Positive little sun, magical girl, I am awesome

Lilith recalled the people who walked in carrying various laptop bags, and then looked at herself. All she had in her hands were a few thin sheets of paper and a phone overrun with annoying games. She was completely unprepared.

After she reluctantly handed over those few thin resumes, she felt her back was already soaked with sweat.

"Your academic qualifications are excellent, but I noticed on your resume that there is a gap of about five years between graduation and this most recent interview. Could you briefly describe what you did during that time?"

The HR person's voice was as steady as an electronic voice, without any small talk. She and her colleague quickly flipped through the resumes, but finished in a couple of glances, tapped a few lines with their fingertips, and got straight to the point.

A blank period? Lilith's mind went blank. Had she graduated? She tried to recall, but could only grasp some vague fragments—flickering candlelight, heavy books, and a bubbling cauldron.

Lilith's gaze involuntarily drifted back to the curtain:

[Bluetooth not connected, searching...]

"I...I don't know...I was doing some...self-improvement and...uh, study abroad during that time?"

Lilith stared at the spinning search icon, feeling as if she were being publicly executed. She bit her lip, swallowed the worst answer, and changed her wording.

But her voice trembled with uncertainty, and she couldn't even convince herself of this explanation.

The HR person looked up, their sharp gaze sweeping over her from behind their glasses: "Study abroad? Which field specifically, and which organization? This experience doesn't seem to be on your resume."

“It’s…it’s some rather niche areas,” Lilith felt sweat starting to break out on her back, “about…the collation of ancient documents and, uh, cross-cultural communication practices?” Her voice trailed off, sounding more and more like a fabrication.

"Are you planning to pursue further studies?" the HR asked, her tone devoid of emotion but carrying a cautious assessment.

“No, I’m going to…” Lilith denied almost immediately, but after uttering the word “no,” her mind went blank. If she wasn’t going to study, what had she been doing all these years? Was she going to Ozler?

Seeing her momentarily freeze, the HR person leaned back slightly in her chair. This subtle movement carried an unspoken sense of pressure, and the two colleagues next to her also stopped flipping through the resumes, their eyes falling on Lilith.

"May I ask about your marital and childbearing status?" Another interviewer had already put down their pen.

"Unmarried and childless."

"Oh……"

“Ms. Lily.” The HR's tone remained steady, but her wording began to become direct and even somewhat harsh:

"To be frank, a five-year gap is a fatal weakness in today's job market. It means that your professional knowledge may have become outdated, your job skills need to be reassessed, and even your work attitude and habits need to be cultivated from scratch."

She picked up the thin resume and shook it gently: "As for your study abroad experience, it sounds too vague and doesn't seem to be very relevant to the position you're applying for."

Lilith felt her cheeks burning. She had always been an outstanding student praised by her teachers, and for the first time, she saw blatant disdain and doubt about her abilities in other people's eyes. She felt her calves cramping uncontrollably.

“I understand that young people might have the idea of ​​taking a gap year, but five years is too long.” The HR continued to apply pressure, her tone carrying a cool disdain:

“Many of our applicants are excellent recent graduates. They are young, energetic, quick learners, and their salary expectations are more in line with the entry-level market. In contrast, Ms. Lily, your age, this long gap in your career... frankly, I don’t see where your core competitiveness lies.”

She clasped her hands together and leaned forward. The reflection from her gold-rimmed glasses illuminated the words on the curtain, which Lilith could clearly see:

Bluetooth connection failed, searching...

"Can you tell me why the company would choose you over a more promising recent graduate? Or what advantages do you have that others don't?"

“I…” Lilith was speechless. She didn’t understand how she ended up here, being judged like a piece of pork.

Before she pushed open the door, she thought she was just going through the motions, but when she saw the contemptuous look in the HR's eyes behind his glasses, Lilith suddenly didn't want to admit defeat and acknowledge that she was a failure.

Her advantages? Her advantages are, of course—

“I know magic.” Lilith’s calves stopped trembling, and she straightened her back. “I also know swordsmanship.”

The three people opposite her all showed reserved smiles, amused by her.

"I really know magic!" Lilith eagerly cupped her hands, trying to demonstrate to the three people opposite her.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't feel any response from the elemental forces. Lilith wiped her forehead and realized that her hair was covered in sweat. She thought she must look extremely disheveled.

"What are you doing? Waving your arms around?" The HR person threw her resume on the table. "While our company does have an entertainment section, you're not here to interview for a broadcasting job. Besides..."

A look of pity crossed her eyes: "It seems you haven't looked at your phone much during these years of studying abroad. This kind of live-streaming with hand gestures is no longer popular."

"I can do magic, I really can do magic!" Lilith stubbornly tried again, attempting to scoop up a flame from her hands.

"Ha, is this all you learned at the Goredia Academy? You're still far from it."

Lilith looked up blankly and met HR's still emotionless eyes. She noticed that the color of the reflection on her glasses had changed. Just moments ago it was the restrained and calm blue on the screen, but now, a small patch of red was reflected on her lenses.

Lilith looked at the projection screen again, and sure enough, it had turned red. The Bluetooth search box, which was originally in the lower right corner, now almost filled the entire screen.

Bluetooth connection failed!

Bluetooth connection failed!

Bluetooth connection failed!

"...What did you just call me?" Lilith turned her head and asked softly.

"Greteia is fine, Lilith," the HR's voice came coldly.

Lilith turned her head again. The curtain that was impossible to ignore had now turned completely red, while the system notifications kept popping up one after another.

Bluetooth connection failed!

Bluetooth connection failed!

"Who are you……"

"boom--!"

The overhead light tube suddenly exploded, sparks crackling and flying everywhere. Lilith quickly covered her head, and when she opened her eyes again, the entire conference room had been completely bathed in the red light of the curtain.

Lilith began to sway from side to side, as if the building beneath her feet was shaking. Was it an earthquake? But Lilith couldn't care less about that, because two of the three HR personnel who were originally sitting at the table were gone, leaving only the woman in the middle with a cold tone, quietly watching her amidst the violent shaking.

"Who are you?!" Lilith demanded urgently.

"I'm so sorry, Lilith."

The icy female voice was almost indistinguishable from the electronic notification sound in the corridor just now. With these words, her head and face melted like heated butter, rapidly disintegrating, a horrifying sight in the red light of the room.

"Stay."