NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Chapter 1
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In one of the long corridors, an oval-shaped light appeared out of nowhere. The girl's body slipped through, emerging gracefully before the light vanished behind her. She landed calmly, her eyes slowly opening as she surveyed her surroundings.
(Where is this place?) she thought, scanning the area carefully, not letting a single detail escape her notice.
(This place looks bleak...) she murmured softly. According to the scene I saw in the hologram, the hospital should be the starting point of this mission.
She lifted her left hand, pointing her index finger upward. A small light flickered from her fingertip, forming a hologram in the air.
She reviewed the information, but after a few moments, her expression darkened. Realization hit her.
She hadn't checked the details thoroughly before entering this dimension.
(Urgh... I'm screwed!) She slammed her palm to her forehead.
(T-this is data from before the main story... I picked the wrong file! And not only that, the download didn't even finish!) she muttered angrily.
(How could I mess up something so IMPORTANT?!)
Frustration simmered in her, but she quickly regained her composure, a mischievous smirk spreading across her face.
"Argh, whatever. I'll just gather the information myself... easy-peasy," she said with a shrug.
"For now, I'll follow this world's rules, and decide my next move from there." She dismissed the hologram with a slight wave of her finger.
She began walking down the corridor, stopping at the end where it split into two paths. To the left was a staircase and a lift, while the right corridor bent at an L-shape, possibly leading to another building.
She glanced at a signboard in front of her. After a few moments, her eyes glowed blue. Scanning the map, she memorized it effortlessly. It didn't take long-her special ability made her more than capable of handling any situation.
"I see... this hospital is where the finish point will appear once I've completed the mission," she said, tilting her head slightly.
"I should check the situation in this story first. Maybe I can find a clue."
Closing her eyes, her body began to glow faintly as she processed the incoming information.
Countless scenes flashed in her mind like rewound footage. She saw a boy and a girl playing in a park, the girl confessing her feelings to the boy.
Their relationship unraveled during middle school. The girl cheated on him-with his best friend.
From afar, she watched the boy silently suffer, unable to understand why this happened. He fought to hold back his tears, hoping no one would notice his pain.
The display stopped playing, and she snapped back to the present. Her eyes saw a notification pop up in her vision, reading:
The main story begins in 2 hours at location: XXXXX.
After finishing the message, the display vanished.
(So, this is the location... it's about a 30-minute walk from here. I need to get there fast to confirm a few things.)
Without wasting time, she started running toward the given location. Using her ability, she calculated she could reach it in just 10 minutes.
Soon, she arrived at the main gates of a high school. Students casually walked inside, while others bickered with the student council until a teacher appeared, whacking their heads in frustration.
Staying out of sight, she lifted her hands slightly. Her body glowed, and in an instant, her attire transformed into the school uniform. The only difference was her long skirt, covering both of her legs.
Blending in with the students, she passed through the gates just as the school bell rang, signaling the start of classes.
She inspected the campus-the buildings, the canteen, the classrooms-and finally spotted the boy from earlier, standing near the stairs leading to the gates.
He looked exactly as he had in the video.
A grin spread across her face as excitement coursed through her veins.
Now, she was certain.
The world she had entered was one she knew all too well-from a book in her own world.
She had stepped into
Highschool of the Dead!