Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl

Book 2: Chapter 205: Simple Tactics

"So this is the Remnant Beast at the maze node you mentioned?" Hiding in a crevice of the cave while observing the scene from afar, Lin Xiaolu couldn't help but inhale sharply. "Hiss... it really does look... quite troublesome."She had initially been skeptical of Arrowroot's claims, thinking that if the other party was truly powerful enough to ambush and eliminate an entire examinee team, then dealing with a single node Remnant Beast shouldn't be an issue either. Was there really a need to specially seek help?

But when she actually saw the so-called "big dumb oaf" the other had mentioned, she had to admit that if she were in Arrowroot's position, she probably wouldn't want to face such an opponent alone either.

Because this so-called "big dumb oaf" was simply too big.

According to the recently concluded Remnant Beast Analysis exam content, Pupa-rank Remnant Beasts typically have a maximum body length of about 20 meters. But right now, that Remnant Beast crouching in the distance—seemingly unaware of Lin Xiaolu and the others—had clearly exceeded this limit. A rough estimate put its length at nearly 30 meters.

A 30-meter Pupa-rank Remnant Beast was absolutely an anomaly among anomalies, a rarity among rarities. And when a Remnant Beast was this large, regardless of whether it was more powerful, it would definitely be much tougher to take down.

But what made their scalps tingle even more than the giant Remnant Beast at the center of the maze node were the fleshy sacs bulging from the node's walls. Through the translucent surfaces of these sacs, the examinees could clearly see the small Remnant Beasts contained within. A quick count showed nearly a hundred of these sacs.

If they were truly in a Remnant Beast's nest, Lin Xiaolu might have comforted herself by thinking these small Remnant Beasts in the sacs might not necessarily act together with the Pupa. But they were currently taking an exam—the examiners responsible for setting up the maze wouldn't have placed these here without reason. Since they'd arranged these Remnant Beasts in this node, it meant the examinees would likely have to face them too.

Dealing with both an abnormally large Pupa and nearly a hundred lesser Remnant Beasts simultaneously? Even Lin Xiaolu, who'd seen plenty of major scenes, found this task staggering.

"Either of you two specialize in wide-area high-damage spells? Like energy convergence or explosion types? Or maybe your magical equipment has similar abilities?"

Arrowroot, however, didn't seem to think enemies of this scale were problematic. After a swarm of bat-like black mist circled the cave ceiling, the black-and-red magical girl reformed and looked at Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan. "No need to ask Mint—I know her situation. She's not cut out for this."

Mint, standing nearby, rolled her eyes and tilted her head back slightly without saying a word, clearly acknowledging the statement.

Ability types and spell ranges were quite objective—no magical girl could claim to easily handle every combat scenario. In such cases, bravado or arguments were meaningless and would only waste time.

Understanding this as well, Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan exchanged glances but neither stepped forward. Whether they truly lacked such abilities or were hiding their capabilities from the other remained unknown.

After all, even now, they remained wary of this magical girl who'd suddenly appeared before them.

Even if the other party seemed to have restrained her hostility and genuinely invited them to conquer the maze node together, Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan found it hard to believe her intentions were truly that simple. Who knew what other schemes might lie behind this? Revealing too much about their abilities clearly wasn't wise.

"Neither of you? How disappointing."

Arrowroot probably understood this too, so although she said "disappointing," her expression showed no actual disappointment. She merely curled her lips slightly before nodding in comprehension. "Fine, seems we can't take any shortcuts then. We'll go in hard. I'll take point—you follow. Three, two, one, let's move."

"Wait! Hold on! Wait a minute!" Lin Xiaolu hurriedly called out to Arrowroot, who was about to transform into a bat swarm again. "Have you seen those Remnant Beasts on the walls? You're just planning to charge in like that? Looking to get eliminated?"

"Huh? What's the problem?"

Interrupted mid-transformation, Arrowroot turned back somewhat displeased. "That's why I asked you to come with me. I'll keep that big oaf occupied while you deal with the small fries. What's so hard about that?"

"You're sure you won't get eliminated before we finish the small ones?" Lin Xiaolu widened her eyes.

"That? Of course not. Didn't I tell you earlier?" Arrowroot grinned. "I could completely handle this node alone—it would just take more magic and time. So all you need to do is lighten my load a bit. That's all."

Without giving Lin Xiaolu another chance to speak, she immediately transformed into black mist and charged straight toward the Remnant Beast in the distance.

Then, accompanied by the sound of magical explosions and the Remnant Beast's furious roars, Arrowroot was already locked in combat with her so-called "big dumb oaf."

"That girl... she's so infuriatingly arrogant!" Watching the retreating figure, Lin Xiaolu felt equal parts admiration and irritation. "Says she brought us along as helpers, but her words make it clear she doesn't take us seriously at all..."

"Angry, aren't you? Good—you should be."

Only after Arrowroot left did Mint finally speak up again, her wry smile carrying a hint of gloom. "If anything, she was being relatively polite when talking to us. With less capable peers, her tone would be even sharper—let alone when dealing with ordinary people."

"So what's your relationship with her exactly? Friends? Teammates from the same city?"

Lin Xiaolu shifted her gaze from Arrowroot's retreating figure to Mint, frustration evident. "I get the feeling you two don't get along?"

"...If I had to define it, we have no particular relationship. We're not from the same city, never been teammates. At most, acquaintances who've crossed paths often enough to know each other well. That's all."

As she spoke, Mint pulled up the hood of her magical outfit, covering her face. "If you must categorize our relationship, you could simply say we're long-time rivals. Less like friends, more like... fate."

"Hah..." Lin Xiaolu only half-understood.

"But anyway, I should warn you—though Arrowroot may seem arrogant and overbearing, that arrogance is actually built upon a foundation of genuine strength."

Zipping up her jacket, Mint spoke with grave seriousness. "So be extremely careful around her. I know you're quite capable yourselves—you might have even met more impressive peers. But she's different from anyone you've encountered before. Her strength exists on a completely different level."

"Really?" Lin Xiaolu was skeptical. She believed Arrowroot must be quite powerful and definitely dangerous. But describing her as being "on another level" seemed excessive.

"I'll explain more later."

Pulling her face deeper into the hood's shadows, Mint took a few steps forward before leaping ahead. "For now, let's focus on clearing this node. Securing points is what matters most."