Chapter 40: Magical Girl Abyss Returns from the Underworld

Lu Ming’s consciousness began to rise and cycle, from earth to sky, from sky to earth, as if trapped in a loop between coma and wakefulness, or perhaps half-dream, half-reality.

In her daze, sinking into slumber, Lu Ming felt herself enveloped in an unfamiliar embrace.
It was as if strong arms held her—those of a woman, yet carrying the steadfast weight of a father, like a mountain.

Ah, Dad, that bastard.

Lu Ming thought of the man she’d never met, who got Corona pregnant and then vanished.
She didn’t hold a grudge against all men, but for that man—should she hate him or simply ignore him?

At least let me sleep in peace. I only lived twenty-five years—not enough—but I’m already dead. Don’t disturb a dead person’s rest.

As she was about to slip into eternal sleep, a heavy thud reached her ears, followed by a cry:

“Captain! Captain! I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Captain? What captain? A magical girl captain?

“I couldn’t bring back Lu Ming’s soul…”

My soul? Am I not dead?

“Corona, I’m sorry, I couldn’t save Lu Ming…”

Corona? That’s Mom’s codename! Mom, so powerful, fainted because of my death?

No, if I’m conscious now, it means Mentor did it! Mentor pulled me back from the abyss of death—I’m alive!

Lu Ming couldn’t imagine the cost Mentor had paid to drag her back from death.
But why couldn’t she move?
Her consciousness struggled within her unresponsive body, as if the form she’d used for over twenty years was no longer hers but a breathing cage.

Mentor! I’m here!

Mom! I’m here!

Lu Ming’s soul was exhausted.

No matter how desperately she called out, neither Mentor nor Mom responded.
Was she doomed to be eternally imprisoned and tormented by her own body?

Her consciousness spun frantically within her.
Then a thought struck her: if reaching outward didn’t work, perhaps looking inward—exploring this revived body—might reveal a way to regain control.

Lu Ming began dispersing her spirit, probing her body.
Her blood flowed smoothly, her limbs were intact, her mana circulated well.
Finally, she reached the most critical part for a high-tier mage—the mana core, akin to a heart.

She extended her mental energy into this crystalline structure near her heart, glowing faintly, existing beyond the material realm—her mana core.

When she first became a grand mage, she had examined her mana core; it was white.
Now, it seemed altered by her death and resurrection, laced with black veins that didn’t affect her mana flow.

Could it be…

Lu Ming hesitated.
Her inability to awaken might be tied to these black veins.

Maybe I should touch it, she thought.
Perhaps the turning point lies in this mutated mana core.

Focusing her mental energy into a single thread, she probed the core.
The moment her mind touched it, she felt her entire being—her soul—sucked inside.

A dizzying whirl followed.
Her soul was compressed, folded, compressed again, then melted, seeping along the core’s veins until fully merged within it.

She could now clearly sense the mana core’s inner workings, as familiar as her body before death.
The core had become a second body.

Unseen by Lu Ming, her physical body began to change.

…………

Yuehua knelt beside Corona, resting her head on her lap.
She had caught Corona as she was about to collapse, preventing her from hitting the ground.

Though a magical girl’s durability meant falling was no worse than losing a hair, Yuehua caught her to preserve Corona’s dignity.

Dignity—perhaps it had shattered the moment Corona harbored selfish desires.

But Corona, my Sun, why feel guilty for accepting what I offer? My life was saved by you; everything I am is yours.

And yet, the old me, that coward, hurt you, shirked responsibility, and fled.

Yuehua brushed aside Corona’s white hair, leaned down, hesitated, then lightly kissed her forehead.

I’m sorry. Forgive my cowardice now.

Forgive my powerlessness, forgive me for failing to bring back Lu Ming’s soul.

Yuehua gently laid Corona down, pulling a pillow from her storage ring to cushion her head, and began preparing to clear the ritual site.

And to tend to Lu Ming’s still-living remains.

She lifted Lu Ming’s body, placing it near Corona, and began erasing the array etched on the ground.

The Moon Spear · Crescent appeared again.
Yuehua drove its tip into the ground.

Boom!
The plaza’s tiled surface, inscribed with the array, shattered instantly.
She then used alchemy to restore the ground to its original state, conjuring an alchemical array in her hand.

Alchemy · Salt Crystal · Precise Restoration

Dust and rubble in the air and on the ground began to realign, like a movie played in reverse.
Soon, a pristine, unmarked surface appeared.

After restoring the ground, Yuehua dusted off her hands, preparing to move Corona and Lu Ming to the Magic Affairs Bureau—her base before Xiao Xuan’s appointment.

As she approached Corona, something unexpected happened with Lu Ming’s living remains.

Black liquid began seeping from the ground around where Lu Ming lay, crawling over her mature form like a living entity, forming a black cocoon.

Yuehua swiftly pulled Corona back, laying her on a bench far from the plaza, then gripped her Moon Spear in one hand while charging an attack spell in the other.

Her senses detected deathly energy within the cocoon.
In the brief time it took to move Corona, the cocoon seemed to shrink, as if being digested.

As it shrank further, its surface roiled violently, as if something was about to break free.

Did the Philosopher’s Stone create a monster? Or is this the worst outcome of reversing life and death?

Yuehua’s eyes narrowed, ready to unleash her firepower the moment a monster emerged.
She could attack the cocoon directly, but the consequences were unpredictable, so she opted to see what would emerge.

Suddenly, the cocoon rose into the air.
Cracks glowing with white light appeared on its surface, and pieces began to fall away, revealing a humanoid figure inside.

A person? Yuehua was stunned.

Confirming no immediate danger, she lowered her attack stance and rushed forward, catching the figure—a girl in a black, ornate dress with gray hair.

Yuehua held her close.
The girl’s face was serene, her delicate nose twitching as if in a pleasant dream.
Clearly, the person in Yuehua’s arms had a soul.

As if reaching the end of her dream, the girl showed signs of waking.
Her eyes moved beneath her lids, then slowly opened, revealing green pupils identical to Lu Ming’s.

The girl looked at Yuehua’s incredulous face and smiled faintly:

“Thank you, Mentor.”

“You brought my soul back.”