Apocalypse, then transforming into a magical girl

On the thirteenth floor of the unfinished building, in an empty room.

In the corner, the monster that had once caused Zhao Jia and Xia Zhaozhao so much trouble was now limp on the ground like a lump of mud, its body covered with non-fatal wounds.

It's clear that the person attacking it only wanted to disable its mobility, not take its life.

The monster could barely move, and could only manage a few threatening roars at the person in front of it, though these roars sounded extremely weak.

The person standing in front of the monster was not large and was completely covered by a black cloak; from the outline, it could be seen that she was female.

The weight she was carrying was quite exaggerated, likely exceeding half of her body weight.

She carried a long, rigid backpack that was taller than herself, and a silver-gray briefcase in her left hand. There seemed to be quite a few things hidden inside her robe.

But such a heavy burden did not break her at all, or rather, it had almost no effect on her.

She stood there quietly, her gaze sweeping over the monster with interest and curiosity.

Suddenly, the head under the black hood tilted slightly, its gaze locking onto the only entrance to the room.

On the other side, Xiao Lü felt a chill run down her spine when she stepped into the room and saw the black figure standing in front of the monster.

Especially when she saw the fleeting golden light under the shadow of the hood, she subconsciously took a step back.

But then, she sensed a familiar aura emanating from the other person. It was an aura similar to her own and Xia Zhaozhao's.

Another magical girl?

The magical girl in the black cloak didn't make any move; she simply stared intently at Little Green with her eyes.

She didn't seem to have any hostility, but the gaze from her amber eyes, which shone with a faint golden light, made Xiao Lü feel uncomfortable, as if it could penetrate her skin and reach her internal organs.

The two faced off for a moment. After silently observing Xiao Lü for a long time, she finally spoke, her voice melodious and calm, without any fluctuation.

"...Deal. Give it to me. I'll do you a favor next."

Xiao Lü was a little confused. She paused for a moment, then simply asked the other person about their motives.

"I don't think I need help right now. Besides, I want to tell you it's dangerous."

"Danger?" The black-clad magical girl tilted her head slightly, perhaps finding it somewhat unbelievable.

She seemed to be a man of few words; she took a moment to organize her thoughts before speaking.

"You should know that the monsters we see now are all made up of black thread-like things. I tend to call them 'aggregates'."

"This individual is significantly different from the other 'aggregates' I have observed. To be more precise, it is like a malformed 'teratogen'."

"Deformed fetus?" Xiao Lü repeated the word, somewhat surprised by her description.

The black-clad magical girl nodded slightly and continued explaining:

"Yes. That's why I want it. Generally speaking, the body of an 'aggregate' is not simply a stack of linear structures, but rather it is differentiated into multiple nodes with different functions."

"These nodes collectively maintain the existence and activities of the individual, functioning similarly to our eight major systems. Based on my preliminary observations, we can identify nodes such as form maintenance nodes, power supply nodes, perception nodes, action nodes, and regeneration nodes."

"In this 'deformed' organism, the functions of these nodes are extremely disordered and even conflicting. I have a great interest in its imperfections."

After listening to her analysis, Xiao Lü's face showed obvious surprise.

The magical girl before me possessed an astonishing understanding of these monsters. However, she clearly underestimated this monster.

"You make it sound like he's just a defective product... But this guy is much stronger than you describe," Little Green said, her voice tinged with seriousness.

Then she began to recount her encounter with this guy.

"It possesses a powerful ability to corrupt the mind. My companions and I were affected without any warning. Our bodies were completely out of our control, like puppets, forced step by step to where it was."

"It was once so large that it could fill this room, and severed limbs could regenerate instantly... Also, strangely enough, those who were devoured by it... their forms, and even their consciousness, were preserved and became part of it."

Even now, recalling that battle still fills Little Green with lingering fear. She told the black-clad magical girl that they ultimately relied on the remaining consciousness of the devoured beings to disrupt the monster, but the monster's true form still managed to escape and eventually end up here.

As Xiao Lü narrated, a subtle change finally appeared on the face of the expressionless, black-clad magical girl beneath her hood.

Her golden eyes were no longer calm and still, but instead flashed a hint of undisguised surprise.

"...Normal ingestion would completely break down the target into pure biomass for absorption. The fact that this 'deformed' retained so much source information during the ingestion process is itself evidence of its maldevelopment."

"The intensity and scope of this kind of mental pollution... is beyond my comprehension, I cannot explain it. It may be some kind of more advanced operating mechanism."

Her golden eyes were fixed on Little Green: "I need more details about the monster's characteristics and the individuals it devoured."

After thinking for a moment, Little Green revealed all the information about the monster and all the humans she knew.

She then offered her own speculation—the mentally challenged child named Li Ding, with his unique mental state, was likely the source of that powerful mental pollution. Therefore, this "freak" may have acquired that terrifying ability to pollute minds after devouring certain special humans.

At first, the magical girl in black simply listened quietly. After hearing Midori's guess, she nodded slightly, acknowledging it.

Then, she slowly raised her hand and took off the hood that was covering her face.

Xiao Lü saw her face clearly—long, dark hair, soft and glossy, delicate features, but her face was expressionless, giving off an aloof and detached feeling. Only in her amber eyes would a trace of emotion occasionally shine through.

"My name is Bai Shuyuan, you can also call me 'Wren'," she said in a calm voice. "The virtue I'm anchored in is 'the pursuit of knowledge'."

"I want to take this deformed fetus with me for research. Its structure, mutation mechanisms, and the principles of mental pollution could all be key to our fight against them."

"Mayfly," Little Green announced her code name.

Bai Shuyuan nodded, looked around, and found a woven bag that had been used to store cement.

She kicked the deformed creature again, and the monster slammed against the wall with a "plop," completely incapacitated. She picked up the woven bag, stuffed the monster inside, and carried it in her hand.

She paused again, as if she wanted to say something more. But just then, the walkie-talkie on Xiao Lü's waist suddenly rang.

"...Mayfly, mayfly! Please respond if you hear me! Something's wrong!"