The wolf-girl tilted her head, ears twitching like she was trying to catch a sound only she could hear.
"Can you stand?" she asked.
Her voice was soft, but steady — not scared, not shocked. Just… curious.
I blinked at her. At the ears. The tail swaying slowly behind her. The sunlight catching in silver-gray fur that looked too real to be a costume.
"…I'm dreaming," I muttered.
She frowned. "You hit your head?"
"I got pushed in front of a train."
She paused.
"…Oh."
That "oh" carried way too much understanding.
She stepped closer, crouching slightly so we were eye level. Her eyes weren't wolf eyes. They were human — amber, sharp, intelligent.
"You smell like a Gate Drop," she said.
"I smell like what?"
"Someone who wasn't born here." She studied me like I was a weird bug. "It happens. Rare. Usually bad timing."
"Bad timing?? I died!"
She winced. "Yeah. That part."
I stared at my hands. No blood. No injuries. My body felt… normal. Actually better than normal. Like I'd slept for a week.
"What is this place?" I asked.
She stood and offered a hand. Her claws were small, not dangerous-looking — more like thick nails.
"The Kingdom of Lythra. Forest border." She shrugged. "And you're lying in monster territory."
I grabbed her hand.
"Monster— wait, what?"
She pulled me up easily. Way stronger than she looked.
"Relax. The big ones stay deeper in." Her tail flicked. "Usually."
"Usually??"
She started walking. I had no choice but to follow.
As we moved through the forest, everything felt too vivid. Leaves shimmered with color. Flowers glowed faintly. Even the air felt alive.
"This is insane," I whispered.
She glanced back. "You talk to yourself a lot?"
"I just respawned in Narnia with a wolf person, give me a minute."
She didn't get the reference. "You humans always say weird things after arriving."
"Always?"
"Third one this decade."
That did not make me feel special.
Branches parted, and the trees thinned. My steps slowed.
Beyond the forest, built into rolling hills, was a city.
Stone walls curved around it, tall towers rising like spears into the sky. Flags snapped in the wind — a silver crest shaped like a crescent moon and a fang.
Bridges crossed a river that glimmered like liquid glass. People moved along the roads — not just humans. I saw horns. Tails. Wings.
I saw horns. Tails. Wings.
NPCs.
Actual. Fantasy. NPCs.
"…No way," I whispered.
"This is real," the wolf-girl said.
I slowly turned to look at her.
Then looked away.
Then looked back again.
My brain had one thought and one thought only.
"…So this is how I die and respawn into a fantasy anime with a wolf girl," I muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just… wow." I gestured at her vaguely. "You look like a top-tier character design. Like devs spent the whole budget on you."
She blinked. "What budget?"
"Never mind. I just mean— you look really cool."
Her ears twitched. Her tail swished once.
"…That is normal," she said, looking away. "Wolf clan traits."
"Yeah, well, where I'm from, girls don't come with animated ears and emotional support tails."
"My tail is not for support."
"It literally moves when you get embarrassed."
She grabbed it.
"It does not."
"Caught in 4K."
She turned and started walking faster. "We should move. This area is not safe."
I scrambled after her.
This was insane.
I used to wake up at 2 p.m., eat instant noodles, and argue with strangers online about fictional power levels before I got a job.
"So," I said, still trying to process the city ahead, "that's the kingdom?"
"Yes. Lythra. Beastfolk capital."
"That place looks like the final city before the tutorial ends."
She sighed. "You say many strange things."
"Yeah, I used to talk to a screen all day. This is an upgrade."
She gave me a sideways look. "You are… not a warrior."
"Correct. My special ability was avoiding sunlight."
"…That explains the skin."
"Hey."
We reached the road. Carts rolled past. Beastfolk stared like I was a glitch in the game.
One guy with antlers slowed. "Human?"
"Gate Drop," she replied.
He nodded and kept going.
"Did I just get labeled like lost luggage?" I asked.
"Yes."
"…Fair."
She studied me again. "You are not scared enough."
I stared at the giant walls, the armed guards, the non-human crowd.
"I think my brain ran out of fear back at the train," I said. "Now it's just vibes."
"…Vibes?"
"Yeah. Mentally buffering."
She was quiet for a moment.
"…You died suddenly," she said softly. "That leaves people… unbalanced."
I shrugged, hands in my pockets. "Good news is, my old life was kinda trash anyway."
Her ears lowered slightly. "Still… it was yours."
That hit harder than expected.
"…Yeah," I said.
We walked in silence for a few steps.
Then I looked at her again.
"Hey."
"What."
"If this is a fantasy world, and I'm the useless guy who got dragged into it… does that make you the strong companion who carries me early game?"
She blinked.
"…Maybe."