Chapter 1: The Cursed Outcast
The morning sun cast golden rays over Eldoria Academy, the greatest magic school in the kingdom. Its towering spires pierced the sky, enchanted banners fluttered in the wind, and runes etched into stone walls pulsed with arcane power.
Students in rich velvet robes walked through the massive front gates, their chatter filled with excitement. Noble children, heirs of powerful houses, and even a few foreign dignitaries gathered for the entrance ceremony. Only the elite of the elite could study here—except for one exception.
Among the crowd stood a boy in tattered, commoner's clothes.
His name was Arkan Vale.
A sharp contrast to the other students, Arkan had dark, messy hair and piercing golden eyes—an unusual color that often drew whispers. His body was lean from hardship, his hands calloused from years of labor. Unlike the privileged nobles, he carried no enchanted staff, jeweled rings, or silk robes. He had nothing but a small satchel and a worn-out spellbook—one he could barely use.
Because unlike everyone else…
He was a magicless outcast.
"Ugh, why is a commoner here?" a noble scoffed.
"Must be charity work by the academy. Pathetic."
"He should just leave. Without magic, he's no different from a peasant."
Arkan ignored them. He had grown used to such words. Ever since his childhood, he had been different. While others awakened their mana at age ten, his remained dormant. Doctors, priests, and scholars had examined him, but all came to the same conclusion—
Arkan Vale was born without magic.
It should have been a death sentence in this world. In a kingdom where magic defined everything—power, status, and survival—he was destined to be a nobody.
Yet, despite the ridicule, he stood here.
He had a reason to fight.
A reason to survive in this world.
And today, everything would change.
Inside the grand hall, first-year students gathered before an enormous Crystal Obelisk, its surface covered in ancient runes. This was the Mana Aptitude Test, the moment that would determine their magical potential.
One by one, students placed their hands on the obelisk. With each touch, the crystal glowed in different colors—
Red for Fire Magic
Blue for Water Magic
White for Holy Magic
Black for Dark Magic
The brighter the glow, the stronger their talent.
"Celestia von Astra!" the instructor called.
A girl with long silver hair and icy blue eyes stepped forward. Nobles gasped as she approached—Celestia, heir to the Astra family, the strongest magic bloodline in Solheim.
She placed her hand on the obelisk.
A blinding light blue glow burst forth, the entire room trembling.
"S-Class Ice Magic!" the instructor announced.
Applause filled the hall. Celestia turned, her gaze cold as she walked past the students. Her eyes briefly met Arkan's, filled with indifference—like he wasn't even worth noticing.
More nobles followed, showing powerful magic.
Then, finally—
"Arkan Vale."
Silence fell. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"That magicless commoner?"
"He's going to embarrass himself."
Arkan stepped forward, unfazed by their mockery. He placed his palm against the obelisk.
A tense moment passed.
Then—
Nothing.
The obelisk remained dark and lifeless.
The nobles burst into laughter.
"Pathetic!"
"He really has no magic!"
"Why is he even here?"
The instructor sighed. "Arkan Vale. Zero mana affinity. You have no potential to become a mage. I suggest you leave before you embarrass yourself further."
But Arkan did not move.
He tightened his fist, his golden eyes burning with determination.
"Not yet."
That night, Arkan sat alone in the academy's abandoned library, his hands trembling.
"…No magic."
No matter how hard he tried, fate had decided he would never wield magic.
The world had given him nothing.
But he refused to accept it.
His fingers traced the worn cover of an old, forgotten book. It had no title, no author—a relic lost to time. Something about it called to him.
As he opened it, strange runes and diagrams glowed across its pages.
A voice whispered in his mind.
"You seek power… Do you dare defy the gods?"
Arkan's heart pounded. He did not hesitate.
"I do."
The book ignited in black flames.
Power surged through him. Dark tendrils wrapped around his arm, carving glowing sigils into his skin. His body burned, his veins pulsing with raw, uncontrollable magic.
In that moment—
The magicless boy had awakened.
But this was not ordinary magic.
It was forbidden magic.
And with it…
The world would never be the same.
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To Be Continued…