Player Chapter 3. Vampire Empress
For a moment there was nothing but falling.
Cold wind rushing past his ears. Weightlessness tugging at his stomach. The strange feeling of his body being stretched through space like a file dragged between two folders on a computer desktop.
Riven had played enough VR games to recognize the sensation.
Loading screen.
Except this one didn't come with tips or progress bars.
Just gravity.
And darkness.
Then…
-THUD!
Riven landed with a solid, undignified impact.
"…Ow!"
Not a broken-bones ow. Not a dramatic hero landing ow. Just the kind of thud that knocked the air out of his lungs and made his brain take a second to reboot.
He lay there for a second, staring at a vaulted stone ceiling lit by flickering torches.
'That goddess owes me an apology.' He exhaled slowly through his nose. 'I wasn't even going to kiss her.'
Seriously.
All he wanted was to tease her a little.
Maybe watch her blush again.
Maybe push her divine composure just one step further.
A little revenge for kidnapping him off a championship stage.
That was all.
Then his palms moved.
And something… soft… shifted beneath them.
Riven blinked.
He squeezed reflexively.
Squishy.
His brain compared textures automatically.
'Better than my sister's stress toys.'
A dangerous female voice hissed above him.
"You…"
Riven turned to the side.
And froze.
Oh.
Oh no.
He was sitting.
On someone's lap.
Someone sitting on a massive throne.
Someone wearing black silk and silver armor accents that screamed boss fight.
Someone with pale skin, crimson eyes, and long dark hair cascading over her shoulders.
Someone who was staring at him with a mix of rage and absolute humiliation.
His hands were planted firmly on her chest.
Which explained the squishy part.
Around them, a dozen armed adventurers stood in a semi-circle, weapons drawn.
Frozen mid-attack.
Mid-battle.
Mid boss fight.
All staring at him.
And then his brain registered the most important detail.
He looked down.
And saw absolutely nothing covering his body.
"…You are kidding me."
A faint blue panel flickered into existence beside him.
[Clothes cannot manifest due to differences in the game world building.]
Riven closed his eyes slowly.
'Of course.' He was wearing an e-sports jacket, which was completely out of place for the game setting.
The woman beneath him exploded.
"GET OFF!"
Her voice cracked like thunder.
An invisible force slammed into Riven's chest.
He flew backwards across the room.
The throne chamber blurred as he spun through the air.
But Riven's body moved automatically.
Years of VR combat instincts took over.
He twisted mid-air.
Rolled once.
Landed on both feet.
Balanced.
Naked.
But stable.
He straightened slowly. "Still got it."
Around the room, the adventurers stared like they had just witnessed the weirdest boss phase in gaming history.
Riven's eyes flicked back to the throne.
A glowing red status panel appeared above the woman.
[Queen of Darkness – Vampire Empress]
[Name: Victoria Nightfall]
[Original Role: Main Villain]
[Class: Blood Sorceress]
Riven whispered under his breath. "Okay… Not good."
Because if his memory of story archetypes was correct.
This was the boss room.
Which meant the adventurers here were supposed to be killing her.
Which meant he had just landed naked on the villain's lap in front of the entire raid party.
Great!
Victoria slowly stood from her throne.
Her face was red.
Not from bloodlust.
From humiliation.
Her crimson eyes locked on him.
If looks could kill, Riven would have respawned already.
"You…" she said quietly.
He lifted both hands in surrender. "Before you say anything—"
Her hand lifted.
Dark energy spiraled around her fingers.
The temperature in the room dropped.
Then she snapped. "Kill them all."
The air exploded.
From the shadows behind the throne, pale figures surged forward.
Vampires.
Fast.
Elegant.
Deadly.
They crashed into the adventurers like a tidal wave of claws and fangs.
Steel clashed.
Magic erupted.
Chaos filled the chamber.
Riven exhaled slowly. "Great."
Because unfortunately… Several of those vampires noticed him.
One lunged.
Riven ducked instinctively.
The creature's claws sliced through the air where his throat had been.
He pivoted.
Kicked.
The impact connected.
Bare foot against undead ribcage.
The vampire winced, but the damage was too low.
"…Right."
High level enemies.
His punch followed.
Same result.
Minimal damage.
The vampire smiled.
Riven sighed. 'I need equipment.'
Right now.
As if answering the thought, a faint glow flickered before his eyes.
[Welcome, Host!]
Riven didn't even blink. "Skip the introduction!"
The panel flickered.
"Give me your best equipment. Also, tell me my combat skills." He ducked another claw swipe while speaking. "And maybe pants if that's not too much to ask."
The system responded immediately.
[Processing…]
[Basic System Initialization.]
[Starter Equipment Granted.]
Blue light burst around him.
Clothing formed across his body. Dark combat gear, gauntlets, trousers, boots, and a simple black coat.
Riven let out a relieved breath. 'Much better'.
More panels appeared.
[Create Weapons – Active Skill]
[Allows the user to condense mana into physical weapons. Weapons are created from pure mana and shaped by the user's intent.]
Riven's eyes lit slightly.
"…Nice."
He rolled his shoulder as a vampire lunged.
Claws flashed toward his face.
Riven stepped sideways.
Dodged.
Instinct.
Timing.
Gamer reflexes.
His hand lifted.
Mana gathered.
A cool electric sensation ran through his arm.
Something formed in his palm.
Solidifying from blue light.
Metal.
Weight.
Balance.
A blade.
[Summoned: Sword]
He grinned.
The vampire attacked again.
Riven moved.
One smooth step.
One clean slash.
The blade cut through the creature's arm.
Black blood splattered the stone floor.
The vampire shrieked.
Riven exhaled slowly. 'Yeah. This works.'
Behind him, Victoria stood beside her throne, watching the chaos unfold.
Her expression was still furious.
Still humiliated.
But something else flickered there too.
Curiosity.
Her crimson gaze lingered on the man who had appeared out of nowhere. Landed on her lap. Grabbed her chest. And was now casually fighting vampires like he belonged in the room.
Riven felt her eyes.
He glanced over his shoulder briefly.
Their gazes met.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"Sorry about the landing."
Victoria's expression darkened instantly. "You will die for that."
Riven smirked. "Probably." He parried another strike. "But not today."
Inside his mind, the system chimed again.
[Adaptive Mana Core initializing.]
[Combat systems online.]
Riven rolled his neck. His smile widened slowly. "Alright. Let's play."