As the frantic footsteps in the corridor faded into the distance, Huang Xiu gently shook his head.
A subtle hint of resignation flickered across his face.
“‘What even is this? Is this some kind of protagonist’s show-off moment in an anime? Though, after I transform, I suppose I’ll only be able to play the heroine.'”
A chuckle escaped him at the thought.
“‘And no matter how you look at it, this anime called ‘reality’ is just utterly terrible!'”
When it came to showing off, there wasn’t even an audience; moreover, gaining supernatural abilities came at the cost of transformation.
He was still just an overly sentimental fool, agonizing over every choice, wanting everything and thus trapped in a dilemma, utterly devoid of charisma.
Even if this kind of anime were rated on Douban (TL Note: A popular Chinese social media platform for movie, book, and music reviews.), it would likely be considered a bottom-tier production, barely scraping a score of 6.
“‘But now that it’s come to this, I can only hope this cliché anime truly has no designated protagonist!'”
Huang Xiu gave a thumbs-down, then shouted:
“‘Come on, you idiotic pig-headed monster! Let your grandpa here put on a real show with these last two transformation chances!'”
Since the ‘Youthful Melody of an Ordinary Boy’ was nearing its finale,
why not overturn the world and usher in a new symphony instead?
Huang Xiu took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain as calm as possible as he stared at the end of the corridor.
The incandescent lights flickered erratically, casting enormous, menacing, and ever-shifting shadows throughout the entire corridor.
A tangible darkness, like flowing water, seeped from the stairwell.
“‘It’s coming!'” Huang Xiu’s gaze sharpened.
Even before the pig-headed monster appeared, the flickering lights and the all-consuming darkness had already painted a scene of boundless terror.
*Thump-thump!*
Accompanied by dull, drum-like footsteps, a large hand slowly emerged from the gloom, seized the iron door on the left side of the corridor, and crushed it to smithereens as if it were made of tofu.
The pig-headed monster then hauled itself forward, using the door as leverage.
Visible plumes of white vapor billowed from its nostrils, and its dull yet cruel pupils slowly rotated.
They finally settled on the other end of the corridor.
There stood a young man, poised and steadfast as a mountain, serene as a noble scion beneath the moonlight.
He possessed a feminine beauty, with a slender figure.
His face held the soft contours of a girl, yet his eyes gleamed with the unyielding spirit and resolute gaze of a young man.
The distinct temperaments of both genders skillfully merged within him.
“‘It’s a pity there’s no audience to witness my grand display,'” the young man stated, shaking his hand, his eyes cold.
“‘But at least you get to watch, so it’s not a complete loss.'”
“‘Aaaargh!'” The pig-headed monster let out a piercing roar and charged forward with massive strides.
It did not hurl its ruler.
Though not highly intelligent, its two previous missed throws had taught it a lesson.
Throwing the ruler would be useless against the person before it.
“‘Oh, not turning to flee, but coming straight for me? How courageous!'”
As Huang Xiu spoke, he slowly unfurled his tightly clenched right hand, revealing a clump of plant remnants still clinging to damp soil.
It was the small potted plant from Class 2-4, a spider plant he had nurtured for two years!
While the pig-headed monster had yet to fully advance, he had swiftly pulled it from the potted plant on the windowsill.
With his left hand, he quickly slashed across his right.
Huang Xiu gritted his teeth against the searing pain of his palm being cut, stepped forward, and declared with an icy expression, “‘Let me give you a proper demonstration of my only two transformations!'”
No sooner had the words left his lips than the young man flung the spider plant forward with the force of a baseball pitch.
The spider plant, still caked with soil, spun and danced through the air, its entire form shimmering with an inexplicable red light.
Before it had even traversed half the long corridor, the spider plant expanded like a balloon, reaching half a meter in size in the blink of an eye, filling the already narrow passageway before thudding heavily onto the floor.
Its originally slender, drooping leaves grew wildly, becoming as straight and sharp as swords, with a cold gleam dancing along their edges.
Anyone witnessing this sight would undoubtedly acknowledge the formidable sharpness of these leaves.
*Whirrr!*
The mutated spider plant abruptly began to spin, its sword-like leaves rotating along with it.
The entire plant had transformed into a top adorned with blades!
Simultaneously, the young man who had thrown the spider plant with such force also underwent a strange transformation.
His features softened further, losing all discernible masculine traits.
Hair, previously only finger-length, cascaded down like a waterfall in an instant, as if stimulated by hormones, flowing down her back.
In the blink of an eye, the young man had transformed into a beautiful and captivating young woman.
——This was the long-awaited unveiling of a new symphony, titled ‘The Extraordinary Maiden.’
Pointing at the pig-headed monster, she let out a delicate cry:
“‘Die, you pig-headed monster! Taste my Mutated Spider Plant, Mighty Spinning Top, Frenzied Rolling Blade of Death!'”
Huang Xiu had blurted out a nonsensical name, yet it seemed to further enrage the monster that was ‘charging’ forward.
It abruptly halted, its arm muscles bulging, and raised its ruler high behind its shoulder before swinging it down at the mutated spider plant hurtling towards it.
The silver ruler collided with the furiously spinning spider plant, sparking a shower of fireworks as if steel were being cut, and unleashing a massive, crisp explosion.
An invisible gale, carried by the soundwave, swept rapidly down both sides of the corridor, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
A wisp of Huang Xiu’s smooth, dark hair on her forehead was swept back by the wind, revealing her clear, dark eyes, like still water.
Her expression unwavering, she waved her right hand, “‘Change!'”
At her command, the leaves of the mutated spider plant, stimulated by the ethereal energy, transformed into green barbs, thinning and elongating several times over, becoming countless green spikes, resembling a sea urchin!
The pig-headed monster had no time to react.
The green spikes pierced through the gaps in its ruler, puncturing several holes across its entire body.
Black, foul-smelling blood oozed from the perforations, dripping onto the floor with a corrosive sizzle.
“‘Roar!'” The pig-headed monster roared in pain.
A visibly enormous soundwave shattered the glass in the surrounding corridor windows, pane by pane.
Shards of glass rained down, scattering across the floor like a shimmering silver sea reflecting the moonlight.
“‘It can be damaged, but its blood is corrosive, and it can use soundwave attacks.'”
Huang Xiu covered her ears with both hands, blood seeping between her fingers, as she calmly analyzed the battle.
She lacked combat experience, yet in essence, there was no fundamental difference between battle and a game.
Both were simply about using what one possessed to overcome an opponent.
Only by calmly analyzing the situation could she pinpoint her unique opportunity for victory.
“‘Relying on just one spider plant is still too difficult!'”
Huang Xiu waved her right hand, and the plump, sea-urchin-like spider plant bounced back several meters to stand before her.
She currently had only this single plant at her disposal.
She needed to use it sparingly.
“‘Next time, I’ll need to carry more plant seeds when I go out!'” Huang Xiu learned from her mistake.
She was not someone who would stumble twice in the same place.
Just as she was about to resume controlling the mutated spider plant to attack, the young woman suddenly sensed something in her mind.
“‘It’s still here? I truly didn’t expect that.'”
Huang Xiu murmured to herself.
She hadn’t realized that the cactus she had first mutated was still present on campus, not having perished.