Ethan focused his mind, and the translucent interface of his status panel flickered into existence, hovering in his field of vision.
[Name: Ethan Lyle]
[Class: Forbidden Incantator]
[[Rank] 2 (0.0%)]
[[Strength] 9]
[[Agility] 16]
[Move Speed] 7.6
[Spirit: 30]
[Class Talent: Infinite Hex Protocol — Every Level gained unlocks one new Forbidden Incantation.]
[Skills: Forbidden Incantation—World-Rending Tempest]
[World-Rending Tempest: The caster offers their own flesh and soul as a sacrifice to beckon the World-Ending Thunderclap from the Ninefold Heavens. The more vital the sacrificed body part, the more devastating the strike. At its zenith, it summons the Chaos Divinity Bolt. Power scales with Level and Spirit.]
[Note: For a Forbidden Incantator, all Forbidden Incantations have zero Mana cost and zero Cooldown.]
In this world, skill tiers were clear-cut: Common, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. A Legendary skill was enough to make a man a god among peers. But above even those sat the "Forbidden" tier—spells so volatile they were whispered of as Forbidden Incantations.
The terrifying reputation of a Forbidden Incantator came from a simple, brutal reality: every single one of their skills was Forbidden-tier.
For anyone else, casting such a spell was a final, desperate act of mutual destruction. For Ethan, it was a basic auto-attack.
His gaze lingered on the Chaos Divinity Bolt description. The Emperor of Lightning. It was said that a single strike could disintegrate a god, provided the caster was strong enough.
But the true insanity lay in the "Zero Cost, Zero Cooldown" clause. It meant that as long as a person had enough "lives" to burn, they could saturate the world in Divine Chaos Bolts until nothing but ash remained.
With his Undying Constitution, the "Forbidden" aspect of his class was effectively deleted. The lethality remained; the price did not. For Ethan, this wasn't a tragic, short-lived path to power. It was a god-mode cheat code.
He almost wanted to burst out laughing right there in the office, but he caught himself. He wasn't an idiot. A three-year-old with a rocket launcher is still a three-year-old; if he didn't level up, he’d be assassinated before he could even blink.
He needed to play the part.
Ethan’s fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. He forced his breathing to come in ragged, desperate gasps. He let his eyes bloodshot, perfectly mimicking the look of a genius who had just realized he was a walking corpse.
Principal Gao watched him, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "Ethan... don't let it consume you. I know it’s a lot to take in."
The man looked genuinely regretful. Such a talented kid, wasted on a death-sentence class.
"Forbidden Incantators are powerful," Gao continued, trying to sound encouraging. "To burn brightly for a moment is better than to never flicker at all, right?"
Ethan slowly looked up, his voice a practiced, raspy whisper. "Principal... is it true? Do we really never make it past twenty-five?"
Gao hesitated, then nodded solemnly. He wouldn't lie to the boy. The power came at a cost, and that cost was always paid in years.
But then, a flicker of greed danced in the Principal’s eyes.
Short-lived or not, a SSS-rank Forbidden Incantator and a SSS-rank Pyromage meant Verdant High was practically guaranteed a win in the upcoming Grand Trial. Even if Nira Ashford didn't lift a finger, Ethan could probably sweep the competition if he was desperate enough to sacrifice a kidney or two for a spell.
Perfect, Gao thought, nearly clapping his hands in glee. He could already see himself on the podium, accepting the first-place trophy. It had been five years of humiliation from the other schools. Five years of being the laughingstock of the district.
"Ethan, my boy, come with me. Both of you!"
Gao hurried them into his private office, his excitement barely contained. "Ethan, Nira—you two are the future of Verdant High. You are our hope for the Grand Trial."
He leaned over his desk, his eyes burning with intensity. "The Initiate’s Rift opens tomorrow. It is vital—absolutely critical—that you both reach Level 10. I’m giving you both a special privilege: you won't be assigned to a support group. You'll be solo-grinding. Every scrap of experience will be yours alone."
Usually, combat classes were forced to carry support-class students to help them level. Soloing meant faster progression, but it was far more dangerous.
Nira Ashford frowned, her eyes darting to Ethan. "Solo? For me, fine. But for Ethan? Principal, that’s insane. If he has to use a Forbidden Incantation on a Level 1 mob, he’ll be half-dead before he finishes the first floor."
"What are you suggesting?" Gao asked.
"Let him team with me," Nira said, her voice cool and authoritative. "I'll handle the fodder. He only needs to step in if we hit something truly elite. It’ll keep him alive longer and ensure we both hit the level cap."
Gao’s eyes lit up. "A combined SSS-rank team? That’s... actually brilliant. Ethan, what do you think?"
"I’ll pass," Ethan said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish, awkward grin. "I’ve always been a bit of a loner. I'd rather go it alone, sir."
Teaming with Nira was a non-starter. He couldn't risk her seeing him regenerate from a "fatal" sacrifice. He needed privacy to unleash hell.
Nira’s expression turned icy. "I’m trying to help you, Ethan. Don't be prideful when your life is literally on the line."
"I just think I'll work better by myself," he insisted.
"Fine," Nira snapped, turning away. "Have it your way. Don't come crawling back when you're missing an arm after a Level 5 encounter."
"Solo it is, then," Gao said, dismissing the concern. He didn't care about Ethan’s longevity; he cared about results. If Ethan came out of the Rift missing a limb but at Level 12, that was a win in his book.
The Principal pulled two rings from a velvet box and handed them over.
[Ring of Acumen]
[Tier: Unranked]
[Stats: +10 Spirit]
It was a basic piece of gear, but Ethan accepted it silently. Even a common ring like this would cost five to eight thousand credits on the open market—nearly a third of the price of a black-market organ. Being an Awakened was a rich man’s game; gear was the ultimate bottleneck.
"Consider this a personal investment from me," Gao said. "Now go. Prepare yourselves."
Ethan thanked him and walked out.
Outside, the Awakening Ritual had ended. The air was thick with mixed emotions—some students were crying, others cheering. But when they saw Ethan, a strange silence fell. Then, the whispers started. No matter how bad their own results were, at least they weren't him. At least they had a future.
Human happiness, Ethan realized, was often built on the misery of others.
"Ethan!"
Nira Ashford caught up to him, her long legs eating up the distance. She stood on the top of the stairs, looking down at him with a gaze full of pity. "Think about my offer again. The more a Forbidden Incantator fights, the faster they die. I don't want to see a classmate commit suicide in the Rift."
"Thanks for the concern, but I’m good," Ethan said, his tone flat.
"You're unbelievable!" Nira hissed. She had tried to be the bigger person, but his stubbornness was infuriating. Fine. Let him die. See if I care.
"Well, well. If it isn't our legendary SSS-rank suicidal genius."
A mocking voice cut through the air. Kieran Ji, the heir to the Vance Corporation, strolled forward with a pack of sycophants in tow. Kieran had been the school bully for years, and everyone knew he considered Nira his personal property. Seeing Ethan talk to her twice in one day was more than he could stomach.
Nira opened her mouth to snap at Kieran, but she hesitated. Maybe a reality check from a bully will knock some sense into Ethan, she thought, deciding to remain silent.
Ethan sighed internally. Women are nothing but trouble.
"Move aside, Kieran. I’m going home," Ethan said.
"Home? You mean back to that open sewer you call The Hollow?" Kieran laughed, his cronies joining in. "Listen, since you're SSS-rank now, why don't you beg? Maybe I can get you a job as a night-watchman at Vance Corp. We’ll even provide a bed so you don't have to sleep in the mud. How’s that for charity?"
"Yeah, Ethan! Get on your knees and thank him!" one of the lackeys barked.
Ethan played his part. He hunched his shoulders, his breath becoming heavy and labored again. He let a low, guttural growl escape his throat. "Don't... push me..."
Kieran flinched for a second, remembering that Ethan was technically a Forbidden Incantator. But then he remembered the price. Is this peasant really going to shave a year off his life just because I insulted him? No way.
"I’m being nice, Ethan!" Kieran reached out, mockingly slapping Ethan’s cheek. It wasn't hard, but it was the ultimate gesture of disrespect.
Ethan’s eyes snapped open, now glowing with a faint, terrifying crimson light. He knew how people like Kieran worked. If you gave an inch, they took a mile. To get the peace he needed for the future, he had to become the one thing everyone was afraid of: a madman with nothing to lose.
"Kieran Ji... you asked for this!"
Ethan threw his hand toward the sky. "Forbidden Incantation—World-Rending Tempest!"
A sudden, unnatural shadow fell over the school courtyard. Thick, charcoal clouds swirled violently above them, and the air began to hum with static.
CRACK-BOOM!
A bolt of lightning as thick as a man’s thigh tore through the sky, connecting directly with Ethan’s outstretched palm. He stood there, wreathed in silver arcs of electricity, looking like a vengeful god of storm.
The crowd screamed, scattering in all directions. This wasn't the power of a Level 1 Awakened. This was a cataclysm.
Ethan swung his hand down. The bolt shrieked through the air, smashing into the stone tiles inches away from Kieran’s feet. The ground shattered, sending a shockwave that threw the bully backward into the dirt. A smoking crater hissed where he had stood seconds before.
"Are you insane?!" Kieran screamed, his voice cracking as he scrambled backward. "You're going to kill yourself for a joke? You're a freak!"
Ethan didn't answer. He just raised his hand again.
"Forbidden Incantation—World-Rending Tempest!"
"Stop! Someone stop him! He’s crazy! He’s actually crazy!" Kieran lost it. He tried to get up, but his legs had turned to jelly. He looked to his friends for help, but they were already halfway across the campus.
BOOM!
An even larger bolt struck the earth, closer this time. The smell of ozone and burnt stone filled the air. Kieran froze, a warm, foul-smelling liquid beginning to soak through his expensive trousers. He stared at the crater, his eyes wide with the realization that he was one inch away from being a pile of carbon.
He thought it was over. He thought the "sacrifice" would have drained Ethan by now.
But then, the voice of the reaper spoke again, cold and relentless.
"Forbidden Incantation—World-Rending Tempest!"