As the light faded and Arthur regained his senses, he immediately began to assess his surroundings.
To his surprise, he was currently in a circular area enveloped by a faint white light.
Outside the light circle was a bustling scene of students going to school.
However, those sounds seemed to be separated by a membrane, making them indistinct.
The school sign nearby, "Fujimi Private High School," reminded him that his current identity seemed to be one of these countless students.
And this light circle seemed to have the effect of repelling others.
The students going to school all unconsciously bypassed the range of the light circle, as if they hadn't seen him at all.
"Don't look anymore. The plot hasn't started yet, and the NPCs can't see you guys at all."
A voice suddenly sounded from the front.
Arthur looked over.
It was a man with a buzz cut, wearing a high school uniform that looked quite ill-fitting with his somewhat "precocious" face.
The other person looked at him with a calm and composed demeanor, as if he were an old hand.
But Arthur suspected he might be looking at the sky—his chin was almost pointing straight up.
Jacob felt a natural sense of displeasure towards this young man, who had a relaxed expression as if he were on vacation.
There was nothing he could do; this guy was simply too handsome!
How the hell were others supposed to live?
"Newbie, right?"
Arthur nodded; it was indeed his first time in the Reincarnation Space.
Ha! So what if he's handsome?
Being handsome in the Reincarnation Space (Reincarnation Space) won't fill your stomach!
The man smiled, looking as if he had everything under control, but it seemed no one had ever told him that his smile made him look even more lewd.
He scanned his surroundings.
Besides him and Arthur, there were five other people: three men and two women.
"There are only seven of us."
"It seems everyone else was scared off by the difficulty of this dungeon. So, the official bounty will be mine this time."
Arthur knew what bounty he was talking about.
Because the dungeon, "Highschool of the Dead," had not been cleared for so long, this world had already begun to invade reality.
Therefore, for the safety of the public, the officials had issued a high bounty, encouraging Reincarnators to challenge and clear this dungeon.
According to previous experience,
as long as it was cleared before the story world completely descended into reality, even with the lowest possible rating, it could prevent the invasion of reality from happening.
However, no one had been able to clear "Highschool of the Dead" for such a long time.
Yet, this person, as soon as he arrived, had a determined expression, as if he was sure to conquer this dungeon.
Arthur didn't know what to say.
Could it be that this guy was also a transmigrator like himself?
But since he said so,
he must have his own confidence.
Arthur decided to wait and see, quietly watching his performance.
Unlike Arthur,
after hearing that this person seemed to have a secret to clearing the dungeon, the eyes of the other people around them immediately changed.
They looked at the man as if he were a god.
"Handsome, did you perhaps get some inside information?"
A scantily clad woman with wavy hair had already stealthily approached the man.
Her body, as if she had taken a muscle relaxant, was practically pressed against him.
"Mm."
Jacob was clearly pleased with this move.
His hand rested on the woman's waist, displaying the posture of a winner in life.
"Actually, it's nothing much. My family happens to have a bit of money, and before coming in this time, I managed to buy some information through special channels."
"With this information, I have a ninety percent chance of clearing this dungeon!"
Arthur was speechless.
If there really was information that could let you clear the dungeon directly, why wouldn't they use it themselves? Why would they save it for you? Are they stupid?
But it seemed not everyone thought the same way he did.
Upon hearing that Jacob had "important information" in his hand, several people seemed to believe it immediately.
"This big shot, you truly live up to your reputation. When I first came in, I noticed you seemed to have an aura of dominance surrounding you, it almost made me unable to breathe..."
"Hey, big brother, can I follow you? My strength is fully enhanced, and I'm great at fighting those zombies! My demands aren't high, just getting the lowest rating to clear it is fine!"
"Handsome, I've already failed the dungeon challenge twice. If I fail again this time, I'll lose my Reincarnation Points. You must take me with you..."
Jacob was so flattered by their compliments that he was almost ecstatic.
But he quickly noticed that there were still a few "outliers."
And among them was the pretty boy who had annoyed him earlier.
"Hey, you."
Arthur realized he seemed to be calling him, "What's up?"
"Kid, do you know the situation of this dungeon?"
Arthur nodded.
"I know a little."
Jacob was speechless.
Why wasn't this guy playing by the rules?
"Then why did you, a newcomer, choose this dungeon, knowing it's so dangerous?"
Arthur smiled nonchalantly.
"Don't newcomers have a protection mechanism for their first dungeon?"
"The first time challenging a dungeon, even if you fail, you won't lose Reincarnation Points. So I just thought I'd come and play in this dungeon that's rumored to be very difficult."
For Reincarnators, failing a dungeon challenge was a terrible thing.
Because failing a challenge meant losing Reincarnation Points.
These were the points of the Reincarnation Space, equivalent to its exclusive currency.
Reincarnation Points were not circulated and could not be traded.
But they could be used to buy various miraculous abilities and items in the Reincarnation Mall.
Of course, they also had the most important function:
that was to enhance one's own attributes, and even skills!
It could be said that Reincarnation Points were the foundation for all Reincarnators to save their lives and become stronger!
But once your points reached zero, you would enter the observation area of the Reincarnation Space.
If you failed just one more time after that, you would be erased!
Of course, if you're unwilling to risk your life, you can choose to stay in the Observation Zone and never challenge the Reincarnation Tower again.
After all, this Reincarnation Space spans the entire globe and is never short of Reincarnators, so there's no rule forcing anyone to attempt challenges on a regular schedule.
But the Reincarnation Space is so alluring that very few can resist its temptation.
Many gamble everything on that slim chance, only to perish in the cycle and vanish with regret.
Most newcomers start with the easier dungeons to accumulate enough reincarnation points and avoid being erased too soon.
dungeons with walkthroughs are naturally the first choice.
Yet Arthur was taking advantage of this rookie perk—
namely, that no reincarnation points are deducted for failing your very first dungeon.
Only then could he test the theories he'd been pondering.
After hearing Arthur's answer, Jacob immediately ruled him out as a potential threat.
What an ignorant bumpkin!
Approaching the Reincarnation Space with that sort of playful attitude—he'd bet this kid wouldn't survive three dungeons!
"What about you?"
He turned to another person—a girl.
She hadn't spoken a word since earlier.
He didn't pay attention to just anyone, but her figure was simply impossible to ignore!
Yes, truly enormous!
The girl looked about the same age as the surrounding NPC high-schoolers.
Though she kept her head down and her face was hard to see, it didn't matter.
Those proud, towering assets looked like something that couldn't exist in reality!
Even the highest mountain on earth couldn't compare to the sheer awe they inspired—it was a miracle!
"Ah, um, I…"
Even her voice sounded beautiful!
He was in love!
Apparently frightened by his overly aggressive stare, the girl shrank back and timidly moved behind Arthur, who stood only a shoulder-width away.
Jacob's expression froze.
Damn it!
Suddenly, a voice rang in everyone's ears.
[The "highschool of the dead" dungeon is about to begin. Reincarnators, play your roles and clear the dungeon.]
The light shield vanished.
The clamor of a schoolyard morning swallowed them whole.
The story had begun…