NOVEL NEXT Chapter 88: Socially Dead is Still Dead
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Shu opened his eyes and took a shallow breath. At this moment, he had never felt so light.
His chest no longer ached dully. He looked down and saw his bare upper body, feeling a slight chill.
But there were no bandages, no horrifying wounds.
Shu frowned slightly. He didn't clearly remember his injuries, but for some reason, the details of the wound on his chest were firmly etched in his mind.
The black arrow pierced his left chest, the tip clean and bloodless, but blood still gushed from the torn wound.
Like a pump with a hole in it.
Shu shuddered and instinctively reached for his chest. The intact skin, warm to the touch, calmed him slightly.
"Where is this?" Shu frowned, looking ahead.
There was only a small path in front of him, one he knew well, winding its way into the distance.
Shu wanted to glance into the darkness on either side of the road, but immediately stopped himself, lowering his head and walking forward silently.
He knew what was on either side, or maybe he didn't. But this time, he decided to heed his subconscious desire to avoid it.
This time felt different. A faint echo seemed to reverberate in the silent station.
Shu didn't dare to listen, a strange fear creeping into his heart.
At the end… was the same train. Leaning against the train door was a silent figure. As Shu approached, he saw the black arrow piercing through "his" chest. The blood had dried, flowing onto the ground and merging into a pool of crimson.
Suddenly, Shu's chest ached. He looked down again. His bare upper body was now bandaged, and the throbbing pain in his chest had returned.
Shu's breathing grew heavier. He quickly lowered his head and boarded the train.
But at the last moment, Shu couldn't resist his curiosity and glanced back.
It was a mountain of corpses, a sea of blood, bodies in various contorted positions.
Each one filled Shu with familiar fear. At the same time, an endless wave of pain surged through his body, instantly extinguishing his remaining consciousness.
"The end…" At the very last moment, a warm breeze brushed past Shu's ear, carrying a layered whisper.
"Arrive… at paradise…"
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In the darkness, Shu suddenly woke up with a gasp, sitting up in bed, panting.
His whole body ached… but when Shu reached out, he couldn't pinpoint the exact locations… except for his chest.
Was I just having a nightmare?
Faced with this inexplicable situation, Shu, a staunch believer in materialism, immediately wondered if it was the work of ghosts.
What a joke, Honkai is actually happening in front of me, why can't I believe in the supernatural?
I even bowed to the heavens to get good luck in gacha games before!
The dream's scenery was gone without a trace. The more Shu thought, the more confused he became. In the end, he could only lie back down, waiting for time to soothe his pain.
Judging by the surrounding darkness, it was already late. Next to him, Kiana was sprawled out like an octopus, hugging Mei and the blanket.
Squeezed between them was the small and pitiful Bronya.
Shu turned his head, watching the three of them huddled together in the dark. He let out a long breath, the gloom in his heart dissipating slightly.
He waited silently for three seconds.
Apparently, time wasn't interested in soothing his pain. Shu sighed and sat up again, twisting his aching limbs. He quietly headed for the door.
He couldn't go back to sleep. It felt like needles were pricking him all over. Shu didn't think he had the level of meditative skill to ignore it.
No more sleep and stabbing pain all over his body—with this double buff, Shu actually felt quite energetic.
Outside their small storage room, the bright overhead lights were off, leaving only small spotlights to illuminate the shelter dimly.
People nearby were already lying on their mats. Soft snores, loud snores, and low sobs echoed in the quiet space.
Shu lowered his folded arms. He didn't think this was a good place for a stroll.
With these sounds echoing in his ears, Shu felt the pricking pain all over his body intensify.
Especially the low sobbing, whoever was making that noise. Each rise and fall seemed to press on Shu's heartbeat, making his chest feel heavy.
Wait a minute… am I really this empathetic?
Sighing inwardly, Shu turned and walked away from the crowd.
He didn't know how far he walked, but the sounds finally faded away, and Shu felt the pricking pain disappear. Even his chest stopped hurting, replaced by a warm sensation.
Finally feeling a bit better, Shu looked around. He looked up and saw faint light streaming in from a small hole.
Shu was surprised. Had he returned to the place where he had entered?
I'll stop here then. If I go any further, I might get lost.
"Sigh…" Shu sighed and found what he thought was the best spot to sit down, quietly watching the beam of moonlight.
…Quiet for about a second!
"Agh…!" Seizing the opportunity while no one was around, Shu finally let out a mournful cry, stretching his arms out wide.
"Life is truly unpredictable!" Shu fell backward. For some reason, he actually found the cold ground beneath him more comfortable than the soft mats.
He rolled around on the ground for a bit, then stopped and began to mutter, "Damn it, no one told me about this whole transmigration thing… just threw me over here. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do in this hellhole.
"No system, and my cheat ability is a scam… Even the Nexus's Dunamists are miserable, but at least they have the power to protect others. What good am I?
"Don't even compare me to Subaru Natsuki. What kind of template is that? Surrounded by capable people, enemies can become friends, strangers can become friends, he has a ton of cards to play. What do I have? Am I supposed to marry a Honkai beast so we can sign a non-aggression pact?
"What a joke! That stupid Honkai beast chased me three times! Three times! Does anyone know how I survived those three times?!"
The more Shu talked, the more aggrieved he felt. Tears even started to well up in his eyes.
He had transmigrated for a month, experienced anger, despair, and pain. But the only two times he had cried were after finding safety.
After rolling around on the dark ground for a while, Shu closed his eyes, thinking he might as well just spend the night here.
Hopefully, Kiana and the others would successfully find his body here tomorrow…
"Um…" Just then, a sweet voice that made Shu's heart skip a beat spoke up.
"Are you alright?"
Shu slowly opened his eyes, looking at Yun Mengxi, who was leaning over him with a worried expression. He fell silent in thought.
"No, I feel like I'm dead."