Reborn as an SSS-Rank Guide in the Sentinel Academy [BL]

Julian was still standing there, staring at that guide who wouldn’t back off, when a voice popped up in his head out of nowhere. Not out loud. Just straight into his skull like somebody knocked on a door that wasn’t even there.

[Congratulations host. You have been Transmigrated. Sorry I didn’t show up earlier my bad]

Julian froze. ’what the actual fuck was that’ he thought, eyes darting around the hall like maybe somebody was playing a prank on him. Nobody else reacted at all. The guide was still running his mouth, Logan was still standing there looking pissed off, and nobody looked like they heard a single thing.

[I am the host’s personal System jiji. I apologize for the delay, I was still booting up]

’a system. of course. fucking course I get a system’ Julian thought, and honestly at this point he wasn’t even that surprised anymore. He survived three years of zombies eating half the planet, woke up in some rich kid’s body engaged to a guy with an attitude problem, and now apparently there was a voice in his head too. Sure. Why not. Add it to the pile.

"can everyone else hear you," Julian muttered under his breath, turning slightly away from the guide so it looked less like he was talking to nobody.

[Negative. Only the host can hear me]

’good. that’s one less thing to explain’ he thought, relieved.

The guide finally backed off, still glaring, and dragged himself back over toward Logan’s side like a dog that got told to sit. Logan didn’t even look at Julian again, just turned and walked off with that guide trailing behind him, whispering something Julian didn’t care enough to listen to.

Julian let out a breath and walked the opposite direction, out of the hall, down some hallway he didn’t recognize but the body seemed to know anyway. Muscle memory or whatever. He kept walking until he found an empty room, shut the door behind him, and finally let himself talk properly.

"okay. system. explain yourself. what are you even for."

[System function: assist host in surviving and thriving in this world. Current priority: unlock host’s true Guide rank]

Julian blinked. "true rank? what do you mean true rank, I’m F-Class, that’s what everybody keeps telling me."

[Incorrect. F-Class is the rank of the original body’s owner before transmigration. Host’s soul carries abilities from previous world. These abilities have not yet been calculated into host’s current rank]

Julian sat down slow on the edge of some fancy bed in whatever room he wandered into, processing that. "so you’re saying... the zombie killing, the years on that wall, all of that. that actually counts for something here."

[Affirmative. Host’s survival experience, mental fortitude, and unique bond with dangerous creatures translates into extremely rare Guide affinity in this world]

"unique bond with," Julian repeated slowly. "system. I fought zombies. I didn’t bond with them. I stabbed them in the head."

[Correction noted. Host’s prolonged exposure to Aberration-type creatures in previous world created resistance and adaptability that does not exist naturally in this world’s Guides. This is valuable]

Julian rubbed his face with both hands. "great. so I’m valuable because I almost died a hundred times and didn’t die die. cool. love that for me."

[System recommends host attend the entrance evaluation scheduled in one hour. Host’s true rank will be revealed there]

Julian’s head shot up. "wait, the evaluation’s today? nobody told me that."

[It is in the memories host inherited. Host has simply not accessed all memories yet]

"right. right, of course." Julian pressed his palm against his forehead, feeling that headache creeping back in from earlier. New body, new world, new voice yelling advice in his skull, and apparently a test in one hour that could blow his whole "harmless useless F-Class nobody" cover wide open.

He almost laughed. After everything, after the wall, after the gate, after watching people he loved get torn apart right in front of him, this is what finally made his hands a little shaky. A school test.

’alright’ he thought, standing back up, rolling his shoulders like he used to before a shift on the wall. ’let’s see what I’m actually made of in this world then’

[Host’s determination levels are unusually high for current threat level. System approves]

"shut up," Julian muttered, but there wasn’t any real heat behind it, and for the first time since waking up in this body, something that felt almost like the old him cracked through... steady, a little amused, ready to hold the line no matter what showed up in front of him.

He walked out of the room and headed toward the evaluation hall, and the System stayed quiet, humming along in the back of his mind like it was just as curious as he was about what would happen next.