Ah, the Demon Stones. When the mana released from a fallen Primordial fills the air in the Demon Realm, it corrupts everything it touches before eventually condensing into a stone. Their Essences, contained what the Humans called their Passive Skills. My Demon Crown was made of five of these precious Stones and each were potent enough to shape the entire Realm. Now, they are scattered across the Humans’ Realm and who knows where else.

The Pride Stone, a brilliant green gem of unparalleled strength.

The Wrath Stone, a jasper as bright as the Golden Eyes of the Demon God.

The Envious Stone, a blood red gem that sways the hearts of those who see it.

The Oblivion Stone, a deep blue sapphire with an impenetrable barrier.

And finally the Dark Stone, which is as dark as the Abyss.

This Space Stone was not apart of the Demon Realm, but I guess I could figure out a way to slot that in my Crown when I find out how to get it back. Attor snored when I explained this to him. Hey, mister! I know you’ve traveled the heavens and have seen a lot of stuff but this is important to me! I sighed and continued my conquest of the forest.

So why now was I explaining what the gems in my original Demon Crown do? I messed up! Help me, O Familiar! I begged. Attor scoffed. How did he block my summons? How dare he!

It all started as I was led to a chamber, not even allowed to speak with that jerk of a brother and my Doom for a Sister. Elaine looked like she was still sad over something, but I did not want to know what. She could be sad over not being able to kill me quicker than the rest of the people! My heart pounded as the smell of this old wooden place hit my nose as I placed one foot ahead of the other on stone more ancient than me. Ornate statues and a pair of large groaning doors creaked open, pulled apart by a pair of servants with a modest E Rank attack. Yet, it felt like a presence was missing from this place. Was it my own? I refrained from grinning because Attor glared at me sternly. He could tell I was nervous before I knew I was! No fair!

My Father led me past large rooms with a man clad in white robes. Some were excessive in furnishings and paintings, while one particular long room had multiple doors leading into it. Something inside of me stirred: A memory? That was the Dining Hall, where I was yelling… something. Was the old Charlotte still inside of me after all? If I recalled, these White Robes were a part of an organization they called the Church of Light. I still moved slowly compared to them, but they paid me no mind, leaving me in their dust to catch up with them through the Estate’s grandest hallway. As I expected, none of these Humans particularly liked me or they expected my body’s previous owner’s foul behavior to strike at them. The rows of servants cowered before me and the tin men simply looked at me as if I was an insect. I shall have to let the Messenger Spiders explore this place soon, that is if I survive this…!

Father and the White Robes opened the wide open doors to what appeared to be a dead end with a strange massive machine apparatus holding a transparent orb from the ceiling. That was an Appraisal Orb, wasn’t it? I think a few humans had those in battle, but mainly for identifying some of my Generals. These humans and their little infuriating gadgets!

“Stand before it,” the head White Robe ordered me. He had a funny hat on, so I deemed him as such.

Charles and his White Robed friends all awaited my approach expectantly. The apparatus’s odd tubes glowed cyan, then hummed as mana coarsed through it. I shifted nervously as I watched it whir into a frenzy, before emitting a brilliant beam of light that swept over me. I did not feel anything as it passed by before falling inactive, until that horrifying screen showed up accompanied with a chime in my own head. Oh, Geer’Sha and Wisdom, I groaned audibly. Luckily, my own disappointment was smothered by a wave of hushed gasps from the White Robes.

— Wisdom’s Intervention activated. The Dark Stone has successfully blocked the Status Appraisal.

Eh?!

When I was a Demon, the effects were not told to me right away. I was empowered by them, yes, but unaware of their true nature. As a Human now, there were more transformative effects that I had access to. Was this Wisdom’s plan all along? This normally would be great to have, but I was planning to shock my Father with my awesome strength! A window appeared before the whole crowd of White Robes.

— Charlotte Bohun, level 1

— Class: None

Stat Potential

— Attack: F

— Magic Attack: F

— Defense: F

— Magic Defense: F

Eh?! Those aren’t my real Stats, aren’t they? A chime rang in my head, nearly making me flinch. Wisdom, I’m already in hot water, here!

—Wisdom’s Intervention activated. Due to the Dark Stone and the Forbidden Skill’s Activation, the Appraisal failed to load the System User’s Status. User “Charlotte” will appear to possess a base Stat Growth as a regular human due to the incompatibility between the Human Status and the Forbidden Skill.

Incompati-what? It failed?! Since when did I fail at anything? Attor’s ghost scoffed. Don’t answer that or I’ll summon you here, old man! Speaking of old men, I heard someone clear his throat and awkwardly turned to see my Father. He was scowling at me, his eyes darting back and forth between the fake Status window and me. I didn’t know if Humans started off this weak or gained it over time, but I could tell he was definitely disappointed in me! Gah!

“As expected,” he muttered. “No skills, no class, no experience points. I should have cast you out a long time ago.”

“As expected?” I snapped. “You stuffed me in a tower for who knows how long, of course I would be weak, Father! Who does that?”

Oh no! That was allowed and not in my head! How do Humans even get Stats normally, anyways? I prepared for the worst, but the room stayed quiet. Charles contemplated, while I checked his Status. There was no skull icon there, but a White Robe glanced in my direction and distracted me. It was no good if he decided to kill me right here because my Skill would be discovered. Another whispered something in his ear, but I could hear her. They perceived the Appraisal Orb’s inactivity as a malfunction rather than a blocked appraisal. I’m lucky! I think. Maybe I’m lucky!

“So there it is. It appears to be broken,” Charles sighed and closed his eyes. Was that relief? “You’re still you. You are to remain here until a new Awakening Orb is delivered. Emma.”

A slender and tall maid entered the room silently with a bow. Her hair was a light blue! That beautiful hair color must mean…! My eyes scanned her ears. They were pointed sharply, before I found out her true identity. I stifled a gasp. These creatures fought with the Humans in my Realm as well! Judging by her terrifying Stats, I could imagine she would have caused massive damage to my ranks.

— Emma, level 30

— Classes

Half-Elf Thief [Uncommon], level 10

Half-Elf Rogue [Rare], level 10

Half-Elf Assassin [Epic], level 10

— Danger Class: S Rank Adventurer

Buffs: Perfectly Ultimate, Balanced, Elegant Blade Wielder, Surprise Attack Bonus, Stealthy, Beautiful

Debuffs: Rune Enchantment Sealed Power

“As you command, Master Bohun,” she curtsied to me. Her voice was soothing, despite the fact that she could kill me easily over and over again. I gulped. I hoped our duel to the death is not any time soon and that debuff would not wear out. If it was sealing her power, that means she could appraise my true self according to the Dark Stone’s Passive Skill. I don’t think I possess S Rank Adventurer strength just yet. “Let me escort you to your room, Lady Bohun.”

I said nothing but followed her anyways. Since I was able to stay here, I could remain compliant until I learn more about this place that has cast me out. I am the lucky one despite being guided by Death with cyan hair herself, I supposed. Still, Father had a knack for acquiring powerful things! I wonder, just how many strong people lived inside this place. I stared up at her ears. If this one could not see my power then it was only a matter of time before she levels up and discovers it, I realized. Before I could worry about it she stopped and looked down at me. I quickly looked away. You’re just rubbing the fact that I’m short in my face, aren’t you!

“What is it, Lady Charlotte?” She asked me. Her voice did not have the usual edge everyone else had here.

“N-Nothing,” I scoffed. “You’re just tall, miss.”

My answer pacified her, causing her to resume her walk silently down the corridors. This place was needlessly complex, much like the Spider Den, its rooms and halls sprawled in seemingly every direction. When we reached a set of stairs, however, a flash of memories caused me to stop. I felt a sharp intensity shock my heart. This was where I fell, or rather, SHE fell. This anguish was because the original me fell down here! I pictured myself falling painfully down a descent, as mocking faces laughed at me from the top of the stairs.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

The creaking of wooden steps halted and the unreadable half-elf glanced back at me with a raised eyebrow.

“A-Apologies,” I stuttered suspiciously. “I was just lost in thought.”

Whatever happened to that other maid? She vanished the moment I entered this huge place. Oh well! I climbed up the stairs after Blue Hair. This hallway was noticeably more barren than the rest of the Manor’s decorated rooms. Paint peeled off the side of drabby walls and thick dust coated wool were placed above the windows instead of the beautiful fabric for curtains downstairs. It appeared I was not popular anywhere. A dusty door awaited me and Emma withdrew keys from her pocket.

“Master Bohun has instructed you to remain here until the Awakening Orb is delivered, Lady Charlotte,” she scoffed, burying the keys in my palms. Her eyes suddenly shifted, tracing something I could not see, but rested into a reassured state as if she thought she saw something. Whatever she looked at must have not have been real, right? I hoped. “I suggest you do so, because I will not guide you back here if you wander away.”

What do you mean? You think I would get lost in my own home? I scoffed. Because you’d be right!

“She means if you run into those children who hate you again,” he sighed and scanned up and down me with a doubtful look in his eyes.

“Why would I be afraid of those… tiny creatures?” I said aloud after Blue Hair marched down the hallway and disappeared.

I was left alone staring at the room I owned. This room was so spacious! It was a palace compared to the Tower! Attor’s spirit floated in and immediately started to sniff around. I didn’t even know you could smell in your Spirit form! I marched in and noticed the room has not been maintained at all. I supposed the old Charlotte either scared off the maids with her bad behavior. I approached the bed and pat its bed. A cloud of dust puffed up in the air, making me sneeze. This won’t do. Everything here was a dusty heap! The dust and neglect covered the floors, the window, the dresser, the changing blinds and the bed. I wondered if I had a Spell to clean up the mess. Immediately, a chime played in my head again and Wisdom’s voice played in my ears.

— Developing New Element. Several Spells have been added to the Spellbook. Due to User’s Experience points, several existing spells have been improved.

Eh? I supposed that made sense, come to think of it. I defeated many bandits the nights before and the spells were easier to use, despite having a similar magic cost. The spells also took away a Spellpage, which was frustrating! I wondered if other Humans had to work with Spellpages or if my Class and Skill were so inconvenient like this! Before I could get an answer, another window revealed my Spells to me.

Spellbook [Epic]

Tier 1

— Arcane Missile: Launches a pure magic projectile at a target. [Slotted 2 in Spell Pages]

— Improved Elemental Weapon Support: Can infuse the Ice, Fire, Dark, Poison, Blood, Lightning or Wind elements to an ally’s weapon for extra damage.

— Poison Breath: Allows user to use a Poison infused Breath weapon.

— Improved Dark Bolt: Launches a bolt of darkness which travels to a target and explodes.

— Improved Summon Juicy Berries: Summons even more succulent berries from another Dimension directly in a Leather Bag of Holding or one’s hands.

Tier 2 — 20% mana cost

— Arcane Beam: Shoots a powerful beam of pure magical energy at a target. [Slotted 1 in Spell Pages]

— Elemental Ball: Launches a Ice, Fire, or Wind projectile at an area.

— Disarm Weapon: Cripples a hostile target’s hands, removing access to their weapons.

— Dark Flame: Unleashes white and black flames at a wide area.

— Travelers’ Feast: Summons a feast fit for a Traveler after a long day. Heals participants who consume the feast to full health and restore all lesser magic Spellpages.

— Jade Flame: Casts dark and poison imbued flames upon an area.

— Water Conjuring: Conjures Water from the Ocean Realm at a target location

— Spick and Span: Cleans a target area.

Tier 3 — 30% mana cost

— Eldritch Beam: Shoots darkness infused beam at a target.

— Poison Cloud: Releases a cloud of poison in an area.

— Lightning Strike: Launches a lightning bolt at a target that spreads to nearby enemies.

— Dark Hole: Casts a localized black hole which sucks targets into the Abyssal Roots. — Heroes’ Feast: Summons an incredible amount of food that grants participants bonus health, cures all diseases and debuffs, and adds the Heroic Full Buff. These effects are granted regardless of whether the food is consumed, however, eating the food after the timer ends will not grant those effects. (Heroic Full Buff: Adds bonus Attack and Defense)

— Spontaneous Growth: Summons localized magical Forest around the User. Allies within this zone recieve the Improved Blessing of Geer’Sha and Ambush buffs.

Tier 4

No spells unlocked yet.

My eyes rested on the Tier 2 List, which had a peculiar Magic Spell, since worrying about the mysterious powerful Tier 4 Spellpages would drive me crazier than I felt already! Spick and Span, huh? Why do I feel like that Spell was personal? I wondered if Wisdom was making fun of me again. She remained silent, but even then that must mean she was guilty! I sighed and pulled out my Crystal Wand. There was a lot of things I wanted to test out right now and since I was alone I could do what I want! Ha!

“Second Spell: Spick and Span!” I declared. The wand hummed a bit, before unleashing a shower of colorful mana sparks that enveloped the room. Attor and I stood starkly in the scattering magic, gawking at the transformation. Everywhere the mana touched became sparkling clean. My mana pool took a hit, but at least I could finally do what I wanted to do the moment my eyes rested upon the big bed.

“Don’t tell me you’re—“ Attor groaned.

“Too late!” I leapt as high as the ceiling and dived onto the bed in a magnificent flop! The sheets rippled under my mighty form and not a speck of dust appeared. I thumped, and heard the wooden bedframe creak, but not break. A successful landing! Attor scoffed.

“Mighty?”

“Huh? Did I hear you say something, Mister?” I mumbled into the pillow I wiggled my head onto. It was then when I realized the pillow shuffled slightly on its own and a familiar chittering clicked in my ears. “It’s fuzzy… Wait, a fuzzy butt?”

Drool landed on the actual pillow my hand shoved off the bed by accident, burning it to a crisp. The view of a massive spider manifested, seemingly out of thin air.

— Nameless, level 40

— Classes

Spider Worker, level 10

Spider Leaper, level 20

Spider Assassin, level 10

“I just cleaned that!” I shrieked. The Assassin Fuzzy Butt shrank, but after reassuring it I suddenly remembered where I was. “I don’t suppose room service can craft me a new pillow. How’d you even get in here?”

An upside down vision of me following that Half-Elf to the room flashed in my mind from its eight red eyes. When Emma turned she glanced upward at it, but appeared to dismiss the spider as if it was a trick of the mind. I pat its head again and another vision played in my head. It has been following the wagon and simply crawled into the Bohun’s entrance at incredible speeds completely undetected by any of the White Robes or guards with guns.

“You followed us all the way from the forest?” I asked it. That’s amazing, if not slightly terrifying! A strange clicking noise came from it, but I could tell it was happy! “I’m glad something familiar is here! But you must remain hidden, okay?”

The Spider vanished again, but I sensed it moved away to the ceiling again. Soon, a new, heavenly soft pillow fell on top of my head. It made this? I guess I could use a bodyguard watching over my palace here, especially as stealthy as the one here. Now with him deciding to live on my ceiling, it was time to take everything and finally ask myself some questions.

What the hell am I doing?! Why did that Status say level 1!? Silence lingered for a moment, so I thought sharply about the Dark Stone. It stopped the appraisal? Why did it not stop an appraisal before when I was the Demon Queen?

— Wisdom’s Intervention activated. The Human’s Status does not apply to “User: Charlotte” anymore, due to her losing her Human tag. Mana gain is final.

The Awakening Orb attempted to connect with UNKNOWN ENTITY "Goddess of Light" but failed.

How interesting, I yawned. Mana gain, huh? I guessed it had something to do with my magic but for now I would need to find out more about this Goddess. For now, I assumed that She granted humans their Status and since Wisdom took that tag away from me meant that I did not receive one from her. Or perhaps, the Goddess of Light could not give me one anyways with extra help from the Dark Stone. For an entity calling herself a being of Light, she seemed thirsty for the blood of other realms. She was the one behind the Humans invading my Realm, after all. I hated her, but as long as I was trapped in this weak human form I nor any of the Spiders wouldn't leave a scratch upon her. I could not blame her, because the Demon God sought power through a similar way. The Forbidden Skill took the humanity from me, but I wondered why Wisdom went through the trouble of ascending to Godhood just to give me this Status. That’s all fine for me, I groaned, just leave me behind! I stared up at the ceiling in exasperation, only to realize that the spider was looking down at me.

I also realized that I was quite bored! Attor snoozed in the corner, but I worried about someone finding out he was here. Well, I doubt that anyone would come by this side of the mansion so it would probably be fine with both the Spider and Dragon being here. I wondered if I could hide him with a spell, though. As I turned back to look at my Spellbook, Wisdom’s Intervention activated.

— Spend Skill Points to enhance Spellbook? Warning: You have zero Skill Points.

Gah, Oh Geer’Sha, I forgot all about Skill Points and those numbers! I spent them impulsively on very important things, I promise! My Stats were through the roof, but I was not as strong as that Half-Elf. Maybe I’ll escape out of here later on and then get to upgrading important things! I was quite awake still, so I glanced at the singular window in my room. The moon was out already?! I felt like I’ve done nothing all day!

Well, not like that was a bad thing, I guessed. I peered at the shiny bed again and took a step when suddenly my shadow began to shift and warp. What the hell is happening to me? Strands of white hair popped out of it and soon Blanche was standing uncomfortably close to me!

I felt her breath on my face. Ew!

“My Queen, I have urgent news,” she blurted. That’s all you have to say right now?! I paced an arm’s length away from her and flopped on the bed again. “It’s the humans— They have gathered a large force and are escorting a cage full of people.”

“No spiders in there, right?” I mumbled into my pillow.

“None, we are surrounding it as we speak,” Blanche said. Her voice drew closer to my ears with every word she spoke, until I rolled over and yelped. She was next to me! She must not be used to her size and not sitting on my shoulder all the time, I guessed. I felt a little guilty for pushing her away after thinking that. “Shall we attack them?”

A vision of many humans that looked like bandits surrounded a huge wagon containing whimpering people inside of it played within my mind. They reminded me of little weak insects, ripe with all kinds of experience points. I smiled to myself. Blanche cocked her head at me.

“Kill all the mean looking ones with weapons,” I commanded her. Blanche pulled away from my bedside and bowed.

“It shall be done, My Charlotte,” she solemnly swore. “What of the food inside the cages?”

“Eh?” I forgot about the prisoners inside there. “Set them free and leave them alone, I guess. They don’t look like they wanted to invade. Kill the ones in charge and gather information.”

“Yes, My Queen.”

I watched the white haired girl sink into a shadowy puddle on the ground, eventually vanishing and leaving me alone. The night was young, but I supposed I could sleep instead of worrying about anything until tomorrow!