My Cuteness Gets Me In Trouble

My training was no joke. Every morning, I was thrown into another grueling test of agility, endurance, and—for some reason—squirrel-based combat.

Yes. Combat.

Apparently, Velistra found my struggle against actual opponents far more entertaining than simple obstacle courses. So, she summoned creatures—shadow beasts, enchanted dolls, even a literal flock of demonic birds—and told me to survive.

So that's exactly what I did.

Sort of.

—*

"Mistress, I swear to whatever gods exist, this is unfair!" I screeched as a giant, horned raven tried to eat me.

Velistra leaned against her throne, watching me with mild amusement. "Life is unfair, Koko. Now, fight.*"

"IT'S A BIRD AND I'M A SQUIRREL—DO YOU NOT SEE THE NATURAL FOOD CHAIN PROBLEM HERE?"

The demon goddess didn't even blink. "Then evolve past it."

That was not helpful!

I barely dodged as the raven lunged, its massive beak snapping shut right where I had been standing. My tiny paws skidded against the stone floor, my fur bristling with pure panic.

I needed a plan. I needed an edge.

I needed to level up.

"Come on, power, activate or something!" I pleaded, trying to force my Shadow Dash to trigger again. But my stamina was running low, and that ability only lasted in bursts.

The raven's crimson eyes locked onto me.

Crap.

"DIE, YOU FEATHERED NIGHTMARE!" I screeched, launching myself at its face.

And then—something clicked.

A strange, dark energy surged through my tiny body. My vision sharpened. My movements became faster—sharper—unnatural. My claws tingled with raw magic.

I twisted midair, spinning like a blur before sinking my claws straight into the raven's eye.

The beast shrieked, flailing as I clung to its face, my instincts screaming at me to finish the job.

So I did.

I darted around its head like a living shadow, slashing at its throat before vanishing into darkness.

A moment later, the bird collapsed.

I reappeared behind it, my tiny paws smoking with energy. My breath was heavy, my body burning from the sudden surge of power.

Then—

Ding!

A notification flickered before my eyes.

[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]

New Ability Unlocked: Shadow Claws!

I blinked. "…Wait. I have a SYSTEM?"

Velistra smirked. "Of course you do. Did you think power would come without measure?"

I gawked at her. "You mean to tell me I've had a freaking leveling system this whole time and you just let me struggle like a dying rat?!"

She took a slow sip of her tea. "Yes."

I stared.

She was enjoying this.

"…I hate you."

Velistra chuckled. "Then grow strong enough to change your fate, little Koko."

My eye twitched. But deep down, I couldn't deny it.

I was getting stronger.

And if I kept going—if I pushed my limits—I might actually evolve.

One step closer to my human form.

One level at a time.

I was officially leveling up.

That meant a few things:

1. I wasn't just a weak little squirrel anymore. I had Shadow Claws, which sounded metal as hell.

2. I had a System. Meaning I could actually track my progress.

3. Velistra had been holding out on me. Again.

I squinted up at her, my tiny paws still smoking with residual energy. "Alright, Mistress. Spill. What else aren't you telling me?"

She smirked, leaning back in her throne. "You assume I am withholding information?"

"Oh, come on," I huffed. "I literally just found out I have a System. What else am I supposed to assume?"

Velistra merely chuckled, sipping her tea like this was some elaborate game. "You are still weak, little one. You have barely scratched the surface of your potential."

Weak, huh? That giant bird's corpse said otherwise.

But fine. If she wanted me to prove myself, I'd do exactly that.

"Fine," I muttered, flexing my tiny claws. "What's next?"

Her smirk widened. "Your first real mission."

Uh-oh.

—*

I should've known.

When a demon goddess gives you a mission, you should expect some shady nonsense.

But nothing could've prepared me for what she actually wanted me to do.

"You want me to do what?!" I squeaked, staring up at her in horror.

Velistra lazily twirled a lock of silver hair around her finger. "Infiltrate the castle of Lord Veylen, a rival of mine, and retrieve an artifact he recently acquired."

"YOU WANT ME TO STEAL FROM A DEMON LORD?!"

"You are small," she said with a shrug. "Unnoticeable. A mere squirrel. It is the perfect role for espionage."

"You're sending a SQUIRREL to do high-level spy work—do you not see the issue here?!"

Velistra merely smirked. "You wish to grow stronger, do you not?"

Oh, she was manipulating me. I could see it. But the worst part? It was working.

Because she was right. I needed to push myself if I wanted to evolve.

And if sneaking into a demon lord's stronghold and stealing some shiny artifact was what it took—then fine.

I was going full squirrel assassin.

—*

Lord Veylen's castle was massive. Black spires loomed over the landscape, surrounded by swirling dark mist and eerie glowing torches.

If I was a normal intruder, I would've been screwed. But lucky for me—

I was tiny.

Using my new Shadow Dash, I darted between cover, slipping past towering demon guards who wouldn't have even noticed me unless I threw a nut at their heads. (Which, to be fair, was tempting.)

"Okay, okay… Where's this artifact?" I muttered, scampering up a wall like a furry ninja.

According to Velistra, the item was a Soul Gem, supposedly powerful enough to boost magical abilities. Sounded useful. Sounded dangerous.

Sounded like something I probably shouldn't be touching.

…But here we were.

I slipped through an open window, landing inside a grand hall filled with treasure. Golden coins, enchanted weapons, glowing jewels—this guy had hoarded everything.

And right in the center, sitting on a pedestal, was a crimson gemstone pulsing with energy.

Bingo.

"Alright, Koko, let's do this nice and clean," I muttered, leaping onto the pedestal.

The gem flickered ominously.

"…Or not."

The second my paws touched it, alarms blared.

"OH COME ON!"

From the walls, shadows shifted. Eyes flickered open in the darkness.

And then, suddenly—monsters.

Dozens of shadow beasts slithered into existence, their twisted forms pulsing with demonic energy.

"Oh, I hate this," I wheezed, grabbing the gem and BOLTING.

Guards stormed the hall. Creatures lunged at me. The floor began cracking apart.

And all I could think was—

"Velistra, YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"

I Shadow Dashed between the incoming beasts, dodging claws and fangs as I scampered toward the window.

But then—

A massive claw slammed down in front of me.

I looked up.

And there he was.

Lord Veylen.

Tall. Imposing. Glowing red eyes that screamed 'I will murder you.'

"A thief," he murmured, his deep voice sending a chill down my tiny spine. "How bold."

I gulped. "Uh. Hi."

He tilted his head, studying me. "…A squirrel?"

"Yes," I squeaked. "Very innocent. Very lost."

Silence.

Then, very slowly, he raised a single brow. "That Soul Gem in your paws suggests otherwise."

Crap.

Before I could react, he lunged.

I Shadow Dashed at the last second, barely slipping past his grasp.

"GOTTAGO—"

I launched myself out the window, clutching the gem, free-falling into the night.

And in the distance, I swore I could hear Velistra's laughter.

This woman was never letting me live this down.

Falling from a demon lord's castle was not on my to-do list.

Yet here I was, plummeting through the night sky, clutching the Soul Gem like my tiny life depended on it.

"AHHHHHHHHH—"

The castle loomed above me, torches flickering as alarm bells rang through the air. Below? A whole damn forest of jagged, twisted demon trees that probably wanted to kill me.

Oh, and let's not forget the army of shadow beasts leaping from the castle walls, chasing after me mid-air.

"WHY IS NOTHING EVER EASY?" I screeched.

One of the shadow creatures lunged—its glowing fangs snapping inches from my tail.

I Shadow Dashed in mid-air, flickering out of its reach for a split second before gravity yeeted me downward again.

Okay. Think, Koko. THINK.

Options:

1. Accept death. (Hard pass.)

2. Pray Velistra is watching and will save me. (Unlikely. She's probably laughing.)

3. Do some anime-level squirrel acrobatics and survive.

…Yeah, okay, option three.

I twisted midair, scanning the forest below. My eyes locked onto a massive branch jutting out from a demonic oak.

Perfect.

With every ounce of strength in my tiny squirrel body, I kicked off the air, propelling myself toward the tree.

"PLEASE WORK PLEASE WORK—"

I landed—sort of.

More like bounced off the first branch, hit another, ricocheted like a goddamn pinball, and faceplanted into a bush.

"…Ow."

The good news? I wasn't dead.

The bad news? The shadow creatures were still coming.

"NO TIME FOR PAIN—" I bolted, darting through the underbrush like my tail was on fire.

—*

I ran. I dodged. I almost died like six times.

But somehow, some-freaking-how, I made it out of the forest alive, Soul Gem still in paw.

I staggered onto a dark, rocky path, panting, my fur singed from dodging a literal hellhound.

"That… sucked," I wheezed.

And then—

A familiar voice purred, far too amused for my liking.

"You survived."

I turned.

And there she was. Velistra.

Standing at the edge of the path, looking completely unbothered, as if she hadn't just watched me nearly die a dozen times.

My eye twitched. "YOU COULD HAVE HELPED."

She smirked. "But then how would I know if you were capable?"

I hate this woman.

Panting, I shoved the Soul Gem toward her. "Here. Your stupid rock. Hope it was worth it."

She took it gracefully, inspecting it with mild interest. "Hmm. Impressive. And you even managed to awaken another skill."

Wait. What?

I blinked. "I did?"

Velistra's smirk deepened. "Check your system."

I hesitated, then focused. A faint screen flickered in my mind's eye.

[Level Up!]

New Ability Unlocked: Phantom Step

Allows brief phasing through physical objects and enhanced agility while in motion.

My tiny squirrel jaw dropped. "I HAVE A PHASE SHIFT NOW?"

Velistra chuckled. "You're evolving, little one. Slowly, but surely."

My heart pounded. This was real. I was actually growing stronger.

I clenched my tiny paws. "Then what's next?"

Velistra's eyes gleamed.

"Now? Now we begin the real training."

Oh no.