Lilith stepped out of Westbridge's eastern gate, the newly acquired maps tucked safely in her inventory. The abandoned tower mentioned on the notice board might hold answers—or perhaps other demons who could shed light on this world's current state. If cultists were operating there, they might have connections to whatever remained of the demonic realms.
The weight of the coin pouch at her hip was a pleasant reminder of her unexpected financial windfall. Jacob had always been prudent with money in his previous life, and that instinct carried over. Having currency that was apparently worth a small fortune gave her options.
"Safe travels, miss," called one of the gate guards as she passed, his eyes lingering a moment too long on her human form.
Lilith offered a polite nod without slowing. Even with her demonic features concealed beneath the Human Visage spell, her appearance drew attention.
The eastern road stretched before her, better maintained than she'd expected. Trees lined both sides, their branches creating dappled patterns of sunlight on the packed dirt. According to the map, the tower lay about three hours' walk from town, nestled in a wooded area off the main road.
Flying would have been faster, of course. Her wings could carry her there in a fraction of the time. But revealing herself as a winged creature—even without showing her full demonic form—would attract unwanted attention. And while she could cast invisibility, that would be an unnecessary drain on her mana. Better to walk and maintain her cover.
A merchant's carriage rattled past, the driver tipping his hat in greeting. Two more followed within the next half hour, suggesting this was a well-travelled route. Each time, Lilith felt eyes upon her—curious glances from travellers wondering about the lone woman on the road.
"Heading east alone, miss?" called a farmer from his wagon as he passed. "Not the safest choice these days."
"I can handle myself," Lilith replied with a confident smile that made the man blink and look away.
The road gradually became less crowded as she continued eastward. The forest grew denser, the trees taller and older. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden shafts, illuminating dancing motes of dust. Birds called from the branches overhead, and small creatures rustled in the underbrush.
Lilith consulted her map again, confirming she was on the right path. According to the parchment, she would need to leave the main road soon and follow a smaller trail northward. The tower wasn't marked explicitly, but the topographical features matched the descriptions she'd gathered.
A carriage approached from behind, moving at a leisurely pace. Lilith stepped to the side of the road to let it pass, but instead, it slowed beside her.
"Would you care for a ride, miss?" The driver was an older man with a weathered face and kind eyes. "These roads can be long on foot."
"Thank you, but I'm turning off soon," Lilith replied.
The man frowned slightly. "Not heading to the old ruins, are you? Strange things happen there, especially after dark."
Lilith tilted her head, interested. "What kind of strange things?"
"Lights when there shouldn't be any. Voices carried on the wind." He made a warding gesture. "Folk who go poking around don't always come back the same. Or at all."
"I appreciate the warning," Lilith said, offering a reassuring smile. "I'll be careful."
The man didn't look convinced but nodded reluctantly. "Your business is your own. Good day to you, then." He clicked his tongue, and the horses resumed their pace, the carriage continuing down the road.
Lilith watched it go, considering his words. The "strange things" he described could indeed indicate cultist activity—or perhaps actual demons. Either way, she was on the right track.
After another quarter hour of walking, she spotted the narrow path branching northward, just as the map indicated. It was barely visible, overgrown with weeds and clearly seldom used. Perfect for those who didn't want to be found.
Lilith glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then turned onto the path, leaving the main road behind.
* * *
The path to the tower wound through increasingly wild forest, brambles catching at Lilith's leather armour. After nearly an hour of hiking, the trees thinned, revealing a small clearing dominated by a crumbling stone structure.
The tower stood about four stories tall, its upper portion partially collapsed. Moss and vines crawled up the weathered stone walls, nature slowly reclaiming what humans had abandoned. Several windows gaped like dark, empty eyes, their glass long gone. The wooden door hung askew on rusted hinges.
Lilith approached cautiously, her senses alert for any sign of occupation. The clearing was silent except for birdsong and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. No smoke rose from the tower. No footprints marked the ground around it. If cultists used this place, they weren't here now.
"Not exactly the demonic stronghold I was hoping for," Lilith muttered, pushing open the creaking door.
Inside, the tower was a hollow shell. Sunlight streamed through holes in the ceiling, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. A spiral staircase, missing several steps, wound upward along the inner wall. The stone floor was littered with debris—fallen masonry, rotted wood, animal droppings.
Lilith climbed the stairs carefully, testing each step before putting her full weight on it. The second floor was much like the first—empty and abandoned. The third floor had partially collapsed, making it dangerous to explore. Whatever this tower had once been, it held no answers for her now.
Back outside, Lilith sat on a fallen log and considered her options. The sun hung low in the western sky, perhaps three hours from setting. If nothing happened by nightfall, she'd continue toward the Wastelands.
"Might as well make use of this time," she said to herself, stretching her arms overhead.
Lilith closed her eyes and focused inward, examining the well of power that resided within her. Her mana reserves felt like a cool, deep pool centred in her chest, opposite her physical heart. The mana heart, as she'd come to think of it, pulsed with energy that flowed through her body in channels reminiscent of blood vessels.
She summoned a small flame to her palm, watching it dance above her skin without burning her. The spell came naturally, knowledge flowing into her mind as if it had always been there. Not a memory, exactly—more like remembering a forgotten skill, like riding a bicycle after years without practice.
Lilith extinguished the flame and drew her sword from its dimensional sheath. The blade materialised in her hand, its weight perfectly balanced. She moved through a series of forms, her body responding with practiced grace to commands she'd never physically performed before. Each swing, parry, and thrust felt like muscle memory, though Jacob had never wielded a real sword in his life.
"Interesting," she murmured, sheathing the blade back into nothingness. "It's as if my body knows what to do even if my mind doesn't."
She tried a more complex spell next, conjuring a mirror of ice in the air before her. Her reflection stared back—auburn hair, green eyes, freckled skin. The Human Visage spell held firm, concealing her true nature.
With a thought, she dismissed the mirror and pondered the nature of her abilities. In the game, spells and skills had been rigidly defined, each with specific effects and limitations. But here, in this reality, magic felt more... fluid. More intuitive.
"I wonder," she said, extending her hand. She visualised energy gathering, not as fire or ice or any element she knew, but as pure magical potential. A sphere of swirling violet light formed above her palm, formed by her will rather than by predefined game mechanics.
The orb pulsed, then dissipated as her concentration wavered. But it had been there—a manifestation of magic shaped solely by her intention, not defined by the game
Lilith smiled. With time and practice, perhaps she could indeed craft new abilities, ones never defined in Infinity's code. The possibilities were both exciting and daunting.
As the shadows lengthened across the clearing, Lilith's thoughts turned toward Earth. Despite the power at her fingertips and the strange beauty of this world, she couldn't help but long for home—for the familiar comforts of her apartment, for pizza delivery and internet connections, for a life where she understood the rules.
"One step at a time," she told herself, watching the sun sink toward the horizon. "First the Wastelands. Then answers. Then... we'll see."
Lilith's ears perked at a sound from the forest edge—a rustling too deliberate to be wind or wildlife. She tensed, her enhanced senses picking up the rhythm of footfalls crushing undergrowth. Multiple sets, approaching with purpose but attempting stealth.
"Human," she whispered to herself, somehow knowing this with certainty. The knowledge came instinctively, like her combat skills—information her body possessed that her mind had never learned.
She glanced around quickly. The tower offered limited cover, and remaining in plain sight wasn't an option. If these were the cultists she sought, better to observe them first before revealing herself.
"Time for a change of wardrobe," Lilith murmured, moving swiftly behind a crumbling section of the tower wall.
She reached into her dimensional inventory, fingers brushing against various items until she found what she sought—her stealth armour. The enchanted gear had served her well in Infinity, rendering her completely invisible when concealed in shadows.
Lilith hesitated, glancing toward the forest where the footsteps grew closer. Normally, she'd need to manually remove her current outfit and don the new one piece by piece.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"But what if..." she wondered, remembering how other game mechanics had translated to this reality. "If combat skills work instinctively, why not inventory management?"
Lilith closed her eyes, trying to reach that instinctual knowledge that always seemed to appear when she attempted to use abilities from the game. She visualised her inventory and willed the leather armour to swap with her stealth suit in one fluid motion, the way she could in Infinity with a simple click.
Nothing happened.
She tried again, focusing harder, imagining the armour dissolving and reforming around her body. Still nothing.
"Damn it," she muttered under her breath. The footsteps were growing closer. She had a few more ideas about how this might work, but experimentation would have to wait.
With a resigned sigh, Lilith ducked behind the crumbling wall and began stripping off her leather armour the old-fashioned way. She worked quickly, fingers deftly undoing buckles and ties, pulling the protective pieces from her body. Each item disappeared with a thought as she stored it in her dimensional inventory.
Standing in just her undergarments, Lilith reached into the invisible pocket of space and retrieved her stealth suit. The black material slid smoothly into her hands, surprisingly light despite its protective properties. She stepped into it, pulling the enchanted fabric up over her legs, hips, and torso.
The suit clung to her body like a second skin, moulding perfectly to every curve and contour. If the leather armour had been somewhat modest, this was anything but—the bodysuit hugged her form so tightly it might as well have been painted on, leaving very little to the imagination. The hood attached to the back would complete the ensemble, enhancing the suit's stealth capabilities when pulled up.
Lilith glanced down at herself, noting how the suit accentuated her generous bust and narrow waist. Strangely, she felt no embarrassment at how revealing it was. Was this the Lustful Psyche at work? Or simply the fact that Jacob had never needed to consider modesty from a female perspective before?
But shouldn't she feel at least a bit self-conscious, even without prior experience in a female body?
The thought that racial abilities and lore might be influencing her mind should have troubled her, yet somehow it didn't. In fact, she felt grateful for whatever was helping her adapt. Without these instincts, adjusting to this body would have taken far longer, though she wasn't entirely certain how much of that thought belonged to Jacob anymore.
"Not much I can do about it now," she whispered, pulling up the hood and settling into a crouch behind the wall. The enchanted fabric immediately began to work its magic, the colour shifting subtly to match the shadows around her.
The footsteps had reached the edge of the clearing. Lilith peered carefully around the corner, her enhanced vision piercing the growing twilight to see what approached the abandoned tower.
* * *
Lilith crouched deeper into the shadows, her stealth suit adapting to the darkness around her. The enchanted fabric shifted colours subtly, rendering her nearly invisible as she watched the clearing. Her enhanced vision caught movement at the forest's edge—not one or two figures as she'd expected, but many more.
They emerged from the trees in small groups, converging on the tower ruins. Lilith counted twenty in total, each bearing an oil lamp that cast eerie, dancing shadows across the clearing. All wore hooded cloaks that concealed their features, moving with the cautious gait of those accustomed to hiding.
"Perfect timing," a gravelly voice announced as the last stragglers arrived. "The moons won't reach their zenith for another hour."
The speaker lowered his hood, revealing a goblin's green-skinned face with its characteristic pointed ears and nose. Lilith's eyes widened. This was no human cultist.
As if on cue, others began removing their hoods as well. Lilith stifled a gasp as she recognised the diverse gathering—an ogre with yellowed tusks protruding from his lower jaw, several more goblins, what appeared to be a troll, and various other monstrous races she recognised from Infinity.
One figure in particular caught her attention—a woman who remained partially hooded but whose features seemed mostly human. As she turned to speak to a goblin beside her, Lilith spotted two small horns protruding from her forehead and a thin, spaded tail that occasionally peeked from beneath her cloak. A half-demon.
"The patrols along the eastern road have doubled," the half-demon woman reported, her voice surprisingly melodic. "The garrison commander claims it's routine, but my sources say they're responding to rumours of unusual activity in this area."
"Then we were right to change our meeting place," the goblin leader replied. "Ironbark Hollow next month?"
The gathering wasn't plotting attacks or summoning rituals as Lilith had expected. Instead, they shared information—patrol schedules, safe travel routes, which villages had particularly zealous militia, which ones might turn a blind eye to monstrous travellers if they kept to themselves.
"The settlement near Ashwood is growing," a female orc announced. "We've taken in three more families this month. Refugees from Solarian territory."
"Any troubles with supplies?" asked the half-demon.
"We trade with the dwarven miners who come through the northern pass. They care more for gold than what we look like."
Lilith listened intently, though the information held little strategic value. This wasn't a war council or a cult—it was something closer to a community support network. These creatures were simply trying to survive in a world that viewed them as monsters to be exterminated.
The meeting continued for nearly an hour, with representatives from different monstrous settlements sharing news and warnings. Lilith learned that while Landskavia didn't actively hunt monstrous races like the Solarian Empire did, they were still forbidden from entering towns and villages. They could be killed without consequence if discovered, existing in a precarious legal limbo—not officially condemned but certainly not protected.
"One last matter," the goblin leader announced. "Our scouts report increased activity in the Wastelands. Something stirs among the demon clans."
This caught Lilith's attention immediately.
"What kind of activity?" the half-demon woman asked, echoing Lilith's thoughts.
"Unusual gatherings. Power struggles. Some say a new lord rises."
Murmurs spread through the gathering. Lilith noted the half-demon's troubled expression.
"We should avoid that border entirely," the half-demon advised. "Demons view half-breeds like me with as much contempt as humans do. Perhaps more."
"This location is compromised," the goblin leader concluded. "We meet at Ironbark Hollow when the moon is full again. Spread the word to those who couldn't attend."
The gathering began to disperse, extinguishing lamps and pulling hoods back over their features. Lilith remained motionless in the shadows, watching as they departed in different directions. The half-demon woman lingered, speaking quietly with the goblin leader before heading east—alone.
Perfect. Lilith would follow her and find an opportunity to ask about the Wastelands.
* * *
Lilith moved silently through the underbrush, keeping a careful distance from the half-demon woman. Her enhanced senses made tracking simple—the woman's scent was distinct, a curious blend of human and something else, something that resonated with Lilith's own demonic essence even through her Human Visage disguise.
The half-demon walked with purpose, occasionally pausing to check her surroundings but never detecting Lilith's presence. After about fifteen minutes, they reached a small clearing where a modest campsite had been established—a tent, a cold fire pit, and a pack leaning against a tree stump.
Lilith decided this was as good a place as any for an introduction. She deliberately stepped on a twig, causing it to snap loudly.
The half-demon woman whirled around, hand already moving to a dagger at her belt. "Who's there?" she called, her voice steady despite the clear tension in her posture.
Lilith stepped into the clearing, hands raised to show she carried no weapons. "Just a traveller with questions," she said, keeping her voice neutral.
The woman's eyes narrowed. "How did you find me? What are you doing here?" Her fingers remained wrapped around her dagger's hilt, though she hadn't drawn it yet.
"I was at the tower," Lilith admitted. "I saw the meeting."
The half-demon's face paled. "You followed me? For what purpose?"
"Relax," Lilith said, taking a careful step forward. "I only have a few questions to ask."
"Ask them and get going," the woman replied, her jaw tight.
Lilith nodded. "I need information about the Wastelands."
The change in the half-demon was immediate. Her posture stiffened, and her eyes hardened with suspicion. "You're from the Empire, aren't you? An inquisitor?" She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet, a subtle movement that Lilith recognised as a combat-ready stance.
"Why do you want to know about the Wastelands?" the woman asked, her hand now fully gripping the dagger. "What business could a human possibly have there except hunting demons?"
Before Lilith could answer, the woman's free hand shot up, fingers tracing a pattern in the air as she began muttering an incantation. Lilith recognised the beginnings of a flare spell—designed to blind an opponent temporarily.
Without conscious thought, Lilith snapped her fingers. A small pulse of counter magic disrupted the spell before it could form, the half-cast magic dissipating into the air between them.
Both women froze in surprise.
The half-demon stared at Lilith with newfound wariness. "How did you counter that so quickly? No ordinary human could—"
Lilith's own reaction startled her just as much. She hadn't made a conscious decision to counter the spell—her body had simply acted on its own. It was the first time her instincts had taken over so completely.
The moment of mutual shock passed quickly. The half-demon drew her dagger fully, its blade gleaming in the moonlight. "I won't go down easily," she warned, her voice low. "Whatever the Empire is paying you, it's not worth your life."
"Relax," Lilith said, keeping her hands visible. "I'm not here to fight, really. I'm not what you think I am."
The woman's stance shifted slightly—not relaxing entirely, but no longer poised to strike immediately. The dagger remained in her hand. "Who are you then? Why ask about the Wastelands if you're not an inquisitor?"
Lilith considered her options. The woman clearly wouldn't trust any human seeking information about demon territories. And truthfully, maintaining the Human Visage spell was beginning to drain her mana reserves too much.
"First, the reason I'm asking is because I'm not quite... normal," Lilith said carefully. "And second, I'm not quite human either."
Before the half-demon could respond, Lilith closed her eyes and released the Human Visage spell. She felt the magic dissolve, revealing her true form—blue skin, horns, wings unfurling from her back, and her spaded tail emerging from beneath her clothing.
When she opened her eyes, the half-demon woman was staring at her in absolute shock, her dagger now hanging limply at her side. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally managed to speak.
"You're... you're a succubus," she whispered, eyes wide as dinner plates. "A full-blooded demon. Here."
Lilith couldn't help but smile at the half-demon's shocked expression. The woman looked as if she'd seen a ghost—or perhaps something far more terrifying.
"Is that a problem?" Lilith asked, her voice deliberately light despite the tension hanging in the air.
The woman shook her head quickly, lowering her dagger completely. "No, it's not, not at all." Her entire demeanour had shifted. The defensive posture remained, but the nature of her fear had transformed. She no longer seemed afraid of Lilith as a threat, but rather as someone of vastly superior standing.
"My Lady," she added hastily, her eyes darting to the ground in deference. "I didn't realise... I would never have drawn my weapon had I known."
Lilith studied the woman's reaction with interest. The sudden shift to subservience triggered a memory from her time as a player—cutscenes showing half-demons being treated poorly by full-blooded demons, forced into subservient roles or outright rejected. While players could choose half-demon characters without any mechanical penalties, the lore and NPC interactions had always emphasised their difficult position—caught between two worlds and fully accepted by neither.
"What is a noble demon like yourself doing so far from home, my Lady?" the woman asked before suddenly stopping herself. Her eyes widened with renewed fear. "Forgive me, that was inappropriate. I shouldn't question your—"
"Relax," Lilith interrupted, raising a hand. "I don't mean you any harm. There's no need to panic at every word."
"But—" the woman began, her voice small.
"Whatever you think about demons," Lilith cut her off firmly, "it doesn't apply to me. I'd prefer if you didn't behave as if I'm about to murder you for every single misstep."
The half-demon blinked several times, clearly processing this unexpected response. Slowly, her shoulders lowered, and she exhaled a breath she'd been holding.
"I... understand," she said, though uncertainty lingered in her voice.
Lilith folded her wings against her back, making herself appear less imposing. "Let's start over. What's your name?"
The woman hesitated only briefly before answering. "Seraphina Nightingale, but everyone calls me Sera"
"Sera," Lilith repeated with a nod. "I'm Lilith."
Sera's eyes widened slightly at the name, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she gestured toward the cold fire pit. "Would you... like to sit, my La—" She caught herself. "Lilith?"
Lilith nodded, moving to sit on a fallen log beside the pit. Sera quickly gathered some wood and kindling, arranging them with practiced efficiency.
"May I?" Lilith asked, pointing to the unlit fire.
Sera nodded, and Lilith snapped her fingers, sending a small spark that immediately ignited the kindling. The flames cast a warm glow across the clearing, illuminating both women's faces.
"Now," Lilith said, her tail swishing gently behind her, "about the Wastelands. I need to know everything you can tell me."
