Academy of the Dark Arts (Saved)

Maiga is a land of fantasy and wonder. Magic flows not only through every creature, large and small, but so too in plants, objects, and the very earth itself. Fittingly, the world is filled with a wide assortment of creatures. Not only humans, but elves, dwarfs, gnomes, orcs, and far more rule the continents, with a plethora of magical beasts not quite as intellectually capable or desiring of holding a kingdom. While the vast multitude of these species, with differing values and beliefs, has caused tension that has created wars and led to many deaths in the past, the creation of the Alliance of Orderly Kingdoms has presented an opportunity for member societies to voice their concerns with others or detail attacks by outside entities and request help with their matters, in which all kingdoms will then work together to try and solve the problem as they see fit. The creation of this alliance has led to a fairly prominent peace...

... until he arrived.

An influential being, known by no nation, race, or even name, suddenly appeared. Calling upon the sinister civilizations that refused the Alliance, ferocious tribes of more barbaric creatures, and outcasts from kingdoms that deemed them too undesirable, he created an empire of fear and . His quick assertion of power in uniting the various malcontents of Maiga earned him many monikers, but the one he is most well known by is the Tyrant King.

You would think that your story would be to fight the Tyrant King. To become some beloved hero that would rise up to slay the armies of the Tyrant King and fell the villain himself. To be praised and cheered for being the greatest of beings in the world... but you're not.

You were an unloved villager in an unknown town living an insignificant life. You were born the bastard son of a tavern wench who was knocked up by a passing stranger one night. The moment she could, your mother abandoned you to live a life of torment at the tavern keeper's hands. Living off scraps and serving as a source of relief by taking beatings, you've only gotten by on endurance and cunning to avoid more beat downs. This was your existence...

... WAS being the keyword.

Marching in during the dead of night, the Tyrant King's army sacked the village. Creatures from nightmares burst into homes, tearing the frightened villagers out into the streets, just so they could slay them. The few that didn't get massacred with the rest wished they were. Men were into labor to bare heavy loads. Women were used a playthings and breeding tools by the more uncivilized races in their troop. Children were spirited away for purposes that you still didn't know of, but doubted were good.

And of course, there was you. You, who had been dragged into the muck in front of the tavern, a snarling lycanthrope hovering above you, ready to rip your throat out on the command of someone whose care for your life was virtually nonexistent... but the order never came.

Instead, you found yourself pulled from the mud, dragged forth by a you could not comprehend, until you were flung at the feet of a woman dressed in long dark robes. Looking up at her, you could only tell it was a woman by the slight curve she gave, despite the heavy clothing covering her form. Even her face was hidden in the shadow of her hood, leaving only two glowing yellow eyes to pierce through the darkness and into your very soul.

"You... have potential..." she said, her voice soft and cold, yet oddly alluring. You had given her a confused look at the time, not sure of what she was taking about, but she didn't wait for you to speak. "There is a spark of mana in you, a potential greater than that of normal men to use magic. I offer you a choice. Stay, die, and let your corpse be burned to the ground with the rest of your village and its people, there is no life left that we will not use... or... accept an invitation, to find the power welling in the depths of your soul. Unlock the potential for magic and become something greater than you could have possibly imagined for yourself before. So... what do you choose?"

There really was . Life over . Power for one who had been powerless for so long. Which is what brought you to where you are now.