After returning to the inn, we chose to dine in the tavern room, serenaded by the tunes of a local bard. Her melodies were unfamiliar to me, but they were laced with humor that had the entire room in stitches. One song detailed the hilarious tale of a farmer's wife who, quite scandalously, attempted to make butter from bull's milk. The resulting laughter was thunderous, causing many of the women to blush with amusement.

Another song told the story of a Paladin, a devout servant of the goddess of purity, who fell under the charms of a seductive succubus. Comically, rather than succumbing to her allure, he spent his life in a series of elaborate gestures trying to persuade her to abandon her wicked ways. As the bard transitioned between songs, her repertoire was mostly comedic, but occasionally she'd touch on more somber themes—like the tale of a doomed adventurer or a lament about lost love.

As hours flew by, the combination of alcohol and the day's weariness began to weigh on us. We exchanged smiles and laughter, but as the night deepened, we realized it was time to get some much needed rest.

Wishing each other a good night's rest we all made our way to our rooms and retired for the night.

As I entered my room I decided to have a better look at my inventory and skills and try to get a better handle on what was going on with me in this world.

Name: Monkmcfatty

Level: 200

Class: Brawler Monk

Race: Human

Attributes:

Vitality 775

Strength 1125

Stamina 654

Agility 1123

Intellect 723

Wisdom 684

Spells and Abilities:

SPELLBOOK

SPELLS & ABILITIES

Unarmored Movement Flurry of Blows Ki Infused Greater Heal Deflect Ranged Patient Defense

Ki Infused Healing Wave

Slow Fall Step of the Wind Purify Curse Extra Attack Tranquility Cleanse Disease Stunning Strike Quivering Palm

Cleanse Toxin

Ki Strike Extort Truth Awakened Soul Evasion Debilitating Barrage Executioners Palm Strike Stillness of Mind Tiger Palm Purity of Body Blackout Kick Diamond Soul Jade Lightning Timeless Body Revive Empty Body Ki Infused Lesser Heal Perfect Self Ki infused Heal

PROFESSIONS

COOKING 500/500 Grandmaster Chef

ALCHEMY 500/500 Grandmaster Alchemist

HERBALISM 500/500 Grandmaster Herbalist

FISHING 12/500 Initiate Fisherman

“Stupid Fishing bullshit.” I muttered to myself. As I looked over my stats I wondered why I didn’t have a health or mana/Ki bar depending on which character I was on. Trying the usual method of focusing all my effort on manifesting them, it was only a moment before a little green and yellow bar popped up on the upper left of my vision with numbers inside.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

357,453/357,453

10,000/10,000

From what I observed, everything seemed identical to Questcraft. I began to wonder why I kept reverting to my original self during sleep. Perhaps the act of sleeping was akin to logging out to the character menu, and waking up was like logging back in to select my character. This theory aligned with the in-game mechanics, where one has to log out to switch characters.

However, I was still puzzled about my original self's progression. As a level 0 with no defined class or abilities, I wasn't sure how or even if I could level up. I decided to consult Stella in the morning for potential insights.

Another pressing concern was the availability of ingredients. If my professions in the game demanded ingredients absent from this world, my skills would become redundant once I exhausted my existing stash. I hoped there was a way to swap to my characters I made specifically to be banks to hold all my junk.

I was overwhelmed with tasks and it was getting late. Knowing I needed rest, I tried to push away any concerns about the future and settled into bed. Though the mattress was far from comfortable, I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

BANG!

I jolted awake, disoriented by the sudden noise.

BANG! Then the sound of shattering glass.

Gathering my senses, I strained to locate the source of the noise. In the eerie quiet of the night, a muffled scream from the adjoining room chilled my spine. Realizing it was coming from Stella's room, I wasted no time. I bolted out of my bed and barreled through Stella's door, only to be met by a horrific sight.

Stella, bloodied and appearing on the brink of death, was pinned against the wall. Her assailant, dressed in dark clothes and eerily familiar, held her by the throat. I could see him channeling magic, seemingly trying to extract something from within her. It appeared as though he was drawing her very soul, even as Stella's own shadow magic put up a feeble resistance against his sinister spell.

Whipping his head around, the man saw me. I was poised to attack, fury burning in me for what he had done to my friend. But just as I prepared to strike, he released Stella from his spell and redirected it at me. I had always managed to deflect or resist previous attacks, so confidently, I lunged at him, ready to unleash my wrath. But as I drew back to deliver the punch, a sudden, intense pain pierced my chest. I halted in shock. His spell had worked on me.

I glanced down, seeing the same spell that had ensnared Stella now embedded in my chest. It pulsed, and I felt something inside me being torn apart. Paralyzed by pain and fear, I couldn't react. The thought of pulling up my character sheet to switch roles was beyond my grasp. Neither could I muster the strength to retaliate physically. I was completely defenseless.

A tortured scream escaped my lips, loud enough to alert the entire inn. Just as I thought I would be completely consumed by the pain, Emma and Jacob burst into the room.

I desperately wanted to shout at them to flee. This man, who had effortlessly overpowered Stella and now had me ensnared, was beyond their abilities. But my body betrayed me, refusing to move or speak. Emma brandished the dagger I'd given her more as a protective barrier than as an offensive tool. Jacob, unarmed, stood by her side, eyes fixed on our adversary.

The man, dressed in shadowy attire, sneered at the pair, his hold on me unwavering. "A couple of novices like you should scuttle off and hide. If you entertain me enough after I'm done with these two, I might spare your lives. This one," he nodded at me, "is a puzzle. No level 0 should possess the strength to blow a door apart like he did. I'll make sure he's dealt with, then perhaps turn my attention to that lovely elf," he gestured at Stella.

Emma, undeterred by his taunting, charged at him. Under normal circumstances, her sprint would have been pitiable given her level. But what the assailant had failed to factor in was the augmented agility granted to her by the dagger. As he was engrossed in sustaining the Soul Steal spell, he couldn't evade Emma's swift strike in time, and her blade targeted the elbow joint of the arm that wielded his dark magic.

The blade's bite into the assassin's elbow evoked a scream from him, and the relentless grip of his spell shattered, releasing me. Immediately, without wasting a second, I accessed my character sheet. I needed a form, a character powerful enough to deal with this rogue who dared harm Stella and almost snuff out my life. Scanning the list, one choice seemed inevitable, and I embraced it, regardless of the repercussions.

I selected Whorelock, my seductive Drow Warlock. In an explosive display, black and red hellfire enveloped me, carrying with it the acrid aroma of sulfur. By the time the flames subsided, I had transformed.

Beside me, summoned from the infernal planes, stood my familiar: a towering succubus. Her fiery red skin contrasted with delicate, upturned horns, and her bat-like wings spread menacingly. Her legs ended in hooves, designed like stilettos, while leather straps, reminiscent of a dominatrix's attire, encased her legs up to her knees. What she wore could scarcely be called armor, it was an alluring weave of thick leather straps, barely concealing her form, like something out of an incels wet dream.

In stark contrast, I stood much shorter, a mere 5 feet. My skin was the inky black of a moonless night. My elven heritage was evident in my pointed ears and exquisite features. Draped around me was a robe, a blend of deep purple and crimson, adorned with demonic skull shoulder guards. In my grip, a staff topped with a menacing demon's visage, its eyes aglow with a haunting purple and black hue.

Lilura Venysa, my succubus, gazed at me intently. "Master, how do you wish for me to serve you?" she inquired.

In a sultry, feminine voice, I commanded, "Lilura, subdue that rogue." I pointed to the man, clearly torn between fighting and fleeing. "And Emma," I continued, pulling a potion vial from my inventory and tossing it to her, "give this to Stella. It'll heal her immediately."

Without hesitation, Lilura advanced on the rogue. She gripped him by the throat, locking her eyes onto his. As she deployed her Hypnotise skill, he fell under her mind control.

Meanwhile, Emma quickly administered the potion to Stella. As the liquid went down, Stella's injuries began to mend, her skin regaining its natural hue. With a sharp gasp, Stella's eyes flew open, the potion restoring her vitality.

Stella's gaze darted around the room, clearly trying to process what was happening. "Drow? Why...? And, Blake?" she stammered, piecing together the events and my transformation.

"Yes, Stella, it's me," I responded with a firmness in my voice, regret evident in my eyes. "In a moment of fury, I made the snap decision to switch to my warlock form. That scumbag will pay for what he did, I promise. I intend to drain his very soul."

She noticed Lilura then, her eyes widening in unmistakable fear. "Blake! Why is there a greater demon here? Did you summon her? If anyone sees her, not just this country, but the entire world will come hunting us!"

As if on cue, the distant sound of numerous footsteps echoed down the corridor, drawing closer to our location. Stella and I locked eyes, both realizing the imminent danger we were in.

"Damn it!" I cursed, slapping my forehead with my palm, realizing the depth of the situation we were now entangled in.