Kael Varin knows MMOs inside and out—he should, considering he helps code them for a living. But when a routine bug test goes wrong, he finds himself trapped inside Erethon Online... as an NPC. Worse still, the game has flagged him as a quest giver in a remote village. No player abilities. No inventory. No combat skills. Just an experimental quest creation system he barely understands and a cryptic warning about "irregular entities." He might have stood a chance at laying low, if not for the corruption spreading through the game world—corruption that's evolving far beyond its intended design. Now Kael must navigate a delicate balance: helping players while hiding his true nature, experimenting with his limited powers without drawing attention, and trying to survive a game system that sees him as a bug to be eliminated. With system enforcers hunting him, players treating him as disposable content, and a mysterious NPC elder who seems to know more than she should, Kael's about to discover that being an NPC is far more dangerous than any player could imagine. The game's motto is "Play As Intended." Too bad no one intended for him to exist at all. ✧ A different take on LitRPG where the protagonist must use his developer knowledge and limited NPC abilities to survive ✧ Featuring unique game mechanics, including quest creation and environmental manipulation ✧ A deep dive into what it means to be an NPC in a world built for players ✧ Written by someone with actual game development experience ✧ New chapters every Wednesday