Chapter 9 [EDITED]
After conducting some research, Yu Xue finally confirmed one thing: the cactus thorns had a transformative effect on her body. The most noticeable change was the presence of long thorns on her vines, making them look extremely fierce.
She excitedly tested the vine by whipping it at her newly bought white goose pillow, and the thorns effortlessly hooked and pulled out some of the pillow's feathers. It appeared to be highly lethal.
Although she felt a bit sad about damaging her beloved pillow, she couldn't help but be thrilled. The vines had become more dangerous, and she saw this as a positive development.
Furthermore, apart from the long thorns, the vines had grown thicker, longer, and much stronger. They now resembled a whip more than ever.
However, her excitement soon faded away.
The vines still couldn't retract back into her body, which meant that whenever she went outside, she would have to carry the thorny vines wrapped around her hands. It was quite uncomfortable to have a strip of thorns coiled around her arm.
Laifu, observing this curiously, experienced a mix of happiness and frustration. Human emotions were indeed strange. Unlike humans, it found joy in simple things every day without any worries.
Speaking of which, how did it end up in the bedroom? Even though it enjoyed staying with Yu Xue, the floor was not as comfortable as its dog kennel. Since it had lost its fur, sleeping on the floor made it feel cold!
The dog ran off to find its beloved kennel, while Yu Xue remained immersed in her own world, unaware of Laifu's departure.
Despite the challenges posed by the unruly vines, the pain had subsided, and, most importantly, she no longer had to worry about the fate of the fairy balls. This brought her a sense of relief and improved her overall mood.
After freshening up, Yu Xue cooked a large pot of noodles, satisfying her hunger and bringing comfort to her stomach.
The next morning, she stayed at home to practice using her new thorny vines. In the hallway, she tied a rope to a beam, attached a slab of streaky pork taken from the refrigerator, and used it as a target for her vine whip.
Initially, the streaky pork was frozen solid, and she whipped it with her vines, causing it to bounce back with force. Each time she struck, the thorns on the vines left marks on the meat.
As the meat gradually thawed, the barbs scraped against it. Eventually, the pork belly became thin and strips of meat hung down, resembling a tattered cloth.
Standing about a meter away, Yu Xue poked the meat with her vines, sending it flying up before repeatedly striking the same spot for accuracy. Only when she felt satisfied with her accuracy in that area would she move on to another spot.
By the end, the meat was riddled with countless holes, resembling a rag more than anything else.
Yu Xue cooked the meat into a stew at noon, and it turned out to be delicious. She enjoyed a bowl of braised pork belly and polished off a large pot of rice.
Feeling content and satisfied, Yu Xue made the decision to continue her quest for mutants and planned to visit the flower and bird market near Fu'an Community.
There, she found a pot of mutant Nepenthes and a basin of mutant orchids.
This time, she was smarter and securely wrapped the two pots of plants before carefully bringing them back to Apartment 404 at night. She proudly exclaimed, "Look, I've brought you more snacks!"
Duoduo took a moment to respond, saying, "Today, there are two mutant plants?"
Yu Xue was taken aback and noticed a hint of weakness in Duoduo's voice. She hesitated and asked, "Duoduo, why does your voice sound a bit weak?"
Duoduo quickly reassured her, "No, it's nothing." Then, it swiftly possessed the dog and circled around the two pots of plants. Its paws lightly touched the pot containing the Nepenthes and remarked, "This one has relatively strong and aggressive energy. The hanging orchid seems to have recently undergone a mutation."
Yu Xue pondered for a moment, feeling a bit powerless. Perhaps it was just her imagination. After all, she had only recently encountered the cactus ball incident. It seemed unlikely for Duoduo's voice to become weaker all of a sudden.
She nodded in agreement with Duoduo's observation and said, "I feel the same way. Maybe getting injured by Nepenthes will cause my vines to further evolve."
She showcased her thorny vines, indicating the potential for further transformation.
Duoduo contemplated the situation and asked, "So, if you get injured by a mutant plant, you acquire some of its characteristics. What specific traits do you want to gain from Nepenthes?"
Yu Xue pondered the question. What did she actually think of when it came to Nepenthes? It had two large teeth and a digestive juice sac. It was capable of eating insects, but did she find that ability appealing? Or would it make her appearance unpleasant?
She realized that she didn't particularly like those abilities for her own vines.
"Forget it," Yu Xue decided. "I'll try again when I come across a more suitable mutant plant."
With that in mind, she ventured to another flower and bird market the following day, where she found a pot of mutant hydrangeas and a pot of mutant shrub roses. Neither of them stood out as particularly special, so she simply fed them a meal in the evening.
On the third day, Yu Xue found a mutant money tree, a pot of mutant loose-tailed sunflowers, and a pot of mutant gardenias. She either added a meal for them or just cared for them.
On the fourth day, Yu Xue didn't go to the flower and bird market because she discovered a mutated oleander growing on the side of the road.
A completely mutated oleander!
Yu Xue was stunned at that moment. If it hadn't been for the strong warning from her vines, she wouldn't have believed that the entire plant had mutated.
She looked around to ensure that no one was watching, then picked a small branch from the oleander and put it in her pocket. After that, she called home.
That night, she brought the small branch and the oleander to show Duoduo.
After examining it, Duoduo confirmed that it was indeed edible.
"Are you sure oleanders are poisonous?" Yu Xue asked, expressing her concerns.
Doudou reassured her, saying, "It's safe to eat. No problem. The energy level is quite high."
"Well..." Yu Xue thought for a moment, noticing something in Doudou's expression. She decided to ask, "What's wrong?"
Yu Xue hesitated and then asked, "Can the vine acquire the characteristics of the oleander? For example, oleanders are highly poisonous and resistant to dust and toxins. In the post-apocalyptic world, even the ability to purify the air would be very useful. In short, it would be great if the vine could gain any abilities from the oleander."
Duoduo remained silent for a moment and then responded, "Master, your idea is excellent, but oleanders are extremely toxic, and their toxicity has increased several times after mutation. If you want the vine to evolve and transform your body, you must first withstand its toxicity... At this point, it's too dangerous for you."
Yu Xue was taken aback. So she would need to develop resistance to toxins before proceeding?
Recalling the discomfort she experienced from being pricked by cactus balls, she felt uncertain about whether she could withstand the toxicity of the mutant oleander.
"Master, as your body continues to transform, the vine will become stronger and stronger, and your body will also become more resilient. Perhaps, in time, you will be better equipped to handle the oleander's toxicity. For now, it's best to keep the oleander but exercise caution," Duoduo advised.
Yu Xue nodded and replied, "Okay, I'll follow your advice."
Yu Xue carefully wrapped the oleander in her hand and placed it in her bag. Then, Duoduo possessed Laifu, and together they went outside.
There weren't many people walking their dogs at night. Yu Xue and Laifu walked towards the oleander and continued their walk. Eventually, Laifu disappeared, and Yu Xue continued walking alone, keeping an eye out to ensure Duoduo's safety.
The area they were in had no surveillance cameras, and there were few people around at night, providing them with favorable conditions for their activities.
After about ten minutes, Duoduo caught up with Yu Xue. She was surprised and asked, "Already done eating?"
Duoduo nodded in confirmation.
"Great, let's head back quickly."
They took a different route back. Before Duoduo left Laifu's body, he informed Yu Xue that after consuming so many oleanders, it would take a few days for him to digest them, and the same would apply to Laifu. It was normal for Laifu to sleep for a few days during this period.
Yu Xue nodded and said, "I'll take care of it, and I won't bother you for the next couple of days."
"Okay." Duoduo agreed.
In the following days, the dog indeed fell asleep. He would occasionally wake up to eat before going back to sleep again. Yu Xue stayed by Laifu's side and didn't go out.
However, she still kept an eye on the outside world. She joined the community owner group and, on the second day, the owner shared some pictures.
[Who cut down the oleander forest? It's poisonous. What were you thinking, bringing it home and cutting it down!]
As Yu Xue looked at the pictures, she saw that from the outside, the oleander forest appeared intact. But when she peeled back a few layers of trees, she discovered that the inner oleander stems had been cut down one by one. The cuts were smooth and clean, as if they were made by a very sharp knife.
Yu Xue was taken aback by what she saw.
When she had come back the other day, she hadn't noticed that the oleander and peach forest had been altered like this. Didn't Duoduo bite it with Laifu's mouth? How could the cuts be so precise?
However, in this way, no one would suspect that it was a dog, nor would they suspect Yu Xue.
Among the owners, there was a lot of discussion and speculation about who had chopped down the oleander and what the purpose could be. Some speculated that it was to extract toxins and harm others, and the police had conducted several investigations.
Yu Xue silently looked at the chat records, concealing her involvement and keeping her merits hidden.
After a few days, Laifu finally woke up. He eagerly begged for food, jumping up and down, full of energy.
Not only had the inflammation in his eyes completely healed, but his legs were no longer lame. His fur had grown back significantly, and his once chubby body now appeared majestic and strong.
Yu Xue was overjoyed. She caressed his head and prepared a feast of delicious food for him before taking him out to play.
Laifu ran happily in the community, his speed astonishingly fast. Yu Xue struggled to keep up with him. He was now more energetic, agile, and clever than ever before.
Since Laifu had returned with the blood, Duoduo should have finished digesting it, right?
Yu Xue pondered for a moment and decided to visit Apartment 404 at night.
As soon as she entered the door, Duoduo greeted her, "Hello, master."
Surprised, Yu Xue asked, "Have you finished digesting the energy?" She couldn't shake off the feeling that Duoduo's voice had matured a few years and was no longer as youthful and immature.
"Yes, and as a thank you for helping me find so many mutant plants, I have a surprise for you," Duoduo replied.
Yu Xue smiled and inquired, "Alright, what's the surprise?"
"Please follow me to the balcony," Duoduo instructed.
Yu Xue followed Duoduo to the balcony.
Her apartment was oriented north and south, with the entire layout forming a large rectangle. The master bedroom was situated in the south, while the smaller second bedroom was in the north, now transformed into a miscellaneous storage room.
Exiting the living room led to the master bedroom, which directly connected to the south balcony. The balcony spanned four meters in length and was the only balcony in the apartment.
Though called a balcony, it was actually a closed drying area.
Yu Xue stood on the balcony, perplexed. She glanced back at the living room and asked, "I'm here, and then what?"
Duoduo replied, "Keep going and step onto the windowsill."
Confused, Yu Xue looked at the windowsill in front of her but followed the instructions nonetheless. She cautiously took a step forward and touched the windowsill with her hand. "I touched the windowsill, but I can't pass through..."
Before she could finish her sentence, her hand slipped through the windowsill, and she felt her entire body being pulled and jolted forward. When she looked up, she was taken aback.
She had walked through the balcony window, yet instead of falling, she found herself standing on unfamiliar ground.
Her eyes widened in astonishment as she gazed at the muddy land beneath her feet, unable to find the words to express her surprise.
Turning around, she saw that the balcony and living room were still there behind her.
"What is happening?" she exclaimed.
Duoduo's voice, filled with a smile, came from close by, "I absorbed a significant amount of energy, which allowed me to expand the balcony by two meters and create an exit. This space you've entered is a different dimension. Others cannot see, hear, or touch it, but you can. Here, you can do anything you desire—expand the house, create a small garden, and even keep a few small animals. It's all up to you. This space belongs solely to you."