I Really Don’t Want to Learn Forbidden Spells / 我真不想学禁咒 / Jīnzhòu / Forbidden Spell System / The Forbidden Caster

Forget everything you think you know about the typical zero-to-hero academy trope. Meet Nick Foster, the guy who just cannot seem to catch a break. After bombing his awakening exam for the third time in a row, he is the ultimate punchline at his academy. But fate has a wicked sense of humor. Just when he is written off as a permanent one-star loser, he stumbles upon a power that defies every law of magic in the kingdom.

The problem? His newfound abilities involve dark power and forbidden spells that are way too broken for their own good. Nick does not have grand ambitions of becoming a tyrannical dark lord or conquering the world, but the magic coursing through his veins is as addictive as it is destructive. Now, as mysterious ripples of dark energy begin to rattle the city, Nick is playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. He has to level up, master his chaotic skills, and stay under the radar before the authorities figure out that the source of the world’s rising darkness is the guy who everyone thought was a failure. If you love high-stakes fantasy where a reluctant protagonist accidentally becomes the most dangerous person in the room, this is your next obsession.

action, fantasy, magic system, hidden power, forbidden spells, academy, underdog, cultivation, dark fantasy, leveling up