The only way to be strong is to be humble

Two days later, the sun rose over a perfectly clear sky.

Early that morning, the “three little ones” arrived in the wasteland outside the Dispatch Center. Today was a momentous day: they were to attend the first session of Ran Jiuyi’s “Magical Girl Special Training Course.”

The midsummer sun was relentless. Within minutes, the girls’ clothes were damp with seeping sweat. They stood staring out toward the distant city, waiting for what felt like an eternity with no sign of Jiuyi.

Jiang Yunshu fanned herself with her hand, her patience wearing thin. “Where is Sister Ran? It’s been forever and she’s a no-show. Making us wait out here in the sun—isn’t this just pure hazing?”

“Maybe she got held up by something,” Yi Ziling suggested. She was struggling with the heat as well, though her airy sundress offered a modicum of relief as she swayed the hem to catch a stray breeze.

Bai He’an drained the last of her water and wiped her mouth. “It’s definitely weird today. Sister Ran is missing, and even Dahan-ge is nowhere to be found. What are they all up to?”

“Dahan is busy geeking out over those new weapons and gear,” Ran Jiuyi’s voice drifted from behind them. “Especially that exoskeleton suit. He’s so head-over-heels for it I’m surprised he hasn’t decided to sleep in the damn thing.”

“As for me,” she continued, “I’ve been standing here watching three Magical Girls to see how long it would take them to realize I was right behind them the whole time.”

“Eek!” x3

The trio whirled around, eyes wide. They had been standing there for ages, yet none of them had detected Jiuyi standing mere feet away.

“Sister Ran! When did you get here?” Yi Ziling asked, bewildered.

“About thirty seconds after you arrived.” Jiuyi checked her phone. “I’ve been standing here ever since. You were so busy staring toward the city that you never bothered to check your surroundings.”

“Then why didn’t you say something earlier?” Yunshu complained. “You let us bake out here for half an hour for nothing!”

“Because I wanted to see if you’d notice me,” Jiuyi replied. “Two days ago, I realized your situational awareness was abysmal. Simply walking up behind you shouldn’t be enough to mask my presence.”

“That’s why I chose this wasteland—there’s zero cover. I wanted to see if you could sense me even when there was nowhere to hide. The results were worse than I expected. Not only did you fail to notice me approaching, you didn’t even feel my presence after I’d been standing here for thirty minutes.”

Jiuyi shook her head. “This isn’t going to work. You have too much to learn.”

She had originally intended to spend the entire day training outdoors, but seeing the trio drenched in sweat and panting, she softened. “Alright, forget it for now. Let’s head back into the Center, grab some water, and cool off before we start for real.”

“Ah… I’m back among the living.”

Inside the air-conditioned hall, Jiang Yunshu chugged a bottle of mineral water. “I never knew plain water could taste this good.”

“Tell me about it,” He’an agreed.

“Seriously,” Ziling added. Under the scorching summer heat, ordinary water felt like a gift from the gods to their parched throats.

Jiuyi clapped her hands to get their attention. “Alright, had enough rest? Then let’s officially begin. Given how shaky your foundation is, I’m going to start today with the basics.”

The three girls immediately straightened up, listening with newfound humility. After the recent string of life-threatening events, they had finally realized just how weak they were. They were ready to learn.

“First part: Do any of you actually know what a ‘Magical Girl’ is? Or what a ‘Monster’ (Kaijin) is?”

The trio shook their heads. Despite being Magical Girls themselves, the actual nature of their existence was a mystery to them.

Predicting this, Jiuyi explained: “A Magical Girl is a specific type of ‘Transcendent.’ There are two main differences. First, Magical Girls almost exclusively awaken from young girls—though there are rare records of young males awakening as one.”

“Second, most Magical Girls are inherently kind-hearted with a strong will. This trait gives them an excellent reputation; for a long time, they were seen as the symbols of love and justice.”

“Is that why the New Joint Alliance uses Magical Girls as their primary Transcendent force?” Bai He’an asked.

“Exactly. Young boys and girls, kind-hearted and socially inexperienced. All you have to do is give them a little ‘hero’ speech, and they’ll risk their lives for the public without a second thought.”

Jiang Yunshu blushed. “Sister Ran, when you put it that way… you’re making me feel embarrassed.”

Jiuyi looked at her, deadpan. “I wasn’t complimenting you… Fine, whatever. Let’s move on.”

“Beyond Magical Girls, there are many other types of Transcendents, and their awakenings vary wildly. Some are born with specific bloodlines, some undergo physical modification, some are genetic mutations, and some don’t even know why they have powers.”

“But regardless of the source, the common trait among ‘Transcendents’ is that they retain their sanity after awakening.”

“Those who fail to maintain their sanity become the ‘Monsters’ you fight. They can’t control their mana; they let it warp their flesh until they become mindless, non-human abominations.”

This hit the girls like a ton of bricks. Yi Ziling asked, her voice trembling, “So… the monsters we’ve been killing… they were all human?!”

“I figured you’d ask that, so listen closely.” Jiuyi paused for emphasis. “Once someone becomes a Monster—a mindless Transcendent—they are no longer human.”

“There is no cure, no salvation, and no possibility of reversal. Killing a Monster is an act of mercy for them, and an act of protection for the civilians they would otherwise slaughter.”

“Is that really true, Sister Ran?” Bai He’an asked hesitantly. “I feel like…”

“Feel like what? Like you can turn them back?” Jiuyi cut her off sharply. “Don’t be naive. If such a method existed, governments wouldn’t spend billions on special organizations to hunt them down. Next time you see one, don’t hesitate. Just kill them.”

Was there really no way to save a Monster? The answer was actually ‘no’—but with an asterisk. In her six years as a warrior, Jiuyi had seen a handful of cases where a mindless Monster regained their sanity.

But those were non-replicable anomalies involving staggering amounts of wealth and resources. Moreover, many monsters died during the “treatment” process, which led to human rights groups branding such organizations as illegal experimental facilities.

Faced with the reality, most governments concluded that instead of sinking fortunes into a gamble that might not work, it was more cost-effective to just eliminate them.

Jiuyi had no intention of telling the girls this grim reality yet. If she did, they would hesitate in their next fight. In a battle against a Monster, hesitation is a death sentence—because the Monster certainly won’t hesitate to kill them. She needed them strong before they learned the truth.

“Don’t look so shocked. You’ve killed plenty already. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Bai He’an raised her hand. “Sister Ran, Yunshu and I have… but Xiao Yi hasn’t. Because of her support ability, she’s never actually killed one.”

Jiuyi turned to Ziling. “Is that right, Xiao Yi? You’ve never taken a life?”

Ziling gave a weak, shaky nod. “No… never.”

“Will you be able to do it in the future?”

“……”

The silence said it all. Great, Jiuyi thought, this is even worse than I thought. Ziling’s hesitation meant she’d be a liability in a kill-or-be-killed scenario. But that was a problem for later.

Jiuyi clapped her hands to break the tension. “Enough about Transcendents for now. We can talk more about the lore during breaks. Next part: How to increase your strength in the shortest time possible. And this method is fast, simple, and easy.”

Bai He’an’s eyes lit up. “Really? You have a way for us to get strong that fast?”

Yunshu and Ziling leaned in, their faces full of hope. Who wouldn’t want a shortcut to power?

Under their expectant gazes, Jiuyi spoke slowly. “As for a method that is simple, easy, and fast… I…”

“OBVIOUSLY DON’T HAVE ONE!“

The sudden roar made the three girls jump nearly out of their skins.

Jiuyi’s face was as hard as stone. “Life doesn’t hand out freebies like that. If you want power, there is only one way: the right training, and years of grueling, relentless practice.”

“Every powerhouse I have ever met built their foundation over a long time, polished their techniques through countless life-and-death struggles, and eventually forged their own unique combat style. Only once you’ve done all that can you call yourself a true warrior.”