C3 Transform! Small Witch!

"Hey, stop running!"

Zhou Ming was at a loss for words as he watched Lin Xiaowu take off. He had only intended to test the system's reality, but it was clear that the young woman was in some kind of trouble.

"Where do you think you're going, miss?"

Two hulking men emerged from the shadows on the right, blocking Lin Xiaowu's way.

"I... I just need to use the restroom."

Lin Xiaowu shivered under the men's menacing stares, retreating timidly.

"The restroom? You think we're idiots?"

The scar-faced brute lunged at Lin Xiaowu, seizing her without further ado, intent on dragging her off.

"Please, no! I wasn't trying to escape. I beg you, don't take me back!"

Flyers spilled from Lin Xiaowu's arms, her face etched with terror as she desperately tried to break free from the scarred man's grip. But her strength was no match for his, and she was awkwardly pulled along.

"You don't get a say in this."

The other man sneered, capturing Lin Xiaowu's other arm, rendering her immobile.

Zhou Ming was astounded by the scene before him. Having lived in a peaceful country for over two decades, he never expected to stumble upon a scenario straight out of a TV drama.

Host, please rescue Lin Xiaowu immediately. Failure to complete the newbie mission will result in severe punishment!

The system's icy prompt echoed in his mind.

Zhou Ming stood frozen, clutching two large bags. Against those muscular men, he felt as helpless as a chick. How on earth could he be expected to save her?

This was the real world, not some fantasy novel where the hero exudes an overpowering presence, dispatching hordes of underlings with a couple of swift moves. That was just absurd!

To save or not to save? Zhou Ming wrestled with the decision. Just then, a death warrant was issued.

Punishment details: If the novice mission is incomplete, the host will be terminated!

A chilling red alert flashed before Zhou Ming, his heart sinking. He had no desire to find out what being 'terminated' entailed. With Lin Xiaowu on the brink of being pulled into the darkness, he steeled himself and charged forward.

"Let that girl go!"

The two hefty bags hit the ground with a thud, followed by a booming shout that silenced the room.

For a few seconds, the two burly men exchanged glances, as if they had just witnessed the most hilarious spectacle, and burst into raucous laughter.

"Pfft! Big bro, this kid's got air bubbles in his brain."

"Hahaha! More than bubbles, he's got craters."

The scarred man glared menacingly at Zhou Ming and mocked, "You little punk, you've been reading too many Dragon Aotian novels. Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, or I'll beat you so bad you'll be crying for your mama!"

"Cut the act! Believe me, I'll have you crying 'daddy' before this is over! Release her now."

Zhou Ming feigned composure, but internally he was furiously cursing the system for its lack of ethics. Damn system, I need backup, and fast!

"Damn it! I offer you a way out and you don't take it? You're asking for it!"

One of the men charged at Zhou Ming, his fist, large as a sandbag, hurtling towards Zhou Ming's face.

Crap! There's an unspoken rule about not hitting the face! Zhou Ming had no time to react. With his slight build, there was no way he could evade such a swift and brutal punch.

Given the host's weaker physical abilities, the system had preemptively advanced 100 dream value points for the host to utilize at will.

Zhou Ming's mind underwent a seismic shift. A massive silver-white "100" burst apart, with streams of silver-white light scattering in every direction before finally merging into Zhou Ming's brain.

System alert: Dream value is infinitely versatile, with numerous applications. The host can employ imagination to conjure an illusion to overcome the immediate challenge.

"What do I do? Cut the crap and tell me already!"

The host can envision having the power to transform. Upon transformation, he would possess attack skills to neutralize the enemy.

"So, you're saying that whatever I imagine in my mind, I can become, right?"

Yes, with the current 100 dream value points, the scope of imagination manifestation is somewhat limited. It will only become reality after the host's first successful visualization.

"No time to waste, let's give this a shot!"

Zhou Ming frantically engaged with the system in his mind, and within mere milliseconds, a series of images flashed through his thoughts.

"Yoo-hoo, small witch! Time to transform!"

In the real world, just as a fist was mere inches from Zhou Ming's face, an earth-shattering voice echoed, blinding the two hulking men and Lin Xiaowu with a blinding flash of light!

Before them stood a young man dressed in a blue and yellow bubble skirt, his waist cinched with a large pink butterfly bow, brandishing a red heart-shaped magic wand with flair!

The area fell into sudden silence, the onlookers swallowing hard in unison. Zhou Ming could never have imagined that today's events would become an indelible, embarrassing memory.

"Mommy, look, why is that brother wearing a dress?"

A mother and her daughter were walking by when the four-year-old girl, finger in her mouth, gazed wide-eyed at Zhou Ming and called out in her sweet, innocent voice.

"Don't look! You'll go blind!"

The mother quickly shielded her daughter's eyes and hurried her away.

The punch never reached Zhou Ming's face, as the man with the scar was stunned by Zhou Ming's instant costume change.

Zhou Ming, feeling awkward, adjusted his skirt. He knew he couldn't afford to hesitate. Gripping the love magic wand, he swung it with a grunt, "Love's Impact!"

"Biu~"

A beam of pink light burst forth from the wand, sending the scarred man flying into a nearby flowerbed.

That was... unexpectedly powerful!

Zhou Ming stared at his hands in disbelief, feeling an overwhelming power coursing through him—a mysterious force from another dimension, the power of the witch! He never imagined that the anime he watched as a child would one day become his reality.

"Boss, this guy might be one of the escaped test subjects..."

The other man didn't run; instead, he aimed his phone at Zhou Ming, apparently video-calling someone.

Zhou Ming's mental and physical abilities had increased exponentially. He quickly realized what was happening and swung his wand again, sending a massive pink heart soaring. The explosive wave of the mysterious blast left the man no time for shock as he was sent tumbling through the air, blood spewing from his mouth.

"Fascinating..."

The man crashed to the ground, his phone flying from his grasp. The person on the screen uttered a single word before the phone smashed into the pavement, shattering into pieces.

On the street, only Lin Xiaowu and Zhou Ming remained, exchanging looks of shock and embarrassment.

The novice task was complete, rewarding 200 dream value. The host has overexerted themselves; please replenish energy promptly.

A window materialized in Zhou Ming's mind, and his clothing transformed into tiny points of light before vanishing. Overwhelmed by a wave of weakness, he collapsed forward...

"Hey, cross-dressing freak..."

As Zhou Ming slipped into unconsciousness, those words faintly echoed in his ears, and then darkness enveloped his awareness.