I’m chilling in my room, scrolling through an online novel platform on my laptop. Just another day, just another novel to review. Today’s target was some isekai fantasy that was getting a lot of hype lately. Good thing it’s already completed.

Just when I started reading the first few chapters my expectations began falling down the drain. Despite that, I was willing to give the story another chance to redeem itself by reading the latest chapters. However, to my disappointment, the story didn’t reach my expectations.

“Man, this protagonist is so stupid and clichéd. And don’t even get me started on the plot holes.” I muttered in disgust as I started typing on the keyboard, criticizing the story with a few insults along the way. “What a waste of time reading this trash of a novel.”

Once I was done writing that one star review, I hit ‘post.’ Not even a second later, a notification popped up.

“That was fast.” I muttered to myself as I hastily clicked the notification bar.

“Who the hell do you think you are, you talentless hack? If my novel is that bad, then I’ll put you in it and make you regret every word!” the author taunted.

I then burst out laughing at his comment, thinking that the writer went crazy.

“This guy fucking lost his mind!” I said out loud as I began writing a reply to his comment.

“Yeah, sure, buddy. Like you can zap me into your crappy story. Maybe I can help fix your mess from the inside.” I mockingly typed back, smirking.

Before I could even hit send, my screen lit up like the Fourth of July. “What the—” I blurted as everything went white. It felt like I was being sucked through a giant vacuum tube.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up on a soft, large bed. I blinked, trying to make sense of the luxurious surroundings. The room was grand, fit for an aristocrat, with an ornate furniture that looked straight out of a medieval fantasy.

“Damn it! Where the hell am I?” I muttered.

I stood up, wobbling a bit, and my eyes caught a large, gilded mirror across the room. Something felt off as I walked over, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. When I finally looked in the mirror, I froze.

The face staring back at me wasn’t mine. It was the face of a kid, maybe six or eight years old. He had dark hair, big blue eyes, and a face that looked vaguely familiar but definitely not my own.

“Who the hell..? ” I reached up, touching my face as the reflection mimicked my movements. “Did I go insane?”

Just as I was trying to grasp the situation, a pop-up window appeared right in front of me, hovering in the air like some kind of video game notification. I blinked, rubbing my eyes, but it was still there, clear as day.

"Surprise!" the message read with a disgusting tone. It was from the author. "You’re in my world now! How does it feel to be trapped in ‘a one star novel’?”

“Fucking bastard!” I furiously cursed. “What did you do to me?”

“If you want to know, snap your fingers. Good luck surviving—you're gonna need it." he added as the message instantly disappeared.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” I muttered. This was like something out of a bad isekai anime.

I then focused on the matter at hand and hesitantly snap my fingers to check my status. To my amazement, another window popped up, displaying what looked like a character sheet.

Name: Lucas Belmont

Vitality: F- Tier

Strength: F- Tier

Agility: F- Tier

Endurance: F- Tier

Intelligence: E Tier

Wisdom: E Tier

Extra Skills: None

Skills: None

Unique Skills: [Appraisal]

Curses: [Curse of the Weak] [Curse of the Talentless]

Just when I saw my character named Lucas Belmont, I was shocked. No, more than shocked—I was horrified.

“No way…” I whispered in disbelief. “Out of all the characters in the story… I’m this guy?”

Lucas was one of the antagonists in the story, doomed to die by the hero's hands. Even if I somehow managed to avoid that grim fate, it would only delay the inevitable. The Demon King would destroy the empire anyway since the hero would ultimately lose to him. What a ridiculous plot! Who wrote this nonsense?

"This makes no sense! It’s so stupid!" I shouted in the empty room, my voice echoing back at me. "The Demon King wins in the end? What kind of twisted story is this?"

Frustration boiled within me as I scanned over my character's status. It was abysmally low, but then I saw the reason why: two curses. The 'Curse of the Weak' and the 'Curse of the Talentless’. My curiosity piqued as I pressed the icons to see their details.

The 'Curse of the Weak' description appeared first: The victim is forever cursed to having F- Tier Vitality, Strength, Agility, and Endurance.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Great! Just great! After that, I sighed heavily and pressed the next curse.

The 'Curse of the Talentless' was even worse: The victim can never learn any skills and extra skills.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. "F- Tier stats and a useless Appraisal skill? How am I supposed to do anything with this character? This is bullshit!"

Anger surged through me, and I cursed the author out loud, not caring if anyone could hear me. "What kind of sadistic mind would create such a hopeless character? Seriously! Did you enjoy making him suffer?"

My heart pounded as I tried to calm down. The odds were stacked against me in every possible way. But there had to be a way out of this mess. There had to be. I wasn't going to let a couple of curses and a poorly written plot dictate my fate. Not without a fight!

As I began to think of a plan, a whirlwind of thoughts stormed through my mind. Why was Lucas so weak? I distinctly remembered a chapter where he went toe-to-toe with the hero, matching him in both magic and swordplay. How could someone with such dismal stats have managed that? There wasn’t much information about Lucas Belmont in the story, except for being the only son of the Duke of the Empire. It didn’t add up.

“Think, think,” I muttered to myself, pacing back and forth. “There has to be something I’m missing.”

Then it hit me—Lucas had a Unique Skill. That had to be it. I remembered now: Soul Siphon, the power to steal the Strength, Agility, Endurance, Intelligence, and Wisdom of others by consuming their souls. That skill must have been what made him strong despite the curses. But when I checked my status again, Soul Siphon was nowhere to be found.

“This is so messed up.” I groaned, running a hand through my hair.

I racked my brain, trying to remember how Lucas acquired Soul Siphon. Unique Skills could be obtained in two ways: either you’re born with them, or you acquire a unique skill book.

I closed my eyes, thinking back to the story’s details. It was vague, but I recalled a scene where Lucas found something—yes, a book. It was during a raid on a dungeon ten years from now, buried beneath the ruins of a forgotten temple. That’s where he got Soul Siphon.

“If the skill isn’t in my status, it means I haven’t found the book yet.” I concluded.

If I could find that book, I’d have a fighting chance. And I wasn’t going to let a couple of curses and a stupid plot stop me.

Just when I was muttering to myself, trying to piece together the puzzles, Emma, my personal maid, came over. Her worried expression told me she was checking to see if I was alright.

“Master Lucas, is everything okay?” she asked, her voice soft and hesitant.

I opened my mouth to reply, but I shortly hesitated. Lucas’s personality was known for mocking and insulting others, and his temper was very infamous. If I acted out of character, it would raise suspicion. Gritting my teeth, I steeled myself to act the part.

“What do you think, Emma? Do I look alright to you?” I snapped with a side of sarcasm.

“I-I’m sorry, Master Lucas. I didn’t mean to—” she nervously replied.

“Just get out of my room!” I deafeningly interrupted while I sharply glared at her.

Emma flinched, then her face became pale. “I-I apologize, Master. I’ll leave you be.”

She hurried away, almost tripping over her own feet in her haste to escape. Guilt gnawed my insides as I watched her retreating form. I hated myself for doing it, for scaring her like that. But I had to stay in character, at least until I figured out what to do next. Drawing attention to my change in behavior would only complicate things.

Finding the unique skill book was my top priority. If I could get my hands on Soul Siphon, I’d have a real chance to change things. But until then, I had to be the Lucas Belmont everyone expects—an antagonist with a sharp tongue and a short fuse. It was the only way to avoid suspicion and stay on track.

With that resolve, I turned my attention back to my plan. First, I needed to find out where the ruins of the ancient library were located. If the book was there, it would be my first step towards rewriting my destiny.

The next day, I made my way to the mansion's library. If I wanted any chance of finding that unique skill book, I needed to locate the dungeon described in the novel. There wasn't an illustration of a map in the story, just vague descriptions scattered throughout the chapters. I had to use those hints to piece together its location.

I then stared by pulling out several large, dusty maps and spreading them across a table. I poured over the details, cross-referencing the descriptions I remembered from the novel.

"A hidden temple beneath ancient ruins. Near the eastern border of the empire, close to the Darkwood Forest." I whispered to myself, tracing my finger along a map.

Minutes turned into an hour, but finally, I found it. A faint mark indicating the ruins. My heart pounded with excitement.

"I did it." I said softly, a grin spreading across my face. "Now I just have to—"

Suddenly, realization hit me like a truck. I couldn't just leave the mansion. I was only eight years old.

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, slamming my fist on the table. "How am I supposed to get there?"

Soon after, footsteps echoed down the hall. I quickly rolled up the maps, shoving them back into their places. The last thing I needed was for someone to question why I was so interested in ancient ruins.

Think, Lucas, think. How can I get out of here? Sneaking out was out of the question; the mansion was well-guarded. I needed a plan, a reason to be allowed out, and someone to accompany me.

As I pondered my next move, I heard a soft knock on the door. Emma peeked in, her eyes still wary from our last encounter.

"Master Lucas, is there anything you need?" she asked hesitantly.

An idea began to form in my mind. "Actually, yes." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I need you to prepare for a little trip. I want to visit the eastern border. There are some... old ruins I wish to see."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "The eastern border? But Master Lucas, that's quite far, and—"

"Did I ask for your opinion?" I snapped, slipping back into character. "Just do as I say. I'll need an escort and preparations made. Tell Father it's for my studies."

Emma nodded quickly, clearly nervous. "Y-yes, Master Lucas. I'll inform the Duke right away."

As she hurried off, I felt guilty, but brushed it off. But this was my chance. If I could just get to those ruins, I could find the skill book and turn things around.