His heart stopped.
That interface.
He knew it.
Free Fire.
But this wasn't a game.
There were no respawns here.
Only one life.
And it was no longer his own.
He looked out the window at distant smoke rising beyond the hills.Gunshots echoed.
But they weren't real.
Not yet.
The dim glow of a phone screen illuminated the face of a young man lying on his bed. His room was messy. Instant noodle cups. A half-open window. Midnight air.
On the screen—
FREE FIRE — FINAL CIRCLE
Only three players left.
His fingers moved like lightning.
Slide. Aim. Headshot.
One enemy down.
He smirked.
"Too easy."
The final opponent activated a skill. Speed boost. Aggressive rush.
He didn't panic.
He switched abilities instinctively — Alok's aura for movement and healing, Chrono's shield timing memorized down to the millisecond.
Bang.
Victory.
BOOYAH!
He exhaled deeply and dropped the phone on his chest.
"Another win…"
But something felt strange.
His heart.
It was beating too fast.
Too hard.
The room suddenly felt cold.
His vision blurred.
He tried to sit up — but his arms wouldn't respond.
"Wait… what…"
Pain exploded inside his chest.
The last thing he saw was the victory screen fading into darkness.
And then—
Silence.
—
Gunfire.
Real gunfire.
Explosions tore through the air.
The smell of smoke burned his lungs.
He opened his eyes.
Not his room.
Not his bed.
A wooden ceiling.
Cracked.
Old.
He tried to move. His body felt heavier. Taller. Different.
Voices argued outside.
"That useless brat is still sleeping?"
"He's a disgrace to the Lin family."
"Tomorrow he's going to the military whether he likes it or not!"
Military?
His mind froze. He stumbled toward a mirror hanging on the wall. The face staring back was not his. Sharper jaw. Colder eyes. A faint scar near the eyebrow. And memories began flooding in.
Lin Hao.
That was this body's name. A troublemaker, Village scumbag, Lazy, Arrogant, Cowardly and Hated by everyone.
Beyond the village—
The world was at war.Nations mobilized troops daily. Borders burned. Modern warfare had replaced peace.
And tomorrow—
He would be forced to enlist. He gripped the wooden table, breathing heavily.
"This isn't a dream…"
Suddenly—
A translucent blue interface flickered before his eyes.
System Initialization Complete
CharacterSkills Detected
Synchronizing…
His heart stopped.
That interface. He knew it.
Free Fire.
But this wasn't a game.
There were no respawns here.
Only one life.
And it was no longer his own.
He looked out the window at distant smoke rising beyond the hills.
"Did I die… just to be thrown into a battlefield?"
The answer came in the form of another explosion in the distance.
And somewhere deep inside—
Something awakened.
If this world wanted war…
Then he would survive it.