NXT_MARVEL

Our MC was an extreme introvert in his past life — a bookworm who avoided people like the plague, focused only on his studies, and had zero interest in anime, games, or romance. The only time he ever touched anime was when his one and only friend forced him to watch a single episode of some fantasy academy drama — and he hated every second of it.
So when he wakes up in an unfamiliar, lavish room and finds himself in the body of Lucien von Zephyr— a rich, handsome academy student — things seem… pretty okay. That is, until memory floods in and he realizes who  Lucien is: the pervy, obsessive side character doomed to die in Episode 7 for going too far with the main heroine!

Survive the Death Flag! (Or Die a Simp)

Lucien sat cross-legged on his bed, the dim glow of his room's lantern casting flickering shadows on the walls. The Summoner's Grimoire (The Art Of Summoning Book)open in front of him, its worn pages filled with strange diagrams and symbols — and yet the words were crystal clear to him. English. A language no one else in this world seemed to know.

He ran his fingers over the ink, his mind buzzing. "If Xeranthis really was a reincarnator… what happened to him?"

[Maybe he got smart and dipped. Unlike you.]

Lucien ignored the system. As annoying as it was, he couldn't shake the feeling that this book was more than just ancient knowledge — it was a clue. A link between him and someone else who didn't belong here.

He flipped to a page he'd marked earlier. The passage detailed a powerful summoning ritual — one far beyond his current abilities. But the notes written in the margins were what caught his attention.

"Magic here is limited only by the will and creativity of the caster. Summoning requires not just mana, but vision. A spirit answers only those who understand the shape of their own soul."

Lucien frowned. "The shape of my soul? What's that supposed to mean?"

[Probably that your soul's shaped like a loser.]

He set the book aside and pulled up his status screen again. His mana had increased, but it still wasn't enough. If the system was right — and for once, it probably was — he'd need a lot more before he could attempt another summoning.

That meant training. And lots of it.

The next day, Lucien stood in the training field, his body still aching from his spar with Aeris. Professor Aldric watched him with his usual stern expression.

Lucien raised his hand, and fire bloomed to life at his fingertips. Ignis flickered beside him, the small fire spirit twirling in the air. With a sharp movement, Lucien sent a burst of flames toward the target dummy. The fire struck true — but the intensity still wasn't enough.

"You lack control," Aldric said. "Power without discipline is nothing. Focus, Lucien."

Easier said than done when your body was ready to collapse. But Lucien gritted his teeth and kept going. Because failure wasn't an option.

After training, Lucien returned to his dorm, exhausted but determined. He opened the Summoner's Grimoire once more, his eyes scanning the pages for anything he might have missed. That was when he noticed something strange.

In the corner of one page, almost hidden in the shadow of the binding, was a tiny symbol — one he hadn't seen before. It looked like a thorned vine twisting into the shape of a circle.

"Xeranthis the Black Thorn…" he whispered. "What did you leave behind?"

[Maybe you'll find out. If you don't die first.]

Whispers of Power