Chapter Two: The Arrival of Size 108

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“Player 73950 has entered the novice game instance. Main Brain reminder: Please try to avoid revealing your real name. Instance information will be automatically generated on your personal virtual interface.”

Instance Name: Apocalypse at the Academy
Instance Difficulty: e (difficulty ranges from lowest to highest: e/d/c/b/a/s)
Instance Type: Mission Instance (the goal is to complete the main quest; only upon completion can you return to Main Brain Space)
Current Number of Instance Players: 5
Main Quest: Phase One – After the outbreak of the undead riot, rendezvous with the story protagonist, Takashi Komuro, within 10 hours. Only players who complete the first phase will trigger the subsequent main quests. Reward for completion: 1 lp; failure: deduction of 1 lp. (Every novice player starts with 1 lp. Lp points can be traded between players. If, while in the game instance, your lp falls below 1, please replenish it as soon as possible. If, upon completion of an instance, you have less than 1 lp, you will be wiped out.)
Side Quests: All side quests are hidden and will only appear in a player’s quest list once the trigger conditions are met.
Clear Rewards: 3 lp (base)
Friendly Reminder: This is the lowest-level novice instance. In theory, it will not lead to player death. Please act according to the quest prompts as much as possible. The only way for players to recognize each other is via special skills. Observe the people around you carefully.

“Such high tech!” Hao Ren exclaimed, then glanced around. “Medicine cabinet and white hospital bed—it really looks like the infirmary.”

“By the way, Shiki, do you have any memories from before you were summoned here? You don’t seem surprised by all this.” Hao Ren turned to Shiki Ryougi. Incidentally, he was speaking in Japanese, a skill he’d picked up from watching eight years of raw anime.

“Hmm... My mind’s a bit muddled. I can’t remember much from before. But the rules of this game were already explained by something called the Main Brain.” Shiki pressed her temples, looking a bit pained.

“I see. This Main Brain really is omnipotent,” Hao Ren sighed.

“Let’s reintroduce ourselves, Shiki. My name is Hao Ren. For safety’s sake, just call me Koji in this game. As your companion, you can trust me to watch your back.” Hao Ren offered his right hand.

“Well, it seems my summoner isn’t totally useless after all. My name is Shiki Ryougi. I hope you won’t disappoint me.” Shiki hesitated, then smiled and shook his hand.

“It’s not as rough as I imagined. Just an ordinary girl’s hand, after all.” The touch was brief, leaving Hao Ren slightly disappointed.

Regaining his composure, Hao Ren checked himself: overcoat, triangle briefs, and slippers. Honestly, he was a sight. But if he swapped the overcoat for the white lab coat hanging on the wall, it would only add a “pervert +1” effect.

“Ahem, Shiki, could you find me some proper clothes?” Hao Ren asked, a bit embarrassed.

“Fine, I’ll look. Be careful while I’m gone.” With a cool turn, Shiki left the room.

“Please hurry,” Hao Ren called after her, waving toward the door.

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“All right, time to figure out how to make contact with the lucky protagonist, Takashi Komuro.” Hao Ren stroked his nonexistent beard, moving to the infirmary window and gazing out in contemplation.

“Apocalypse at the Academy” was one of Hao Ren’s favorite anime, thanks to its author, Sato, a veteran of the 18+ genre. Despite its mainstream banner, the series was packed with all the heated elements: gigantic assets, explosive battles, shaking, and other adrenaline-fueled scenes. If you don’t get it, dear reader, perhaps you should stick to more wholesome shounen fare—yes, I mean the fourth series, “Goat & Wolf.” Ahem, back to the point.

Hao Ren could describe every character and scene from “Apocalypse at the Academy” in detail. Speaking of the infirmary, it had to be the domain of the busty teacher, Ms. Shizuka Marikawa. Her J-cup chest was the stuff of dreams. Drooling, Hao Ren was as lecherous as could be.

The school gate hadn’t yet produced the first undead, and there were no bloodstains on the field—clearly, the plot hadn’t started. Five players were shown in the game, so the other four must have been teleported elsewhere. With no sign of story characters, time was hard to pinpoint. Better to wait for Shiki to return before exploring.

Decision made, Hao Ren sat on the bed, hands on knees, and stared obediently at the sliding infirmary door.

“Click—”

“Shiki, you’re ba—” Hao Ren started to greet, but froze as a figure in a white coat entered.

Reacting quickly, Hao Ren yanked off his overcoat and shoved it under the bed, then dove into the covers, turned to the side, and pretended to sleep.

“Oh? A patient?” came a languid, mature woman’s voice.

Footsteps approached, and a gentle fragrance filled the air.

Is this a woman’s natural scent? Hao Ren had barely finished that thought when a pair of soft but firm hands turned his head.

“Come, let the nurse check your temperature,” she said, pressing her forehead to his.

Two soft, warm sensations pressed against his chest.

“I—!” Hao Ren’s mind went blank.

“You’re a bit feverish. Wait here, I’ll get some medicine,” she said, letting go and heading to the medicine cabinet.

Breathing a little fast, Hao Ren squeezed his legs together, thinking, “I have plenty of doujinshi of you, and I’ve used them all...”

Blonde hair, enormous chest, curvy hips, sexy lips—no doubt about it, this was the seductive goddess, Shizuka Marikawa.

Humming, she rummaged through the cabinet as Hao Ren adjusted his underwear beneath the covers.

Bang! The infirmary door was yanked open—Shiki Ryougi stood there holding a bag.

“Here, these are the clothes you wanted.” Ignoring Shizuka’s surprised expression, Shiki tossed two bags toward Hao Ren.

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“Shiki, you’re amazing!” Hao Ren pulled out the contents—an academy uniform identical to Takashi Komuro’s and a pair of brand-new sneakers. He bashfully began to change. “Where did you get these, Shiki?”

“The men’s locker room nearby. There was only one male student changing. I thought it over, knocked him out, and took the two bags beside him. The clothes you’re wearing probably belonged to him—he hadn’t gotten the chance to put them on yet.”

Hao Ren broke out in a cold sweat.

“Oh my, is this a new twist to the game?” Ms. Marikawa pressed her index finger to her lips, tilted her head, and gave a slight frown—making her presence felt.

The clothes and shoes fit unexpectedly well, and Hao Ren decided that a cute, playful teacher was exactly his type.

“Aaaaaah!” A piercing female scream suddenly rang out from outside the window.

“Not good!” Hao Ren shuddered, rushing to the window.

On the field near the main gate, a man in work clothes had tackled a woman to the ground, relentlessly biting her throat. The woman was still letting out ragged, desperate screams.

“Even from this distance, why don’t I feel scared at all?” Hao Ren wondered at his own nerves.

“Is it a low-level Apostle?” Shiki frowned.

“No, these are called ‘the Dead.’ They’re basically like Western zombies,” Hao Ren explained.

“I see. So, what do we do now?” Shiki spread her hands—she was leaving the decision to Hao Ren.

“We wait,” Hao Ren said firmly. “From what I know, going out now would be extremely dangerous. We should stay here until Saeko arrives at the infirmary, then join up with her and the main group. Lock the door and keep quiet.”

“Okay, Koji. I’ll follow your lead.” Shiki smiled slightly, closed the infirmary door, locked it, and sat down on the bed Hao Ren had just vacated, closing her eyes to rest.

“I will definitely complete this game,” Hao Ren vowed inwardly.

“Um... I’ve been listening for a while, but could someone please tell me what exactly is going on?”