Chapter 41: Welcome Home, and Fury

When Corona opened her eyes again, she was in the magical girl squad’s rest area at the Magic Affairs Bureau.
Staring at the ceiling and the glowing fluorescent lights, she felt a wave of disorientation.

Outside the window, the sun was setting.
Her heart felt dead.
Lu Ming had gone before her, and now, this woman—youthful and radiant on the outside but aged within—had almost nothing left.
Only Little Moon remained.

She could only love Little Moon now.

Corona had always been unsure of her feelings for Yuehua.
Was she a sister? A family member?
To Corona, Yuehua was always the kind-hearted junior who needed her care.

She recalled that day long ago when Yuehua said she didn’t like men.
Corona’s heart had stirred—perhaps that was affection, both familial and romantic.
But Yuehua had given so much and then left.
When they met again, she was married with a grown child.

That man she married…

After he vanished, Corona couldn’t let go.
She had been ready to build a life with him and never blamed him before he fled.

Sigh, I can only blame myself for not confessing my feelings in time.

Corona asked herself: Do I still love Lu Xin?

She answered herself: I loved him.
But he married Little Moon, her most cherished treasure, and Corona felt a pang of jealousy.
Why could he take so much from her—her first stirrings of love, her first night, her Little Moon?

But perhaps it was better their relationship remained as sisters.
Corona loved Yuehua and didn’t want to ruin her happiness, though she envied her.

As long as Yuehua was happy, Corona was content.

She abandoned the idea of confronting that man.
As long as he treated Little Moon well and lived well himself, that was enough.

But what about Lu Ming?
Did she deserve to grow up without a father?

Corona thought of her daughter, who had died so young today.
Poor child.

It’s my fault. I couldn’t give you a complete family. It’s my fault you never knew your father.

Forgive my wishful thinking, child, for the hopes I once placed in that man.

Forgive my indecision—I let too much slip by and missed too much.

In her daze, Corona heard approaching footsteps, light and nimble.
Perhaps her longing for Lu Ming was so heavy that she imagined her daughter as she was in middle school—not talkative, but vibrant and full of life.

Heh, my mind’s really broken.

Corona smacked her head, mocking herself.
Maybe it was a Bureau staff member checking on her condition—troubling them with her vulnerable side.

Click.
The door opened without a knock.
Corona sat up, ready to scold the careless young staffer, but her words caught in her throat as she looked toward the door.

Perhaps it was divine mercy or her mind breaking, but she saw Lu Ming—alive, though younger than expected.
To her, it was a miracle, a chance to see her departed loved one again.

“Lu Ming…” Corona covered her mouth, murmuring as tears spilled from her eyes.

The small figure at the door showed no reaction to Corona’s grief.
She walked lightly to the bedside, sat down, leaned against Corona, and hugged her.
One hand stroked Corona’s back, and her lips neared Corona’s ear, speaking in the voice Corona knew best:

“Mom, I’m back.”

Corona’s pupils shrank.
She looked at Lu Ming in disbelief, then hugged her tightly, tears flowing even more fiercely.

“Welcome back, my child,” Corona said, her voice choked with sobs.

…………

In the director’s office of the Magic Affairs Bureau, Lu Xin sat in the office chair, back against the desk, facing the floor-to-ceiling window, listening to Yan Huimeng’s report on the investigation of the worm-beast’s corpse.

“Director, in summary, the intelligence department’s findings indicate the beast that attacked Lu Ming wasn’t a ferocious beast,” Yan Huimeng said, reviewing her documents, speaking to Lu Xin, who had returned early from leave.

“Not a ferocious beast?” Lu Xin swiveled her chair, resting her chin on her crossed hands, puzzled.

“With extreme mobility, high magic resistance, and such a massive size, you’re telling me it’s not a ferocious beast?”

“Yes, it’s actually a magical beast,” Yan Huimeng said无奈ly.

“Based on the intelligence section’s opinion, this creature—tentatively named Giant · Earthworm—may be a mutated specimen, which explains why it’s so much larger than similar magical beasts.”

“Let’s put aside what kind of creature it is for now,” Lu Xin said, gesturing for Yan Huimeng to sit.

Yan Huimeng sat on the chair in front of the desk, legs together, holding her documents.

“The key issue is how that thing got into Tongzhou City’s underground,” Lu Xin said.

“Director Lu…” Yan Huimeng cautiously glanced at the sullen Lu Xin before continuing.

“We reported the beast’s situation to the Ministry of Natural Resources, and their feedback was…” Yan Huimeng hesitated.

“It might have slipped out from some nature reserve.”

Lu Xin’s anger flared instantly.
Her face flushed, chest heaving with rapid breaths, as if her lungs were about to explode.

“What the hell?! That thing slipped out from a nature reserve?!” Lu Xin looked at Yan Huimeng in disbelief, her fingers tapping the desk incessantly.

Yan Huimeng, avoiding Lu Xin’s gaze, nodded awkwardly.

Lu Xin grabbed at her hair frantically, looking around, then pulled a cigarette from her pocket.
With a snap of her fingers, she conjured a flame to light it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a long plume of smoke.

“Those useless, freeloading idiots! A Tier-Seven magical beast slipped out?!”

In the Central Republic, all magical beasts Tier-Six and above were fitted with tracking arrays for real-time monitoring, making it impossible for a tracked beast to slip out.

Moreover, a beast growing to Tier-Seven would take an immense amount of time, so the idea of an untracked Tier-Seven beast was unthinkable.

The more Lu Xin thought, the angrier she got.
She grabbed the desk phone to demand answers.

After a few beeps, the call connected to the switchboard.

“Get me the Minister of Natural Resources’ office,” Lu Xin said calmly.

After a few more beeps, the call went through.

“Hello, who’s this?” a lazy voice drawled.

“This is Lu Xin, Director of the Tongzhou City Magic Affairs Bureau.
I want an explanation,” Lu Xin said, suppressing her anger.

“Oh, Director Lu! What explanation do you want?” the voice replied, seemingly unconcerned.

“How did an unregistered magical beast show up in Tongzhou City?”

“Hah, what explanation do you expect?”

“If we say it slipped out, it slipped out. What else do you want me to say?” the Minister of Natural Resources said dismissively.

Lu Xin exploded.

“You think you’re glued to that seat forever, huh?!” she roared.

“Is this how your department handles official business?! Or did your mom ‘slip’ into something too?!”

“Director Lu, I suggest you watch your mouth. My department may not have much power, but I have people above me,” the minister retorted angrily.

“Hah, you have people above you? There’s no one above me!”

“You wait! I’ll make you eat your words!” Lu Xin shouted.

“Heh, bring it on,” the minister taunted.

Lu Xin slammed down the phone, then calmly instructed Yan Huimeng, “I’m going to handle something. Take care of today’s remaining work.”

In Yan Huimeng’s shocked gaze, Lu Xin tore open a spatial rift and leaped through it.