Chapter 18: You’re going to beat your wife right after being hypnotized and brainwashed?

A barrage of mandatory commands came crashing down on her.

Only then did Lin Qingya’s mind clear up a little.

Subdue… a witch?

And team up with other magical girls?

Her first reaction wasn’t her social anxiety.

It was the danger of the mission.

No… I don’t want to go…

If I get hurt, Big Sister Xiaobai will worry…

I need to protect myself properly.

Why meddle in other people’s business?

This thought was so overwhelming that she instinctively wanted to refuse the mission.

Hmm~ The hypnotic suggestion Bai Wanting had planted earlier was working quite well, wasn’t it?

She tightly hugged the piece of clothing in her arms, still warm with Bai Wanting’s body heat.

She buried her face deep into it, seeking strength from that familiar scent.

Right… as long as I can smell Big Sister Xiaobai’s fragrance, I don’t have to fear anything…

What witch? What mission?

None of it has anything to do with me…

All I need to do is stay home obediently, so Big Sister Xiaobai won’t worry…

However, the cat-ear transformation device on her head clearly wasn’t giving her that option.

As if sensing her reluctance, the burning heat surged again.

The stinging pain grew even more intense!

The transformation device was actually using pain to force her to obey!

“Wuu…”

Lin Qingya was in so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes.

Why… why are you forcing me…

She felt like her head was about to split open.

On one side was the magical girl system’s cold, merciless commands, accompanied by soul-searing agony.

On the other was the hypnotic suggestion Bai Wanting had etched into her soul, now her guiding principle.

Go, or not go?

It was nothing short of a battle between heaven and earth.

She didn’t want to deal with any witch, let alone team up with others.

Just thinking about Weire’s overwhelming enthusiasm made her social anxiety flare up faintly.

But… the penalty for failing the mission was losing the progress from her last two tasks.

Wouldn’t all her hard work—hauling cement, and the two missions before that—be for nothing?

Her father was still lying in a hospital bed, waiting for her…

Worst of all, this transformation device didn’t seem to give her the option to refuse.

If she kept hesitating, her head might actually get cooked!

The immense pain and conflict were about to swallow Lin Qingya whole.

Trembling, she sat up from the bed, her face streaked with tears and struggle.

In the end, her survival instinct overpowered everything.

She couldn’t let the transformation device torment her to death.

“I… I understand… I’ll go…”

With a sobbing voice, she forced out those words.

As she yielded, the scorching heat on her head finally began to fade.

Lin Qingya let out a sigh of relief, collapsing onto the bed as if drained, gasping for air.

She stared blankly at the “holy relic” in her hand, her heart inexplicably filled with guilt.

I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to meddle…

I’ll definitely protect myself. I won’t let Big Sister Xiaobai worry…

Carefully, Lin Qingya tucked the piece of clothing under her pillow to hide it.

Then, like a lost soul, she stood up and walked to the dressing mirror.

The girl in the mirror was pale, her eyes red-rimmed, looking utterly pitiful.

She took a deep breath, raising her trembling right hand, forcing herself into the transformation pose.

“In the name of love and hope… please, Goddess of a Hundred Flowers, grant me strength…”

Lin Qingya’s voice carried a sob, devoid of the novelty and excitement from her first transformation.

“Magical girl… full-body transformation…”

With her grievance-laden transformation incantation, a soft white light enveloped her entirely.

When the light faded, the girl in the mirror was completely renewed.

Magical Girl Snow White, making her appearance once more.

The moment the transformation completed, Lin Qingya felt the world spin.

The soul-burning pain from the magical girl transformation device—she never wanted to experience it again.

She walked to the window and gently pushed it open.

The evening breeze, cool and refreshing, brushed against her tear-streaked face, easing the lingering heat on her head.

It’s okay…

She comforted herself inwardly.

She had her “Phasing” ability, the ultimate life-saving skill.

No matter what danger she faced, as long as she activated Phasing, she’d be unharmed.

She wouldn’t make Big Sister Xiaobai worry.

As long as she completed the mission, her task progress wouldn’t be reset.

And if everything went smoothly, she’d be one step closer to her wish to awaken her father…

For Dad…

Thinking of her father on the hospital bed, a faint spark of determination reignited in her orange eyes.

Right, that’s it.

She was only doing this to save her dad.

Deep down, she had no desire to meddle.

With that thought, the guilt in her heart seemed to lighten a little.

Lin Qingya took a deep breath and leaped, silently blending into the deep night.

When she arrived at the West City Wetland Park at top speed, the sight before her nearly made her jaw drop.

This… this is the Wetland Park?

The scene could only be described as a “hell on earth.”

The entire park was in ruins.

Not a single spot was intact.

Debris from collapsed structures was scattered everywhere.

This wasn’t ordinary destruction—it was a natural disaster!

Lin Qingya stood dumbfounded at the entrance of the nearly ruined park, completely stunned.

The witch mentioned in the mission… did she really have such terrifying destructive power?

Boom—!

Just then, a deafening explosion roared from deep within the park.

A blaze of fire shot into the sky, painting half the night orange-red.

The other magical girls were fighting the witch!

Lin Qingya flinched, startled by the sudden blast.

Too terrifying! That witch… she’s an absolute monster!

Following the sound, Lin Qingya activated her invisibility and stealthily approached.

If her ability wasn’t Phasing, she’d have bolted already.

Who’d want to take on this lousy mission?

As she drew closer, she saw it clearly.

A fierce battle was unfolding in the sky above the park.

Three familiar figures danced in the air—her three magical girl teammates, whom she’d only recently met!

The fiery, pink-haired girl Weire was relentlessly conjuring heart-shaped pink energy blasts with her magic wand.

She bombarded the enemy with a frenzy of firepower.

“Vile villain! Take this! Love Bombardment!”

Her shouts carried a cute sort of fury.

Each attack triggered a violent explosion.

The calm and composed blue-haired girl Linglan provided support with her crystal staff.

She deftly maneuvered through the air, seeking openings to strike.

Each ice spear she launched aimed precisely at the enemy’s vitals, trying to restrict their movements.

“Xinlü, now! Disrupt her from the other side!” Linglan commanded, cool and steady.

“Got it!”

The petite, green-haired loli Xinlü gripped her microphone tightly.

Her singing transformed into visible green soundwaves, rippling outward to unsettle the enemy’s mind.

The three of them worked in perfect sync.

Their attacks came in relentless waves, giving the enemy no chance to breathe.

Unfortunately, their situation was still precarious.

Because their opponent… the “witch” they were besieging, was simply too powerful.

Lin Qingya’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the figure floating in midair.

It was… a breathtakingly beautiful witch.

She wore a mysterious, alluring purple-black witch’s outfit.

The tight leather top accentuated her perfect curves.

Her deep purple-black hair fluttered lightly in the night breeze.

She floated there, poised and elegant.

The three magical girls’ storm of attacks were mere child’s play in her eyes.

Weire’s energy blasts were always blocked by an invisible purple barrier just before hitting her, vanishing without a trace.

Linglan’s ice arrows were effortlessly caught between two of the witch’s fingers, then casually crushed into frost.

As for Xinlü’s sonic attacks, they had no effect.

The witch even tilted her head with interest, listening as if amused, her expression infuriatingly smug.

The entire battle was a one-sided slaughter.

So strong…

In her invisible state, Lin Qingya closely observed everyone’s movements.

This witch’s power far exceeded her imagination.

Weire and the others, even working together, couldn’t even touch the hem of her dress!

This wasn’t a fight—it was a complete mockery!

And… for some reason…

Lin Qingya realized she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward this witch…

Even… a heart-fluttering sense of closeness.

After transforming, whether magical girl or witch, a special cognitive barrier hid their identities to prevent real-world exposure.

Because of this, magical girls didn’t need to worry about their appearance or voice being recognized if spotted.

So why, looking at that elegant yet dangerous figure…

Did Lin Qingya feel like she’d seen her somewhere before…