The first thing I noticed was the loud roaring noise.
A deep roar of thousands of voices mixed together, echoing off curved walls. It came from all directions, vibrating through my skull like I was sitting inside a bell that had just been struck, making even my insides tremble.
My vision was blurry and shifting.
The world tilted, steadied, then tilted again.
"…Did I black out?"
I blinked once. Twice. Thrice. My vision finally cleared and steadied, letting my mind register what was happening.
As the blur faded, shapes formed. Then color.
Rows upon rows of seats stretched outward in a massive dome-like structure, towering and wide, with a transparent ceiling far above. Light poured gently over the crowd.
And I was sitting among them.
I didn't transmigrate like a typical fantasy novel protagonist—no glowing magic circle, no ritual sacrifice, no hospital bed.
I was just… sitting in a seat.
As if I'd paid for a ticket.
My head throbbed, but my mind was strangely clear.
"This is bad."
At the center of the stadium-sized dome floated a cubical structure suspended above the ground. Holographic screens shimmered on each side, projecting the stage for everyone to see.
A man stepped forward onto the central platform.
He was tall with broad shoulders, dressed in dark formal attire. A long scar ran diagonally across his face, starting above his left eyebrow and ending near his jawline. His skin was pale and weathered.
"Silence."
The crowd quieted instantly.
His voice carried effortlessly—no speakers needed.
"Do you all think this is a place for bonding and chatting"? He said as he glared at the audience seats.
"YOu all are present here as you all have recived the gift of strength more tha other but do you think its a gift which you can flaunt and use as you please," the man said. "No is a responsibility given to us which you all here need to fulfill."
I stared at him blankly.
"Power exists to protect the weak, not for misuse," he continued, his gaze sweeping across the stadium. "To carve a future where humanity does not bow its head to monsters, disasters, or despair."
Cheers erupted.
I didn't join them.
From his tone alone, I could already guess what kind of place this was.
"From over one hundred thousand selected candidates," the man declared, raising a hand, "only a thousand of you lot, stand here."
The noise doubled. Some shouted. Others stared at the stage anticipation.
"You are the ones who have been chosen as the Cadets of Cube ."
"Among you are future heroes who will elevate this world to heights never before imagined. This is also your chance to rise within society and climb to a higher realm."
The cheers became deafening.
I leaned back in my seat and exhaled slowly.
"I am fuc*ed."
The thought came without panic. No racing heart. No cold sweat.
Just a calm, rational judgment of someone who took over someone's body.
"This is shaping up to be a disaster." I murmured to myself.
And oddly enough, the dizziness faded the moment my mind accepted that I was royally screwed.
Someone beside me shifted.
I turned slightly and found a girl staring at me.
She had short brown hair tied back hastily, bright eyes, and an academy cadet uniform that looked a bit too loose—like she'd worn a size or two bigger than hers. Her expression was… concerned that also towards me.
"Are you okay?" she asked, leaning closer. "You looked like you were about to pass out."
I opened my mouth—almost spilling everything. That I'd just taken over this guy's body. That I was about to live a second life with this new body.
But I stopped.
I don't wanna be treated like some evil mage who took over new bodies to have eternal life.
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."
She frowned. "You sure?"
Before I could answer, the crowd roared again, drowning us out. She immediately straightened, eyes sparkling as she turned back toward the stage.
Her concern for my health faded quite quickly.
"Did you hear that?" she shouted, clapping. "We're the selected few chosen to enter the Cube!"
I watched her for a moment.
Then I sighed internally.
Alright. Let's confirm the obvious.
As a compulsory step for any transmigrator: call upon your status, your system, your cheat—whatever you've got.
So like any reasonable transmigrator, I called for the one thing that would tell me how badly things had gone for me.
If I have a system, there's hope.If not… I'll think about that later.
"Status."
Nothing happened.
One second passed.
My hopes crumbled.
Within that second, I cursed multiple gods from every religion I could remember.
Just at that moment—
A translucent screen slid into existence before my eyes. Pale grey. Cleanly segmented.
I almost laughed.
By the grace of the gods, I got a system.
I apologise for cursing you all. Thank you for your generosity toward a kind soul like mine.
Most of all, I was grateful I didn't have to perform some strange ritual—like stabbing myself with a cursed blade or kneeling before some forgotten goddess statue offering loyalty and blood.
It was just… a polite interface.
The girl beside me glanced over again, brows knitting together.
"…Why are you smiling like that?"
I wiped the expression off immediately. "Nothing."
She stared for a second longer, then shrugged and returned to cheering.
I focused on the screen.
[ STATUS ]
Name: Zeref NoctisAge: 16Race: Human
[Loading]
I scanned it once. Then again.
…Wow.
So my name's Zeref. Not bad.
But what does "Loading" mean? Is it recalibrating my stats or something?
Well, I'll know when I have something to compare them to.
"Now," the scarred man continued, "we will introduce the top ten students of this year's first generation."
The stage shifted.
One by one, figures were called forth.
They were beautiful. Every single one of them was god damn gorgeous—men and women alike. Tall, sharp-featured, radiant. Some had unusual hair colors. Others carried effortless confidence.
The crowd went insane.
And then—
Something stirred in my head.
Memories. Foreign, but not hostile.
Classrooms. Training halls. Application tests.
This body's past.
Not all of it came to me—but enough.
And as those memories surfaced, I felt something else.
As the memories of this body came in my mind my sens of self relating to my past life was fading and strangely enough forgetting about my original life brought me a sense of peace.
Zeref—the original—had been normal. Average grades. No outstanding talent. Just good enough to slip through selection with effort and a bit of luck.
Thats how he made himself look just above average and good enough to be selected in the Cube. I wasn't weak enough to die immediately.
But I definitely wasn't too strong.
Then—
A darker memory surfaced.
A quiet room.
A man affiliated with some cult, eyes covered.
A simple instruction: "Enter the Cube and report anything of value. You will be compensated accordingly. As for betrayal—don't entertain such thoughts. You've already signed a magic contract. Betrayal will be fatal. So just do your job, and you'll be paid well."
My fingers twitched.
They curled slowly against my thigh, nails digging in hard enough to hurt.
…You have got to be kidding me.
The body I'd taken over wasn't just a student.
I was a plant.
A spy for some cult.
A kid who took the job because he needed money or was greedy for money.
Connected to a terrorist organisation or dark cult that had somehow placed him inside the Hero Academy—the Cube—to gather internal information.
I sighed.
If there was ever a wrong place at the wrong time, this was it.
"This time, I'm completely screwed."
"Hey," the girl beside me snapped, elbowing my side. "Can you stop muttering?"
I blinked. "What?"
"You're ruining the moment. I can't hear him properly."
I followed her gaze to the stage.
A guy one of the top ten stood at the center—tall, smiling, waving confidently. Judging by the crowd's reaction, he already had fans.
Lots of them.
I leaned back again, eyes half-lidded.
Heroes. Terrorists. Systems. Cadets.
And me—sitting quietly in the middle of it all, with nothing exceptional to show and everything to lose.
Yeah.
Let them ignore me.
That's the best thing that could happen to me right now.