When I opened my eyes, warm sunlight spilled across my face.
I found myself lying on a bed inside a house I had never seen before. The scent of wood, the rough grain of the walls, and the distant sounds of birds told me I was somewhere deep in a jungle. A small wooden cabin…?
Before I could process anything further, a sharp pain stabbed through my skull.
"—gh!"
Instinctively, I clutched my head, fingers gripping my hair so tightly it felt like I might rip some out.
And then—
A surge of foreign memories crashed into me.
Memories I had never lived… yet felt like they had always been buried inside me.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed inside my mind.
The pain vanished instantly.
Breathing hard, I pushed myself up from the bed.
My body felt… different.
Lighter, Stronger.
From the looks of it… I've been transmigrated into someone else's body.
What surprised me wasn't fear or confusion—
but how calm I felt.
Almost… refreshed, as if I had been living here all along.
The memories that flashed through my mind belonged to the body's original owner—
an orphan with the same name as mine: Raven Blackheart.
He had lived alone in this wooden cabin deep inside the jungle, surviving by doing odd jobs since childhood.
So, I'm an orphan in this life too, huh?
Well… at least I don't have to explain myself to anyone,No family,No close friends.
No one who would notice the difference.
If someone dear to the original Raven existed, things could have gotten troublesome.
But fortunately, I don't have to worry about that.
I slowly pushed myself off the bed and stumbled toward a full-body mirror leaning against the wall.
The moment I saw my reflection, the first words that escaped my mouth were—
"I'm… handsome?"
That was my honest reaction.
Though judging from this world's standards, I was probably only above average.
The body, however, was thin malnourished even My skin clung tightly to the bones, a sign of past hardship.
But my features…
Black hair as dark as midnight.
Red eyes that glowed like liquid fire.
sharp, cold and striking.
I couldn't help but admire them.
I really like my eyes.
It actually went well with my hair…
Though my face looked pale probably from malnutrition.
And my height…
I blinked. Did I seriously get taller?
I must be around 6'3" now.
Everything felt unreal.
Just moments ago, I was in my apartment, playing a game like always.
Then in the next second—darkness—and I woke up in a completely different world, inside the body of a boy who looked no older than seventeen.
Before I could get a grasp on anything, my phone flickered weakly.
A notification popped up across the cracked screen:
["Congratulations!!
Student 'Raven Blackheart', your entrance exam for Astral Awakened Academy has been approved.
The exam will be in three months.
Please reach the academy on time. Good luck!!"]
"…What the hell."
Don't tell me—
No way.
I've been transmigrated into The Everlasting Path of Ascension.
The same game I've played for five years.
A world with the classic "hero slays demon king" theme—
Except in this one…
The hero fails.
The world is destroyed.
And the dangers come not only from monsters, but villains hiding inside the academy.
And me?
From the looks of it, I'm nothing more than an extra—
No background, no special identity, nothing worth a story mention.
I remembered the academy very well.
That's where the protagonist meets his allies, rivals, and future partners.
Where the plot, disasters, and death flags truly begin.
"…Great. Even the hero can't save the world. How the hell is an extra supposed to survive?"
If anything, I should at least get a perk as a transmigrator.
A cheat, a system Something.
I tried calling out in my mind:
"SYSTEM!"
Nothing happened.
But a few seconds later, a plain blue screen appeared in front of me.
---
‹ STATUS ›
Name: Raven
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Class: Swordsman
Core: Beginner — Stage I
Talent Grade: B⁺
[Evaluation: An anomaly with average potential. Possesses a rare probability of evolving into A-Rank.]
Unique Ability: None
Blessing: None
Traits:
Eyes of Perception
Ultimate Physique
Element: None
--
BASE STATS
Stat Rank
Strength F⁺
Endurance E
Stamina F
Agility F⁺
Intelligence E
Charm F⁺
Mana F
SKILLS
Beginner Quick Step — 56%
Beginner Swordsmanship — 33%
Beginner Handling — 3%
---
> "An anomaly… strong, yet far from reaching peak.<
A seed with the faint possibility to rise beyond its limits."
A frown formed on my face.
My overall stats were basically E-rank trash.
No element,No blessing,
No unique ability.
And my talent was just a B⁺, barely above average.
"How am I supposed to survive like this…?"
Then my gaze landed on one part of the screen
Traits.
My eyes widened slightly.
"...Wait. I have two traits?"
In this world, having even one was rare.
But I had two
and both were anything but ordinary.
---
Eyes of Perception
Enhances comprehension. Allows rapid learning simply by observing. Strong memory retention and understanding improvement.
Ultimate Physique
Peak-level body potential. Can adapt to any weapon or martial art. The body itself slowly becomes a weapon. Greatly increases mana absorption.
---
A small smirk tugged at my lips again.
Even if I'm just an extra…
With these traits and with my knowledge of every hidden quest, dungeon, artifact, and danger in the game
I can grow stronger.
Far stronger than anyone expects.
I'll carve my own path
and break the fate that was supposed to control me.
That is my way to the peak....