Cold metal pressed against his cheek, smelling of industrial cleaner and ozone. Gasping, Yul bolted upright, his fingers instantly clawing at his chest. Nothing but smooth, unbroken fabric met his touch. Pain flared behind his eyes, a sharp, white-hot needle drilling into his skull as he tried to sit up. Where was he? Memory fragments swirled in his mind like a broken kaleidoscope. His last moments had been a chaotic blur of screeching tires, a child's terrified scream, and the crushing impact of a runaway truck. Now, his lungs filled with clean, sterile air that tasted faintly of copper. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a harsh, clinical glare across a massive, circular chamber. No windows broke the monotony of the brushed steel walls. "Am I dead?" Yul whispered, his voice cracking like dry kindling. His words echoed hollowly, swallowed by the vast, empty space. Trying to stand, his knees buckled instantly, sending him sprawling back onto the floor. His limbs felt weak, heavy as wet clay, and his head spun with a dizzying rush of foreign information. Visions of a massive, fortress-like campus, black uniforms, and the words *Madison Military Academy* settled into his brain. Somehow, he had inherited a new identity, a new body, and a life he knew absolutely nothing about. A wave of nausea washed over him as he stared at his hands. These hands were smaller, the skin pale and unblemished, devoid of the scars from his old life as a mundane grease monkey. This was the body of a teenager, a kid who had apparently died of fright or sudden cardiac arrest in this very room just moments before Yul's soul claimed the vacant vessel. In his past life, he had been a complete loser—a 'bum' by his family's standards, unable to hold down a job, constantly stuttering through interviews, and finding solace only in cheap web novels. His heroic act of throwing himself in front of that truck had been a split-second impulse, a desperate bid to make his worthless life mean something. And now, he was Yul, a nobody in a school of elite magic warriors. This body's previous owner had been a scholarship student with zero magical aptitude, admitted to the prestigious academy through some administrative fluke. He was the laughingstock of his orientation class, an awkward, uncharismatic boy who couldn't even look people in the eye without stuttering. Just yesterday, this body's previous owner had tried to compliment a high-ranking instructor and ended up insulting her ancestral heritage due to a massive slip of the tongue. Such deep-seated humiliation had been so intense it practically vibrated in Yul's current nervous system. He was still the same awkward loser, just in a different world. Failing was his greatest fear, a ghost that had followed him from his previous life into this one. Back then, he had dropped out of community college, let his parents down, and spent his twenties hiding in a small apartment. He was terrified that this second chance would end in the exact same way: a pathetic whimper of wasted potential. --- Screaming sirens suddenly shattered his confusion. Red warning lights pulsed from the high ceiling, painting the metallic walls in a bloody, rhythmic hue. "Initiation Protocol: Evade or Die!" A mechanical, synthesized voice boomed from hidden speakers, vibrating through the metal floorboards. Static hissed in the center of the room, gathering like a miniature storm. Light coalesced, spinning into a massive, three-dimensional projection of a wolf-like beast. It was easily the size of an SUV, its digital fur flickering with red-and-black static. Massive fangs dripped with digitized saliva, and its eyes burned with a sickening yellow glow. "What kind of sick joke is this?" Yul muttered, his voice cracking. He scrambled backward, his palms slipping on the polished steel floor. In his past life, he had always been the guy who said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Once, he had congratulated a grieving classmate on her 'newfound freedom' because his brain short-circuited under social pressure. Right now, his brain was doing it again, utterly failing to process the mortal danger. "Nice doggy," Yul squeaked, his knees trembling as he forced himself to stand. "I don't suppose you want a treat? Or perhaps a gentle scratch behind the ears?" Answering his awkward plea, the holographic beast let out a deafening roar that shook the very air. It didn't look friendly. Claws glowing with a faint blue energy scraped against the metal floor, leaving actual, smoking gouges in the steel. If those claws were real, the danger was absolute. This wasn't just a simple projection; it was a hard-light construct capable of tearing flesh from bone. Pixels glitched and reassembled as the beast paced. It wasn't just a simple light show; the air pressure around its massive form dropped, crackling with localized gravity fields that threatened to drag Yul toward its razor-sharp maw. "Warning: Target locking in progress," the automated voice chimed merrily. "Run, you idiot!" Yul screamed at himself. Pushing off the ground, he bolted toward the dark perimeter of the room. High-tech panels lined the walls, glowing with the insignia of Madison Military Academy—a sword crossed with a lightning bolt. Memory fragments flashed in his mind like broken glass. Madison Military Academy was a crucible for elite magic-wielders, a training ground for a war that was fast approaching. Every new recruit had to pass the initiation trial to prove their worth. Failed recruits were discarded—or worse, carried out in body bags. Having zero coordination or combat training made Yul easy prey. His running gait was clumsy, his arms flailing as he desperately tried to find his balance in this unfamiliar body. Behind him, the digital wolf let out another roar and lunged. It moved with terrifying speed, a blur of red-and-black pixels that defied gravity. Heavy footsteps echoed behind him, closing the distance rapidly. Sweat stung his eyes, blurring his vision as he sprinted. He could see a heavy steel door at the far end of the chamber, marked with a glowing green exit sign. Desperation fueled his clumsy limbs. He tripped over a raised seam in the metal floor, skinning his elbows as he slid across the cold surface. Whimpering, he rolled over just in time to see the beast leap. Razor-sharp holographic teeth snapped inches from his nose. Hot breath, smelling strangely of ozone and burning copper, blasted his face. Even if it was a projection, the kinetic force felt real enough to break his bones. "Get away!" Yul kicked out blindly, his boot connecting with the creature's jaw. His foot passed right through the light, but the feedback sent a jarring shockwave up his leg, numbing his toes. Scrambling backward like a crab, he desperately sought any advantage. Nothing around him could serve as a weapon. Empty space stretched in every direction, save for the pillars of light. He felt a profound sense of unfairness bubbling in his throat. Why give him a second chance just to slaughter him in a high-tech gladiator arena? "I survived a truck," Yul muttered, his voice trembling as he stood up again. "I am not getting eaten by a giant laser dog." Breathing heavily, he forced his trembling legs to move. Another lunge from the beast forced him to dive to the side. He landed hard on his shoulder, hearing a sickening pop that made him scream. Tears of pain welled in his eyes, but he couldn't stop. If he stopped, he died. Dragging his injured arm, Yul crawled toward the green exit sign. Every inch felt like a mile. Behind him, the digital monster circled, preparing for a final, lethal strike. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto his spine. "Initiation time remaining: thirty seconds," the computerized voice announced. Thirty seconds felt like an eternity when facing a predator. Yul reached the base of the door, his fingers clawing at the smooth metal seam. No handle existed. Absolutely nothing resembling a manual override was in sight. Panic threatened to choke him. He turned his back to the door, pressing himself against the cold metal as the beast crouched, ready to spring. Shadows stretched across the room as the red emergency lights flickered. "Please," Yul whispered to whatever cruel god had put him here. "I don't want to die again." His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. Just as Yul stumbles towards the nearest exit, a sleek, black smartphone materializes in his hand, its screen glowing with the single word: 'Zdep'.

Chapter 1: Awakening to Alarms