They say no good deed goes unpunished.
I didn't believe it—until I died saving a cat.
Yeah. A cat. One of those fluffy, soulless creatures that knock things off your desk just to assert dominance. I saw it in the middle of the road, blinked once, and then I was sprinting without thinking.
I remember the headlights.
I remember the sound of bones cracking.
And I remember... nothing after that.
Until now.
When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was stone. Cold, black, unfamiliar. I sat up too fast and groaned. My body felt smaller. Lighter. Wrong.
Then I saw my reflection—silver hair, blood-red eyes, and… horns.
"What the hell...?"
> [SYSTEM BOOTING…]
Welcome, Host. Initializing Demon Princess Progression System…
A blue screen appeared midair like some kind of augmented reality interface. I blinked. Tried to wave it away. It stayed.
> { Home }
• [Name/Title: Sylvia Plath – Demon Princess]
> { Stats }
• [HP 💟: ♾️ – Immortal Core Detected]
• [MP 🔯: 400/400 – Demonic Affinity: S-Tier]
• [Agility ⚛️: 12 – Mortal Level]
• [Authority: 0 – Heir Rank: Unrecognized]
• [Unknown Stat: LOCKED]
> { Quest Board }
• Main Quest: Gain your father's approval in 7 days.
• Penalty: Soul Dissolution.
> { Inventory }
• [Tattered Demon Silk Robe]
• [Empty Storage Space]
• [Soul Beast: Unawakened]
This couldn't be real.
I was dreaming. I had to be.
The heavy doors groaned open before I could process any of it. Cold air swept in, reeking of ash and brimstone. A figure stepped forward—tall, cloaked in smoke, with eyes that burned like dying stars.
The pressure in the room changed. My knees buckled. My body screamed at me to kneel.
This was no dream.
This was him.
The Great Demon King.
My supposed father.
He looked at me as if I were an insect under his boot.
"You," he rumbled. "You're the girl they say is mine. Speak."
I swallowed hard, then straightened my spine.
"My name is Sylvia," I said, voice trembling but clear. "And yes… I'm your daughter."
> [Main Quest Progress: 5%]
+1 Charisma
He stared for a moment. Then, surprisingly, he chuckled—a deep, terrifying sound that echoed through the chamber.
"We'll see if you survive long enough to prove it."
He turned and vanished into smoke.
The doors slammed shut behind him.
I was left alone again… except for the System's calm voice.
> Tutorial Quest: Survive the First Night
Reward: Stat Boost (Random)
Penalty: Death
No big deal.
I let out a slow breath, curled my toes on the freezing stone floor, and whispered to myself—
"…Welcome to Hell, Sylvia."
The silence that followed the Demon King's departure was suffocating.
I stood in that cold chamber, limbs still shaking from the pressure of his presence, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Approval in seven days? Or soul dissolution?
Right. No pressure.
I glanced back at the floating interface, still hovering patiently like an emotionless game master waiting for a newbie to finish the tutorial.
> [You have entered Safe Zone: Black Chamber of Succession]
[Time remaining to complete Main Quest: 6 Days, 23 Hours, 52 Minutes]
Great. A ticking clock. Just what I needed to keep my anxiety company.
I turned away from the system panel and finally took a proper look at my surroundings. The room was circular, walls made of obsidian, with jagged runes pulsing faintly across the floor. There were no windows. No doors, either—just the one the Demon King had exited through.
In the corner lay a stone pedestal with something folded neatly on top: clothes.
> [New Item Detected: Child's Court Robe – Rank: C]
[Equip Item? Y/N]
I blinked.
"Y... yes?"
The moment I answered, my body shimmered faintly. The tattered robe I'd been wearing was replaced with a lightweight black-and-purple garment—elegant, tailored, and surprisingly comfortable. The sleeves were long, the fabric enchanted with subtle threads that shimmered in the light.
Okay, System. I'm starting to like you.
> [Tutorial Quest Updated]
• Survive the First Night
• Equip Basic Garments – Completed
• Locate Sleeping Quarters – Pending
• Avoid Hostile Encounters – Ongoing
Right. Sleeping quarters. Avoid dying. Got it.
I stepped cautiously toward the only other feature in the room—a spiral staircase descending into darkness. It looked like something right out of a gothic horror game.
"Because this day clearly isn't cursed enough already."
Torchlight flickered to life as I moved down the steps, illuminating more of the Abyssal stronghold. The air was dense with mana—dark, heavy, and ancient. The stone walls whispered with distant, inaudible voices. I could feel the magic here. Like it was watching me. Judging me.
About halfway down, the System pinged again.
> [New Area Unlocked: Hall of the Unclaimed Heirs]
[Warning: You are entering neutral territory. Combat restrictions lifted.]
Wait. What?
Suddenly, a faint giggle echoed through the hall—childlike, but wrong. A shadow darted between pillars up ahead. My blood ran cold.
> [Mini Event Triggered: First Encounter – Sibling No. 6 Approaches]
[Difficulty: Moderate]
[Warning: HP Gauge Active]
What the hell is a moderate difficulty when I have no weapons?!
The giggle echoed again—closer this time.
And then, she stepped out from the shadows. A girl no older than fourteen, floating a few inches above the ground, with porcelain skin and hair like flowing ink. Her eyes were mismatched—one a hollow white, the other glowing violet.
She tilted her head and smiled.
"Father accepted another one?" she whispered. "Tsk. He's collecting strays again."
I opened my mouth to respond, but—
She was already in front of me.
Too fast.
I flinched back, and she blinked, surprised.
"Oh... you're slower than the last one. Pity."
A bone-white dagger appeared in her hand.
> [Warning: Lethal Intent Detected – Activating Emergency Skill Prototype...]
[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Shift – Lv. 1]
[Effect: Instantly teleport 3 meters in any direction. Cooldown: 60s]
Yes. YES.
I didn't think—I shifted.
One blink later, I was ten feet away, heart hammering like a drum. The spot where I'd stood was now split open, the floor cracked from her strike.
The girl frowned.
"You dodged? Hmm... maybe you're not entirely useless."
She floated backward, and the dagger vanished like smoke.
"Fine. I'll let you live... for tonight."
> [Mini Event Complete: Survive Sibling Encounter]
Reward: +2 Agility | +1 Shadow Affinity | New Title: "Unnoticed Bug"]
I collapsed against the wall, breathing hard.
Welcome to demon royalty, Sylvia. Where your siblings introduce themselves by trying to murder you.
And that was only number six.
> [Quest Progress: 11%]
[Sleep Quarters Nearby – Turn Left at Next Corridor]
I didn't argue. I just ran.
I didn't stop running until my lungs burned—though, strangely, I didn't feel nearly as out of breath as I should've.
Perks of having demon blood, I guess.
> [You have entered Temporary Safe Zone: Unclaimed Heir Quarters #17]
[Tutorial Quest Update: Locate Sleeping Quarters – Completed]
[Remaining Task: Survive the Night – Ongoing]
The door sealed behind me with a whisper of dark magic, locking out whatever terrors lurked beyond. I stumbled inside, collapsing onto a bed made of enchanted stone, cushioned only by a thin layer of abyssal cloth. It wasn't cozy, but after nearly being murdered by a floating psycho sister, it felt like paradise.
> [Achievement Unlocked: "You Didn't Die (Yet)"]
+1 Luck | +1 Humor]
"Hilarious," I muttered into the bedding.
The room was small—just a single chamber with glowing rune-lamps on the ceiling, a basin of black water in the corner, and a strange floating orb hovering near the far wall. It pulsed faintly with my presence.
> [Storage Node Linked]
[Inventory Accessible: Realm Sync – Partial]
Curious, I focused on the orb. The interface flickered again.
> [Inventory]
• [Court Robe – Equipped]
• [Soul Beast: Unawakened – ???]
• [Empty Storage Space]
• [Locked: Abyssal Mirror Shard]
• [Locked: Realm World Access]
> [New Notification – Soul Beast Bond Detected]
Would you like to initiate Soul Link?
Y / N
I blinked. My fingers hovered.
This... felt important.
"What even is a Soul Beast?" I whispered aloud.
> [System Tip: A Soul Beast is a creature bound to your life force. Its growth is tied to yours. Its loyalty is absolute—or fatal.]
Reassuring.
But something inside me tugged. Instinct? Curiosity? Or maybe just the deep, lonely ache of being surrounded by enemies and needing... someone.
I exhaled slowly.
"Alright. Yes. Do it."
The orb pulsed blindingly bright, and a shockwave of heat radiated through the room. I clenched my teeth as something ancient and wild stirred inside my chest.
And then—it emerged.
Smoke poured from the storage orb, coalescing into a small, wolf-like creature with six black tails, glowing teal markings on its fur, and eyes like broken galaxies. It was barely the size of a house cat, but it radiated power—raw, untamed, and strangely familiar.
It padded over to me, tilted its head...
...and sneezed.
> [Soul Beast Linked: Name – ??? | Species – Rift Howler Hatchling | Grade: Unknown]
[Compatibility: 92% – Rare Bond Achieved]
[Please assign a name to your Soul Beast.]
The creature looked up at me expectantly.
"…You're a little menace already," I muttered, reaching out to touch its head. "Alright. How about... Nyx?"
It blinked once. Then nodded.
> [Name Confirmed: Nyx]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Shadow Veil – Lv. 1]
[Effect: Slightly decreases chances of being detected by hostile units at night.]
My lips twitched into a genuine smile.
For the first time since I arrived in this hellscape, I didn't feel completely alone.
Nyx curled up beside me on the bed—six tails wrapping around my legs—and I let my eyes drift closed.
> [Tutorial Quest Complete: Survive the First Night]
Reward: +2 Vitality | +1 Shadow Affinity | +Minor System Expansion Unlocked]
> [Level 1 Achieved.]
> [Congratulations, Sylvia.]
[You are now a recognized participant in the Demon King's Succession Game.]
Succession... game?
I didn't have time to dwell on that.
Sleep took me before the fear could return.
I dreamed of fire.
Not just heat—but pressure, power, rage. Entire worlds collapsing into themselves. And through it all, a throne of black stone, rising above endless chaos, where a man—no, a monster—sat with a crown of bleeding horns and eyes that saw through time.
His voice echoed across the void.
> "Only one may inherit my throne. Only one shall rise."
When I woke, my hand was clenched around Nyx's warm fur, and the system was already buzzing.
> [System Update Complete – Core Features Unlocked]
[New Menu Access: Skill Tree | Title Effects | Bloodline Traits]
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes.
"Is this what leveling up feels like?"
> [Level 1 – Demon Princess (Unranked Heir)]
• Race: Abyssal-Hybrid (???)
• Bloodline: Unknown Maternal Line | Demon King Paternal Core
• Title Effects: "Unnoticed Bug" (+5% chance to avoid targeted attacks from stronger foes)
• Trait Awakening: Locked (Requires Combat Rank D or Higher)
Still more locked than unlocked. But progress.
Nyx yawned beside me, stretching his six tails, then leapt up onto the edge of the basin. The moment his paw touched the black water, it shimmered—then revealed a floating image.
A map.
A glowing dot pulsed where I was: "Room 17."
Beyond that, branching hallways, towers, sealed chambers, and… a massive central space labeled: Arena of Succession.
> [Main Succession Event Begins in: 5 Days, 11 Hours]
[Reminder: You must rank in the top 5 heirs to avoid disqualification.]
> [Optional Subquest: Enter a Training Rift and complete a Trial Dungeon.]
• Reward: Random Skill | EXP | Combat Evaluation Upgrade
• Location: Chamber of Broken Gates – North Wing
I squinted at the map.
"Looks like we don't get to rest for long."
Nyx barked once. I wasn't sure if it was excitement or hunger.
Either way, we were in this together now.
I stood up, fixed the demon-silk robe around my waist, and stared at my reflection in the obsidian glass.
Red eyes. Pale skin. Hair like silver fire.
Not the girl who died in the middle of a crosswalk.
Not anymore.
> "You are Sylvia Plath."
"Tenth Daughter of the Great Demon King."
"And this is your hell to conquer."
The moment I stepped out of the temporary safe zone, the weight of the Abyss returned.
Heavy. Cold. Alive.
Nyx padded beside me, alert, his glowing eyes scanning every shadow. The corridor ahead stretched endlessly, carved from black stone and lined with flickering blue torches. I had no real plan—only a burning instinct: I had to grow stronger.
> [New Objective: Gain Combat Evaluation Rank D]
[Subquest Active: Trial Dungeon – Chamber of Broken Gates]
"Five days," I muttered. "Five days to prove I'm not another failure."
The system buzzed again, softer this time.
> [Player Note: "You are not alone."]
I paused. That wasn't a system notification.
That was… hand-written? Typed?
A soft golden spark hovered in front of me for just a second before fading into the darkness.
I stared at the spot, heart racing.
Someone else left that message. Another heir? An old soul? Or—
> [New Feature Unlocked: Memory Echoes – ???]
l
This place. This system. It's more than just a test—it's a maze layered with memories, secrets, and dangers wearing the faces of my own blood.
The Demon King's game had begun.
But I wasn't just a pawn.
Not anymore.
> [Title Upgraded: "Unnoticed Bug" → "Hidden Thread"]
"Some threads weave quietly… until they strangle a god."
I smiled. Not because I was safe—but because, finally, I understood the rules.
And I was ready to break them.
"Let's go, Nyx."
Together, we stepped into the shadows.