The Quest for Truth, Magic Dependent on the Heart

"What kind of bullshit casting gesture is this? Tell me, how am I supposed to make a card spin in midair without falling, then wait for me to smack it with my belt?!"

Fang Ran trembled with rage, veins bulging on his forehead as he gritted his teeth. He felt that he had never encountered anything this ridiculous in his life.

First, he had fallen into the life-and-death crisis typical of the opening of an infinite-flow story, then gained Magical Girl Power that had absolutely nothing to do with the style of an infinite-flow story.

Then, when transforming, he had no Magic Wand and could only bind it with his belt. Fucking belt. Since ancient times, he was probably the only Magical Girl who transformed using a belt.

Fine, he could accept that.

But when it came to using his ability, there was even a transition sequence that cartoons had never bothered explaining.

And you fucking brought up gravity?! ROAR!!

"ROAR!!!"

Crash!!

The Zombie shoved hard again, scattering quite a few chunks of rubble that had pinned down its thighs! It let out an enraged roar at Fang Ran!

"Damn it. I should've just run earlier!!"

Watching himself miss the chance while it could not move, Fang Ran sighed irritably.

Come on! I'm going all out today! I'll have a carefree little parkour match with you!

Then, just as Fang Ran turned around, intending to make a "strategic temporary retreat to lure the enemy away (run), ensuring our surviving forces can move freely (run)," he suddenly caught sight of a figure beneath the collapsed wall from earlier.

Tall and slender, even with dust on her profile, her breathtaking beauty could still be faintly seen.

Fang Ran, who had been about to run away, froze slightly. He had not expected there to be anyone else in this bizarre place.

The night stretched far into the distance. Luocheng's nocturnal scenery was prosperous, the Zombie's figure vaguely ferocious in the darkness. Ruins and rubble from collapsed buildings lay everywhere, while swaying, flickering, broken streetlights gave off a faint glow that barely illuminated his surroundings.

No way.

The instant Fang Ran saw that figure, his entire body froze.

Then, as if he had collapsed, all strength left him. The anger and curses on his face vanished, replaced by a weary sigh.

I can barely save myself. Why did I have to see something like this?

The sound of rubble being pushed aside did not stop for a moment. It sounded increasingly close in the dark night, especially terrifying and horrifying. Yet Fang Ran gritted his teeth and lowered his gaze, struggling with another question.

This involved that question of examining one's true heart.

When being chased by a Zombie, if you came across someone unconscious, what would you do?

Well, everyone probably had their own answer.

"ROAR!"

Under the dim, flickering light, the grotesque Zombie let out an agitated growl, as though it would break free the very next second!

"I must've owed you a life in the past."

Fang Ran sighed helplessly under his breath. He mocked himself inwardly; he could not even take care of himself, yet he still wanted to risk his life to save someone who had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Forget it. He probably would not die anyway.

It was not because of Ye Sheng's appearance. Even if it had been someone unattractive, Fang Ran would still have saved them. The reason was—

Perhaps Fang Ran, who had only ever lived an ordinary life, simply did not have the heart of stone needed to stand by and watch someone die.

Besides that, some lingering thought deep inside him was quietly at work.

Seriously, how much longer will it take before you can let go of those childish thoughts from when you were young?

Fang Ran did not think he was noble, nor did he feel any satisfaction from it. That was also a trait many ordinary people shared.

Maybe in life, some people were sharp-tongued, some harsh, some unreasonable. But when it came to matters of right and wrong, he believed many people would not choose incorrectly.

After all, a human life was at stake.

Though much later, he would learn that an A-rank Participant did not need his concern at all.

Bang!

Fang Ran picked up a stone and threw it at the Zombie, immediately drawing its attention!

Crash!!

Then rubble flew everywhere as the Zombie completely burst free from the debris, charging straight at Fang Ran!

"Damn it."

With his brows tightly furrowed and teeth clenched, Fang Ran gripped the belt that was currently the only thing he could call a weapon. He had never imagined that one day he would truly face something like this. He barely managed to block the Zombie's claw with the belt and dodged aside.

But the facts proved that this really was a belt Magic Wand. Even the force that could smash through glass had not damaged this "wand" in the slightest.

Ignoring the rubble and dust scraping his hands and billowing around him, Fang Ran scrambled backward to widen the distance. He stayed as far away from its close-range attacks as possible. His breathing grew hotter and more rapid from nervousness, his chest rising and falling quickly.

Calm down, calm down.

Keep your distance.

It isn't very fast.

Open up enough distance to give yourself enough time to react.

The moment his breathing became rapid, all kinds of thoughts instinctively surged up. But at the same time, Fang Ran's mind was also filled with the usual random thoughts that suited his normal self. It was as though thinking about them could make the calm, rational part of him ease his tension a little, like—

Fuck, I'm such an idiot!

I jumped out here without any preparation at all.

Damn it! What do I do?!

Is it too late to regret this now?

Can I say I wasn't the one who threw that stone?

If I kneel and apologize, will Mr. Zombie forgive me?

—regrets that had already come far too late.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die!"

His eyes locked tightly on the front, Fang Ran kept muttering under his breath. He constantly dodged, and the only thing he could rely on seemed to be the belt he had once bought for twenty-five yuan.

"ROAR ROAR!!"

The howl rang out as the Black Shadow lunged forward. His ankles went weak, and he stumbled. Fang Ran failed to dodge in time, his eyes widening as the Zombie struck his shoulder.

A tremendous force slammed into his left shoulder!

Bang!

Fang Ran was sent flying sideways two meters in an instant!

He crashed against a wall. He could be certain that blow had contained genuine strength beyond that of an ordinary person. While it was not quite like being hit by a car, Fang Ran currently felt as though he had been struck by a speeding electric bike!

It hurt!

His left arm was in excruciating pain!

"Ghh!! I... damn it..."

He sucked in cold breaths, his expression twisting and trembling with pain, but Fang Ran still forced himself to get up quickly. He did not dare stay down. His right eye suddenly turned red; blood had begun flowing from his forehead at some point and was running into his eye.

"ROAR!"

The Zombie let out a howl, advancing step by step through the night like the final scene of a horror movie!

Fang Ran, breathing rapidly, swallowed with difficulty. The fear of death had finally caught hold of him. More and more blood flowed down, and his right eye felt like it was about to close.

Then he fell silent for a moment and merely let out a long breath. A ruthless determination began spreading wildly from the deepest part of his heart!

Without warning, completely out of nowhere!

The corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of a box on the ground. It seemed to be one of a pile of chocolates that had fallen out of the supermarket before it was crushed.

Then inspiration suddenly struck!

As if grabbing onto a lifeline, Fang Ran quickly picked up a box of chocolates, pulled out the Chocolate Box, and, trembling nervously, took something out and shoved it inside!

Then, without thinking, he tossed it directly in front of himself!

Relying on the box's weight, after throwing it out, Fang Ran finally caught that fleeting moment when it hung in midair.

Then he gripped the wand tightly with both hands, raised it high, and struck down fiercely!

"I command you in the name of your master!"

"Seal."

With blood flooding his vision in one eye, Fang Ran finally caught the final moment of its falling trajectory. A slightly hoarse shout rose from his throat!

"Release!"

Ding!

The moment the crisp sound rang out, golden ripples silently spread!

In the air before Fang Ran, golden light suddenly burst from within the Chocolate Box containing the Sword Card, spilling through the seams of the packaging and stirring the air, blowing his hair into disarray!

Magic swirled around it! When the light faded, what Fang Ran held in his hand was no longer a stiffened belt, but a slender blade entwined with a graceful Silver Dragon!

Sword Card—(THE SWORD)

Symbol: The quest for truth, recompense, and sometimes destructive power

Description: The Magic Wand itself becomes a sword. Its power depends on the magic in the user's heart.

Looking at the silver-white long sword that had appeared in his hand, Fang Ran did not even have time to be shocked that he had really cast magic, or that his original belt had truly turned into a sword.

Without thinking about anything, as though something was driving him, he instinctively raised the blade high!

The quest for truth.

Magic whose power depended on the heart.

Those words flashed through Fang Ran's mind, and a memory from one night in the past surfaced.

It made him tear away every layer of the disguise he usually wore. In this moment when he thought of nothing, it was as though he had become his former self again. Gripping the silver-white blade in his hand, he slashed forward with savage fury!

The instant a massive golden sword light burst forth from nothingness, a blade of light over ten meters long shone like the dawn, spreading and rolling over all the rubble and ruins around it.

It swallowed everything before the blood-streaked young man's eyes!