The soft glow of a desk lamp illuminated stacks of old documents.
Ancient maps. War blueprints. Survival notes.
Xyren leaned back in his chair, eyes sharp behind thin glasses as he highlighted a passage in a translated manuscript.
"Early civilizations survived by adapting," he muttered quietly. "Emotion never saved anyone. Strategy did."
Historical research was his profession.
Battle formations. Resource control. Tribal systems. Extinct cultures.
If something involved survival in harsh environments, he knew it.
Many people mistook him for someone in the military.
His aura was too composed. Too disciplined.
But when no one was around?
He read web novels and comics.
It was the only childish thing he allowed himself.
With a tired sigh, he opened the Waharoon app on his phone.
The loading screen flickered.
Then the homepage appeared.
He scrolled once.
Twice.
His brows slowly furrowed.
"Again?"
Top Ranking — BL Romance
Editor's Pick — BL Fantasy
Hot Update — Alpha x Alpha
Chat Story — Beast Mates
His jaw tightened.
He kept scrolling.
Male lead blushing at male lead.
Male protecting male.
Male carrying male bridal style.
He clicked his tongue in irritation.
"What is wrong with this world lately?"
He tossed his pen onto the table.
"It's everywhere."
He opened another banner out of stubbornness.
Two men kissing on the cover.
He immediately closed it.
"This is getting ridiculous."
His voice turned colder.
"I just want a sweet, innocent girl with long hair. Is that so hard?"
His fingers tightened around his phone.
"It's so disgusting… men liking men."
He scoffed under his breath.
"I feel ashamed for this generation."
The air in the room changed.
A faint, almost inaudible whisper echoed behind him.
"…Disgusting?"
Xyren frowned slightly.
He lived alone.
The apartment was silent.
Before he could turn—
A sharp force struck the back of his head.
THUD.
His vision exploded into white.
Pain shot through his skull as he collapsed to the ground, phone sliding across the floor.
The last thing he heard was an angry female voice.
"You dare insult BL?! Then go live in one!"
Darkness swallowed him.
Cold.
The first sensation was cold wind brushing against his skin.
The second—
Smell.
Earth. Pine. Wild grass.
His fingers twitched.
The ground beneath him was uneven.
Rough.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Sunlight filtered through towering trees above him.
Leaves shimmered in gold and green.
"…What?"
He pushed himself up instinctively—
And froze.
His arms.
They were larger.
Muscular.
Veins defined beneath unfamiliar skin.
His breathing grew uneven.
Something brushed his back.
Soft.
Heavy.
He turned stiffly.
A long white tail swayed behind him.
His heart stopped.
"No."
Slowly— very slowly — he lifted a trembling hand.
White hair slid over his shoulder.
Long.
Silky.
Silver-white under the sunlight.
His pulse pounded violently.
"This is not real."
He stumbled toward a nearby stream.
The water reflected his face.
Golden eyes.
Sharp jawline.
Cold, handsome features that did not belong to him.
And above his head—
White wolf ears twitched.
He stared.
The ears twitched again.
He touched them.
They reacted.
His hand shook.
"…I'm dreaming."
Memories crashed into his mind like a violent storm.
White Fang Territory.
Northern Forest.
Wolf Tribe.
Alpha heir.
He staggered back, gripping his head.
"This body…"
It wasn't human.
It was a beastman.
A wolf.
A male wolf.
His breathing became shallow.
A final piece of memory surfaced—
In this world, females were rare.
Males bonded with males.
Silence fell heavy around him.
Xyren looked up at the vast unfamiliar sky.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
A twig snapped behind him.
The forest went still.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Footsteps.
A deep, calm voice spoke from the shadows.
"So… you finally woke up."
Golden eyes emerged between the trees.
Black fur shimmered in the sunlight.
A towering black panther stepped forward, powerful and silent.
Predatory.
Unhurried.
His gaze locked onto Xyren.