Awakening

Endless darkness enveloped Chen Hao's consciousness. He felt as though he were sinking to the bottom of a lake after drowning, left with nothing but feeble struggles and despair.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Hao seemed to hear a faint sound. Like a drowning man clutching at a straw, he struggled with all his might.

A glimmer of light slowly appeared before him. He struggled forward with all his strength, racing toward the light that was drawing closer and closer.

In the spotless ward of Yian District People's Hospital in Yangzhou City, Jiangnan Base City, an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old young man lay in a bed.

The young man's brows were slightly furrowed, and his chiseled face seemed to twitch faintly. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He seemed to want to sit up at once, but his arms and legs didn't seem to obey him.

After struggling a few times without managing to rise, the young man had no choice but to give up and lie still.

After resting for a while, the young man caught sight of the sleek, high-tech television mounted on the wall. His pupils contracted sharply, and shock, bewilderment, and confusion filled his eyes.

The person lying in the bed was our protagonist, Chen Hao.

At that moment, he was silently groaning to himself. Good heavens, what is going on? I swear I've never seen a television like this before! Did I end up in some kind of high-end private hospital room?

At the thought, he nearly wanted to cry. How much would this cost? But when he saw the other six beds in the room, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Wait, right! How did I get to the hospital?"

He seemed to remember visiting his girlfriend, then walking home while reading a novel. After that, he'd heard a piercing screech of brakes, felt himself flying through the air, and then lost consciousness.

Damn! So I really was hit by a car and sent flying!

Just then, the sound from the television caught Chen Hao's attention.

"Yesterday, a Lord-level Monster, the Black Crown Golden Eagle, suddenly appeared above our Base City, injuring several passersby. All of the injured have now been taken to the hospital for treatment, and the cause of the incident is under investigation. The Extreme Martial Arts Hall and Thunderclap Martial Arts Hall have also dispatched War God Rank experts to assist the military with the investigation. So far, no one has died in the incident. Now, let's take a look at the scene..."

The television then showed footage of the accident site. "The monster did not enter the Base City. Our Base City has a powerful laser defense system in place. Even King-level Monsters would not dare approach at will. Our defensive weapons are more than capable of protecting the safety of our Base City residents..."

Chen Hao didn't take in anything that followed. In fact, the moment he heard the names Extreme Martial Arts Hall and Thunderclap Martial Arts Hall, his mind went blank.

Those two names were far too familiar to him. They had appeared in the novel he'd been reading, and now he understood what kind of world he was in.

Wasn't this the world of Swallowed Star, the platinum-rated novel from Qidian that he'd been reading while walking? He'd heard it had recently been adapted into an anime.

In his previous life, he'd been a longtime novel fan and loved the works of Tomato. Back in school, he'd stayed up all night reading Stellar Transformation, Nine Cauldrons, and Coiling Dragon.

Unfortunately, after he started working, he had far less time to read. He'd only meant to revisit an old favorite, never expecting to be hit by a car and transported to this world.

He had been an only child, and he had a girlfriend he was about to get engaged to. They'd just finished renovating their house... The thought of it all filled him with unbearable grief. He'd finally made it to the end of thirty years of being single!

At least his girlfriend wasn't his wife yet. She might be sad, but without him, she could still have another life. But what about his parents? At the thought, his heart felt as though it were being torn apart.

If anyone had been monitoring him, they would have seen that Chen Hao's brain waves were extremely erratic. Just then, a wave of unfamiliar memories suddenly surfaced in his mind.

The Great Nirvana, the RR Virus, a lonely life in an orphanage, graduating from high school, mediocre talent as a Martial Artist, mediocre grades, failing to get into college, finding a temporary job after graduation, getting hit on the head by falling glass on his way to work, then losing consciousness...

The memories were simple, yet vivid. Overwhelmed by them, Chen Hao fainted once more.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Hao regained consciousness. He stared at the ceiling, then let out a long breath. He'd more or less accepted his fate. Since I'm already here, I'll make the best of it.

If his parents knew what had happened to him, they would surely hope he could live well in this world.

But if he ever got the chance, he would return to his own world. That was the deepest wish he held. Then he buried the thought deep in his heart.

By then, Chen Hao had slowly regained control of his body. He pressed the call button beside his bed, and soon a doctor in his thirties entered the ward with a young nurse.

The doctor stepped forward. "You're awake! Don't move around just yet!" He gently pressed the injured area with his hand and asked, "How do you feel? Anything unusual?"

Chen Hao's mouth twitched. "Nothing unusual. It just hurts a little!"

The doctor paused, then withdrew his hand without showing any reaction. "Oh, then it's fine. Pain is normal, since it's a head injury. At this point, there don't seem to be any other serious problems."

Chen Hao felt a little helpless. Behind the doctor, the young nurse's eyes, the only part of her face visible, held a faint trace of amusement.

The doctor quickly recovered from his awkwardness and explained, "Yesterday, you and the other six patients were brought to our hospital. After emergency treatment, the other six have already been discharged. Since you were struck on the head, we kept you here for observation."

He added with a sigh, "You were lucky. The piece of glass that hit your head wasn't very big, so you only have a mild concussion and a cut on your scalp. It's about the same as getting hit on the head with a beer bottle! Do you want to stay in the hospital? Of course, since this was an accident, the Base City government will cover your medical expenses."

Chen Hao thought for a moment, then asked, "Doctor, can I be discharged now?"

The doctor showed no surprise. "There's nothing seriously wrong with you, so you can leave whenever you like. We thought you might have a concussion, but your symptoms are very mild. Go home and rest for a few days, and you should recover."

"All right," Chen Hao replied at once. "Please help me with the discharge paperwork. I'd like to go home and recuperate."

The doctor nodded. "Of course. I'll have Nurse Zhang bring your discharge papers over in a moment." He then gave Chen Hao a few instructions about resting at home before turning and leaving the ward.

A short while later, Nurse Zhang came in with a discharge form and handed it to Chen Hao. "Sir, here's your discharge form."

Chen Hao had already changed out of his hospital gown and back into the clothes he'd worn the day before. After thanking the nurse, he took the discharge form and left the ward.

At the entrance to Yian District People's Hospital, Chen Hao looked at the unfamiliar streets and scenery, feeling a little lost.

Then he shook his head, recalled where his home was, and turned to walk there.

This is a new author with a new book. I hope everyone will support it!