The Radiance of Life
Tian Sheng clutched his abdomen, lying in an empty hospital room, panting heavily.
The charred wounds on his abdomen were slowly oozing blood. He could only treat them slowly with simple healing Spell Formula, but it was still too difficult to recover in a short time.
As expected, he was defeated in the battle against the men in black robes.
He had no chance of winning in a one-on-two battle. His opponents had a greater reserve of Spell Formula and magical power, and they also had the advantage in numbers. All he needed to do was use the most basic magic bullets to suppress them with firepower, and they wouldn't even have a chance to show themselves.
Moreover, there were also enemy reinforcements rushing down from upstairs.
Facing an entire group of men in black robes, Tian Sheng was utterly powerless and suffered a crushing defeat.
The Magic Barrier he deployed would shatter in less than two seconds, and his own magic bullets were completely unable to penetrate the enemy's defenses, easily blocked by their barrier. In the end, he could only think of a way to escape by jumping out of the window, but he was still pierced through the abdomen by Flame Bullet the instant he took off.
The other side didn't give him a chance to land and adjust, and stood at the window to unleash a barrage of fire at Tian Sheng below, trying to kill him.
Tian Sheng dodged most of the attacks, rolled on the ground and rushed back into the stairwell, but was still hit by the remaining magic bullets during the process, and fell to the ground, his life hanging in the balance.
He collapsed in a blind spot from the second-floor window, but the men in black robes suspected Tian Sheng was still alive, so they sent two more people down to examine the body. The others didn't linger; after reporting the news, they chased after the direction Bai Jingxuan had gone.
Taking advantage of this lull, Tian Sheng scrambled into an empty hospital room and finally managed to lie down inside.
And that's how things have turned out.
To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that his last medium was a healing Spell Formula, he would probably be dead by now.
Although he now has a better understanding of the terrain and can find a hiding place, the wound in his abdomen is enough to kill an ordinary person. Not to mention, there are two men in black robes searching the area outside. Even if he didn't leave any bloodstains when he escaped, it won't be long before they find him.
Although he acted heroically in a moment of passion, it doesn't mean that Tian Sheng has disregarded life and death. On the contrary, he is still full of the will to survive.
He didn't want to die.
The savings in the bank haven't been spent, and there are still materials left at home. The recruitment exam for the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, which I've been preparing for for more than half a year, hasn't even started yet. If I die here, all of these things will be in vain.
He had to find a way to survive, no matter what.
All three Spell Formula mediums at hand have been used. The Barrier has been used the most, and its efficiency has clearly decreased. The Magic Bullet is the second most used, but its conversion efficiency is still at a normal level. The Simple Recovery spell that I am currently using is of no use in combat.
He struggled to sit up from the ground, preparing for the upcoming battle. This movement aggravated his abdomen, causing his face to twitch in pain. He tried to crawl under the nearby hospital bed for cover, but his injuries prevented him from moving any further.
Hearing the noise outside the door getting closer and closer, Tian Sheng gripped the dice tightly in his hand, preparing for a do-or-die battle.
The doors to the adjacent wards were being opened one by one, and he could vaguely hear screams from the nurses and patients in the next room. But the men in black robes had no interest in the ordinary people in the wards; after searching, they quickly left and soon arrived at the door of his empty ward.
Suddenly, the door in front of them was pushed open.
Almost at the same instant, Tian Sheng suddenly unleashed his magic power, activating the magic bullet medium in his hand. Several gray magic bullets were generated from the patterns on the surface of the dice, shooting out with great destructive force.
Whoosh!
The magic bullet emitted a piercing shriek and shot towards the enemy behind the door almost instantly, blasting out a cloud of grayish-white magic particles with a loud crash.
At the same time, several magic bullets were fired from directly in front of him.
Clearly, the enemy was always prepared to attack.
Having anticipated this, Tian Sheng once again deployed his Magic Barrier. However, due to the low conversion efficiency of the medium, the last part of his magic power evaporated instantly. Seeing the precariously structured barrier in front of him, he felt a sharp pain in his brain and heart, and almost cried out in pain.
But that was all he could do, he thought. If he were to rate his performance, he would give it a perfect score without hesitation.
After all, given the level of Spell Formula required, it's already quite an achievement that I've reached this point. As for the outcome, I can only leave it to fate.
The final barrier blocked the enemy's counterattack. Tian Sheng straightened up, enduring the pain, and squinted. He looked behind the door, and behind the light screen created by the magic bullet, two figures were faintly visible.
As the light faded, his previously expectant expression gradually darkened.
His surprise attack failed.
The men in black robes never revealed any flaws, because they maintained the barrier in place while conducting their search. Every time they opened a door, they were fully prepared, making a successful sneak attack impossible.
Tian Sheng's final, all-out attack only managed to create a few ripples on the barrier in front of them.
Having exhausted his magic to continue fighting, and with the medium on his body rendered inanimate, Tian Sheng could no longer support his body and, resigned to his fate, lay down on the ground.
Not far away, the men in black robes had already entered the ward, each step making his mood increasingly somber. They were like death gods coming to reap lives, arriving before Tian Sheng.
Now that I've died here, what will happen to everyone in the courtyard? Will Grandpa Li, who usually takes care of them, be safe and sound? Will Bai Jingxuan be able to escape successfully?
Will my parents be sad to hear I'm dead? My best buddies who're planning to play games with me tonight should know to wipe my hard drive clean, right? As for girlfriends... oh, too bad, I don't have one.
Before he died, several thoughts flashed through Tian Sheng's mind.
But soon, he thought to himself with a self-deprecating laugh: Oh well, what does this have to do with a dead man like me?
He released the dice, closed his eyes, and finally lost his last will to live, calmly accepting his own death.
"It's not time to give up yet, is it?"
However, as soon as Tian Sheng closed his eyes, such a sound suddenly came from beside his ears.
This made him open his eyes again abruptly, only to see a pale green glow.
A small ballet shoe landed on his arm, and then a figure lightly stepped out from behind him.
He propped himself up on his side, tilted his head, and looked in the direction of the approaching person, vaguely catching a glimpse of their face:
The stage gown was predominantly light green, with only the upper body being white. However, the puff sleeves were adorned with delicate light green floral patterns. The long skirt almost reached her feet, yet it maintained a height that did not impede her movement.
A petite girl emerged from the radiance, her hands, clad in long-sleeved armbands, held a magic wand that resembled a conductor's baton. Her green side ponytail was studded with white highlights, giving her an adorable yet somewhat holy appearance, with a subtle glow of vitality emanating from it.
"Step back, Uncle Tian, I'll handle these people."
With her heterochromatic yellow-green eyes wide open, the girl raised her wand, pointed it at the black-robed figures before her, and spoke in a soft yet firm voice:
"Magical Girl, Bo Xue, Breakthrough Operation Begins."