NOVEL NEXT Chapter 503: Search
Jade sighed before reaching out to the button on the table next to her. It was a black device with a large red button, something that wouldn't have looked out of place in a toy store. *Weird,* she thought, lightly tapping it. The button buzzed loudly, then nothing but silence followed for a few minutes.
Eventually, the nurse returned, carrying a full suit—a sharp ensemble that included black leather shoes, black slacks with a red stripe running along the seams, black socks, a white collared shirt, and a black blazer with red trimmings, topped off with a pure white tie.
Jade eyed the outfit, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I... I don't know how to tie a tie," she admitted, a little embarrassed.
The nurse chuckled softly. "Don't worry, I'll help you out. Just take out your phone and type in 'Tatum ties a tie.'"
Confused but trusting, Jade did as she was told. The search pulled up a video of a young, frail man demonstrating how to tie a tie. She watched it a few times, mimicking the steps.
"Thanks, that actually helped," she said after finally getting the knot right. It took another ten minutes to get fully dressed, slipping into the blazer last. As she stretched, she couldn't help but grumble, "This thing feels tight."
The nurse nodded politely. "Please standby until you're called. Once you are, you'll be escorted to the conference meeting for the initial review and interview."
Jade blinked in surprise. "Uh, interview? Interview for what?"
The nurse shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, I don't really know. I was just told to let you know."
"Oh, uh, also… just how long have I been out?"
The nurse hesitated before answering. "You've been in our care for about four weeks now. Even though you had the least amount of injuries, you were the last to wake up among those who survived."
"I see," Jade murmured, processing the information. "Uh, how's the rest of the world doing now that they know we exist?"
The nurse sighed, clearly pressed for time. "Sorry, Jade, I don't have time to answer questions right now. While everyone is awake and moving, there's still a lot of therapy needed for those who were injured. I suggest googling around or asking the AI interface any questions you have until you're called for the review and interview."
With a quick bow, the nurse stepped away and closed the curtains, leaving Jade alone.
Jade picked up her device from the table next to her finished bento box and thought to herself, *I guess checking the internet is a good place to start.* She unlocked the screen and began browsing, hoping to catch up on everything she had missed.
Jade tapped the screen of her device, unlocking it with a quick swipe. Her fingers hovered over the apps for a moment before she opened the browser. The familiar search bar stared back at her, and she typed in Global Events Last 4 Weeks. She hit enter, and the screen quickly filled with a cascade of headlines.
The first article she clicked on was from a major news outlet, its headline stark: "Unprecedented Monster Attacks: The World Under Siege." As the page loaded, images of destruction flickered into view. She scrolled through the article, recognizing the scale of the chaos, but it wasn't the devastation that held her attention—it was the details, the patterns she had learned to look for.
Photos of cities she knew—New York, London, Tokyo—each showed signs of coordinated attacks, the kind she had been fighting against for months.
She clicked on a video embedded in the article. The footage was raw, likely from someone on the ground during one of the attacks. The camera wobbled as the person recording ran, capturing a massive creature as it tore through a skyscraper. The ground shook, and the roar of the beast drowned out everything else.
Jade watched intently, her eyes tracing the creature's movements, analyzing its form and the way it interacted with the environment. She wasn't shocked—she was studying it, noting its similarities to the Vale monsters she had faced.
As the video ended, she quickly moved on, opening another tab and typing in Japan Monster Attack, recalling the Director's mention of the incident. The search results were immediate, and she clicked on a video thumbnail showing a towering creature looming over a cityscape. The footage started with an aerial view, likely from a news helicopter, capturing the sheer size of the beast.
Jade leaned forward, noting its dark, pulsating skin and glowing red eyes. The creature was massive, but she had faced similar foes before.
The video switched to ground-level footage where soldiers and tanks lined the streets, their weapons firing in unison. Explosions rocked the scene, but the monster pushed forward relentlessly. Jade observed the tactics used, noting the military's approach and how the creature responded.
When the beast swung its arm and sent a tank flying, she barely flinched—her mind was already working through potential strategies to counter such a force.
Jade clicked out of the video, opening a new tab, this time searching for more specific details: Vale Monsters Global Attacks. The search yielded numerous articles, many filled with speculation and theories. She skimmed through them, eyes sharp for any new information.
One article caught her attention, mentioning a coordinated effort across multiple countries to combat the monsters, highlighting the increasing cooperation between nations. It was a familiar scenario to her, but the scale of the coordination was new and intriguing.
A notification popped up, suggesting a live stream: Real-Time Analysis of Global Monster Attacks. She tapped the link, the stream loading quickly. A popular streamer appeared on the screen, overlaying a map of the world marked with red dots indicating attack sites. He spoke rapidly, pointing out patterns and making connections.
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Jade listened, noting his observations and comparing them with what she already knew from the field. He speculated on the possibility of coordinated attacks, something she had suspected for a while.
The streamer switched to a split screen, showing footage from New York and Japan side by side. As she watched, Jade wasn't overwhelmed by the destruction—she was focused, her mind sorting through the information,