A Dark Wizard's Survival Guide (Western Fantasy)

No romantic pairings, no extra couples // The protagonist is all about his career // Plot-driven // Villain protagonist

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At first, this was just the story of someone who wanted to stay alive.

This is a rotten world, where everyone pursues profit and betrayal and murder are taken for granted.

After transmigrating as a black wizard's apprentice... apprentice in name, test subject in practice. A truly disastrous start.

Wass had imagined countless possible futures, but the one thing he had never considered was dying.

Becoming frail and sickly because of black magic experiments, presenting himself as pitiful and meek at first, then becoming a little twisted inside after enduring endless bullying: that's reasonable, isn't it?

Awakening a succubus bloodline, clearly understanding his own charms and making use of them: that's reasonable too, isn't it?

Using patience, ruthlessness, and every means necessary to climb over the bloodied bodies of others, hoping to control everything with absolute power... that's still reasonable, isn't it?

Later, this became the story of a legend.

"They say wizards pursue truth, but why is it that everyone I see is devoted to power?"

"I want to stand at the summit of truth and pluck the stars. I want to study the mysteries of space and time and trace the roots of cause and effect. I want to analyze the flow of magic and understand the nature of the material world..."

Many years later, the great Arcane Emperor, reformer, pioneer, Abyssal Lord, and Saint of Life spoke in disappointment to his former opponents.

Under his rule, the world of wizards had become something entirely different.

Wizards could no longer kill at will. Schools had been established, along with a complete education system... In a chaotic, lightless world, a spark called peace had arrived.

Because this was his pasture.

Content warnings:

The early and middle parts are a purely dark, might-makes-right story. In the later part, it puts on a show of taking a "White Demon King" route, but the nature of the story remains unchanged.

This is not traditional Western fantasy. Only wizards, including sorcerers, and magical creatures possess supernatural powers. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a wizard story?

Nor is this a traditional succubus story. The protagonist is a super-grinder, an unkillable cockroach, and an ambitious schemer.

(The protagonist remains a sorcerer with a succubus bloodline throughout. He will not become a full succubus, so he doesn't need to eat anything strange to survive.)

Finally: Everyone is evil! Everyone is evil! Everyone is evil!

This really is a dark story. The protagonist's values do not represent the author's values, only the author's kinks.

The anti-piracy threshold is 50%. Bonus chapters after the ending unlock at 60%.

(The threshold will be lowered after the story has been complete for a while.)

Check out my upcoming story, "At Critical Health, but Hunting the Evil Gods"

A quirky, mad-dog monster top x frail but tough, fun-loving investigator bottom

(Content warnings: The top is mostly a TV-headed person with a human body. The bottom has a health bar locked at 0.5 and albinism.)

P.S. I personally don't think this one counts as a dark story. The world is extremely cruel, but most people act for the sake of humanity's survival. The protagonist suffers quite a bit (I lied, everyone suffers, but the protagonist is pretty OP too, or he wouldn't survive).

"Earth players, are you ready? The infinite horror game is about to launch!"

At the prompt in his mind, Bai Ming stopped what he was doing and wore a thoroughly bewildered expression.

He didn't know if the Earth players were ready, but the problem was, he'd transmigrated twenty years ago!

He wasn't even from Earth anymore!

And besides... it seemed, maybe, probably, that this game's setting was the very world he lived in.

A hundred years after a nuclear war, nuclear pollution had given rise to countless strange monsters. Humanity had retreated into nine black towers, and after years of fighting the strange creatures, people had worked out ways to deal with them.

A few people awakened supernatural abilities that let them briefly venture outside to search for supplies and information from before the apocalypse, and even absorb the crystals left behind when strange creatures died to strengthen their abilities.

At the same time, he acquired two new abilities.

His original ability was [Thousand Threads]. Basically, he could control his own hair to attack and defend. Among the many ability users in the black towers, it wasn't especially powerful.

His new abilities were [Health Lock] and [Low-Health Comeback].

In short, he could set his own health, and the lower his health, the stronger he became.

Bai Ming thought for a second, then locked his health at 0.5.

The stronger your ability, the better.

But... wait, why couldn't he change it once it was set?!

A legend arose in the Black Tower world: someone from the Strange Creature Investigation Team cleared out monsters at a terrifying rate while spitting blood, reaping rich rewards as he took on mission after mission.

A legend arose on Earth, too: a player whose identity was unknown displayed incredible fighting ability in the instances, charging to the front despite being gravely wounded.

Bai Ming: "Help me up. I can still fight!"

At his feet, a shadow stretched out, slowly taking human form.

Bai Ming brought his blade down, and the monster's head fell.

The head on the ground let out a laugh. It rolled to Bai Ming's feet and, with a pop, turned into a giant rose.

A monster that could neither be seen nor heard had recently taken up a new hobby.

It was a human, a frail, tiny human... How strange. Why would it like such a weak creature?

Wait, did he just look at me?

Wait, did he just touch me?

Why... didn't he go mad?!

The monster rubbed its head, utterly bewildered.

Then it decided to go find that human.

But why... was the human... killing it?

Its body was pierced.

Its head was cut off.

Its blood ran dry.

It didn't matter. The monster had to follow its human.

Warning: In the early and middle parts, both the top and bottom genuinely want to kill each other. The top wants to kill the bottom because only the dead can become an evil god's priest, but the bottom can't be killed because his health is locked. The bottom sees the top as a monster, and an investigator's job is to kill monsters. They really do love and kill each other.

The story's values are shaped by its post-apocalyptic setting. Please don't apply them to real life.

The cover and character cards depict the protagonists. Custom commissions are available, but do not use them with their attributes blurred.

Click the pinned link in the comments below to go directly to the story.

Theme: What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger.