The morning sun crept through the narrow dorm window, spilling golden light over the small, bare room. Nicolas lay sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling. His uniform jacket hung from the back of a chair, still creased from the bag it came in.
He hadn't slept much. His mind replayed yesterday's humiliation like a cursed loop—the stares, the whispers, the instructor's baffled face when the Blessing Orb went dark.
Everyone got a skill. Everyone except him.
Except…
Nicolas sat up, rubbing his eyes. That voice… that thing in my head…
A faint shimmer appeared in front of him, like mist in the air. Letters formed, glowing faintly blue.
[Heavenly-Witch System]
Status Menu – Voice Command or Mental Trigger: "Status"]
"…Status."
The mist snapped into shape, forming a floating rectangular panel.
[Character Status]
Name: Nicolas Dreyar
Level: 1
Race: Human
Class: None (Witchcraft Path – Locked Tier)
Health (HP): 100/100
Mana (MP): 50/50
Strength: 8
Agility: 9
Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 12
Willpower: 11
Affinity: Witchcraft (Unrecognized by Cultivation System)
Titles: None
Beneath the stats, a smaller icon pulsed.
[Skills] – 1 AvailableLocked Branches: 5]
When he tapped the icon mentally, another menu slid open.
Skills:
Lesser Hex (Locked – Complete Quest: Survive Your First Week)
Skill Trees:
Hexcraft – Locked
Blood Rites – Locked
Familiar Bond – Locked
Alchemy – Locked
Arcane Circles – Locked
Nicolas frowned. "Hex? Blood Rites? This isn't cultivation…"
Cultivation skills usually came in paths—Flame Arts, Dragon Qi, Mountain Fist, or things rooted in martial, elemental, or spiritual energy. This… this sounded like it belonged in some forbidden archive.
Another icon blinked at the top.
Inventory:
Empty.
Special Tabs:
Cauldron – Locked (Reach Level 5)
Coven – Locked (Recruit 3 Witch-type Allies)
Arcane Library – Locked (Complete "Initiation" Quest)
Nicolas stared for a long moment, absorbing it all. He was starting from nothing—no gear, no cultivation strength, no flashy moves to show off.
But something about the menus felt… limitless.
"Alright," he muttered. "If no one's going to hand me power… I'll build it myself."
He stood, grabbed his uniform, and changed. The black jacket and trousers were trimmed with silver, the emblem of Cultivation High stitched on the chest—a lotus wrapped around a sword. For Class F students, the silver thread was dull, almost gray. Higher-ranked classes had brighter trims—Class A's gold shimmered so much it was blinding.
He stepped outside into the courtyard. Students streamed toward their buildings, the chatter loud and competitive.
The academy was the heart of the continent's youth cultivation system. Every blessed student was automatically enrolled, ranked by their skill tier and initial performance tests. The classes were lettered from A to F:
Class A:Heavenly God-tier and God-tier skill holders. Elite of the elite.
Class B: Divine-tier skill holders. Still feared and respected.
Class C:King-tier skills.
Class D: High-tier skills.
Class E:Middle-tier skills.
Class F: Lower-tier skills… and now, apparently, Nicolas—skillless in the eyes of the cultivation world.
Within the academy, bullying wasn't officially sanctioned—but it wasn't punished either. The philosophy was simple: If you can't defend it, you don't deserve to keep it.
Add to that the daily dungeon expeditions, mandatory arena battles, and ranking challenges… and the weak were either crushed or forced to grow strong fast.
By the time Nicolas reached the entrance to Class F's wing, a small crowd had already gathered inside. The classroom was wide but cramped, desks arranged in a loose semicircle facing the front. The air smelled faintly of dust and polished wood.
As he stepped inside, the room went quiet for half a second. Then came the whispers.
"That's the no-affinity guy."
"Didn't think they'd actually let him in."
"Maybe he bribed someone."
Nicolas ignored them and found a desk near the back.
The teacher, a wiry man with a thin mustache, stepped in moments later. His robe was plain, marked only with a copper badge—the lowest teaching rank.
"Alright, F-rats," he said without preamble. "Today, we're starting with a placement duel. Everyone fights, one-on-one. Win, and you move up the pecking order. Lose, and you're at the bottom until you fight again."
The class erupted into excited murmurs.
Nicolas frowned. "First day and it's a fight?"
The teacher smirked. "This is Cultivation High. If you can't take a hit, you won't last the week."
Names were drawn. Students went to the front, sparring in a marked circle. Techniques lit the air—one boy conjured rock armor, another spat a stream of fire. It wasn't a formal arena, but the tension was real.
When his name was finally called, Nicolas stepped into the circle. His opponent was a broad-shouldered boy named Garron, who grinned like a wolf.
"Lucky me. I get the zero-affinity," Garron said, cracking his knuckles.
"Fight!" the teacher barked.
Garron lunged instantly, swinging a fist coated in faint, earthy glow—Earth Qi. Nicolas sidestepped, barely. The punch grazed his shoulder, sending a dull ache through him.
He retreated, mind racing. He had no martial arts training, no cultivation energy… but then—
[System Prompt:Would you like to use Basic Witchcraft Function – Hex?]
[Warning: Lesser Hex skill locked. Using Basic Hexcraft will consume 20 MP.]
"Yes!" Nicolas thought without hesitation.
A faint, smoky circle of runes shimmered at his feet, so quick it was barely visible. Garron stumbled mid-charge, his ankle twisting as if yanked by invisible strings.
The crowd gasped.
Nicolas moved—ducking under another swing, shoving Garron in the chest. The bigger boy fell backward, hitting the mat hard.
"Winner: Nicolas Dreyar!" the teacher called, surprise flickering across his face.
The room buzzed. No one had expected the "zero-affinity" boy to win—especially not against Earth Qi's durability.
As Garron limped off, glaring daggers, Nicolas sat back down, heart pounding. His MP bar on the status screen had dropped to 30/50. The runes had vanished as quickly as they appeared.
He hid a smile. The system wasn't just some voice—it was real. It worked.
The duels continued until all matches were done. The final rankings were written on the board: Nicolas sat in the middle—not high, but not bottom.
When the teacher dismissed them for lunch, Nicolas headed toward the cafeteria. The Heavenly-Witch System's panel floated faintly in his vision.
[Quest Progress: Survive Your First Week – 1/5 Days Completed]
[Bonus Objective Achieved: Win Your First Duel]
[Reward Pending: Unlock Lesser Hex]
His pulse quickened. If I can make it to the end of the week… I'll get my first real skill.
But survival in Cultivation High wasn't just about duels.
As he stepped into the crowded lunch hall, a shadow fell over him. Three older boys—Class D uniforms—blocked his path.
"Well, well. The famous zero-affinity," the tallest sneered. "We heard about your little trick in Class F. Thought we'd see if you can pull it off against someone real."
Nicolas glanced at his MP. Thirty left. Enough for one hex—maybe.
He exhaled slowly, the beginnings of a plan forming.
This wasn't just about surviving anymore.
It was about showing them that the "weak" could bite back.
And that witches… bite hardest when cornered.
——
Ability Information:
Name: Lesser Hex
Type: Witchcraft / Debuff Magic
Description:
A beginner's curse that taps into the oldest branch of witchcraft—binding misfortune to a single target for a short duration. Unlike cultivation arts, which manipulate Qi to strengthen the self, a hex manipulates external reality around the target, creating subtle yet decisive disadvantages.
The Lesser Hex is not flashy. It doesn't shoot flames or summon lightning—it erodes balance, focus, or precision in a way that turns the tide of a fight without the opponent realizing why.
Special Notes:
- Cannot be stacked on the same target multiple times.
- Effects are subtle, meaning most opponents won't realize they've been hexed unless they are highly perceptive or familiar with witchcraft.
- As the skill levels up (by repeated use and successful application), the debuff potency, duration, and range will increase, and additional sub-effects (e.g., minor damage, luck drain) will unlock.