Chapter 51: The Boundless Sea of Flowers

The Jacaranda Division Headquarters.

A place so mysterious that no one knew its exact location. Even access was only possible through a special teleportation method.

Su Xinxin had only just been promoted to a First-Tier Budding Blossom yesterday, yet today Jasmin was already pulling her along, promising to take her on a tour of the headquarters.

“Gentian! Look there! Look there!”

Jasmin tugged her hand, pointing into the distance.

It was a boundless sea of flowers.

A tapestry of colors—pinks, whites, yellows, blues, and purples—interwove, spreading out in layers like a colossal brocade draped over the undulating earth.

The wind swept in from afar, causing waves of flowers to surge, one chasing the next, stretching all the way to the horizon.

Under the sunlight, each bloom shimmered with a faint halo, as if dusted with a fine layer of gold.

The air was thick with the scent of flowers, not a single fragrance, but an intricate blend of countless aromas, harmoniously intertwined.

Delicate, rich, sweet, ethereal—each was distinctly discernible, yet they merged into a singular, breathtaking essence.

Su Xinxin stood rooted, a little dazed by the sight.

“Alright, alright, I see it!”

No sooner had she replied than Jasmin pulled her into a run, straight into the flower sea.

“Eh, maybe we should just look from afar?” Su Xinxin asked, a hint of worry in her voice. “Wouldn’t it be bad to step on and ruin the flowers if we go straight in?”

“Hahaha, you won’t ruin them!” Jasmin turned back, laughing. “They’ve already thought of everything!”

The two quickly dashed into the heart of the flower sea.

The flowers beneath their feet looked tangible, within reach, but when they actually stepped on them, the blooms behaved like phantoms, passing through their feet only to return to their original state.

Petals brushed gently against their ankles, creating a subtle, elusive sensation, like wind, or perhaps water.

After finding a suitable spot, Jasmin released Su Xinxin’s hand and simply leaned back, lying down amidst the flowers.

Some flowers passed right through her body, slowly becoming transparent, while others swayed beside her, as if welcoming her, nodding, or perhaps, as if she were inherently a part of them.

Su Xinxin hesitated for a moment, then followed suit and lay down.

As her body descended, she expected to hit soil or grass, but instead felt only a gentle, ethereal support. The flowers passed through her, then swayed beside her, while sunlight filtered through the gaps of petals still dancing in the air, casting dappled floral shadows on her face.

The floral scent grew stronger then.

Yet, this was not the unpleasant overwhelming aroma of excessive perfume. It wasn’t a pungent intensity, but a gentle embrace, seeping in through her nostrils, flowing past her throat, through her chest, and settling deep within her heart.

She could feel a subtle warmth coursing through her body with the fragrance, circulating through her limbs, bringing an indescribable comfort.

When she closed her eyes, a soft, warm hue appeared before her. The halos of the flowers shone through her eyelids, like countless tiny stars twinkling.

“Comfortable, isn’t it?” Jasmin’s voice drifted from beside her, languid. “This close contact with flowers can greatly boost your power! You can even ascend directly to the Mahayana stage!”

“Uh… huh?” Su Xinxin opened her eyes, turning her head to look at Jasmin with confusion.

Jasmin lay there, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“I’m just kidding,” she said. “This isn’t some cultivation novel; of course, there’s no such thing.”

She paused.

“Oh right, Gentian, have you never read cultivation novels before?”

“I’ve encountered them,” Su Xinxin mused, “but I’ve read very few. I only know terms like ‘Qi Condensation’ and ‘Foundation Establishment.'”

“Alright.”

The two fell silent again, continuing to bask in the beauty of the midday flower sea.

The wind in the flower sea was gentle, stirring up a rustling sound as it passed, as if countless flowers were whispering. The sunlight was not harsh, but warm and inviting, making one feel drowsy.

Lying there, Su Xinxin gazed at the swaying floral shadows above and suddenly recalled the ‘flower sea summoning magic’ from the anime she’d recently binged.

Back then, she had thought it was merely an animation effect, never imagining such a place could exist in reality.

‘Hmm… can this even be considered reality?’

She remembered Jasmin mentioning that during their visit to the provincial library, the Snapdragon senior had released a skill that summoned a shower of flowers, like a flower rain. Though it couldn’t compare to the current flower sea, it was far more magnificent than the skills of ordinary flower magical girls like them.

That feeling of envy, now seeing so many flowers, was truly being experienced firsthand, wasn’t it?

However, Jasmin had also said that Snapdragon’s personality seemed a bit odd. They always carried a folding fan and wore a smile, much like those mysterious, squinty-eyed characters in anime, making them difficult to fathom.

‘Oh, but they don’t actually have squinty eyes, do they?’

The truly squinty-eyed one should be the magical girl named Ziyuan? Oh no, Jasmin had also said that it was the one who looked half-asleep with half-closed eyes.

Su Xinxin suddenly thought of so many people and, with renewed curiosity, spoke up.

“Jasmin.”

“Hmm?”

“Why does it feel like it’s just the two of us here?”

Jasmin rolled onto her side, facing her.

“Perhaps… it’s because the Jacaranda Division Headquarters is incredibly vast?” she said, a hint of uncertainty in her expression. “And this flower sea seems endless; it must just be that there are fewer people in this particular area.”

She paused.

“Besides, the number of people allowed into the headquarters each day is limited. You have to book in advance, and appointments are hard to get. Each person can only come once a week.”

“But I only got promoted yesterday, and I only booked last night after you told me, and here I am today,” Su Xinxin said, blinking. “It feels pretty easy.”

“That’s because you’re newly promoted, and your first visit grants you a special pass,” Jasmin laughed. “It won’t be so easy next time you want to come.”

Su Xinxin said nothing more.

The two lay there for a while longer. The sun was warm, the flower scent soft, and at some point, Su Xinxin actually drifted off to sleep.

When she woke again, she didn’t know how much time had passed.

Jasmin was sitting beside her, propping her chin on her hand, watching her.

“Awake?”

“Mm…” Su Xinxin rubbed her eyes and sat up. “How long did I sleep?”

“Not long, just a little while.” Jasmin stood up, brushing flower petals from her dress—the petals passed through her palm and drifted back into the flowerbed. “Alright, it’s time to take you on a tour, otherwise, you might accuse me of dereliction of duty.”

Su Xinxin also stood up.

The first place they visited was the ‘Gardener’ department.

After passing through the flower sea, a cluster of buildings appeared before their eyes.

Unlike the tall skyscrapers outside, these buildings were not high, nestled amongst various flowers, plants, and trees, as if they had grown directly from the earth.

“This department is arguably the busiest,” Jasmin explained as they walked. “It’s primarily responsible for technical development and logistical support.”

She counted on her fingers.

“For instance, equipment research and development—designing, maintaining, and upgrading outfits, magical artifacts, and the ‘Wardrobe’ system. Then there’s post-battle processing, cognitive filters, visual shielding, rapid environmental restoration… basically, they handle most of what needs doing after a battle ends.”

Su Xinxin listened, her gaze falling upon a half-open door.

There weren’t many people inside at the moment, but they seemed to be busy with something.

“Are the people in there… also magical girls?” she asked.

“Of course,” Jasmin nodded. “But they’re mostly retired magical girls.”

“Magical girls can retire?” Su Xinxin was a little surprised. “Can’t they just get jobs in the real world after retiring?”

“I’m not entirely sure about the specifics; it depends on their arrangements,” Jasmin mused. “However, more of them tend to stay within the organization.”

“What’s the retirement process like?”

Su Xinxin suddenly grew curious. If she could work here, it would be much safer than fighting monsters outside.

Jasmin glanced at her, seemingly guessing her thoughts.

“Retirement usually applies to magical girls who have ‘withered,'” she said. “Simply put, only those who no longer possess combat capabilities are assigned here. Unless there are special circumstances, it seems this is the only way to come.”

She paused.

“Oh, don’t even think about safety. This kind of work is actually very, very tiring! Post-battle processing, eliminating cognitive traces, restoring the scene—which of these isn’t dangerous?”

“Aren’t there things like design, upgrades, and maintenance?” Su Xinxin asked.

“Design?” Jasmin laughed. “Well… AI technology is very advanced now. Besides a few essential personnel, they won’t need anyone else. As for other technical aspects, those are both confidential and specialized; I don’t know the exact situation.”

Su Xinxin thought about it, realizing it was probably true, and decided not to dwell on it.

She withdrew her gaze and followed Jasmin’s footsteps, continuing the tour.

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