The afternoon sun slanted across the bustling street. A brown-haired young man strolled leisurely, hands clasped behind his head, gazing up at the azure sky.

Yes—this was Xue Yu. Or rather… not quite Xue Yu. Why?

Though it was him, his appearance was no longer his own.

Passing a street corner, his eyes accidentally caught a familiar face pinned to the notice board.

Right there, within arm’s reach, was his former self—his portrait displayed proudly for all to see.

Seeing his own "handsome photo" shining on public display wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Xue Yu even felt a flicker of pride.

The sketch showed his past self: a handsome gray-haired youth with a slightly sturdy build, radiating the vigor of adolescence.

His silvery-blue eyes held that unmistakable knightly resolve.

At first glance—*definitely* an energetic, outstanding knight. (At least, that’s what Xue Yu thought.)

But the moment his gaze dropped to a few words on the notice, that flicker of joy shattered into utter despair.

The board read: *"In the Battle of Ziyu Domain, Second Knight of Galkani Xue Yu confronted the Succubus Empress. Defeated. To cover his squad’s retreat, he led fewer than ten remaining comrades in a valiant last stand and fell in battle—sacrificing his life for the nation."*

In short: the face on the board belonged to a dead man.

Xue Yu went utterly speechless.

*Damn it!* They slapped up my photo without even asking—and worse, declared me *dead*?! I’m alive! Breathing, walking, *alive*!

Fury boiled inside him, but he kept his expression carefully neutral… absolutely neutral…

"Aaargh, damn it!" Xue Yu snatched the paper declaring his death and shredded it into what could only be described as quark-level particles (just kidding).

"Is this guy for real?"

"Huh? Looks like a delinquent. Better not get involved."

Only after hearing the bystanders’ murmurs did he freeze mid-tear.

Yeah… to any onlooker, raging at a notice board with such theatrical shredding? Total lunatic behavior.

*Sigh… Whatever.* If the Succubus Empress hadn’t turned me like this, none of this would’ve happened…

Currently, Xue Yu wore the form granted by a mid-tier transformation sticker borrowed from Xia Mo.

Whether due to Zila herself or a flaw in the sticker, it refused to reshape his appearance exactly as he wished.

Now he appeared as a brown-haired youth barely seventeen, eyes shifted from silvery-blue to plain blue.

The most drastic change? His physique: from a sturdy knight’s frame to this frail, slender build.

Unable to revert, he couldn’t safely reveal his true identity or what truly happened.

First—no one would believe him. Second—if his status as a Succubus Curse was discovered by anyone besides Xia Mo…

…remaining in Gaelkani would be hell for a succubus. She wouldn’t survive half a day.

His only path forward? Follow Xia Mo’s plan: master powerful magic and research a spell to lift the "Succubus Curse" from himself.

Xia Mo, now a knight instructor at Huangfeng Academy, had already rushed off after handing him the sticker to arrange his enrollment.

Reluctant as he was, Xue Yu had no choice.

Huangfeng Academy was where he’d graduated as a knight. Returning wasn’t a big deal—but this time, he’d study the one profession he sucked at most: *mage*.

"Mage… Sigh. I’m a *knight*! Becoming a mage sounds utterly unreliable. And all those incomprehensible glyphs to memorize…"

Xue Yu winced at the memory. He’d once tried dabbling in mage studies. But right at the start, that endless flood of unreadable, unpronounceable arcane symbols nearly broke him.

Unlike knights—where skill and grit sufficed—magecraft demanded serious brainpower.

"What should I do? And what if that bookworm Mo Feng actually becomes my teacher?!" The thought made him want to tear his hair out.

Back in his Huangfeng Academy days, he’d had a rival-turned-best-friend who matched him blow for blow.

Mo Feng—the prodigious mage who crafted original spells young, hailed campus-wide as the "Genius Mage"!

Naturally, that title clashed with another: the "Genius Knight." None other than Xue Yu himself.

With peerless swordsmanship, he dominated the academy. Only the First Knight stood unbroken—and Xue Yu had nearly defeated him too.

When "Genius Mage" met "Genius Knight," their legendary rivalry—and friendship—ignited.

Recalling it now felt like yesterday. Vivid. Unforgettable.

*Back then…*

The school bell rang. Students flooded the pathways home.

Xue Yu spotted the famed "Genius Mage" on campus.

With characteristic warmth, he strode up. "Hey! You must be Mo Feng, the Genius Mage! Heard you’re amazing!"

Mo Feng, buried in his book, merely glanced up, said nothing, and brushed past without a backward look.

"Huh? So rude!" Xue Yu spun around and grabbed his sleeve.

*Riiip!* Fabric tore at Mo Feng’s elbow.

Xue Yu jerked his hand back, ready to apologize—only to see Mo Feng’s face darken.

"*You* call *me* rude? You barbaric brute!"