Wu Tong sighed and, without hesitation, focused his mind on the swirling vortex.
Instantly, a vortex appeared above his head and swallowed him whole, leaving behind only a gentle breeze that quietly swept through the now-empty room.
High School of the Dead World
"Ugh, this feels awful! I thought crossing worlds wouldn't be uncomfortable?"
"Yeah, it's like being flushed down a toilet."
"Maybe it's because we didn't have a 'ticket'?"
"Uh… seriously?"
"Whatever, who cares? A little dizziness won't stop me—looting spree, here I come!"
"Wait, weren't we here to plunder resources?"
"Yeah, and I heard this is a parallel world of those Japanese people. Makes it even easier to raid without guilt."
Wu Tong felt his vision spin before finding himself on a rooftop, the voices of others ringing in his ears. He turned to look and, sure enough, the entire group was gathered there.
Not just the group members, either—some heavy hitters had been invited to "hold the fort":
Outcast World: Old Heavenly Master, Lu Jin, Zuo Ruotong, Zhang Huaiyi.
Battle Through the Heavens World: Ling Ying, Xiao Xun'er.
Spiritual Energy Revival World: A squad of twenty well-trained, fully armed soldiers.
Honkai World: Xiao Shi, Theresa, Murata Himeko, Cheng Lixue.
Star Rail World: Lao Yang (Welt Yang), Stelle, Dan Heng.
Aside from these, no other worlds had sent reinforcements—only the group members were present.
"Seems my guess was wrong. We weren't separated. But… where are we? This rooftop feels weirdly familiar."
Under the group's puzzled gazes, Wu Tong hesitated before speaking up. It wasn't his fault—he'd just made a reasonable assumption. Who knew it'd be wrong?
"Same here. This scene feels like déjà vu."
Just then, a confident voice cut in:
"Tch, who cares? Let's bulldoze through. I'm not scared of some puny zombies."
Wu Tong glanced over to see Xiao Shi's grinning face.
"Yo, Wu Tong! Long time no see."
"I literally just left," Wu Tong said dryly.
Xiao Shi's interruption instantly lightened the tense atmosphere.
"Hah! Gotta keep things lively, right?" She waved off his sarcasm before turning to the Star Rail group. "Hey, isn't that Lao Yang? Heard you hopped worlds. How's the other side?"
"Xiao Shi… your phrasing could use work," Lao Yang adjusted his glasses. Seeing a familiar face was nice, but her words always carried a weird edge.
"Ahaha… details, details!" Xiao Shi brushed it off. "Anyway, where's Himeko? In the old timer's memories, your world had another Himeko tagging along."
"Yeah, I'd love to meet the other me," Murata Himeko chimed in.
"Himeko…"
Lao Yang's gaze lingered on the unharmed Himeko before him. You're alive… that's good.
He snapped back to reality. "She's guarding the Astral Express. Someone always stays behind during trailblazing missions. This one wasn't high-risk, so she didn't come."
"Aww, wanted to swap interstellar travel stories."
"No rush. With the chat group, you can visit anytime."
"Nah, I'll wait till the Honkai's dealt with. Then I'll drop by—Professor Yang."
"…You're always welcome, Himeko."
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan—who'd recently bonded with Zhang Chulan—naturally sought out his "bro." But when Zhang Chulan saw that Xiao Yan had brought Xiao Xun'er along, his fragile heart took a hit.
"Damn, Xiao Yan. Bringing your wife to flex on me during a dungeon run?"
"Heh, you could get one too!" Xiao Yan smirked, relishing Zhang Chulan's jealousy—payback for all your teasing.
"Xiao Yan, aren't you going to introduce me?" Xiao Xun'er gave him a light scolding before smiling apologetically at Zhang Chulan.
Nearby, Ling Ying and Yao Lao ignored the youngsters' antics, marveling at the new world instead.
"AHHH!!"
"MONSTERS!!"
"HELP! DON'T BITE ME!"
"What's wrong, Aoki? We're friends, right…?"
The sudden chaos cut through the group's chatter. A school announcement followed:
"This is an emergency broadcast. Violent incidents are occurring campus-wide. All students must remain in classrooms. Repeat: Do NOT leave…"
The group fell silent, looking down at the hellscape below.
The school had become a nightmare—screams, cries, and the wet sounds of tearing flesh filled the air.
"STAY BACK! AHH—!"
From various points, they could see zombies—the dead—feasting on fresh corpses. One was ripping into a girl's body, blood pooling beneath her.
"So… these are zombies?"
"Technically, this world calls them the dead."
"Same difference."
"Wait, I remember now! This is the rooftop where the story starts!" Zhang Chulan exclaimed.
"Huh. So worlds without anchors default to plot points?" Wu Tong mused.
"Hold up," Xiao Yan interjected. "If this is the start, then…"
The group froze.
Right. The rooftop should have someone here already.
Takashi Komuro.
Which meant their grand entrance might've been witnessed.
Wu Tong and the others exchanged glances.
Not that it mattered—this world posed zero threat to them. But failing to notice a mere mortal spying on them? Embarrassing.
Then again… Takashi Komuro.
Could it be… protagonist halo?
Curious, Wu Tong released his restrained perception, sending an invisible wave across the campus.
In an instant, every corner of the school lay bare before him.
...
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(End of Chapter)