Multiverse: Why does the world show a health bar? !

"Li Mo, are you keeping up with your studies?"

In the staff room, a woman still dressed in a white coat sat at her desk. Her name was Hiratsuka Shizuka, a teacher known for being "nosy" at school. For instance, she was currently handling matters that weren't even related to her own class.

In front of her stood a student who looked rather ordinary, except for his slightly long hair, which gave him a somewhat melancholic appearance. This wasn't the first time Hiratsuka had dealt with this young man. If he put a little effort into his appearance, he would undoubtedly attract the attention of many girls.

Of course, Hiratsuka hadn't volunteered to take over this student's case from other teachers out of any superficial interest.

"In terms of science subjects, I'm managing. But I'm struggling with the humanities. I need your help, Hiratsuka-sensei."

"I'll do my best to help you with that... Li Mo, that issue of yours, hasn't it been resolved yet?"

The academic aspect wasn't the main concern; it was secondary. The real issue was the strange illness afflicting him. Despite appearing healthy and in good shape—far more robust than other frail students—he was plagued by a mysterious sleeping disorder.

The boy shook his head, indicating no improvement.

It wasn't surprising. He had been to the hospital numerous times, but no one could pinpoint the cause of his condition. Eventually, he was advised to consult a psychologist.

At this point, Hiratsuka grew slightly frustrated. The student's problem might very well be psychological.

He was a transfer student who had arrived in Japan just a year ago. Being in a foreign country could naturally lead to psychological stress.

But this was just speculation.

Hiratsuka thought for a moment before continuing, "What do you think? If you want to take more time off to see a doctor, the school won't stand in your way."

"My plan is to attend classes as usual and visit the hospital on weekends," the boy replied. "Since the hospitals can't find anything wrong, I'll take it slow."

"Alright, I respect your decision. I won't keep you any longer today. Head home early."

"Thank you, sensei. I'll be going now."

The student left without hesitation, not wasting a moment.

Hiratsuka understood him. If she only had eight hours of activity in a day, she would also act decisively, not wasting precious time on trivial matters.

"Annoying."

The mature female teacher ruffled her hair and lit a cigarette, letting the nicotine numb her senses.

Today, Hiratsuka Shizuka was still worrying about her students.

...

...

Ten minutes later, Li Mo pushed his bicycle out of the main gate of Soubu High. He glanced around, noticing that the sidewalks were relatively empty. He mounted his bike and headed home.

It was spring, and the cherry blossoms lining the streets were in full bloom. People with pollen allergies wore masks as they walked through the alleys. The sunlight was warm and gentle, like a mother's embrace.

However, the spring sun couldn't completely dispel the chill, and Li Mo still wore a jacket.

He didn't want to catch a cold. Getting sick and visiting the doctor would waste his precious time—this was his hard-earned wisdom.

As he rode his bike, occasionally paying attention to the cars on the road, he gradually lost himself in his thoughts.

Li Mo was a transmigrator from another world.

Just over a week ago, he had blinked and found the world completely transformed. He had woken up in someone else's room and, after some exploration, had a rough understanding of his situation.

Then—

As if reaching a specific point in time, he would suddenly collapse and remain unconscious until the next day. This cycle repeated itself, leaving him with only about eight hours of activity each day.

For the first week, Li Mo had barely attended school, taking time off to visit various hospitals. By now, he had been to nearly a dozen hospitals.

The absurd part was that the hospitals followed almost identical procedures when he explained his condition. Even the results were eerily similar.

"There's nothing wrong with your body; you're perfectly healthy."

Li Mo had heard this line countless times. His mysterious illness was beyond the reach of modern medicine. The doctors would cautiously suggest that he see a psychiatrist.

It was frustrating.

The fact that Hiratsuka-sensei hadn't given him a hard time was the best news. Initially, Li Mo hadn't been dealing with Hiratsuka but another teacher who was much more troublesome. That teacher had suspected that Li Mo was simply making excuses to skip school—until one day, when he demonstrated his condition by collapsing on cue and remaining unresponsive. Only then did Hiratsuka take over his case.

By the way, when he woke up the next day, he found himself in the hospital.

Just then—

"Zzz...@＃￥%!^(MISSING)...zzz^%!￥(MISSING)＃@..."

A sound resembling static, mixed with the dull noise of an old TV in the early hours of the morning when no programs were airing.

Li Mo remained expressionless, not even furrowing his brow. He simply steered his bike with one hand while pulling out his phone with the other to check the time.

—15:45.

It was still early in the afternoon. Most Japanese high school students would be participating in club activities at this time, but Li Mo, like other members of the "going-home club," was heading back.

It was about time. It seemed he wouldn't have time for a bath today.

"Not happy!"

In the week since his transmigration, Li Mo's greatest pleasure had been playing mobile games while soaking in the bath. Showering? That old lifestyle had been completely abandoned.

Calculating the time, he knew he would reach his apartment in five minutes. Then he would spend another five minutes bringing his bike up to his room. The final five minutes might allow him to change into his pajamas.

—15:50.

The nameless transmigrator from another world arrived at his apartment building. He parked his bike and began climbing the stairs.

—15:55.

The resident known as Li Mo reached his door, took out his keys, and unlocked it. He changed into his indoor slippers, entered his room, and changed into his pajamas, lying down on his bed to await the inevitable "blackout."

Or so it should have been.

At that moment, his neighbor stepped out of their apartment. The two exchanged brief greetings on the narrow metal staircase before the neighbor left.

That brief interaction caused Li Mo to slow down as he opened his door.

What did I just see?

He widened his eyes, staring at the departing neighbor. The neighbor's head was completely normal, nothing out of the ordinary.

Had he imagined it?

In the moment the neighbor left, Li Mo thought he had seen something appear above their head—something long and filled with red liquid.

But when he looked again, it was gone.

"Whatever."

Li Mo checked the time.

—15:57. He had wasted another two minutes.

Entering his apartment, he changed into his slippers, locked the door, and dashed through the rooms, his slippers clattering loudly on the wooden floor. He reached his bedroom, not even bothering to change his clothes. He quickly stripped off his school uniform, leaving only his boxers, and lay down on the bed.

—16:00.

At that exact moment, Li Mo's personal "night" descended. His brain activity slowed significantly, and his body entered a low-power state. All external sensations were shut off.

But... in his mind, something strange began to stir. A noise emerged, reverberating, emitting a "zzz" sound. Like the heartbeat of someone brought back to life, the noise grew clearer.

Suddenly, like an old radio straining to deliver its final message:

"Zzz... To protect... zzz... your physical and mental health, users under the age of 18 will be subject to an anti-addiction system. You... zzz... have been online for 8 hours today. Forced logout... Please complete real-name verification..."