"Ughhh..." I let out a grudging sigh as I lay on my bed, the ceiling fan struggling to keep the room even remotely cool.


    This heat... it was killing me. I came to Texas to study, not to suffer a heat stroke. Why is it so damn hot here? I miss my city.


    At this point, it wasn’t even about homesickness anymore. I would never complain about the temperature or environment back home again after this.


    Grumbling, I dragged myself off the bed and made my way toward the fridge, phone in hand, mindlessly scrolling for my daily dopamine hit.


    As I reached the stairs, I blinked. Huh? Weren’t there only a few steps?


    I could still see, but suddenly, I felt… short. No… smaller.


    And then I realized—I was falling.


    Face first.


    Down the stairs.


    "I''m dead, aren''t I?"


    That was my last thought before my skull met the unforgiving concrete floor.


    ---


    "Today on Channel 3 News, we report a tragic incident—"


    A blonde news anchor in a red suit spoke, her expression a perfect mix of professional concern and practiced detachment. Behind her, the TV screen displayed an image of blood staining the floor where the accident had occurred.


    "A young man was found dead after collapsing from what is suspected to be heat stroke. Authorities are still investigating, but experts urge everyone to stay hydrated and avoid excessive heat exposure."


    ---


    "Ouch... that was a nasty fall," I muttered as I pushed myself up, holding my head.


    I had no clue how I survived that. I fell headfirst. That should have been fatal.


    As I slowly got to my feet, I braced for pain—but there was none. Confused, I opened my eyes.


    The floor beneath me was stone.


    I blinked, looking around. Crowds of people walked past, dressed in unfamiliar clothes. Some were human, but others... weren''t. Lizard-like figures, humanoids with pointed ears, and even people with wolf-like features moved through the busy streets.


    What the hell is happening?


    I sat there, stunned, unable to process the scene before me. My mind grasped for logic, but nothing made sense.


    The murmurs of the passing crowd snapped me back to reality. People were staring at me. I quickly stood up, trying not to draw more attention, and walked away. As I moved, I heard them whispering, but I couldn’t understand their words.


    Okay. Stay calm.


    I found a nearby bench and sat down, forcing myself to take slow, deep breaths. My heart was pounding, but oddly, I felt no fear. Maybe the shock was so overwhelming that my body didn’t know how to react.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Adapt. I adapted to Texas alone—I can adapt to this too.


    Regaining some focus, I examined myself.


    Something was off.


    My hands... they weren’t mine. The skin was paler than I remembered, almost ghostly white. My fingers felt slightly thinner, more refined. It wasn’t just my surroundings that had changed—I had changed.


    Did I... get reborn? Is this even my body?


    Pushing that thought aside, I quickly checked my pockets, trying to assess what I had on me. The noise of the marketplace faded into the background. Right now, what I carried could make the biggest difference.


    I was wearing a black coat with a crest on the chest, paired with black pants, a black belt, and a white shirt with a red tie. It looked like a school uniform.


    Reaching into my coat, I found an ID card.


    My eyes locked onto the text:


    Student I.D


    - Name: Ethan


    - Age: 16


    - Code No: 6324


    - Class: ———


    - University: The Royal University of Othradis


    So my name is Ethan, huh? Not bad. I don’t seem to have a family name… well, back in the day, people didn’t always have them either, so maybe this world follows a similar system.


    I continued checking my pockets and found a small leather pouch. Inside, there were 70 silver coins and 5 bronze coins. Not bad. But then, at the bottom of the pouch, I found something else—another card.


    Adventurer I.D


    Name: Ethan


    Rank: B


    Class: Undecided


    Age: 13


    Wait… 13? That must mean I haven’t updated this card in a while. I should probably fix that soon. But for now, the university seems like the better option. If I’m enrolled, I might have access to a dorm. Though… is this silver meant for my tuition, or is it just my own money?


    "Well, I won’t know until I check it out."


    As I was about to stand up, I noticed something strange—a tiny floating dot near my eye. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, but it didn’t disappear.


    When I focused on it—


    A familiar menu opened in front of me.


    No way... This is the menu from ''Despair & Dungeon''!


    It was an MMO I knew all too well, and now, staring back at me were my stats from the game.


    Status


    Name: LostGamer_Tag


    Class: —


    Level: 1 / 10


    Strength: G


    Endurance: G


    Mana: G


    Luck: S


    Speed: G


    Intelligence: G


    S-Rank Luck? Does that mean my DLC is with me?!


    I immediately checked my inventory, and there it was—


    - 10,000 gold coins


    - Starter Pack Equipment:


    - Standard Armor


    - Sword, Bow, Spear, Dagger, Magic Staff


    - Pay-to-Win Equipment:


    - Staff of Disaster


    - Zenith Blade


    - Disaster Set & Zenith Set


    Holy crap, the paid items came too?! But… my excitement was short-lived.


    Equipment Requirements


    Staff of Disaster


    - Intelligence Required: Z


    - Mana Required: SSS


    - Speed Required: SS


    - Endurance Required: S


    Zenith Blade


    - Intelligence Required: A


    - Strength Required: Z


    - Endurance Required: SSS


    - Speed Required: SS


    …Yeah, I can’t use any of this yet.


    The same went for the Disaster Set and Zenith Set. I was too weak.


    That means… I need to level up.


    But before that—I needed a class.


    I clicked on the Class Selection option, and a list of choices rolled out before me:


    Warrior       Gaurd       Specialized Mage    Locked


    Spearman    Bandit       Dark Mage         Locked


    Archer       Alchemist     Adventurer         Locked


    Mage        Fighter       Battle Maid/Butler   Locked


    Tamer       Healer        Demonic Mage      Locked


    Framer      Tank         Holy Mage          Locked


    OK, now then… what to pick?


    I guess I should go with the meta. As for the locked classes, they should open after the first rebirth… or was it the second? It’s been a while since I last played from the beginning, so I don’t really remember.


    Well, it doesn’t matter.


    Since I’m going for the meta build, my path is set in stone.


    And with that, I clicked Mage.


    But just as I was getting excited, a thought hit me.


    "Wait a minute… how am I supposed to get all the items I need to level up?"