Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl

Book 2: Chapter 197: The Hollow Depths

Vol 2 Chapter 197: The Hollow DepthsWhen the three members of Team 277 followed the magical resonance to their destination, they unknowingly stepped into the central area of this region.

The dim earthen passageway gradually widened, expanding from just a few meters to nearly ten meters across. Yet the increased space did nothing to alleviate the increasingly oppressive atmosphere. On the contrary, the further they advanced, the heavier the air became, and the earthen walls grew progressively grayer until even the withered branches disappeared entirely.

After passing through the final corridor, what appeared before them was an enormous hollow chamber.

The hollow's surroundings still consisted of the same earthen material as the previous tunnels, with both the ceiling and walls bleached to a pale gray. There were no light sources, leaving the space pitch black. Though this darkness couldn't obscure a Magical Girl's vision, it still cast a psychological weight of oppression. Even more stifling was how this vast hollow lived up to its name - completely empty save for a single withered tree hanging from the center, devoid of anything remotely interesting or any sound whatsoever. The entire area seemed drained of all substance, tangible or intangible, reduced to a dead zone.

Maintaining their formation with Veronica at the front, Dogtail Grass bringing up the rear, and Gentian sandwiched between them, the trio entered the space while scanning for anything noteworthy.

"Looks like there's nothing here," Dogtail Grass whispered into Gentian's ear from behind. "Did we take a wrong turn? Maybe this section of the maze isn't actually open to examinees?"

"That shouldn't be the case," Gentian shook her head. "According to the head examiner, the entire maze was generated specifically for this exam. There wouldn't be abandoned areas closed off to examinees."

"But this is..." Dogtail Grass scrutinized their surroundings with such intensity it seemed she might scrape a layer of dirt from the walls with her gaze alone. "Too empty. Logically, if there's a huge open space at the center of a maze section, there should be enemies too, right?"

"True enough," Gentian nodded in agreement. "And I believe our earlier detection wasn't mistaken. Since this area has unusual magical resonance, something must be hidden here. We should keep searching..."

As the two quietly discussed, Veronica suddenly took two large strides forward, immediately drawing the attention of Gentian and Dogtail Grass.

Had she discovered something?

The same thought occurred to both of them simultaneously - even Gentian thought so. Veronica's competent performance throughout their journey had earned her trust. For a new-generation Magical Girl taking her first exam, Veronica displayed abilities far beyond a rookie's level - she'd become downright reliable.

Under their watchful eyes, Veronica continued forward as if summoned, slowly raising her head toward the hollow's center, then—

"Aaaaaah—"

She let out a drawn-out shout.

"Aaah..." came back an ethereal yet clear echo.

"Aaaaaah—"

Veronica shouted again, and again the echo returned.

Gentian and Dogtail Grass watched this performance until she stopped, when Dogtail Grass finally asked, "Find anything?"

"Mm," Veronica nodded. "Really fun."

"Wow, you found something so quickly? As expected of—" Dogtail Grass began to compliment before processing the words. "'Really fun'? What do you mean?"

"Such a big space should have echoes. Wanted to try it," Veronica explained with serene composure, as if her behavior was perfectly normal. "It was indeed interesting."

"What kind of... I thought..." Dogtail Grass sighed, unsure whether she felt disappointed or relieved. "Never mind, it's not like playing around is a problem."

"Don't you want to try?" Veronica even extended an invitation.

"No thanks," Dogtail Grass immediately declined. The idea of shouting in front of others just to hear echoes - something only extroverts would do - didn't suit her at all. She'd rather die than engage in such behavior.

But just as she refused, Gentian suddenly stepped forward.

"Huh? Senior Gentian?"

Amid Dogtail Grass's confusion, Gentian took position where Veronica had shouted earlier. Expressionless, she tilted her head up to stare at the cavern ceiling, slowly opening her mouth—

"Aaaaaah—"

Then she let out a loud shout just like Veronica had.

She controlled her volume so it wouldn't be painfully loud for her teammates, her clear, crisp voice radiating outward until fading away. Soon, an echo returned from the hollow's heights:

"Aaah..."

The distinct echo was identical to Veronica's earlier result.

Dogtail Grass nearly wept on the spot.

She'd assumed "Senior Gentian" would be her natural ally, yet Veronica had easily drawn Gentian into this game. While she understood Gentian was essentially still a child with playful instincts, now that two of their three-member team had participated, didn't that make her the odd one out?

What to do? Should she really step up and shout at the cave too?

Dogtail Grass's thoughts churned violently. Just imagining doing such a thing made her want to curl her toes in embarrassment. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, torn between refusing and not wanting to spoil the mood.

"Fun?" Unaware of Dogtail Grass's internal struggle, Veronica asked Gentian beside her.

"Mm," Gentian responded quietly, but her expression suggested deep thought rather than playful relaxation - brows furrowed in intense concentration.

After pausing momentarily, she suddenly looked up again. This time, instead of shouting, she raised her hand and gathered a glowing blue magical energy in her palm.

The active magic continuously emitted Gentian's unique magical resonance outward. These waves, perceptible only to Magical Girls, rippled outward like sound waves until they filled the entire hollow and even penetrated the walls.

Now both Dogtail Grass and Veronica realized Gentian had ulterior motives.

As the magical waves kept spreading, the deathly silent environment finally changed again.

Just as their shouts had produced echoes earlier, now an entirely different magical resonance appeared - somewhat similar to Gentian's yet distinctly different and oddly distorted.

"Is this... a magical 'echo'?" Dogtail Grass blurted out, startled by the sudden development.

"No, unless the environment has special properties, magical resonance's strong penetrative power couldn't possibly create 'echoes,'" Veronica explained. "This isn't a natural phenomenon."

"Including the 'echoes' we heard earlier," Gentian added, her gaze fixed on the hollow's ceiling. "This cave's soft earthen walls should absorb sound extremely well. Even if echoes existed, they couldn't be that clear or loud. So unless it's normal..."

As she spoke, the "withered tree" rooted in the earth and hanging upside down - moved.

The alien magical resonance finally revealed its true form as the enormous "deadwood" extended nearly ten massive "branches."

These "branches" even exceeded the length of its main trunk, stretching toward the ground at exaggerated angles.

"...then something is mimicking us," Gentian finished her sentence just as the "withered tree" now stood before them.

No - perhaps it was no longer accurate to call it a "withered tree," but rather something resembling a stick insect yet countless times larger, so grotesque it raised goosebumps just to look at it—

—a Remnant Beast.