Chapter Three: The Notebook and the Anomaly

“Tch, that really hurts.” Xiao Xiao touched the wound on his face, grimacing in pain—it was no joke.

His mind was muddled, his gaze vacant, as the vast reading room fell into silence.

Faint voices echoed from afar, suddenly jolting Xiao Xiao awake, bringing him back to reality.

He shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his thoughts, unwilling to dwell any further.

A few steps forward, he crouched down to gather the scattered books. Halfway through reaching out, his hand froze—his fingers were stained with the blood that had just touched his face.

Frowning, Xiao Xiao realized he had nothing on him to wipe the blood away. Switching to his left hand, he began picking up the books one by one.

“Hmm?” Xiao Xiao examined one of the books he had casually picked up—a notebook? How did a notebook end up here? Must have been left behind by someone.

He looked closer—it was just an ordinary black notebook, dusted lightly.

Perhaps someone accidentally tucked it in with the books, he reasoned.

Intending to place it back on the shelf like the others, he felt an inexplicable unease. It was just a mundane notebook, yet it somehow caught his attention.

His fingers instinctively traced the cover, and he chuckled to himself—why not just open it if it piqued his curiosity? Still, a strange restlessness stirred within him.

Swallowing hard, he awkwardly flipped open the notebook with his left hand.

Huh? Blank pages?

Skimming through, every page was untouched—an unused notebook.

Xiao Xiao was momentarily stunned, then amused at his earlier unnecessary anxiety. He had expected something unusual.

His recent experiences had frayed his nerves, making him overly alert.

He was about to close the notebook when a flash of color caught his eye. Hastily turning to that page, his finger was cut by the sharp edge of the paper. Blood seeped out, dripping onto the slightly yellowed page before he could react.

“Ouch~” Xiao Xiao muttered, flustered. In his panic, the blood from his right hand also smeared onto the page. Glancing at both hands, he gave up trying to clean it.

Yet, as he resigned himself and looked back at the notebook, a wave of suspicion washed over him—the old, weathered paper was utterly blank, without a single trace of blood.

What was going on?

The blood had clearly touched the paper.

Doubting his eyesight, Xiao Xiao blinked harder and scrutinized the notebook carefully.

Wait? He rubbed his eyes—was he seeing things?

Faint patterns seemed to emerge on the paper.

Leaning in closer, he confirmed it.

There really were patterns.

The yellowed page’s texture sharpened, with vermilion ink seeping through—it was...

Xiao Xiao’s eyes widened, his pupils reflecting a strangely shaped fish.

It resembled a carp, but with six legs and a bird’s tail.

Unlike the aged paper, the bright vermilion seemed alive, slowly flowing across the page.

Xiao Xiao almost heard the sound of splashing water. The vivid image seemed to come to life, locking eyes with him, a bizarre smile crossing its face—mischievous yet innocent, tinged with sly malice.

Snapping back to reality, the quiet room was filled only with the sound of his rapid breathing.

What was happening? A chill ran down his spine.

Was this a monster?

Had the previous figure been one too?

Their unusual forms, inhuman expressions and actions, and elusive movements all exuded an eerie, sinister aura.

He flipped another page. The yellowed, blank sheet slowly revealed a shadow under his intense gaze.

The pattern grew clearer—it was the same creature from before!

It looked like a mouse, but with the head of a rabbit and the body of a moose.

Its crimson vertical pupils were cold and arrogant. Tense limbs suggested it could pounce at any moment to deliver a deadly strike.

Xiao Xiao felt as if he could hear the low, threatening growl from its throat.

Such a small body, yet it emitted a heavy, violent roar.

He recalled the dizziness he had felt then.

Only the sting on his cheek had brought him back to his senses.

At this moment, he could no longer brush off these visions as mere illusions.

Something truly was happening to him.

He sensed that his life might no longer be the smooth, peaceful path he once imagined.

Confused and frightened, his head throbbed painfully, yet deep inside, hidden in some secret corner, emotions stirred and stirred—was it anticipation or excitement?

…

He flipped through the entire notebook but found only these two illustrations.

Returning to the two pages, he noticed ancient, unfamiliar writing bordering the images. Though it was his first time seeing such characters, he inexplicably understood them and softly read aloud: “Guìguì Fish… Ear Mouse?”

Were these the names of the monsters?

He pondered for a long moment, forming a tentative theory: the notebook’s contents must revolve around him. He had only encountered these two monsters, so only these appeared inside.

But what was this all about? Was he supposed to hunt monsters and vanquish demons?

Uh, he was just an ordinary mortal.

He wanted a superpower, a “cheat code.”

Still, these monsters didn’t seem as hideous as described in folklore. Maybe he was lucky, encountering friendlier ones?

Xiao Xiao rubbed his chin. Friendlier, huh? He wasn’t so sure, recalling the eerie laughter of the Guìguì Fish and the violent growl and gleaming teeth of the Ear Mouse. Well, at least they hadn’t harmed him, right?

…

“Student, why have you dropped all these books on the floor?” An unexpected voice interrupted. The librarian appeared, frowning in disapproval.

Startled, Xiao Xiao snapped back to reality, his heart pounding violently—he nearly had a heart attack!

Glancing at the scattered books and the librarian’s faintly angry expression, he patted his racing heart and forced a sheepish smile. “Sorry, teacher, I didn’t mean to. I’ll pick them up right away.”

“Student, books must be treated with care. This is a library, not just for you...” The librarian’s face softened seeing his good attitude but still stood nearby watching him tidy up, her words unceasing.

Xiao Xiao wanted to tear that Ear Mouse to pieces. It was all its fault, yet he bore the bad luck!

Quickly and efficiently, he gathered the books and returned them to their places, promising not to repeat the mistake before finally excusing himself.

This little episode calmed his previously chaotic thoughts. Xiao Xiao had always been adaptable; since things had happened, there was no use obsessing over them. Besides, so far, he could only see the monsters and hadn’t been harmed.

Well, not seriously harmed. He reached out to touch the wound on his face, but abruptly stopped, his expression turning strange. He hurried to the nearest window and pressed his nose against the cold glass, finally halting.

His heart raced wildly. The glass was clean, clearly reflecting his close-up face.

He touched the wounded spot, wiping away the dried blood. There was a cut here before, but the reflection showed no scar. The skin beneath his fingers felt smooth and unbroken—the wound caused by the fierce wind was as if a hallucination.

He pinched his cheek, wincing in pain.

Heh, after gaining the ability to see monsters, his body was undergoing strange changes too?

Was he turning into a superhero?