Death was silent.
There was no pain, no tears. Just an abyss without light, as if the universe had decided to erase my existence with a single blink.
And then… I woke up.
The ceiling above me was white and artificial. Not a hospital ceiling, nor the one from my apartment. I knew it instantly. The air was too pure. The silence, too exact. Everything looked like it came out of a perfect, impersonal model. I sat up slowly and noticed the change even before I saw my reflection.
My muscles were more defined, lighter, more responsive. My senses sharpened within seconds. Then I turned my head, spotting a mirror against one of the walls. What I saw took my breath away.
A young woman stared back at me. She had short, straight black hair that fell neatly to her chin. Her fair skin carried a natural blush that softened her features, but did nothing to hide the intensity in her eyes—large, piercing eyes of a vivid yellow. Her body was slender and agile, yet carried a well-proportioned, curvaceous figure. She almost looked like a character... from fiction.
And then I understood. I remembered.
The Novel's Extra.
A novel I had read years ago. A fictional universe filled with magic, conflict, academies, guilds… and a protagonist who wasn't meant to be one. The story of Kim Hajin, a reader trapped inside his own creation.
And now, I was here too. Transmigrated.
"This can't be happening…"
But it was. A holographic notification appeared above the smartwatch on my wrist—one I hadn't even noticed before.
[Welcome, Nyra Valen.]
[Identity registered.]
[Initial evaluation class: Cube Year 1 – Veritas Class.]
[First day of admission: Begins in 48 hours.]
My heart raced. Cube. The academy where everything begins.
"If this is a dream, it's the realest I've ever had. And if it's not… then I'll have to survive."
48 hours later
Cube Academy – Veritas Class
"Silence!"
A firm voice broke the chatter in the room. It was Kim Soohyuk, our class instructor. Standing before us in his tightly fitted uniform, he radiated authority with every word.
"I am Kim Soohyuk. Starting today, I'll be your main instructor. Cube has chosen you for your talents, but don't forget—this is only the beginning. Here, you'll be pushed beyond your limits. Some will break. Others will rise."
A dramatic pause.
"It's up to you."
The usual speech, I thought.
Surrounded by more than thirty students, I recognized several familiar faces: Chae Nayun with her long hair and proud presence; Yoo Yeonha, always elegant and observant; Kim Suho, the idealist with a heart of steel; and, of course, Rachel, the foreign princess with refined manners and an icy gaze.
I sat at the back corner of the classroom, watching, remembering the events of the novel as if they were written solely as warnings for me.
Then came the first challenge of the day.
"Now we move on to weapon selection," Kim Soohyuk announced. "Each of you will step forward and choose your primary training weapon. Remember: this decision will shape your entire formation at Cube."
A holographic system activated. At the front, a long table displayed countless weapons: swords, spears, bows, whips, magic staffs, hammers, even long-range magical rifles.
One by one, the students approached to make their choices.
Chae Nayun grabbed her bow without hesitation. Yoo Yeonha picked a dark whip with an embedded magical core. Rachel reached for a thin, needle-like rapier, perfectly balanced.
I watched.
My combat didn't rely on weapons. My power lay in magical nullification and close-quarters fighting.
When it was my turn, I calmly walked up to the table and extended my hand toward a simple short mace—more symbolic than functional. Just a distraction.
The important thing was my gift.
Bridle of Silence: a full anti-magic field. Something no one would expect from a first-year student. I would keep it hidden—for now.
Later
Female Dorms – Building 3, Room 308
I stared at the smartwatch we'd been issued. My fingers slid across the interface as I familiarized myself with its functions: classes, maps, communication, stats…
At the bottom, a locked category.
[Gift: Strength Enhancement]
A lie. The system couldn't correctly register my ability.
Good.
That night, I sat on the bed, gazing out the window at the night sky, thinking about what was to come.
The trials. The dungeons. The Tower. The chaos.
And the inevitable war between demons, heroes, and monsters.
"I'm in your world, Kim Hajin…" I murmured. "But I'm not just another background character."
I am Nyra Valen.
And this time, I'll be something more.
Morning washed over Cube with a soft glow that reflected off the glass buildings. In her private dorm, I was already up, tightening the straps on my training gloves. My reflection stared back at me from the mirror: short black hair brushing my chin, pale skin tinged with a soft blush, and those sharp yellow eyes—mine now, in this new world. I had grown used to that face. To this body… even if it wasn't originally mine.
Four days had passed since I arrived.
Days of exploration. Introductory classes. Simulated battles. Physical evaluations. A flood of information I had to pretend not to know. Though the system of gifts, hierarchies, monsters, even the instructors… I had read it all. But living it? That was something else. The body ached, the muscles strained.
But today would be different.
In Combat Tactics I, instructor Kim Soohyuk had warned us:
"Tomorrow, you'll face your first practical test. Not an individual evaluation. A real mission inside Cube's advanced simulator. You'll face a creature… and you'll need to survive."
His words still echoed in my head as I stepped into the simulation field.
The field stretched like an artificial plain: hand-planted trees, hills generated by constructive magic, and a magical dome shielding the area. The students were grouped in small teams, armed and nervous.
"First time facing a real creature?" asked a voice to my right.
I turned my head. Yoo Yeonha was watching me with one eyebrow raised, her whip coiled at her hip like a sleeping serpent.
"Not exactly," I replied with a faint smile. "But there's a first time for everything… right?"
Yeonha looked away, studying me.
"They assigned us to the same group. I hope you're not the type to panic."
I didn't answer. I didn't need to.
The roar shook the air.
From our position between the trees, we saw it emerge: a Steel Wolf, the size of a minibus, with eyes like burning coals and claws that could shred iron. Its fur shimmered metallic under the simulator's light. Each breath released a cloud of vapor—like a warning.
"Positions!" Yeonha shouted, taking command without hesitation.
The team's swordsman stepped forward, shaking. The support mage began tracing magic circles with her wand. Everyone moved—except me.
Not from fear.
But because, in that instant, the world slowed down.
My senses adjusted. Every fiber of my body aligned with precision. I knew what was coming. But now I was living it. It wasn't fear I felt. It was instinct.
The wolf leapt.
The swordsman tried to block but was thrown like a ragdoll.
The mage screamed as the impact knocked her over.
And then I moved.
My boots pounded the ground, launching me forward without command, without shared strategy, without magic. Just muscle, rhythm, and lethality.
The wolf landed in front of me, snapping its jaws. I slid beneath, twisted my torso, and slammed my elbow into its jaw. I felt the crack. Using the momentum, I raised my knee and drove it into the beast's chest. The hit forced it back.
This body… my body, was the weapon.
The monster howled, lunging again. I met it head-on. A punch, full-force, right to the snout. The wolf's skull cracked under the blow.
A dry thud.
Silence.
The creature didn't rise again.
The simulation froze. The environment began to fade.
"End of test!" Kim Soohyuk's voice echoed from the system.
I stood over the unconscious wolf, chest heaving. My gloves were covered in grime and spit. Sweat ran down my neck—but I didn't care.
Then I felt it.
Yeonha's gaze.
She approached me—no cold tone, no critical stare. Just curiosity.
"That fighting style…" she said, trailing off. "It's not magic, is it?"
I shook my head.
"No. Just… training."
She looked at me for another second, then turned and walked away.
But I understood. From today on, she'd take me into account. Not as a threat. But maybe… as an ally.
And that gave me an edge.
That night, back in my room, I collapsed onto the bed. Cube's gray ceiling felt lower after everything that had happened. My smartwatch vibrated.
[System Recognition: Outstanding tactical aptitude. Level adjusted. Record updated.]
I read it without emotion.
I was in.
Not as a shadow. Not as an extra.
But as an unknown.
And the most ironic part was—I hadn't even started changing anything yet.