LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 1: The White Room
Haku walked home from university, his thoughts consumed by the strange phenomenon of the past few days: millions of people vanishing without a trace every single day.
Am I next? The question hit him like a cold gust of wind, brief but chilling. He pushed it aside, forcing himself to stay grounded. Panicking wouldn't change anything—not with so many unknowns.
Hopefully, it doesn't happen to me, my family needs me.
As he stopped at a red light, his eyes drifted to the sky, admiring the beauty of the sunset and the clouds in the sky. The warm hues painted a serene canvas that felt almost surreal amidst the chaos unfolding worldwide.
"Feels surreal..." he thought, as he pulled out his phone to take a picture. He glanced at the photo for a brief moment—
And then... something strange began to happen.
---
"What's going on?" Haku muttered as his vision started to blur.
The world around him shimmered unnaturally.. and then without warning, everything turned blindingly white. The brightness overwhelmed his vision, sharp and absolute, as if the sun itself had engulfed him.
What is this?
The light blinded him, and his body felt weightless.
Am I fainting? No... this is something else.
The hum of the city fell silent. It was as if the universe itself had been muted.
---
Haku blinked, but the light didn't subside. For a moment, he thought he might have gone blind.
Voices echoed, growing louder as the light dimmed. Shapes formed. Solid ground returned under Haku's shaky knees. White walls stretched endlessly around him.
"Did I just get teleported...? Where am I?"
He found himself in a room with others. Smooth, white walls surrounded them—no doors, no windows. At the center, a massive black sphere hummed faintly, its surface eerily perfect.
The voices grew louder, panicked and disjointed. Haku turned to see people materializing, one by one, stumbling or frozen, their confusion and fear mirroring his own.
He looked around in confusion as more and more people materialized around him. The room became increasingly crowded, voices rising in panic.
"Where am I? What is this place?!" a woman's voice trembled.
"This has to be some kind of dream... right? Please tell me I'm dreaming," muttered a young man, his hands clutching his head.
"What the hell is going on?! Someone better start explaining!" a middle-aged man shouted angrily, his voice cracking with desperation.
"Oh god, oh god, this can't be real," whispered a teenager, rocking back and forth on the floor.
The room became increasingly crowded, voices rising in panic.
"Is this... heaven? Or hell?" another voice asked, barely audible over the chaos.
"I was just at work five minutes ago!" someone else cried, their tone on the verge of breaking.
"Stay calm! Everyone, just stay calm!" yelled a woman, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her own fear.
Haku looked around in confusion, taking it all in. The growing cacophony of panic and disbelief swirled around him like a storm.
Haku thought, pulling out his phone.
"No signal... of course."
The crowd erupted more into chaos. Some shouted theories about being dead, others demanded to go home, and a few frantically searched for an exit. A man in the corner cackled loudly.
"HAHAHA! I don't care what's happening. As long as I'm out of that filthy prison cell!"
Suddenly, a holographic display appeared above the black sphere, catching everyone's attention.
---
Room 889990*
Players: 28/100
Players: 29/100
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"What kind of technology is this? It looks straight out of a movie," Haku muttered.
The numbers climbed steadily.
"It's clear they're filling this room with 100 players," he observed. He moved to a corner, leaning against the wall to distance himself from the chaos, one knee raised, his arm resting casually on it. His hand came up to his face, half-covering his mouth, his expression unreadable.
His eyes darted across the room, observing everything with an icy calmness.
People were arguing, crying, or standing frozen in shock.
Chaos.
He exhaled slowly, grounding himself.
No point in panicking. Just stay sharp. Observe.
His gaze landed briefly on the sphere before moving to the faces around him.
---
Players: 65/100
---
"One new human per 20 seconds," he noted.
"Interesting... mostly feared men so far."
His gaze wandered until it landed on two familiar faces.
"Wait... those two... I know them."
It was his two old classmates who used to bully him in middle school. The duo stood quietly, whispering to each other, clearly uneasy.
Then another familiar face appeared—a girl from high school named Mey.
"She was always alone," Haku recalled. "Even more so than me. We never talked... I wonder what's going through her mind right now."
He glanced at her, only for Mey to meet his gaze briefly before looking away.
---
Mey: Where am I? What's happening? Wait... isn't that the loser from high school? He's looking at me.
She quickly averted her eyes.
Near the black sphere, a couple stepped forward, raising their voices to calm the chaos.
"Listen to us!" the man shouted, his tone firm but steady. "We've all been teleported here, but nobody knows why. Panicking won't help—just stay calm!"
"Yes, please!" the woman added, gesturing for the crowd to settle down. "We need to work together and think rationally. Everything will be fine if we don't lose our heads!"
Their steady voices seemed to cut through the panic, and the crowd gradually began to quiet down, hesitant murmurs replacing the chaos. Haku glanced at the couple, a flicker of gratitude crossing his mind as he realized their intervention had brought much-needed calm to the room.
---
Haku noticed the bullies approaching Mey.
"Hey, we know you," Bully 1 said with a nervous grin. "You went to the same school as us, right?"
"We've been here a little longer than you," Bully 2 added, his voice shaking slightly. "I think we should stick together. You know... safety in numbers or something."
Mey looked at them with a mix of uncertainty and panic. "Uh... yeah, I think that's... fine," she replied hesitantly.
Her eyes darted away from them for a moment, landing on Haku. He was still sitting against the wall, calm and quiet, one knee raised with his hand partially covering his mouth. His piercing, cold gaze locked onto her for a brief moment.
Mey froze, her heartbeat quickening. Why is he staring at me like that? She quickly looked away, trying to refocus on the two bullies.
"It's all good, Mey," Bully 1 said, his tone shifting into an awkward attempt at reassurance. "We'll protect you. Just stay close to me, and everything will be fine."
"Yeah," Bully 2 added eagerly. "Stick with us. You'll be safe."
Mey: Great... now I'm stuck with these guys. This is so cringe.
---
Players: 96/100
---
Haku's eyes narrowed as he scanned the room once more.
"After watching everyone from the start, I'd say most of these people can't be trusted," he thought to himself. "Most of them are trembling with fear, even if they're trying to hide it. But more importantly..."
His gaze shifted to a massive figure standing near the center of the room.
"Why is that huge guy staring at Mey like that? What's his deal?"
It was the same man who had cackled loudly earlier about being free from his "filthy prison cell." Haku's mind immediately labeled him the Crazy Prison Guy.
The man was huge—easily over two meters tall—with grotesquely large muscles, veins bulging like they might burst at any moment. His bald head reflected the harsh light of the room, and his grin stretched unnaturally wide, revealing teeth so strong and sharp they looked capable of crushing bone. Haku couldn't help but wonder why he was smiling so excessively, as if the situation were some kind of cruel joke only he understood.
This guy... he's a psycho.
---
Players: 100/100... Loading...
---
The number on the holographic display above the black sphere hit its limit. A strange silence fell over the room as everyone stared at the glowing words.
The couple near the sphere exchanged nervous glances before stepping forward again.
"Okay, everyone... we've reached 100," the man announced, his voice steadier than before. "Let's all stay calm. No one panic. We're in this together."
The woman nodded. "We don't know what's going to happen, but let's stay focused. Everything will be fine as long as we work together."
The holographic display updated once more.
---
Start of the Tutorial
Stage 1: Don't Be Scared, Just Fight :)
Difficulty: Easy
Team Size: 1–3
Warning: You Can Die.
Instructions: To form a team, touch one another before the countdown ends. Groups of up to three players will be teleported together as a team. Players without a team will be teleported alone.
Teleportation starts in: 3 minutes.
A glowing countdown appeared in the center of the room, ticking down with an ominous precision.
---
Chaos erupted immediately.
"What does this mean?!"
"We need teams?! What happens if we don't have one?!"
"Are they serious about dying?!"
"Everyone, calm down!" the man from the couple shouted. "We'll form teams logically. Groups of three. Let's not panic!"
"Yeah, we have enough time!" the woman added. "Just pair up, give each other a hand, and wait until the countdown ends. Everything will be fine if we stay calm."
---
The two bullies turned to Mey.
"This is perfect!" Bully 1 said, forcing a grin. "We'll team up. The three of us!"
"Yeah, good idea," Asa replied with fake enthusiasm, her thoughts laced with sarcasm.
That's it. I'm doomed.
---
Meanwhile, the Crazy Prison Guy began to move.
His massive frame loomed over the crowd as he strode toward Mey, each step exuding menace.
"Hey, sweetheart," he said, his voice booming as he stopped in front of her. "How about you and I form a team? Just the two of us."
Mey froze, her body stiffening in terror.
The bullies exchanged nervous glances. Bully 1 stepped forward, his voice shaking.
"H-hey, we're already a te—"
Before he could finish, the Crazy Prison Guy grabbed his head with one enormous hand and slammed it into the wall with terrifying force.
The sound of the impact echoed through the room, followed by a sickening crack as the bully's skull shattered. Blood sprayed across the pristine white walls as his lifeless body crumpled to the floor, his head burst open like a smashed watermelon.
Screams erupted around them.
The Crazy Guy's grin never wavered, even as blood sprayed across the walls. Haku couldn't decide what was worse—the raw power he radiated or the sick amusement in his eyes
Bully 2 fell to his knees, trembling violently. Tears streamed down his face as he crawled away, muttering incoherently.
The Crazy Prison Guy ignored him entirely, turning his attention back to Mey.
He grabbed her wrist roughly, pulling her closer. "What's your name, sweetheart?" he asked, leaning in too close. His breath reeked of malice and arrogance.
Mey's breath hitched. She couldn't respond, her mind frozen in panic. Everyone in the room could see his intent—it was clear he had no interest in survival strategies or teamwork. His focus on Asa was predatory, his motives unmistakable.
---
Haku's eyes narrowed as he watched from his corner.
"Just as I thought," he murmured to himself. "No one is going to step in. They're all too scared. This guy is way too dangerous."
The Crazy Prison Guy leaned closer to Mey, sniffing her hair like a predator. "You smell good," he said mockingly. "Stick with me, and I'll take care of you."
Around them, the other players avoided making eye contact, their fear keeping them paralyzed. Even the couple, who had been so vocal about organizing teams, stayed back, exchanging nervous glances but refusing to intervene.
Haku remained alone. He hadn't joined a team, and he had no intention of doing so—until now.
---
Warning: Teleportation starts in 10 seconds.
---
The countdown echoed through the room, heightening the tension. The Crazy Prison Guy chuckled darkly, tightening his grip on Mey's wrist.
Mey's wide, tear-filled eyes darted around, silently pleading for help. But no one stepped forward.
"Why is'nt anyone helping me?"
All around her, the players had already formed their teams, their hands clasped together in groups of two or three, waiting anxiously for the teleportation to begin. Whispers of fear and murmured reassurances filled the air, but not a single person dared to look in Mey's direction, let alone intervene. Even the couple who had organized everyone stood still, exchanging nervous glances but too afraid to act.
While the others waited in their teams, Haku was still in the same position—leaning against the wall, alone, untouched by the chaos.
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5... 4... 3...
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Haku moved.
In one swift motion, he pushed off the wall and crossed the room in an instant, his cold gaze locking onto the Crazy Guy. This wasn't bravery—it was calculation. grabbing Mey's free hand while giving the Crazy Prison Guy a firm check on the shoulder.
1... 0...
Their eyes met for a brief moment—Haku's gaze cold and unyielding, the Crazy Prison Guy's wild and furious.
The room dissolved into blinding light, and the teleportation began...