The evening breeze carried a strange silence.
Tokyo continued its normal life — cars passing, families laughing, students heading home — but Nobita felt the world differently.
He felt the countdown.
The same countdown that once ended everything.
Doraemon followed beside him nervously.
"Nobita… are you sure you're okay? Gian hit you very hard…"
Nobita rolled his shoulder slowly.
"It hurt… but I can handle it."
Doraemon stared.
The old Nobita would've cried, run home, hidden under blankets, and begged Doraemon for gadgets.
But this Nobita?
He didn't complain.He didn't fear.He just walked with determination.
Something was awakening inside him.
Inside Nobita's Room — A New Beginning
Nobita stood in the center of his room.
Doraemon sat on the bed watching anxiously.
Nobita inhaled deeply.
"System," he whispered.
The blue HUD flashed before his eyes — visible only to him.
[Quest: "Strengthen the Body" — ACTIVE]Goal: Increase host's physical strengthCondition: Train daily, survive pain]Reward: Physical Level 1]Penalty for failure: Very high survival risk]
Nobita clenched his fists.
"I won't die again."
He dropped to the floor—
—and began push-ups.
The first one almost failed.
His arms shook violently.Sweat formed instantly.His bones felt like glass.
But he didn't stop.
"1…2…3…"
Doraemon panicked.
"H-Hey! Nobita! You'll hurt yourself!"
But Nobita continued.
"4…5…6…"
Tears slid from the corner of his eyes — not from fear, but from effort.
His muscles screamed.His lungs burned.
But he remembered Leon bleeding.Helena screaming.Doraemon dying with him.
So he pushed again.
"7…8…9—!"
He collapsed.
Doraemon rushed forward.
"Nobita! Stop! You're hurting yourself!"
Nobita shook his head.
"No.I need this."
The System chimed softly.
[Progress: 12%][Pain tolerance: +1]
Nobita's Focus Increases
After resting for a minute, he got back up again.
Sit-ups.Squats.Light punches.
His movements sloppy, weak, trembling—
—but improving.
Doraemon whispered to himself:
"…He's really not the same."
The Nobita that hid behind him was gone.
This one fought with himself.
Fought against weakness.Fought against destiny.
TV Turns On — Emergency Broadcast
Beep… beep… beep…
The TV suddenly flickered to the emergency alert.
Doraemon and Nobita looked up.
A news reporter appeared, sweating, panicked.
"The outbreak… it's spreading!The President has been evacuated—Tall Oaks is completely overrun—"
Then the screen cut to live footage.
Leon.
Helena.
Fighting through crowds of infected.Shooting precise headshots.Protecting civilians.
Leon yelled:
"Anyone who can hear this, evacuate NOW!"
Helena's shotgun blasted a zombie off a civilian.
The crowd watching the news screamed.
Doraemon's mouth fell open.
"T-That's them…!The people from Nobita's nightmare…"
Nobita whispered:
"…Leon… Helena…They're still alive…"
For now.
His fists tightened.
Doraemon Turns to Nobita
"Nobita…Everything you said…It's all true."
Nobita didn't speak.
He simply stared at the TV, deep in thought.
Doraemon could see it — the worry, the memories, the resolve.
"Nobita… are you scared?"
Nobita took a breath.
"No."
The system chimed:
[Mental Level Stable][Fear Immunity: Active]
Night Training — Pushing Beyond Limit
Everyone slept.
Lights were off.
But Nobita wasn't in bed.
He was outside, behind his house.
Doing more push-ups.
More squats.
More running.
He fell again.
Coughed.
Tried again.
Fell.
Tried again.
Doraemon watched from the door silently…
Tears forming.
"Nobita… you're really trying…"
Nobita forced himself up one last time.
His arms shook violently.
"Just… one more…"
He pushed—
And completed it.
The System flashed brightly.
[Congratulations!][Host has unlocked Physical Level 1]Strength: IncreasedStamina: IncreasedPain tolerance: Significantly increased]
Nobita collapsed onto the grass, exhausted but smiling.
"…I'll survive this time…"
Doraemon walked to him quietly.
He didn't say anything.
He simply placed a paw on Nobita's shoulder.
Proud.
Sad.
Hopeful.
END OF CHAPTER 6