Coastal City was as hot as a furnace in June. The sky was azure blue, and not a cloud was in sight. The scorching sun burned furiously like a massive fireball as it hung high in the sky.
Ironpeak High School.
3:30 pm.
"Ring, ring, ring…"
The bell signaling the end of the lesson rang. The entire school campus woke up from its stupor, and noises appeared from everywhere.
A few seconds later, waves of students gushed out of the different classroom buildings. They smiled and chatted in their small groups while walking out of the school gates.
Atlas Kade blinked.
Then he blinked again.
What the hell just happened?
One moment, he'd been crossing the street back on Earth—headphones in, halfway through some pop song he couldn't even remember the name of—and then a truck came out of nowhere.
Classic isekai death.
Except… he didn't wake up in some fantasy kingdom or get greeted by a goddess offering him cheat skills.
He woke up here.
In a classroom.
In someone else's body.
Well—his body, technically. Same name, same face, same everything. But the memories flooding his brain told a completely different story.
This Atlas Kade wasn't an orphan scraping by in a cramped apartment. This Atlas came from money. Old money. His family owned the Kade Trading Union, one of the most influential merchant empires in Coastal City.
And this world?
This world was completely insane.
"Brother Atlas, let's go to Ember's Lounge for a drink tonight."
A voice pulled Atlas back to reality.
"Darian!"
As he looked at the person in front of him, memories surfaced—familiar face, loud personality. This was one of Atlas's close friends from school.
"I won't be joining you tonight. I have a headache. You can have fun," said Atlas.
Darian replied hurriedly, "Hey, don't be like this. There aren't many people in our circle. If you don't come, it will be meaningless. Besides, we haven't gathered in a while. Why don't we find another day to meet? How about tomorrow or the day after? What do you think?"
Atlas shook his head helplessly. "Tomorrow is good."
He needed time to process… well, everything.
"No problem. I'll let Marcus and the others know we're meeting tomorrow instead." Darian grinned.
When they walked to the school gates, a huge commotion sounded ahead.
"Hey, what happened up there? There's a crowd," Darian said, puzzled.
"Let me take a look." He ran forward and squeezed through the mob of students.
Atlas, on the other hand, just placed his hands in his pockets and walked forward slowly. A few students saw him and voluntarily made way, some nodding respectfully, others whispering.
As expected, the Kade family name carried weight.
Atlas wasn't sure how to feel about that yet.
[Lyra's POV - Five Minutes Earlier]
Lyra Ashford sighed as she walked out of the school gates, her textbooks tucked under one arm.
Another day of classes. Another day of awkward stares from classmates who either worshipped her for being an Advanced Tier Martial Apprentice or resented her for coming from a "common background."
She just wanted to go home and train.
"Hey there, pretty lady!"
Lyra's eye twitched.
Oh no.
Three thugs with badly dyed hair—one bleached blonde, one neon green, one that looked like a failed attempt at purple—blocked her path. They wore ripped jeans and leather jackets like they thought they were in some kind of delinquent gang.
The blonde one leaned in with a greasy smile. "What's a cute thing like you doing walking alone? Why don't you come hang out with us?"
"We'll show you a good time," Green Hair added with a laugh.
Purple Hair just leered at her.
Lyra stopped walking.
She took a deep breath.
I don't have time for this.
"Move," she said flatly.
Blonde laughed. "Ooh, feisty! I like that. Come on, don't be like that—"
He reached out to grab her shoulder.
Bad move.
[Back to Atlas's POV]
Atlas pushed through the crowd just in time to see it happen.
The blonde thug's hand didn't even get close.
Lyra's leg snapped up in a blur—a perfect front kick that slammed into his chest with a sound like a hammer hitting meat.
The guy flew backward and crashed into a parked bike rack with a clang, his eyes rolling back.
"What the—" Green Hair started.
Lyra pivoted smoothly, her other leg sweeping low in a vicious arc. It caught Green Hair's ankles and yanked his feet out from under him. He went down hard, face-first into the pavement.
"Ow! My nose! MY NOSE!" he wailed, clutching his face.
Purple Hair, showing slightly more intelligence than his friends, tried to back away.
Lyra didn't let him.
She stepped forward, spun on her heel, and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick straight to his ribs. The impact echoed across the courtyard.
Purple Hair doubled over, gasping for air, then collapsed in a heap.
The whole fight lasted less than ten seconds.
Atlas stared, his mouth slightly open.
Holy shit.
He'd seen martial arts in the memories of the original Atlas—tournament footage, sparring matches, even some rift beast hunts. But seeing it in person was something else entirely.
Lyra hadn't even used her hands.
Just legs.
Pure, brutal, efficient leg techniques.
The way she moved—smooth, controlled, powerful—it was like watching a professional athlete demolish amateurs. Except these "amateurs" were grown men, and she was a high school girl.
The crowd around them erupted in noise.
"Goddess Lyra is an Advanced Tier Martial Apprentice, after all! These idiots picked the wrong person!"
"She didn't even break a sweat!"
"Did you see that kick?! I felt that from here!"
Lyra straightened her uniform, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She looked down at the three groaning thugs with an expression of mild annoyance.
Then she crouched down next to Blonde, who was still wheezing on the ground.
"Let me give you some advice," she said sweetly. "Next time you see a girl walking alone, maybe don't harass her. You never know if she's trained in martial arts."
Blonde just groaned.
She stood up, turned to Green Hair, who was still clutching his bleeding nose. "Also, that hair dye job is tragic. Seriously. Who did that to you?"
"My… my cousin…" Green Hair whimpered.
"Fire your cousin."
She glanced at Purple Hair, who was curled up on the ground like a shrimp. "And you. Do you need me to call an ambulance, or are you going to cry it off?"
"I'll… I'll cry it off…" he gasped.
"Good."
Lyra dusted off her hands, picked up her textbooks, and walked away without a second glance.
The crowd parted for her like the Red Sea.
Atlas stood frozen, his mind racing.
He'd just witnessed someone obliterate three grown men with nothing but kicks.
No weapons. No flashy techniques. Just raw power and precision.
This was the world he was in now.
A world where a high school girl could fold thugs like laundry.
And the original Atlas? He had zero martial talent. Couldn't even throw a proper punch.
Atlas clenched his fists.
I need to get strong.
The memories he'd inherited were one thing—second-hand knowledge, distant and abstract. But seeing it live, feeling the shockwave from Lyra's kicks, hearing the thud of bodies hitting the ground…
That was real.
This world ran on strength.
And if he wanted to survive—hell, if he wanted to thrive—he needed power.
I don't care what it takes. I'm not staying weak.
He looked down at the three groaning thugs.
Blonde was trying to sit up, wincing with every breath.
Green Hair was still crying about his nose.
Purple Hair hadn't moved.
Despite everything, Atlas couldn't help but smirk.
"Dude," Darian said beside him, shaking his head. "They got destroyed. I almost feel bad for them."
"They deserved it," Atlas muttered.
"Oh, totally. But still… she roasted them after beating them up. That's cold."
"That's Lyra."
The crowd slowly dispersed, everyone chattering excitedly about what they'd just witnessed.
Atlas and Darian walked toward the school gates.
As they parted ways, Darian called out, "Hey, don't forget! Tomorrow night at Ember's Lounge!"
"I'll be there," Atlas said absently.
His mind was elsewhere.
He found the car waiting for him—a sleek black sedan with the Kade family crest embossed on the door. Other students stared enviously as he climbed in.
The car pulled away smoothly.
Atlas stared out the window, his mind racing.
The trees lining the streets were massive—thicker than anything he'd seen on Earth, their canopies dense and vibrant. The air itself felt different. Heavier. Richer.
Everything about this world screamed more.
More energy. More danger. More opportunity.
As the car rolled through Coastal City, Atlas took it all in.
The streets were pristine. The architecture was a strange blend of modern steel and ancient stonework. Shops advertised "Beast Core Refinement" and "Cultivation Elixirs" alongside normal groceries.
And the people…
Atlas spotted a woman in her twenties walking a dog.
Except the dog was the size of a horse.
"What the hell…" Atlas muttered.
It looked like a golden retriever—if golden retrievers were bred with bears.
He saw more as the car drove on. Massive cats with twin tails. Birds with metallic feathers perched on shoulders. Even a kid riding what looked like a wolf the size of a small car.
This world is insane.
But Atlas wasn't scared.
He was excited.
Back on Earth, he'd been nobody. An orphan with no future, no family, no prospects.
Here?
Here, he had a second chance.
And he wasn't going to waste it.
The car drove for over twenty minutes before arriving at a luxurious estate district.
The Kade family estate was enormous—a sprawling compound with gardens, guest houses, and a central manor that looked like it belonged in a period drama.
Atlas stepped out of the car and stared up at it.
This was his life now.
He took a deep breath.
Alright, Atlas. You died on Earth. You're here now. New world. New rules.
Time to figure out what the hell is going on.
And time to get strong.
He clenched his fists.
I'm not staying weak. Not this time.
He walked through the front doors, determination burning in his chest.