Ars Segrain, a seventeen-year-old boy, was branded a failure by both his family and society. In a world where everyone shares the same desire—to become the almighty Curse Conqueror—Ars stood apart.
Everyone is chosen by a curse at birth, forming a contract that grants them power. Everyone… except Ars. He alone was never chosen, and because of that, he endured immense trauma. Yet, this was not enough to break him. His dream was different: Ars longed to become a contracted webnovel author. Despite being weak and bullied by boys his age, he never lost hope.
But life has its own rules—rules Ars was completely unaware of.
One day, while wandering the mountains in search of inspiration for his writing, Ars spotted a pack of wolves charging toward him. He froze, unable to run. Dropping to his knees, he wrapped his arms around himself, bracing for death. Yet the wolves passed him by, ignoring the easy prey.
Confused, Ars began to leave, but then a deafening roar shook the ground. The sound was unfamiliar, growing denser with each passing second until a massive, mud-covered Goblin King emerged. Ars froze in terror. This place had always been safe—he came here every week.
Unable to fight even a single goblin, Ars ran desperately, deeper into the forest, losing his path. As the saying goes: "Life has its own fate and desire for everyone."
Suddenly, his foot triggered a trap.
Countless arrows pierced his body. Though none struck vital organs, his life began to slip away. He imagined adventurers finding his skeleton years later, riddled with arrows. Would they look at him with disgust? Or bury him deep where no light could reach?
"This is my fate," Ars thought bitterly. "I achieved nothing. No curse, no power, no talent. Not even my hobby. I am the greatest failure in the world."
He recalled the famous words: "Nothing ever goes as planned in this accursed world."
But then—
"HELL NO!!!" Ars screamed. "I can't die yet! I'm not a contracted author! My grandmother will be worried—she's the only one who raised me after Father abandoned me!"
Suddenly, a purple mist engulfed him. Ars thought it was the afterlife.
"Finally… I'm dead, right? Is this the end of my failure's tale? I hate the gods! Why me? Why am I the only one without power? Did I do something wrong? If only I had a curse—even a weak one—I could have trained, grown stronger, and changed my fate…"
His voice faded. Screaming changed nothing. He closed his eyes, waiting for death.
Then, a deep baritone echoed through the void. Cold, chilling, it gave him goosebumps.
Opening his eyes slightly, Ars saw a dark figure soaring through the purple mist. He thought it was the Grim Reaper. But when he looked again, he realized—it was a dark purple griffin.
The griffin spoke his name.
Ars stammered, "H-how do you know me? Have we met before? And why can a bird talk?"
The griffin replied, "Calm down, boy. My name is Theodore. I am your curse—the one you've longed for."
Ars gasped. "My curse? But I thought I never had one! Curses are chosen at birth, and I'm nearly eighteen. Why now?"
Theodore answered, "I don't know either. Perhaps you are… special."
Tears welled in Ars's eyes. "Special, huh? You'll never understand what I've endured. I was bullied, despised, even by my own family. Nobody pitied me—except my grandmother. And now… now I finally have a curse."
Theodore's voice hardened. "This isn't the time for tears. You want admiration, don't you? Then become the Curse Conqueror."
Ars was stunned. "The almighty Curse Conqueror? You make it sound easy! Everyone desires that title, and moments ago I had nothing!"
Theodore replied, "I'm not joking. Do you want to let fate control you forever, or do you want to change it? Even as Curse Conqueror, you'll know only a fraction of this world. There are countless mysteries yet to be explored. Let's uncover them together, Ars."
A surge of adrenaline coursed through Ars. "Then tell me—what's our first step?"
Theodore smirked. "First, remove those arrows from your body."
Ars blinked. "Oh my god! I forgot about them—but wait, my wounds are healed!"
Theodore sighed. "You fool. I healed them. Now, let's go home and prepare for the entrance exam at Eldian Magic Curse School."
Ars's eyes widened. "The Eldian Magic Curse School? That's the top academy in our region! But… they test students' potential. Will I be ready?"
Theodore replied, "The test is in thirteen days. That's enough time for you to learn my powers—and begin to wield them."
Continued in Chapter 2 – The Honorable Students