C1 I Am a Tadpole!

"It seems fate has decreed my stubbornness..."

Su Bai strolled along with his hands in his pockets, humming the theme song from his favorite TV show, "The Frog Became Prince," and mused, "How great it would be to turn into a prince one day!"

Alas, dreams are often grand, while reality is stark. Coming from a rural family, Su Bai had nothing princely about him, save for his kind heart.

He vividly recalled an incident from just yesterday when he had found a phone. After returning it to its owner, the owner's remark had nearly sent Su Bai into a fit of rage.

"I wouldn't have guessed someone as unattractive as you could be so kind-hearted!"

So what if I'm not good-looking? At least I'm not a thief or a robber.

While still brooding over the previous day's events, Su Bai glanced up and spotted an elderly man with a cane slowly crossing the street.

A glance back revealed a car speeding towards them.

"Watch out for the car, sir!" Su Bai yelled.

His warning caused the old man to halt, looking bewilderedly at Su Bai, oblivious to the danger he was in.

Su Bai's head started to throb.

"To hell with it!"

Gritting his teeth, Su Bai dashed toward the old man.

With all his might, he gave the old man a gentle push.

The man stumbled forward, taking several quick steps.

Crash!

A loud noise erupted behind him. The old man turned to see a young man lying in a pool of blood.

Su Bai's world went dark as he lost consciousness.

In a hazy dream, Su Bai imagined he was a toad who, after a kiss from a princess, transformed into a handsome prince.

"Where... Where am I?"

Su Bai came to, feeling disoriented.

"Wait, why does it feel like I'm underwater?"

Opening his eyes, Su Bai surveyed his surroundings and confirmed he was indeed submerged.

"What... What's happening?"

Confused, he instinctively tried to scratch his head.

"Hold on, where are my hands? Ah, my legs are gone too. And why are there so many tadpoles around me?"

"Damn it, I've turned into a tadpole!"

He was in a small puddle.

After the rain, the puddle teemed with floating creatures and decaying plants.

Tadpoles in droves eagerly gobbled up their food, mouths agape, eagerly anticipating their rapid growth into toads.

But there was one tadpole that stood out from the rest.

This particular tadpole had concealed itself within a crevice in the ground, abstaining from food and drink for several days.

"Oh Lord, you really have a sense of humor. I may wish to become a prince, but I certainly don't want to turn into a toad!"

Unable to come to terms with this reality, Su Bai had taken refuge in the crack, going without sustenance for days.

"Gu Gu!"

His shrunken belly grumbled in protest, yet Su Bai felt no urge to eat.

"Ah, I'm starving!"

Maybe it was the prolonged hunger, but Su Bai's head began to spin.

"Di!"

"Severe energy deficiency detected. Sleep will ensue in thirty minutes!"

"Ah!"

The sudden mental intrusion startled Su Bai.

What was that sound? Was it a hallucination brought on by his extended fast?

Su Bai tried to wag his little tail to regain focus, but found himself too weak to concentrate.

He decided it was best to eat something first.

He opened his mouth and inhaled the surrounding microorganisms.

Before he could relish the act of eating, the voice in his mind startled him again.

"Energy insufficient, energy insufficient!"

Despite his hunger-induced dizziness, Su Bai was certain he had heard something.

"Is it some kind of energy warning?"

After pondering for a moment, Su Bai puffed out his cheeks and voraciously sucked in the floating creatures nearby.

Even though he was unsure who or what was speaking to him, Su Bai felt no fear.

What could be more frightening than becoming a tadpole?

Nothing!

In fact, Su Bai was quite curious about the source of the voice.

Having consumed all the edible matter around him, Su Bai wiggled his tail and finally emerged from the crevice.

With each bite, his strength slowly returned.

Yet, he noticed something odd: no matter how much he ate, his hunger remained unsatisfied.

"Why do I still feel hungry after eating so much?"

Su Bai slowly ascended, flicking his tail as he navigated toward an area abundant with food.

Yet, such bountiful spots often came with risks.

Indeed, Su Bai had discovered a food-rich zone. As he was eagerly devouring his meal, a sudden disturbance rippled through the water. Su Bai sensed an enormous creature barreling towards him.

"Ah, it's a massive loach. This is it, I'm done for!"

Su Bai caught sight of a large gray loach charging at him, his tiny eyes nearly bulging out in terror.

He put all his might into flapping his tail, but to the loach, Su Bai's frantic efforts seemed almost stationary.

"That loach is so huge. Just a bump from it, and I wouldn't stand a chance!"

He recalled becoming a tadpole after a car accident. Was he about to go through another 'accident'?

Everything around Su Bai turned pitch black, as though he had plunged into a cave.

"Huh? Has it gotten dark?"

Su Bai was momentarily confused.

"Oh no, I've been swallowed by the giant loach!"

Once he realized what had happened, a chill ran through Su Bai. Oh, that's right, he currently lacked hands and feet. Regardless, he was overcome by an icy sensation.

"Am I about to die once more?"

Su Bai now regretted not valuing his life as a tiny tadpole.

"Actually, being a tadpole isn't so bad. Who knows, after I turn into a frog, I might even become a frog prince!"

"If given another chance, even as a tadpole, I would treasure my life!"

Su Bai closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.

"Beep!"

"Energy absorption complete. Would you like to continue feeding to finish the awakening?"

The prompt in his mind didn't leave Su Bai much time to ponder; he instinctively chose yes.

With his decision made, Su Bai instinctively opened his mouth and began to bite wildly at anything within reach.

Tadpoles typically lack teeth, but Su Bai seemed to be an exception. Not only did he have teeth, but they were also incredibly sharp.

"Chomp!"

With one bite, Su Bai felt his teeth sink into something soft. It appeared to be the flesh of the loach.

No sooner had Su Bai swallowed the meat, without even chewing, than a sudden force of suction within his body pulled the food straight into his stomach.

"Beep!"

"Awakening complete!"

"Host: Fang Twillow. Innate Skill: None. Energy: 0-10."