The world didn't stay dark for long.
Dorian blinked, and the blue screen was back, hovering innocently in front of his face as if it hadn't just plunged him into momentary oblivion.
NEW QUEST DOWNLOADED
QUEST: "DIGITAL FOOTPRINT"
DIFFICULTY: D
OBJECTIVE: Obtain the personal mobile number of an attractive female. Then send her one (1) text message of a romantic or flirtatious nature.
TIME LIMIT: 48 HOURS
REWARD: +1 Level. +15 Aesthetic Points. +10 Charm.
FAILURE PENALTY: System deactivation for 60 days. Ring remains stuck. Additionally, one (1) embarrassing pre-written message will be automatically sent to the target female from your personal device.
Dorian stared at the screen.
"Romantic or flirtatious nature?" he muttered. "What does that even mean?"
The screen flickered.
DEFINITION PROVIDED: Text must contain at least one (1) compliment, one (1) expression of interest, or one (1) emoji consistent with romantic pursuit. Emojis include but are not limited to: 😘, 😍, ❤️, 🔥, 🌹.
Dorian felt a headache forming behind his eyes. He'd just slapped Maya's bum. Now he had to get a girl's number? And text her something romantic?
He looked down at himself again. The changes from level one were subtle but real. He could feel them. His pants really did fit slightly differently. And the other change... well, he'd need to find a private moment to fully appreciate that one.
But first: the quest.
Attractive female. The phrase echoed in his mind. Chloe's face appeared immediately, unbidden. Chloe with her dark hair and her dismissive eyes. Chloe who looked through him like he was made of air.
No. Not Chloe. Not yet. Too hard. Start smaller.
Maya was out. Definitely out. She'd probably already told three people about the weird spider guy.
That left... who? The blonde in philosophy? The girl with the nose ring who worked at the campus bookstore? The short one with the dimples who always sat alone in the cafeteria?
Forty-eight hours. He needed a plan.
---
The next morning, Dorian woke up feeling... different.
He lay in his cramped dorm room bed, staring at the ceiling, and took stock. His stomach felt flatter. When he sat up, he didn't have to fight against as much bulk. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.
And immediately walked into his desk chair.
"Ow—what the—"
He'd misjudged the distance. His body felt off, like someone had adjusted his center of gravity without telling him. He looked down. His thighs were slightly slimmer. His gut, while still substantial, no longer extended quite as far.
He stumbled to the small mirror tacked to his wall and studied his reflection.
His face was... almost approaching normal. The puffiness was definitely gone. His eyes looked bigger, more open. His skin had a clearer, healthier tone. If you squinted, you might even call him... not ugly.
Dorian grinned at himself. Then he remembered the other change.
He glanced down. Then back at the mirror. Then down again.
The grin returned, wider this time.
Level two is going to be incredible.
He showered and dressed, noticing how his clothes hung slightly differently. His favorite hoodie, once stretched tight across his midsection, now had a little breathing room. His jeans required a tighter belt.
He walked to his morning class with a new confidence in his stride. People didn't look at him differently—not yet—but he felt different. Lighter. More powerful.
The quest window remained in the corner of his vision, a constant reminder.
TIME REMAINING: 41:23:17
He needed a target.
---
Philosophy 101 was held in a large lecture hall, and Dorian always sat in the back. From there, he could watch everyone without being watched himself. It was his preferred position: observer, never participant.
Today, he scanned the room with new eyes.
The blonde was there, three rows down. Jessica? Jennifer? She was talking to her friend, laughing at something on her phone. Possible, but she had a boyfriend. Dorian had seen them making out by the fountain.The girl with the nose ring wasn't in this class.
But the short one with the dimples—Sarah, he remembered suddenly, because the professor had called on her last week—was sitting in the middle row, alone, taking notes.
Sarah. Short, maybe 5'2". Curly brown hair. Dimples that appeared when she smiled, which was often. She wore oversized sweaters and always had a thermal coffee mug with her. She laughed at the professor's terrible jokes. She seemed... nice.
Nice girls are easier, Dorian thought. Nice girls give out their numbers to anyone.
He watched her for the entire lecture. She took meticulous notes. She underlined things. She used color-coded highlighters.
By the time class ended, Dorian had a plan.
---
He positioned himself by the door, pretending to check his phone. As Sarah walked past, he "accidentally" stepped into her path.
"Oh! Sorry!" He put on his best non-threatening smile. "Hey, you're Sarah, right? From class?"
She stopped, looking up at him with mild surprise. "Uh, yeah. Hi."
"I'm Dorian. We're in philosophy together." He gestured vaguely. "I, uh, I missed the reading for next week. Professor said it was in the syllabus but I can't find it. You think I could grab a picture of yours?"
It was a lie. He had the syllabus. But it was the only approach he could think of.
Sarah's expression softened. "Oh, sure! Hold on." She dug through her backpack and pulled out a battered folder, extracting the syllabus. "Here. It's the Sartre reading, pages 45-62."
Dorian leaned in, pretending to study it. "Got it. Thanks." He paused, then added, "You're like... the only person who actually pays attention in that class. I always see you taking notes."
Sarah laughed, the dimples appearing. "Someone has to. Professor Chen's exams are brutal."
"I know, right?" Dorian felt a spark of hope. This was working. She was talking to him. "Hey, um... this is random, but a bunch of us are getting coffee later. At the union. You should come."
It was also a lie. There was no bunch of us. There was just him.
Sarah's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Oh? A bunch of people?"
"Yeah, just some classmates." Dorian waved vaguely. "Nothing major."
She hesitated, studying him for a moment. Dorian's heart rate spiked. Don't overthink it. Just say yes.
"Okay," she said finally. "Sure. What time?"
Dorian almost sagged with relief. "Four o'clock? At the coffee cart?"
"I'll be there." She smiled, the dimples appearing again, and walked off.
Dorian watched her go, a strange feeling bubbling in his chest. It wasn't triumph. It was something closer to... confusion. She'd said yes. Just like that. No sneer, no dismissal, no looking through him like he was invisible.
It's the face, he realized. The level up. I look slightly less repulsive. It actually worked.
He checked the quest window.
TIME REMAINING: 39:47:02
OBJECTIVE 1/2: Obtain number - INCOMPLETE
OBJECTIVE 2/2: Send romantic text - INCOMPLETE
He still needed the number. And the text. But coffee was step one.
---
At 3:55, Dorian arrived at the coffee cart. Different barista today—not Maya, thank God. He ordered a black coffee and stood off to the side, waiting.
Sarah showed up at 4:02, slightly out of breath. She looked around, scanning the area. Her eyes landed on Dorian. Then scanned again.
"Hey," she said, walking over. "Where is everyone?"
Dorian's stomach dropped. "Uh. They... couldn't make it. Last minute stuff."
"Oh." Sarah's expression flickered—confusion, maybe a hint of wariness—but then she shrugged. "Well, I'm here anyway. Guess it's just us."
She said it lightly, but Dorian caught the slight question in her tone. He needed to recover.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Typical college stuff, you know?" He gestured to the cart. "But hey, coffee's still coffee. What do you want? My treat."
Sarah blinked. "Oh, you don't have to—"
"I want to." He was already walking to the cart. "What's your order?"
Ten minutes later, they were sitting at a small table outside the union. The awkwardness from the "missing group" moment faded as Sarah started talking. She told him about her major (psychology), her hometown (three hours north), her cat (named after a philosopher—Descartes). Dorian nodded along, making appropriate noises, his mind racing.
How do I get her number? Just ask? Too obvious. Wait for her to offer? She won't. Fake an emergency and say you'll text her later? That could work.
"—and that's when I decided I needed a cat," Sarah finished, laughing. "What about you? Any pets?"
Dorian shook his head. "No. Dorms don't allow them."
"Bummer." She sipped her latte. "So what's your deal, Dorian? I feel like I've never really talked to you before."
Because I'm usually invisible. Or bullying people.
He shrugged. "I keep to myself mostly."
"Yeah, but why? You're interesting." She said it so casually, so genuinely, that Dorian almost choked on his coffee.
Interesting. She called me interesting.
He looked at her—really looked. Sarah with her curly hair and her dimples and her oversized sweater. Sarah who had shown up even when the "group" didn't. Sarah who was looking at him like he was a normal person.
For one brief, terrifying moment, Dorian felt something that might have been guilt.
Then the quest window flashed.
TIME REMAINING: 37:12:48
He pushed the feeling aside.
"Hey," he said, pulling out his phone. "This is random, but... can I get your number? In case I have more philosophy questions? Professor Chen's exams really are brutal."
Sarah laughed. "Sure!" She rattled off her number while Dorian typed it in, his fingers trembling slightly.
OBJECTIVE 1/2 COMPLETE!
NUMBER ACQUIRED: SARAH (PHILOSOPHY)
PROCEED TO OBJECTIVE 2: SEND ROMANTIC TEXT
Dorian stared at his phone. Her contact info sat there, pristine and terrifying. Sarah (Philosophy). He could add a heart emoji later. Right now, he needed to figure out what to text her.
They talked for another twenty minutes. Sarah did most of the talking. Dorian nodded and smiled and tried not to think about the fact that he was about to send a "romantic or flirtatious" text to a girl who was being genuinely nice to him.
When they finally parted—Sarah heading to the library, Dorian claiming he had to go to another class—he walked quickly to a secluded bench behind the science building and pulled out his phone.
TIME REMAINING: 36:41:03
He opened their conversation. Empty. Just her name and a gray box waiting for his first message.
What do I say?
He typed: Hey, it's Dorian. Thanks for coffee.
Too boring. Not romantic.
He typed: Had a really good time today. You're cool.
Too casual. Not flirtatious.
He typed: You have really nice dimples.
Too direct. Too weird?
He deleted everything and stared at the screen.
The quest window flashed impatiently.
EMOJI SUGGESTIONS AVAILABLE: 😘, 😍, ❤️, 🔥, 🌹
Dorian took a deep breath. Then he typed:
Hey Sarah, really enjoyed chatting today. You're surprisingly easy to talk to. Maybe we could do it again sometime? ❤️
His thumb hovered over the send button. His heart pounded. This was insane. This was wrong. She'd been nice to him and he was using her for a quest.
But level two. Another inch. A better face. A slimmer body.
He pressed send.
MESSAGE SENT
ANALYZING MESSAGE CONTENT...
ANALYSIS COMPLETE
CRITERIA MET: Yes
· Compliment: "You're surprisingly easy to talk to"
· Expression of interest: "Maybe we could do it again sometime?"
· Emoji: ❤️
QUEST COMPLETE!
REWARD PROCESSING...
LEVEL UP!
The warmth hit him like a wave. Stronger than last time. His entire body tingled and burned, and he felt it—actually felt—the changes happening. His stomach tightened further. His face shifted, bones realigning beneath the skin. His shoulders broadened slightly. His neck thickened in a good way.
He gasped, clutching the bench, as the sensation rolled through him.
When it stopped, he was breathing hard, covered in a thin sheen of sweat.
He pulled out his phone, used the camera.
The face staring back was almost handsome
Almost.
His jaw was defined now. His nose seemed straighter. His eyes had a clarity they'd never had before. He looked like a guy who worked out occasionally and ate salads. He looked like someone who could walk into a room and not be immediately dismissed.
A slow, disbelieving laugh escaped him.
Then the notification appeared.
NOTIFICATION: SIDE-EFFECT REGISTRY
SIDE-EFFECT FOR LEVEL 2:
GENITAL DIMENSIONS HAVE BEEN INCREASED BY AN ADDITIONAL 1.0 INCH.
TOTAL INCREASE: 2.0 INCHES.
Dorian looked down. Then he tried to stand up.
And immediately sat back down, because standing up with his current... situation... was going to require some adjustments.
"Okay," he muttered, his voice strangled between awe and panic. "Okay. This is fine. This is great. I just need to... figure out how to walk."
He sat for a full five minutes, waiting for his body to cooperate. When he finally stood, he walked with a slight waddle, like a cowboy who'd spent too long on a horse.
Worth it, he told himself. Totally worth it.
His phone buzzed.
A text from Sarah.
Aw, thanks Dorian! I had fun too. Let's definitely do it again sometime 😊
Dorian stared at the message. The guilt flickered again, weaker this time.
He shoved his phone in his pocket and checked the system.
CURRENT LEVEL: 2
NEXT LEVEL: 3
REQUIRED: 0/3 QUESTS COMPLETE
NEW QUEST PACK AVAILABLE? [CHECK]
He tapped it without hesitation.
DOWNLOADING QUEST PACK: LEVEL 3
The screen flickered.
QUEST PACK: "PUBLIC DISPLAY"
DIFFICULTY: C
REQUIRED COMPLETIONS: 3/3 SUB-QUESTS
SUB-QUEST 3A: "ARM IN ARM"
OBJECTIVE: Walk arm-in-arm with an attractive female through a public area for at least 1 minute.
SUB-QUEST 3B: "CHEEK TO CHEEK"
OBJECTIVE: Receive a kiss on the cheek from an attractive female.
SUB-QUEST 3C: "THE INTRODUCTION"
OBJECTIVE: Be introduced by an attractive female to her friend(s) as someone significant (implied romantic interest).
TIME LIMIT: 7 DAYS
REWARD: +2 Levels. +50 Aesthetic Points. +30 Charm.
FAILURE PENALTY: System deactivation for 90 days. Ring remains stuck. Additionally, host will lose 2 inches from all previous gains.
Dorian read the quest pack three times.
Walk arm-in-arm. Receive a kiss. Be introduced as significant.
All with the same girl? Different girls? The quest didn't specify. But the implied romantic interest part suggested it needed to be someone who actually liked him enough to introduce him that way.
His mind went to Sarah. She'd been nice. She'd texted back with a smiley face. She'd said "let's definitely do it again."
But was she "like him" enough for a kiss? For an introduction?
His phone buzzed again. Another text.
He pulled it out, expecting Sarah.
It wasn't Sarah.
It was an unknown number. No contact name. Just a message.
Unknown: Nice try, fat boy. But the system doesn't belong to you.
Dorian's blood went cold.
Unknown: Check your ring.
He looked down at his hand. The dull metal band was still there, still stuck. But now, faintly, almost imperceptibly, it was glowing.
[END OF CHAPTER 2]