lit up.
And this Magical Armor had four crystals.
Logically, if all four were functional, then Lin Xiaolu’s Magical Armor had more than just two forms.
And she already had a faint guess what one of the remaining forms might be.
Because Lin Xiaolu was the child she shared with Aya.
If one form inherited her thread abilities… was it possible that another form might inherit Aya’s Magical Armor?
Veronica didn’t know for sure. But whether it was true or not, one thing was clear: Lin Xiaolu’s future as a Magical Girl would far surpass anything anyone could’ve imagined.
In other words, the path Veronica once dread of—helping her daughter survive ten years of service and then retire to a normal life—may never have been an option.
From the mont Lin Xiaolu beca a Magical Girl, “normal” was no longer in her future.
“White Rose.”
Veronica finally spoke. “I have a few questions for you. There’s no right answer. Just answer from your heart, however you truly feel.”
“Huh?” Lin Xiaolu blinked, not quite following.
“Do you regret becoming a Magical Girl?” Veronica looked straight at her. “Not just the life-or-death battles, but the constant studying, the lack of free ti… not even having the right to play like other kids your age. Living like this—have you ever felt regret?”
“Hmm… maybe a little at first?”
Lin Xiaolu thought it over and answered honestly, “I was really scared of dying. And getting hurt. But… I haven’t felt that way at all for a while now.”
“I see. Then let ask you this—ten years from now, when you’re eligible to retire, but soone asks you to stay… what would you choose?”
“I’d probably keep going? I think. I an, Veronica, you’ve been a Magical Girl for over ten years yourself, right?”
“What if I retired, too?” Veronica followed up. “Let’s say I grow tired of fighting one day and choose to step away from it all.”
“You too?”
That gave Lin Xiaolu pause.
But after a mont of reflection, she still went with her gut. “Even if that happened… I think I’d still keep being a Magical Girl.”
“Why?”
“Because…”
Lin Xiaolu scratched her cheek. “I an, I did choose this because I like it, you know?”
That answer brought the conversation to an end.
Veronica stayed quiet for a mont, then gently set the chalk down and clapped her hands together.
“Great answer. Got it. That said, your Magical Armor is quite unique, so I’ll need to consult with a few experts before deciding on your next training plan.”
She grabbed the eraser beside her and wiped the writing off the small blackboard behind her. “Okay, that wraps up today’s class.”
“Today is January 5th. I’ll give you all three more days—until the 9th—to finish up your schoolwork. Don’t worry if you can’t finish it all; we’ll arrange for the Counterasure Bureau to get you excused from school for the March assessnt. You won’t have to return to classes until mid-March.”
“But starting from January 9th to February 10th, you’ll be entering your final training period before the certification test.”
She set the eraser down and patted the blackboard.
“Get ready—this will be the most intense training you’ve faced since becoming Magical Girls.”
The reason she could say it was “the most intense” was because Veronica knew—what she planned for the coming month wasn’t sothing that normal training could accomplish.
To maximize the combat potential of all three of her juniors, she had tailored a personalized training program for each one of them.
In addition to honing their Magical Armors, there were many other elents involved.
Take Bai Jingxuan, for example. As a Bud-tier Magical Girl, her combat ability was already excellent. And considering she was also a Deviant, her power level easily exceeded the certification threshold for a White Badge.
Even if this year’s test would be harder than usual, Veronica had no doubt Bai Jingxuan had what it took to pass.
But that power wasn’t sothing Bai Jingxuan could tap into freely.
For one, she still hadn’t mastered control over her Ravager magic—just like Lin Xiaolu before. Emotional surges were often necessary to trigger her Deviant state.
For another, this was a Kingdom certification exam—and under no circumstances could Bai Jingxuan reveal her use of Ravager magic.
Because in this world, Deviants were rare—but mbers of Claw Marks were everywhere. Most Magical Girls had never seen a Deviant, but nearly all of them had seen Claw Marks.
If Bai Jingxuan used Ravager magic during the exam, the other girls wouldn’t wonder, “Is she a Deviant?” They’d imdiately think, “She’s with Claw Marks.”
Kingdom law didn’t forbid Claw Marks mbers from taking the certification test—but they also weren’t recognized as legitimate Magical Girls. They weren’t allowed in the Magic Kingdom, and if discovered, any Kingdom Magical Girl or Fairy was obligated to arrest them on the spot.
In other words, if Bai Jingxuan’s Ravager powers were exposed, the fallout would be endless. Even though this year’s test would be held in Luennolay and Erald could provide so level of protection, it was a public event. Violating the rules ant automatic disqualification.
Erald had offered an alternative: report Bai Jingxuan’s Deviant identity to the Royal Court and the Court of Magic, officially register her as the only Ravager Deviant, and provide this docuntation to the examiners.
Veronica imdiately rejected that plan.
Never mind her deep distrust of the Royal Court. She had already taken every precaution—securing the reassignnt rights for all three girls through Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye—so there was no way she’d walk into a trap now. And even setting that aside, just imagining the stares Bai Jingxuan would receive if her identity were made public during the exam…
So, if she wanted Bai Jingxuan to unleash her full power without revealing her Ravager traits, there was only one safe route left: find a way to conceal those traits within her magic.
It sounded like fantasy—but it was actually quite possible.
In fact, Veronica’s seemingly impossible plan was inspired by none other than Lin Xiaolu.
When Lin Xiaolu was learning about Corruption, she had a fleeting mont of inspiration—one that made Veronica realize: if a Deviant Corrupted their magic twice, the resulting base tone could be altered.
In theory, if Bai Jingxuan’s Claw-Mark-like form underwent two Deviant shifts, her magic’s base color might revert to that of a Magical Girl.
If she could achieve that, she’d retain the power and abilities of her Claw-Mark form—but with the outward appearance and magical signature of a standard Magical Girl.
Even if double Corruption wasn’t possible, just abandoning her Ravager magic and using only standard magic infused with Corruption techniques would still greatly boost her combat strength.
So after thorough discussions with Asou Madoka, Veronica finalized Bai Jingxuan’s training plan: within one month, she had to complete both form separation for her Magical Armor and mastery of Corruption techniques.
As a result, over the next month, Bai Jingxuan’s instructor would switch from Veronica to Asou Madoka.
Though the change ant she couldn’t stick to Veronica’s side every day—sothing that made her feel a little out of place—Bai Jingxuan was a very obedient girl. She understood how important this training was, so she quietly accepted it.
Luckily, the mbers of the Bo’an City Squad were fairly understanding. Aside from Wood Lily, who showed clear signs of stress around her, the other two treated Bai Jingxuan with warmth and kindness.
After a while, Bai Jingxuan, who had been rather distant at first, began to open up. It wasn’t rare to see her greet Mimosa and Bai Ji with her soft, clear voice. Even Wood Lily—no matter how much she resisted—still found herself being pulled into interactions.
Seeing that, Veronica couldn’t help but feel deeply comforted.
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