Chapter 1: Chapter One: Why do I keep Sucking at this so much?!

“Oh my gosh, Kiera, can't you stop sucking for five minutes? Are you even trying?”

“I am trying. You already instructed me how not to suck, what more do you want? This is my first time!”

“Fine. Fine. I'm sorry, sis, I won't patronize you for sucking. Just go at your own speed.”

“Thank you.”

My conversation with my stepbrother, Devon, concluded with him removing his VR helmet and plopping down on my comforter.

He had been excited to get me into this new MMORPG (which is not any kind of protein drink I'm just learning) called Eidolon Nexus, the most popular VR fantasy game on the market. Since our parents had married and wanted us to get to know each other, he thought this was the perfect plan.

I admit indulging him was not the best idea, but he tends to give me smoldering, puppy-dog eyes, and you can't say no to that.

Everything went smoothly until the character creation when I randomly chose my race and skipped over ten minutes of the tutorial.

My class race: Succubus

As Devon likes to put it, it was one of the most challenging classes in the game, mainly because the succubus class was literally a high-risk, no-reward kind of class.

Almost no one used it, and if they did, it was for gag-related purposes. Here I was, thinking that their bat wings looked cute.

[Devon]: Can you at least try to get to the first town? You haven't even accessed your skill tree or leveling system.

“Hey,” I pointed out. “This boss is pretty hard. I'm sure all players had trouble with it.”

[Devon]: ...it's a tutorial enemy.

Devon’s words hung in the air, heavy with judgment. I squinted at him through the semi-transparent game HUD, my avatar’s health bar blinking dangerously low in the corner of my vision.

“A tutorial enemy?!” I hissed, gripping my VR controllers with sweaty palms. “Then why is it so strong? It has fifty arms!”

[Devon]: It isn’t and doesn’t,” Devon said flatly. It’s literally a goblin with a stick, Kiera. You just suck.

I stared at the goblin in question. Okay, yes, it was holding a stick. But it was a very menacing stick! And to be fair, it did look like it had fifty arms when it was whacking me from every angle.

“Alright, fine. How do I even do a skill? I pressed all the buttons, Dev!”

[Devon]: Open your skill menu. Mentally, will it appear in front of you or say ‘notification’ for more leisurely purposes, he said with the patience of a saint babysitting a hyperactive toddler.

With a grumbled curse, I mentally commanded the game’s menu to open. A sleek, dark interface unfolded before me, glowing purple runes sliding into place.

[Skill Tree Unlocked]

Class: Succubus

“Oh crap, this is fancy!”

[Devon]: Yeah, cool, now click on something useful, Devon muttered.

I squinted at the options. They were all worded like they belonged in some melodramatic fantasy romance novel.

* Lustful Gaze (Charm a single enemy—what does that even mean in a fight?)

* Shadow Bolt (Basic dark magic attack—okay, now we’re talking.)

* Venom Kiss (…nope. Not ready for whatever that is.)

“Alright, I’m picking Shadow Bolt.”

When I clicked it, the skill icon glowed ominously, and the words Skill Unlocked flashed across my screen.

“Okay, okay! Time to nuke this goblin into the next realm!”

I turned back to the goblin, who was currently… picking its nose with the aforementioned menacing stick. With all the intensity of someone who definitely knows what they’re doing, I raised my hand and pointed at it.

“Shadow Bolt!”

A crackle of purple energy surged from my palm, swirling into a ball of dark energy before—

FWOOOSH!

It missed. Completely. By like, ten feet. The goblin blinked, looked at the scorch mark on the ground, and then smacked me square in the shin with its stick.

“OH COME ON!”

Devon made a sound that can only be described as a dying walrus laugh.

[Devon]: You missed with an auto-aim spell, Kiera. How is that even possible?

I threw my head back and let out a guttural scream. Somewhere in the distance, a crow cawed in sympathy.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•

After another ten agonizing minutes (and several humiliating goblin stick beatdowns later), I finally managed to land a Shadow Bolt and defeat the tutorial enemy. The goblin let out a final, pitiful squeal before collapsing into a puff of glittering light. Its stick clattered to the ground, and a small leather pouch hovered beside it.

[Tutorial Enemy Defeated!]

+10 XP

+1 Health Potion

“Yes! Victory is mine!”

[Devon]: Congrats, Devon said, clapping sarcastically over the chat speakers. You’ve conquered Gobby the Puny.

I flipped him off with my character's gel purple nails.

[Devon]: Love it when you talk dirty to me,  he joked while snickering to himself.

I bent down to grab the loot, feeling a small surge of pride swell in my chest. Sure, it took me way too long to beat it, and yes, I may have missed multiple times with a point-and-shoot spell, but victory was still a victory.

[Devon]: You know, Devon said, his voice filtering through the party chat window. For someone who didn’t know what MMORPG meant an hour ago, you’re doing… passably okay.

“Gee, thanks. I’ll put that glowing review on my résumé.”

As I pocketed the potion, my attention drifted to the far side of the clearing. A stone archway led to a wooden bridge stretching over a misty ravine, and a village was bathed in the soft glow of lantern light.

“Ooh, what’s that?”

[Devon]: That will be your first town. Go check it out.

The air changed as I crossed the bridge. Crickets chirped in the tall grass, and the faint murmur of distant NPCs drifted from the village square. I couldn’t deny it—the world felt real. The damp wood beneath my boots, the faint smell of rain, and the flickering shadows of lanterns were almost overwhelming.

[Entering Zone: Eldergrove Village]

“Okay, Dev. I made it to the first town. Now what?”

[Devon]: Find the fountain in the center of the village, Devon instructed. There should be a quest NPC there to get you started properly. And for the love of all, that’s great; do not skip the dialogue this time.

“Yeah, yeah…” I muttered, moving through the cobblestone streets. NPCs bustled around me, hawking fruit from wooden stalls, carrying baskets of grain, or gossiping in huddled groups. They glanced at me with mildly curious expressions before turning away.

But then—

“Oh, hello there, traveler…”

The voice was silk over glass, smooth, and a little too rehearsed. I turned, and there he was: an NPC standing under a flowering trellis, one boot propped casually against a barrel. He wore tight leather pants (far too tight, honestly), a billowy white shirt unbuttoned just low enough to make me uncomfortable, and a lute slung over his back. His hair sparkled under the lantern light—how did hair even sparkle?

[Lucien, Master Bard]

I cleared my throat, “Uh, hi?”

Lucien pushed off the barrel and bowed deeply, one hand sweeping out theatrically. “A vision of midnight herself graces our humble village. Tell me, fair enchantress, have you descended from the heavens to steal hearts or claim souls?”

I blinked. “…Yes?”

His lips curved into a slow smile. Somewhere, faint lute music started playing—where was that coming from?

[Dialogue Option Selected: ‘Yes.’]

A notification popped up in the corner of my HUD:

[Charm Check Successful!]

Lucien straightened, clutching his chest like I’d struck him with Cupid’s arrow. “Then my fate is sealed! My lute  and very life are yours, my midnight muse!”

[Follower Acquired: Lucien, Master Bard!]

* Skill: Inspiring Ballad (+10% Buff to Nearby Allies’ Attack and Defense)

* Loyalty: Unwavering

“Wait, wait, wait,” I stammered, holding up both hands. “I wasn’t… I didn’t…”

[Devon]: Too late! Devon’s voice crackled through the party chat. You activated a charm interaction, and now he’s your follower. He’s bound to you until he dies or you dismiss him…after reaching a certain point in the game.

Are you kidding me?

Lucien knelt dramatically before me, one knee to the cobblestones and his head bowed low. His lute gave a soft plink as it bounced against his back.

“My lady, wherever your shadow falls, I shall follow.”

“Dev,” I whispered harshly, my voice trembling with embarrassment. “I have a bard. A bard.”

Devon was howling with laughter. [Devon]: Oh, Kiera… This is so much better than I could’ve hoped.

I turned back to Lucien, who was still kneeling. An NPC a few feet away paused to stare at the spectacle before hurrying along. I rubbed my temples.

“Alright, fine. Get up, Lucien. We’re… going somewhere, I guess.”

Lucien rose with a dazzling smile, practically glowing with joy. “To the ends of the world, my dark muse!”

“How long until I’m able to gain that dismissal option?”

“Level 10.”

I opened the HUD menu to see that my current level was still Level 1.

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This is going to be a long game. I can feel it.

As we walked toward the fountain—me trying desperately not to make eye contact with my new theatrical shadow—I finally spotted the quest NPC Devon had mentioned. She stood at the fountain’s edge, a tall woman with simple leather armor, auburn hair tied back in a braid, and a stern expression.

[Quest Available: 'A Troubled Beginning']

* Objective: Investigate the Strange Shadows in the Forest Outside Eldergrove.

I reached her side, Lucien trailing behind like a loyal golden retriever with too many feelings.

“Excuse me,” I said carefully. “Are you the one handing out quests around here?”

The NPC turned to face me, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned me—and then drifted past me to Lucien.

“Another bard? And a… Succubus?” She sighed heavily. “Why do I always get the strange ones?”

Before I could respond, Lucien stepped forward, hand on his chest. “Fear not, good lady! For I—Lucien, Master Bard—will see that my muse succeeds in every trial before her!”

The quest NPC pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Okay, fine,” she muttered. “You want a quest? Take this.”

“She seems a bit rude,” I mumbled into the party chat.

[Devon]: Certain races and classes can affect NPC dialogue interaction. So the story could change for you in unexpected ways that I haven’t seen yet. Tried to warn you, Kiera.

Ugh, fine. I guess this is a consequence of my action for not ‘reading the fine print.’

[Quest Accepted: 'A Troubled Beginning']

I nodded, feeling some of the earlier awkwardness start to fade. At least I was progressing with a real quest and an actual objective. Progress!

“Alright, Lucien. Let’s get moving.”

“After you, my midnight muse.”

The deeper we went into the forest, the more the air shifted—cooler and heavier, like stepping into a place that had been abandoned for far too long. The HUD marker glowed faintly in the corner of my vision, pulling me toward an ancient altar nestled beneath the twisted branches of a massive oak tree.

The altar was cracked and overgrown with moss, glowing runes pulsing faintly across its stone surface. It radiated an eerie energy that made my skin prickle.

Lucien adjusted the lute slung across his back and scanned the area with narrowed eyes. “My muse, I feel compelled to ask—are we certain this is wise?”

“Nope,” I said, swallowing hard, “but the quest marker says this is where we need to be, and the glowing rock with spooky letters is basically screaming, ‘Interact with me!’”

I stepped closer, my boots crunching over dead leaves and brittle twigs. A glowing prompt appeared:

[Quest Objective: Activate the Altar.]

[Proceed? Yes / No]

“Alright, here goes nothing.” I selected ‘Yes.’

The runes flared brightly, casting harsh shadows across the clearing as the altar hummed with power. A sharp wind kicked up, carrying a faint, distant growl on its tail.

Lucien’s hand hovered near his dagger, his knuckles white. “Muse… something stirs.”

Something moved from the shadows. The ground trembled as a hulking figure stepped into the clearing. Its blackened hide shimmered faintly under the light of the runes, and glowing crimson eyes locked onto me with predatory intent.

[EVENT BOSS ENCOUNTER: SHADOWBOUND GUARDIAN]

* Level: 10

* Health: 3,500 HP

* Status: Aggressive

“What. The. Hell. Level 10? Okay,” I said, backing up a step. “Okay, okay, okay, Devon? DEVON?! This thing is freakin’ level 10. Why am I here again?!”

His voice crackled through the party chat. [Devon]: Relax, Kiera. It’s just a mid-tier field boss. You were supposed to grind before you went in there. Geez, I look away from the party screen for one second and—damn it, don’t just stand there! MOVE!

The Guardian let out a guttural roar before lunging forward, claws raking through the air. I screamed and stumbled to the side, narrowly avoiding being turned into a Kiera-shaped pancake.

[Health: 84%]

Lucien dashed forward, his dagger glowing faintly as he slashed at the creature’s claw. “I shall distract the beast, muse! Do something useful!”

“Right, useful. Yes, useful!” I fumbled through my skill menu, my hands shaking.

* Shadow Bolt (Ranged Attack)

* Lustful Gaze (Charm Skill, single target)

* Venom Kiss (Close Range, damage-over-time skill)

“Okay, okay. Uh… Shadow Bolt!”

I raised my hand, dark energy crackling along my fingertips, and fired. The purple bolt of energy shot out—

—only to whiz harmlessly past the Guardian’s head and hit a tree.

[Missed Attack]

“Oh, come on!”

The Guardian roared again and slammed one massive claw down toward me. I screamed, stumbled, and face-planted into the dirt.

[Health: 67%]

[Devon]: You need to dodge toward the side, not downward. If you can’t beat it, leave until you come back stronger.

Lucien glanced at me as he backflipped away from a sweeping claw strike. “Muse, might I suggest not dying?”

“Great advice, thanks!”

I scrambled back to my feet and fired another Shadow Bolt. This one hit the Guardian square in the chest.

[Damage Dealt: 75 HP]

It barely flinched.

“Devon, I’m not doing enough damage! This thing’s a sponge!”

[Devon]: You need to use combos. Use Shadow Bolt, dodge, and follow up with Venom Kiss or—wait, are you seriously just button-mashing?

I was absolutely button-mashing. The Guardian lunged again, and this time, I barely escaped by tumbling sideways into a bush.

[Health: 42%]

Lucien’s health bar wasn’t much better.

[Lucien Health: 28%]

We weren’t going to make it. I wasn’t skilled, fast, or coordinated enough to win this fight. My breathing hitched, my HUD flashing red with low-health warnings.

And then… a small notification popped up in the corner of my vision:

[SYSTEM MESSAGE: You’ve received an email from UNKNOWN.]

[Do you want to open this message? Yes / No]

“Uh… Devon?” My voice trembled. “I just got… an email?”

[Devon]: An email? Like, in your in-game inbox? From who?

“It just says UNKNOWN.”

There was a pause on the other end. When Devon spoke again, his voice was tight.

[Devon]: Kiera, listen to me. Players sometimes get emails from random accounts offering cheat codes. Most of them are scams or illegal mods that’ll corrupt your data or, worse—flag your account for a ban. Do not open it.

The Guardian was stalking toward me now, its glowing eyes fixed on my low-health bar. Lucien was barely standing, his breathing ragged.

“Devon… we’re not going to make it. You know I have the patience of a squirrel; I can’t grind. This is my only option.”

[Devon]: Are you, you can’t be serious, Kiera. Just log out, then. Don’t—

I selected ‘Yes.’

[SYSTEM MESSAGE FROM UNKNOWN]

If you want to survive, enter the following command:

/CMD::FORCECLASS.UPDATE

[WARNING: Unauthorized Access Detected. Proceeding May Cause System Instability.]

[Devon]: Don’t do it. DON’T—

But the Guardian roared and lunged.

With no other option, I opened the console and typed:

/CMD::FORCECLASS.UPDATE

The world froze.

Every pixel, every animation, every sound—all locked in place. Red error messages cascaded down my HUD in a flood of corrupted text.

[SYSTEM ERROR: CLASS OVERRIDE DETECTED]

[CLASS UPDATE IN PROGRESS… ERROR… ERROR… CLASS UPDATE SUCCESSFUL.]

NEW CLASS ASSIGNED: SUCCUBUS DEMON LORD

* Warning: Unauthorized Class Designation

* Status: System Integrity Compromised

The world snapped back into motion. Shadows erupted around me, swirling and twisting like living smoke. My HUD flared with new skills:

* Absolute Command: enemies are paralyzed briefly.

* Crippling Aura: Reduce enemy attack power.

* Abyssal Barrier: Absorb incoming damage.

The Guardian froze mid-attack, claws inches from my face. Its yellow eyes flickered with confusion.

Lucien stumbled backward, shielding his face from the shadows swirling around me. His voice was trembling. “My Lady…?”

My body felt heavy with power, shadows dancing around me like loyal servants. I extended one hand toward the Guardian, and my voice came out low and cold:

“Kneel.”

[Absolute Command Activated]

The Shadowbound Guardian knelt before me, claws digging into the earth as if fighting against invisible chains. Its yellow eyes flickered, and the thick shadows swirling around its form trembled as though the creature itself understood something had changed—something fundamental and wrong.

Lucien stood frozen a few feet away, dagger limp in his hand, his usually confident expression twisted with awe and fear.

The air crackled with energy, thick and suffocating. My outstretched hand still trembled, shadows coiling around my fingers like obedient snakes.

The creature let out a guttural growl, low and resigned, its glowing eyes locked onto me in something almost resembling… fear.

I clenched my fist.

“Be gone.”

A pulse of dark energy erupted from me in all directions. The Guardian’s massive form shuddered violently, its body breaking apart into swirling wisps of black mist. Its roar echoed through the clearing, a final sound of defiance before its form dissolved entirely.

The shadows scattered into the air like dying embers, then… silence.

[EVENT BOSS DEFEATED: SHADOWBOUND GUARDIAN]

* +3000 XP (EXP bonus applied due to class override)

* +5 Skill Points

* +15 Stat Points

* +Rare Drop: Abyssal Crown

* +Rare Weapon: Midnight Fang (Dagger)

* +Rare Armor Set: Empress of Shadows Attire

* +5000 Obsidian Crowns

[CLASS UPDATED: SUCCUBUS → SUCCUBUS DEMON LORD]

* New Skill Tree Unlocked

* Class-Specific Abilities Acquired

* Outfit Updated

I staggered back as my body was suddenly engulfed in swirling violet light. Glowing runes danced across my vision as my leather starter armor disintegrated into flecks of shadow and was replaced by something entirely different.

A flowing black and violet ensemble materialized over me—elegant yet sharp, adorned with intricate silver embroidery and glowing runic designs across the chest and sleeves. A corset secured across my chest that cupped my breast and revealed far too much, and a silk, obsidian undergarment that looked scarily like undergarments replaced my bottoms. My flimsy beginner gloves were replaced with clawed gauntlets of dark metal, a see-through tram hanging off the ends, and a faint, almost imperceptible crown of ethereal shadows hovered above my head.

The Midnight Fang, a sleek, obsidian dagger etched with glowing red veins, appeared at my side, fastened into an ornate sheath.

My HUD lit up with an array of unfamiliar skills and stats, far more intricate than before.

Lucien stumbled back a step, his voice trembling. “My Lady… I… I do not know what you have become, but it is… magnificent.”

I took a shaky breath, my hands flexing as residual energy crackled across my fingertips.

[LEVEL UP!]

Congratulations! You have reached Level 10.

* Skill Points: +5

* Stat Points: +15

* New Skills Unlocked:

* Absolute Command (Control enemies briefly.)

* Crippling Aura (Debuff enemy attack stats in an area.)

* Abyssal Barrier (Temporary damage-absorbing shield.)

The silence was broken by Devon’s voice crackling back into the party chat, sharp and panicked.

[Devon]: Kiera—what did you do? Your class icon is… it’s not showing anything. It’s just blank. What did you type?

I opened my inventory and stared at the bounty of rare drops now sitting in my bags: the Abyssal Crown, the Midnight Fang, pieces of the Empress of Shadows Armor Set, and a glittering stack of Obsidian Crowns.

My stats were overhauled entirely, my skill tree branching out into complex patterns I couldn’t even begin to decipher.

This wasn’t just a class upgrade—it felt like I had overwritten something in the game’s code itself.

Lucien’s voice was still hushed with reverence. “My Lady… are you… are you one of them now? A being of the dark realms?”

I didn’t answer him. My fingers trembled as I scrolled through my HUD, the glitched class icon flickering in and out of view like corrupted data.

Finally, I whispered into the party chat.

“Devon,” I said, my voice hollow and trembling. “I think I just broke the game.”