Chapter 33: The Synchronization Test

Lin Wan let out a long sigh, pushing herself up from her chair.

“Miss Lily of the Valley is willing to accept an interview… that would, of course, be for the best.”

Xia Shi’s eyes gleamed, her voice noticeably brighter. “Thank you, Sister Lin! I’ll certainly redouble my efforts in the future, defeating even more monsters!”

“Alright, alright, just try not to cause any more trouble.” She turned to them. “Lu Chen, Miss Lily of the Valley, are you free now? Would it be convenient to head to the training center?”

Given the extraordinary destructive power wielded by Magical Girls, training in ordinary gyms or public parks was simply impractical. Consequently, the New Light Group had established dedicated training centers within each of its city branches, providing a space where they could unleash their magic without reservation, freely developing and refining their formidable abilities.

Lily of the Valley tilted her head, a hint of surprise in her expression. Looking up at Lu Chen, she inquired, “Are we to sign the contract at the training center?”

Lu Chen replied, “No, we’re going there to undergo a synchronization test. When a Magical Girl determines she can readily defeat a monster, the cameraman is required to stay on-site and film. Given that every Magical Girl possesses a distinct combat style, the cameraman must pinpoint the perfect, fleeting moment amidst the intense battle to capture your most unique and striking side. To achieve this, they need to cultivate a profound rapport with the Magical Girl they are assigned to. The synchronization test exists precisely to assess this. Should they fail the test, even if both parties express willingness, the company will not permit them to form a partnership.”

As Lin Wan rummaged through her desk for her work ID, she added, “To put it more simply, it’s to see if you two are a good match, rather like a blind date.”

“A b-blind date…!” Lily of the Valley’s face flushed crimson as she whispered the words again. Xia Shi, however, took a couple of steps closer to Lu Chen, her brow furrowed in a subtle frown, her tone laced with distinct displeasure.

“Would you mind refraining from using that analogy in my presence?”

“My apologies, my apologies. Alright, let’s head off; the sooner we begin, the sooner we can wrap things up.”

****

The training center was situated deep beneath the branch office building, encompassing several distinct arenas, each designed with a unique style.

In less than five minutes, the group of five, including Morning Star, descended via elevator, arriving at one particular arena: ‘The Jungle.’

‘The Jungle’ was Lily of the Valley’s most frequented arena, perfectly suited to her combat style. As its name suggested, it was a labyrinth of intricate scaffolding, with countless exposed I-beams, ventilation ducts, and metal frames suspended from above and rising from below, forming a veritable jungle forged from steel.

As the subjects of the test, Lu Chen and Lily of the Valley entered this metallic jungle together, making their way to an open clearing to await further instructions.

Xia Shi, Lin Wan, and Morning Star, meanwhile, ascended to the upper level of the arena, entering a strategically positioned observation room that afforded a panoramic view of the entire testing ground.

The moment they entered the room, Fireworks strode to the floor-to-ceiling glass panel. She cast her gaze downwards, scanning the dense network of steel for the young man’s figure, and just then, saw him looking up and around, searching for her.

Immediately, she channeled her magic, coaxing a string of bright, miniature flames to flicker at her fingertips, then pressed them against the glass. As if sensing her presence, Lu Chen instantly looked up, offering her a warm smile and a wave.

“Lu Chen seems quite at ease, doesn’t he? After all, he’s been through this before.” Lin Wan, oblivious to the young couple’s subtle signal, merely took Lu Chen’s gesture as an indication that he was in position and ready to start.

She moved to the control console, tapping a series of keys to activate the broadcast system. Then, retrieving a script from a drawer, she began to read it aloud to the two participants.

“Mr. Lu Chen, Miss Lily of the Valley, welcome to our company’s meticulously designed test, a trial imbued with humanistic concern and fully embodying the spirit of a Magical Girl. This is not merely an assessment, but also… well, let’s skip the platitudes.” She cleared her throat. “First up is the initial stage. I will now instruct the system to randomly deploy two active dummies—one weak, one strong. Miss Lily of the Valley, please treat them as genuine monsters and engage them using your most practiced combat style. As for you, Lu Chen, your task is to select opportune moments during the test to photograph Lily of the Valley. You may take as many pictures as you wish, but ultimately, you are to submit only two to us. Finally, the AI within this computer will assign a score. A cumulative score exceeding 50% constitutes a pass, and you will be granted one opportunity for revision. That covers the essentials. Do either of you have any questions?”

In the arena, Lu Chen and Lily of the Valley looked up at the observation room, both shaking their heads in unison. Inside, Xia Shi leaned towards the microphone, shaking a playful fist at Lu Chen as she spoke.

“Go, Lu Chen! Show those pieces of junk what you’re made of!”

“Lily of the Valley is the one fighting the dummies; how exactly is Lu Chen supposed to ‘take them down’…? Regardless, let the test begin!”

Lin Wan’s gaze swept over the keyboard before she pressed a prominent red button. Instantly, the indicator lights throughout the arena flared to life, casting an ominous red glow.

A section of the floor opened, and from within, a colossal metal monster slowly ascended. Its body was a dark, bruised blue-black, while its arms and legs were formed from dull yellow scales, giving it the distinct appearance of being exceptionally skilled at performing squats.

Lin Wan gasped in disbelief. “It actually randomized to this clearly flawed dummy again… Lu Chen has such terrible luck! Though categorized as a weaker dummy, it’s an absolute nightmare for any cameraman. This thing constantly emits steam, shrouding the entire arena in a thick haze, and retreats into its shell the moment it takes a hit. Nine out of ten test participants fail to capture the right moment, either producing blurry, smoke-obscured photographs, or images of the Magical Girl simply dominating the enemy, utterly devoid of any coolness. Furthermore, the AI’s scoring is incredibly stringent, with an average score of a terrifyingly low 10%. I’ve always believed this dummy should be removed, but apparently, a certain boss is quite fond of it.”

Xia Shi’s lips curved into a nostalgic smile. “Indeed, when I underwent this test, I hadn’t yet grasped the issue, only adding more fire and smoke to the chaos. Yet, in that very moment, Lu Chen effortlessly captured the instant it was obliterated by my flames. He found an utterly inconceivable angle and produced a flawless photograph, earning a unanimous perfect score—even the AI couldn’t find a single fault.”

Morning Star chuckled softly. “Little Fireworks, it’s rare to hear you speak with such effusive praise. However, I suspect your admiration might be coloring your perspective a touch; what you’re saying seems rather exaggerated.”

“It’s not a filter, nor is it an exaggeration; it’s simply a very objective assessment. When I took my test, Lu Chen achieved two perfect scores—a feat only accomplished by four individuals in history. You’ll witness it for yourself shortly. Ah, it’s already begun.”

In the arena below, Lily of the Valley summoned vines to coil around her firearms, then moved swiftly, dodging attacks while unleashing maximum firepower upon the dummy, pummeling it into a frantic, repetitive cycle of squatting and rising.

Lu Chen, meanwhile, stood strategically in a safe vantage point, his camera raised, continuously depressing the shutter.

In less than half a minute, the dummy collapsed with a resounding crash amidst the lingering gunsmoke and steam, scattering a shower of gold coins across the floor before its ignominious retreat.

Simultaneously, a photograph was transmitted to the observation room, materializing on the large screen.

The three occupants of the room immediately looked up with eager anticipation, only to find the photograph displayed two indistinct color blocks, beside which a clear ’10’ was prominently marked, unequivocally denoting the score for that particular image.

Morning Star stared at the indistinct shapes for a silent moment, then remarked, “Hmm, his chosen perspective is certainly unique, opting to convey the ferocity of combat by photographing the firearms themselves. No wonder he could achieve a perfect score. Still, which specific gun is that blurry mass on the left?”

Lin Wan responded, “…I believe that’s meant to be Lily of the Valley standing amidst the smoke, and the scoring system is out of a hundred. It appears the shutter speed was set for too long.”

Mid-sentence, she noticed Fireworks, standing beside her with a blank expression, utterly silent. Hastily, Lin Wan quickened her pace, “A-a single subpar performance isn’t unusual in the slightest, and he’s actually already met the average score for this particular stage. It’s truly just that this dummy is terribly designed. In any case, next!”

As Lin Wan spoke, she pressed the button once more. Another flash of red light illuminated the arena, and a triangular-headed robot, blue and yellow, its body a damaged blue sphere, materialized on the field.

At the sight of it, Lin Wan’s eyes brightened as she began to explain, “Our luck has turned this time. This is one of the most formidable mechanical dummies; you’d be hard-pressed to find more than three in our entire warehouse that could surpass it. Even a newly awakened Magical Girl might struggle to defeat it. What’s more, it fights with both precision and flair, constantly launching vibrant orbs of light, a spectacle more captivating than any circus act. It’s guaranteed to deliver a truly magnificent battle!”

As she spoke, Lily of the Valley shed her jacket, revealing a trim, athletic waist. This time, she forewent the smoke-producing firearms, opting instead to engage the dummy in a fierce melee with her dagger.

Following a whirlwind of intense and dazzling combat, the dummy finally toppled face-first to the ground, its performance concluded.

Moments later, Lu Chen’s second photograph appeared on the screen.

The three looked up once more. The image on the screen was a masterpiece of composition, with vivid light and shadow, and harmonious tones—nothing short of perfect.

However, Lily of the Valley, locked in fierce combat, moved with such incredible speed that Lu Chen failed to seize the precise moment, capturing only a slightly blurred afterimage.

This time, the number etched into the corner of the photograph read ’60’—a bare pass, yet utterly insufficient to compensate for the abysmal score of the first image.

Lin Wan looked helplessly at Xia Shi and said, “Lu Chen seems to have used the wrong focus mode, still employing single autofocus meant for stationary subjects, which caused the main figure to be a bit blurry. A score of 60% already surpasses most test participants, but it’s still a bit short of meeting a cameraman’s requirements. While he’s perfectly suited to photographing you, who often stands still to shoot arrows and cast spells, he hasn’t seriously photographed a fast-moving Magical Girl in quite some time, and thus lacks the necessary practice. It’s simply unavoidable. Don’t be too disheartened.”

Lin Wan’s consoling words brought the test to a close.

****

Five minutes later, outside the training grounds.

Lu Chen sat on a bench by the wall, camera in hand, his gaze lowered as he browsed through the photos.

Suddenly, he felt a subtle shift and quickly turned off the camera, putting it away. The platinum-haired girl—Morning Star—drifted out from among the passing pedestrians almost immediately, arriving by his side.

She held up a bottle of iced oolong tea and tossed it to Lu Chen.

“Tough test. Here’s a little something to refresh yourself.”

“Thank you.”

Lu Chen caught the drink, smiling at her, though his eyes drifted past her, searching for another figure.

Morning Star noticed the young man’s intention. As she floated down to sit on the bench, she said, “Little Fireworks went to help Sister Lin tidy up her office. She really made a mess of the documents when she called Lily of the Valley over.”

“Is that so? Thank you for letting me know; I’ll go help her right away.”

Lu Chen made to stand, but Morning Star interrupted him.

“Wait, if you’re truly grateful, could you answer one question for me first?”

The ornaments on Morning Star’s person chimed softly. The young man looked at her in surprise.

“Please, ask.”

“Just now, why did you deliberately submit low-quality photos?”