“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!
Stolen novel; please report.
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.
This is going to be a long game. I can feel it.