Ye Ning carried two heavy bags of groceries from the supermarket and slowly pushed open the front door.
The moment she set the bags down on the kitchen counter, her face fell.
She crouched on the ground, looking at her completely empty wallet with a heartbroken expression.
“Ugh… spent it all again. That idiot Hua Niao barely gives me any allowance as it is. Now I’m flat broke.”
The household finances were always strictly managed by Hua Niao, who only gave Ye Ning a small amount of pocket money at a time.
The reason was simple — once Ye Ning entered combat mode, she went completely wild, charging around recklessly.
Wallets, bags, school uniforms, hair ties — everything got broken in the chaos. Hua Niao had been driven to her wit’s end by this behavior and could only control her this way.
Ye Ning resignedly got up, tied on an apron, and dove into the kitchen.
After clattering around for what felt like forever, she finally brought dinner to the table.
Three dishes and one soup were laid out neatly, the aroma wafting through the air.
Hua Niao walked out of her room right on time, sat down, and quietly picked up her chopsticks. Her movements were elegant and efficient.
Halfway through the meal, Ye Ning picked at her rice and cautiously tested the waters:
“Hua Niao… I might need to go out tonight. I’ll be back late.”
Hua Niao lifted her eyes to glance at her, her cold gaze carrying no emotion as she spoke flatly:
“Fine. Just don’t stay out all night again.”
She paused, her tone taking on a hint of menace:
“Otherwise, the punishment will be worse than last time.”
“!” Ye Ning’s ears instantly turned bright red. Her legs subconsciously clamped together, her whole body tingling as she glared at Hua Niao in embarrassment. “I won’t! Who said anything about staying out all night?! I-I’ll be back soon!”
Seeing her flustered and guilty expression, a faint trace of amusement flickered in Hua Niao’s eyes, but she said nothing more.
—
Night deepened. The city was shrouded in a thin layer of mist.
In the rundown rental house, the walls were peeling, the light was dim, and the air was thick with the musty smell of dampness.
Li Qing wrapped herself in a thin, worn-out blanket, curled up on the hard wooden bed. Her body trembled in agony, her face pale as paper, her lips cracked and purple.
“Sister… it hurts so much…”
“Sister, I don’t want to die… I want to go home with you…”
Three years ago, a low-rank Disaster Beast had suddenly broken into her home, destroying everything in an instant.
Her parents had died on the spot. Only she and her younger brother had barely survived. But her brother had been severely corroded by the Disaster Beast’s Black Miasma. His internal organs and meridians were damaged inch by inch. He could only barely cling to life with the help of a top-tier medical pod. The astronomical treatment costs crushed her like a mountain.
She sold the house and moved into this rundown rental place. She went to school during the day and worked part-time jobs like crazy — washing dishes, handing out flyers, moving cargo. She did every kind of grueling labor.
But lately, for some reason, she had been in a daze all day. She smashed an entire stack of plates at the restaurant and lost even her last dishwashing job.
“How… how much longer can I hold on…”
Despair flooded over her like icy water, completely drowning her.
Just then, the black aura wrapped around her suddenly surged violently, madly burrowing into her skin.
Two strange figures silently appeared beside the bed. Both wore twisted, grotesque masks. Their bodies were hunched, their robes filthy, exuding a nauseating Disaster Aura.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… This body is perfect material for becoming a Witch.”
One of the masked men let out a hoarse, grating laugh, his voice dripping with greed. “The corrosion level is just right. She’ll be transformed soon!”
He reached out a hand like dried bark toward Li Qing’s forehead.
“This is the aura… Hahahaha! Praise the Evil God!”
He laughed maniacally and reached over to pat his companion on the shoulder. “Hey, you should feel this too. Isn’t it absolutely perfect—”
His words came to an abrupt halt.
He turned around in confusion, only to find his companion still standing upright, completely motionless.
“What’s wrong with you, you bastard—”
The words died in his throat.
His pupils contracted. The blood in his veins almost froze—
His companion’s body was still standing upright, but his head was gone.
A splatter of blood stained the wall. The head, smashed together with the mask into a pulp, rolled across the floor. Red and white mush smeared everything.
The air was dead silent.
“Hehe~”
A cheerful, smug voice rang out from the shadows.
Ye Ning was wrapped in a wide black cloak, her hood hiding most of her face. Only a tuft of soft pink-white hair was visible.
She stood at the door with her hands on her hips, looking utterly pleased with herself. In her hand was a slender, delicate magic wand, the tip still dripping fresh drops of blood.
“See? I told you waiting for the rabbit by the stump was a good strategy~”
The masked man trembled violently. Fear shot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. “A-a Magical Girl? How could you possibly find this place? Our Concealment Spell was flawless!”
He knew full well that given the strength she had shown in instantly killing his companion, he stood no chance against her.
“Dammit—I have no choice but to go all out!”
He gritted his teeth and raised his hand, pouring thick, pitch-black Disaster Force wildly into Li Qing’s body!
“AAAAAHHH—!!”
Li Qing’s eyes shot open. She let out a heart-wrenching scream. Veins bulged all over her body. Black Qi writhed and churned beneath her skin.
“W-What’s happening to me? Who… who are you people?”
Her consciousness was fuzzy. She was in agony.
The masked man let out a sinister, gleeful laugh. His voice was venomous and unhinged. “It doesn’t matter! You’re about to become a Witch! Embrace the will of our Evil God and become one of us!”
Ye Ning’s expression turned cold. The aura around her instantly became sharp and fierce.
“Steady your mind. Don’t let the Disaster control you!”
In a flash, she appeared beside the bed. One hand pressed firmly on Li Qing’s head. A gentle yet overwhelming surge of Mana erupted forth.
The Disaster Aura wrapped around Li Qing was madly drawn into Ye Ning’s body, dispersing bit by bit without leaving a trace.
“Mmm…” Li Qing’s whole body went limp. She lost all her strength and collapsed into Ye Ning’s warm embrace.
Ye Ning caught her gently and let out a sigh of relief. “Good thing the Disaster level wasn’t too deep. I can still absorb it.”
She looked up, beaming at the masked man, who was now utterly stunned.
“How is that possible?! You’re a Magical Girl… Magical Girls can’t absorb Disaster Force at all! Who the hell are you?!”
The masked man shrieked, his voice trembling with disbelief and terror.
Ye Ning just narrowed her eyes, smiling without a word.
‘This is the time to play the expert by staying silent.’
“AAAAHHH—!!” The masked man completely snapped. His mind broke. “I’m taking you down with me!”
He frantically activated all the Disaster Force in his body. His body began to swell. A thick Black Miasma leaked out violently. He was clearly about to self-destruct.
“You dare show me such bad timing?”
Ye Ning let out a contemptuous laugh and flicked her wrist.
The next moment—
BANG—!
The magic wand came crashing down with terrifying Mana.
He didn’t even have time to gather enough power to self-destruct.
The masked man’s head burst open like a watermelon. Black blood and shredded flesh splattered everywhere. He didn’t even have a chance to scream.
Only a final, desperate murmur lingered in the air:
“How… how are you S-Rank…”
Ye Ning cheerfully withdrew her magic wand and patted her hands clean of imaginary dust. She looked down at Li Qing, who was still dazed in her arms, her voice softening: “Hey hey, are you okay?”
Li Qing stared blankly up at her. Her gaze landed on that lock of pink-white hair peeking out from under the hood.
That color slowly overlapped with the image of a girl descending from the sky three years ago, pulling her from the claws of a Disaster Beast amidst the ruins.
Radiant and dazzling. Pink-white hair flying.
It was a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life.
Li Qing’s lips trembled slightly. Without thinking, she softly murmured the name:
“You’re… Lark?”
Ye Ning: “…”
The smile on Ye Ning’s face froze instantly. The corners of her mouth twitched wildly. She nearly burst into tears on the spot.
‘What the hell!
‘Why does everyone recognize me!!’
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her urge to break down. She pressed her lips together, offering no reply, and gently changed the subject: “Don’t overthink it. First, tell me — how did you end up like this?”
Li Qing came back to her senses. She leaned lightly against Ye Ning’s chest and quietly recounted everything that had happened over the past three years.
Her family destroyed. Her little brother gravely ill. Deep in debt. Plagued by Disaster.
Every word was as light as a feather, yet each one weighed heavily on the heart.
After listening, Ye Ning fell silent.
She could destroy Disaster Beasts. She could absorb Disaster. She could kill. She could fight.
But she had no money. No legal identity. She was even hiding and running herself.
She couldn’t help Li Qing.
Li Qing saw the helplessness in her eyes. Instead, she managed a faint smile. Her face was still pale, but a glimmer of light had reignited in her gaze: “It’s okay. Thank you for saving me. Without the Disaster, I already feel so much better… As long as I’m alive, I’ll keep fighting.”
She wouldn’t give up on her little brother. She wouldn’t abandon that final Family Bond.
The moment she finished—
The entire rental house was suddenly enveloped in dazzling light.
Soft, pure, carrying a kind of lawful majesty.
The light wrapped around Li Qing, radiating warmth like the sun.
Ye Ning was stunned. Her pupils contracted:
“This is… Magical Girl Power?”
The next second, the light slowly faded.
Li Qing floated in midair. Her ragged clothes were replaced by a simple yet clean light-cyan Magical Girl Uniform. A faint but pure Mana lingered around her fingertips.
She had been chosen by the world. She had become a new Magical Girl.
Ye Ning was speechless for a moment. She let out a helpless, soft laugh.
‘Becoming a Magical Girl — at least she’ll have superhuman stamina and Temporary Mission Rewards. For Li Qing right now, this is definitely a blessing in disguise. At least she’ll have more ways to earn money and save her little brother.’
“Not bad, I guess…”
She had just relaxed when a series of hurried footsteps and crisp shouts rang out in the distance. The sounds grew closer and clearer.
“There’s a strong Mana fluctuation here!”
“Disaster Aura! And a Witch Reaction!”
“Move in! Surround the area!”
Ye Ning’s face changed instantly.
‘It’s the Magical Girl Association!’
‘I absolutely cannot be seen right now!’
‘If my identity is exposed, all my disguises and all my hiding will be wasted!’
“Shit!”
Ye Ning didn’t hesitate. She quickly laid Li Qing gently down on the bed and whispered a hurried warning: “Remember your power. Protect yourself and your little brother well. I have to go now. We’ll meet again if fate allows!”
Before her words even faded, her figure vanished. She transformed into a shadow, leaped out the window, and disappeared into the night in an instant.