Chapter 3: How could I regret it

Like a rainbow, a beautiful beam of light pierced through the monster.

The once arrogant vines finally stopped expanding, retracted back into the building, and even attempted to flee.

Yet that blue rainbow light pursued it, blocking the monster's escape route.

Jiang Si placed his unconscious younger sister in a safe spot, lifted his head to gaze at that light, and began chasing after it with a limp, gradually quickening his pace until he broke into a frantic run!

His heart was pounding wildly, far more intensely than when death had approached!

But the light was too fast—his eyes could barely keep up with its movement. Even as he accelerated, he couldn't catch up at all.

He could only watch as the light danced through the air, weaving a beautiful cage that continuously compressed the monster's range of movement.

The monster let out a shriek, swinging its massive limbs as if in a death struggle, smashing against the cage woven by the Magical Girl.

Yet the terrifying vines, upon touching the luminous prison, melted into liquid and dripped down.

However, the colossal force still rattled the prison, and the building crumbled under its struggles, scattering debris, steel bars, and miscellaneous objects that fell in front of Jiang Si.

Even though his desire to approach was overwhelming, Jiang Si, sensing the danger, halted and leaned against a broken utility pole nearby.

Blood trickled from his forehead, his right arm throbbed with pain, and in truth, his left ankle had also been injured during the vehicle's roll.

Yet Jiang Si showed no reaction. He simply raised his head, gazing at the girl floating in the air.

So, beautiful...

was the power.

All the bitterness, all the confusion, all the anxiety—in that moment, they were dispelled by that blazing light.

Extraordinary power.

The supernatural strength to step onto the great path!

The first glimpse of hope he had ever seen in his life left Jiang Si momentarily unable to think, merely stretching out his hand in a daze and taking two steps forward.

He wanted to grasp that light.

But soon, the massive Disaster Beast broke through the cage. Even though its size had shrunk to one-tenth of its original form, when it charged toward ordinary people, it still felt like a natural disaster.

Just as screams of terror rose from the crowd, a huge magical net unfolded above them, enveloping the Disaster Beast and pulling it upward.

Dozens of vines spread across the ground, tightly coiling around nearby utility poles, trees, and buildings.

Thus, Jiang Si watched as the Magical Girl, wielding her wand, lifted the Disaster Beast along with the trees, utility poles, and buildings it had entangled!

Mud, rubble, sparks from severed wires, and the melting liquid of the Disaster Beast's body under the magical net mixed together in the air, carrying a stench reminiscent of rotten eggs and feces.

Even if he trained diligently for another hundred years, he could never possess such power...

As he thought this and still wanted to chase after her, an ambulance arrived.

Along with police from some unknown department, clad in special combat gear, they unceremoniously shoved him into a vehicle and transported him out of the disaster area.

On the way, Jiang Si learned that his parents had been thrown from the vehicle during the rollover and were found without breath.

When they disembarked, they discovered that all the victims had been taken to a remote sanatorium within Jianghai City.

Inside the sanatorium, aside from the police, there were unusual caregivers, all seemingly connected to the Magical Girl. Jiang Si overheard some discussions among them.

The reason for the accident was that Beihai City had apparently not seen a Disaster Beast in over a decade.

The relevant departments had let their guard down, and with frequent Disaster Beast appearances in other regions, Beihai's Magical Girl had been transferred away. Even the agency monitoring Disaster Beast appearances was understaffed.

This led to the situation where the Disaster Beast had appeared for so long without being quickly suppressed.

Because Disaster Beasts are born from human malice, just as Magical Girls are born from human wishes.

As long as memories of Magical Girls remain, the resulting malice can nourish Disaster Beasts, even hastening their birth. Therefore, ordinary people have their memories related to Magical Girls erased.

Of course, this is limited to cities with almost no Disaster Beast appearances. In cities where they appear frequently, this measure is unnecessary.

This was why Jiang Si had hardly heard any information about Magical Girls and Disaster Beasts.

Because Beihai was one of the rare cities that hadn't experienced a Disaster Beast in over ten years.

In cities without Disaster Beasts, erasing memories related to Magical Girls effectively prevents their birth.

But sometimes accidents happen.

Like now—an extremely rare event where a Disaster Beast of unknown origin suddenly appears.

In reality, even so, the Disaster Control Bureau's response was swift enough. That vine monster hadn't even caused trouble for more than three hours before the Magical Girl from a neighboring area arrived.

Magical Girls—the supernatural power Jiang Si had been desperately searching for.

This existence corresponds to Disaster Beasts. If Disaster Beasts are incarnations of calamity and despair, then Magical Girls are incarnations of happiness and hope.

That is the official explanation.

Possessing extraordinary power far beyond humans, they are objects of respect and admiration for many.

Perhaps this could be used for cultivation, Jiang Si thought.

This made it almost impossible for him to care about the deceased after arriving at the sanatorium. His parents were ultimately dead—what's gone is gone, and he couldn't muster much emotion.

He simply continued gathering information about Magical Girls.

The sanatorium they were in wasn't large, hidden deep in an alley within Beihai City that offered quiet amidst the bustle. It was originally the old residence of a minor official, with multiple courtyards, white walls, and black tiles, carrying a dated, antiquated atmosphere.

Jiang Si had once sneaked in here during his truancy for training, but now it had been renovated beyond recognition.

Many staff members who knew about Magical Girls had come to the sanatorium, clearly from outside the city.

Their attitudes were actually quite amiable.

BH City is a major metropolis where regional discrimination is severe; residents of BH City often look down on outsiders.

Even though these people were connected to Magical Girls and had official status, outsiders were still outsiders. This didn't stop some local BH City residents in the sanatorium from viewing them as beggars.

So a well-mannered child like Jiang Si was quite liked by these caregivers.

They weren't stingy about sharing information on Magical Girls with him either.

After all, these things weren't secrets elsewhere.

"Magical Girls are born in the darkest times, emerging from the hopes that burst forth from despairing young girls."

The nurse treating his younger sister said this, "They need to respond to the world with the strongest wishes during the despairing disasters brought by Disaster Beasts."

"Girls who obtain the magic seed can transform into Magical Girls."

"It can only be girls, without exception."

The flicker of hope he had just felt was ruthlessly crushed.

But Jiang Si was already used to it; he simply continued searching for the possibility of a male transforming into a Magical Girl.

He had run out of options. His body had been honed to its limits, and taking even one step further was as difficult as scaling the heavens.

Relying on physical training to step onto the great path was too elusive; this might be his best chance.

For one or two days, he asked every question possible. No matter how good his attitude was, it eventually became annoying.

He only managed to record some basic common knowledge about Magical Girls.

More detailed aspects, like the specifics of how Magical Girls are created, their training methods, ranks, or power sources, were all either refused or evasively dismissed.

On the third day, the Magical Girl who had eliminated the Disaster Beast came to offer condolences.

A girl in a fluffy blue short skirt, adorned with lavish accessories, she brought snacks and toys.

Surrounded by children and adults in the sanatorium's courtyard, she was like a big celebrity.

In this world, it seemed some Magical Girls became idols.

The Magical Girl comforted the adults, coaxed children around her own age, and unlike her youthful appearance, her every movement exuded maturity. She quickly bonded with the children at the sanatorium.

The Magical Girl skillfully shifted her position, each time ensuring she interacted with a different group of children and adults, making sure no one felt left out.

Jiang Si and his younger sister were naturally among them. By the fourth time the Magical Girl changed positions, the two of them stood beside her.

Up close, he realized the Magical Girl was even more radiant than from a distance, as if enhanced by special effects, and she emitted a soothing, light floral scent.

Her tone was gentle and unhurried, patiently answering the children's questions around her.

Jiang Si had wondered if there was a chance to strike up a conversation with her, but his younger sister spoke first.

"Big sister, if you could have come earlier, Mom and Dad..."

The previously harmonious atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

Jiang Si pulled his sister back, "Sorry, she's just too sad; she didn't mean to blame you. She's just a kid who doesn't know better, saying things without thinking."

He patted his sister's head. She sniffled, lowered her head, and said, "I'm sorry."

Although young, this sister was actually quite sensible. That remark was just a slip due to uncontrollable emotions.

Fortunately, the Magical Girl wasn't angry. Instead, she bent down, hugged Jiang Si's sister, and stroked her head.

"I should be the one apologizing. If I had arrived earlier, you wouldn't be in so much pain. I'm sorry, truly sorry..."

"Wah..."

So his sister hugged the Magical Girl and wailed, and surprisingly, the Magical Girl started crying with her.

Jiang Si watched, stunned. Don't Magical Girls cultivate their Dao heart...?

The scene became chaotic for a moment.

With the Magical Girl crying along with the little girl, the staff around them were at a loss, everyone just watching helplessly.

It only ended when his sister cried herself to sleep.

When he picked up his sister to leave, the Magical Girl wiped her tears, looking somewhat confused as she glanced around.

She had caught the scent of a Disaster Beast.

But after checking her wand and finding no alarm, she dried her tears and continued comforting her other fans, not dwelling on it further.

Jiang Si had intended to put his sister to bed and then return to ask the Magical Girl some questions personally.

But by the time he returned, the Magical Girl had already vanished.

After that, two more days passed, and the Magical Girl never came back.

Others in the sanatorium actively avoided Jiang Si, finding him too troublesome and unwilling to talk to him.

Once their injuries had mostly healed, the sanatorium staff sent them back home.

It was only then that Jiang Si understood why the people at the sanatorium had been so unguarded with him, freely sharing knowledge about Magical Girls.

Because everyone who left had to undergo memory erasure.

As for how it was done, Jiang Si didn't remember either. By the time he came to his senses, he was already home.

His parents' coffins were placed in the main hall, and the house was crowded with relatives, chattering incessantly... Jiang Si wasn't in the mood to listen.

The funeral process was tedious and troublesome; he was pulled here and there, but the moment it ended, Jiang Si would immediately disappear.

Naturally, he couldn't cry, nor did he feel any attachment to his parents. If anyone dragged him into discussions for too long, his impatience was almost unconcealed.

Gradually, many rumors spread among the relatives, and their attitude affected his younger sister.

The day before the burial, his sister begged him to join her in seeing their parents off.

But Jiang Si turned a blind eye.

Later, when they went to the cemetery, before the burial, his sister leaned over the coffin, crying.

Jiang Si didn't attend the funeral; he didn't even see his parents for the last time.

It was raining that day; he only took a distant glance.

The drizzling rain soaked the tombstones, the muffled sobs of the gathered crowd drowned in the rain, leaving only suffocating oppression, as if the handfuls of wet soil were burying all the laughter and beauty in the world.

Gradually, only dead silence remained.

Involuntarily, he thought of the past—his mother from his previous life had first gotten angry on a rainy day, throwing a novel in his face.

"Wake up already!"

His father had torn up his books, stuffing the scraps into the stove.

Telling him to study properly.

His parents went from anger to disappointment, and finally to indifference.

He couldn't blame his parents for not understanding, because he knew it himself.

When he decided to walk this path, he was destined to be misunderstood.

He simply tried his best to meet their demands while continuing forward.

He had searched through all ancient texts, asked all the mystical, religious, martial arts, qigong, and magic practitioners.

Every disappointment piled up into greater waves.

"Wake up already."

Jiang Si rolled up his sleeve.

The bloodstains on his arm were being washed away by the rain.

Even though his memories had been erased, he had desperately scratched words into his skin with his nails. They were blurry, but legible enough.

I want to become a Magical Girl.

This world's supernatural power—Magical Girls.

If he could obtain this power, he could truly step onto the path of cultivation.

However, only girls could become Magical Girls.

A dead end?

"I've faced too many dead ends in this life."

He walked forward. Behind him, the coffin was completely buried in the soil, his sister's sharp, piercing cries cutting through the rain.

Jiang Si reached out his hand, lifting his head to the sky.

The icy rain seeped into his very core.

"Haven't you heard? Heaven never seals off all exits."

He pulled out a portion of the Disaster Beast's root filaments that he had hidden within his body. Nourished by immense negative emotions, they swelled and grew.

Despair from the Disaster Beast spread.

And also, the intense wish from this world that could devour everything!

"If I want to walk, the path is beneath my feet!"

"I will become a Magical Girl!"

His clenched fist seemed to grasp at something, as if he had already seized it.

Sparkling starlight spilled from between his fingers, converging into a dazzling rainbow light!

A purple and gold Lolita-style dress, lace, ribbons, bow decorations, and elegant long boots gently stepped onto the muddy ground.

Purple long hair danced in the rain.

Like a blooming flower.

The rain-soaked reflection showed a delicate, charming face.

Instantly, she grasped the swelling, twisted root filaments, purple magical energy burning them to ashes in the rain like flames!

"From now on, I will stand alone throughout the ages!"