NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Chapter 1
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The sound of an alarm clock rang out, piercing the haze of sleep.
"Ding-a-ling-a-ling~ Ding-a-ling-a-ling~"
A womans voice followed.
"Hayato, wake up already!"
The alarm continued its relentless noise. Lin Xuan, unable to ignore it any longer, opened his eyes. Shielding himself from the sunlight streaming through the window, he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above him.
"I don't recognize this ceiling... Ah, isn't this line a bit overused?"
Sitting up in bed, Lin Xuan surveyed his surroundings with a pair of lifeless eyes. A pink quilt—far too "cute" for his taste—covered him. Opposite the bed, an old television with a computer hooked up displayed the "Windows XP" logo, lazily bouncing from corner to corner.
Stretching out a hand, he silenced the alarm clock on the bedside table. One thing was clear: this wasn't his room.
First, the outdated tech was glaring. Back in 2021, when Lin Xuan had last fallen asleep, even Windows 7 was nearing obsolescence. Who on earth still used Windows XP? Second, as a man, while he could appreciate pink in certain situations—say, strawberry ice cream or Kamen Rider—he would never willingly choose a pink quilt. That was far too... girly.
"Although… it is kind of nice…" He muttered, looking at the quilt for a moment before shaking his head, embarrassed by his own thoughts.
Still, it didn't make sense to call this a girl's room either. A large cabinet in the corner was packed with action figures and models, suggesting an otaku lived here. Yet the posters plastered across the walls featured all kinds of bizarre creatures.
One depicted a deformed green beast with three necks, each ending in mask-like heads. Another showed a dinosaur with clawed feet and an electric horn on its snout, with a second, tooth-filled mouth at the back of its head. Others featured skeletons of mammoths, cloaked lions, and even monstrous tentacled creatures.
Lin Xuan frowned as he took in the chaotic scene.
"Whoever lives here has some wild taste… Look at this! Even tentacle monsters? Seriously?"
A voice called out again, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Hayato, haven't you gotten up yet? You're going to be late!"
The door swung open, revealing the speaker.
Standing in the doorway was a tall, elegant woman wearing a lavender apron and holding a laundry basket. Her gentle smile and soft demeanor made Lin Xuan momentarily forget where he was.
"Hayato, are you still half-asleep? Come on, hurry up and get ready. Breakfast is waiting!" she said, her tone playful.
"H-Hayato? You're talking to me?" Lin Xuan asked, confused.
The woman chuckled softly.
"Who else would I be talking to? Don't joke around, kiddo. Get dressed and come down before I eat all the food!"
With a wink, she closed the door behind her.
Lin Xuan blinked at the now-closed door.
"She's… tall."
At 195 cm himself, Lin Xuan was used to towering over most people. Yet this woman was taller than him. She had to be over two meters! But more importantly, who was she?
He glanced down at his hands and frowned. Something felt off. His skin, once slightly rough with faint scars, was now unnaturally smooth. A particular burn scar on his left elbow was gone entirely.
"This… isn't my body, is it?"
Panicking slightly, Lin Xuan pulled open his pajamas and checked under the sunlight. Relief washed over him. His "biological brother" was still intact.
"Phew, at least that's still there…"
Still, something was clearly wrong.
"Have I… traveled to another world?"
Getting out of bed, Lin Xuan rummaged through the wardrobe. It was packed with identical outfits. He sighed, pulling out one of the generic sets and dressing quickly. He glanced at the satchel on the desk, picked it up, and slung it over his shoulder.
Before leaving, Lin Xuan paused to look at the posters on the wall. This time, he recognized a few: a black-robed mage wielding a green staff, a fiery black dragon, and a majestic white dragon radiating light.
His chest tightened as realization dawned.
"Wait… this is... the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!?"
Shaking his head, he turned away from the posters and made his way downstairs. Whatever was going on, he needed answers—and possibly breakfast.
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