World Shaper- A LitRPG

A/N: A story inspired by the multiple LitRPG tales out there. Will have mind control as a primary focus. Fair warning though, there will be cheating and netori or netorase-consensual cuckoldry(MC cucking others) that is- depending on how you look at it down the line.

Cal took a deep breath and peeked out of the alley he was hidden in. The dull evening glow illuminated the market streets as he observed the throng of delvers bustling about. Some were looking over the various services the vendors were peddling while some sold the monster parts on their person after a day of delving.

He felt a small spike of irritation as he looked at the clean and well equipped teenagers bantering and laughing as they left with pouches of coins. Most of them came from well off, if not financially stable families no doubt.

He shook his head and stepped out, blending into the crowd with practiced ease. He was wearing the clothes that he had found in the dumpster last week, the one with some minor tears in the shirt and pants. They were serviceable enough that people did not notice a gutter rat among them. Being half a head shorter than most people helped as well and luckily, no one looked down to notice his bare feet.

He kept an eye out for potential targets as he carefully avoided drawing attention to himself. His nimble fingers slipped in and out of loose pockets and picked out one or two coins, just small enough that no one would bother to alert the guards if they suddenly decided to check their pockets.

It was due to this exact reason that Cal preferred to steal during the peak hours. The delvers would either be too tired or too drunk to catch him in the act. He took a moment to mentally count the number of coins he had swiped and smiled. It was just enough to buy him a decent dinner if he added the money he earned earlier in the day for helping the librarian stack books.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a delver heatedly exchange words with a vendor at a stall. The delver was looking down his nose at the vendor and from his expression, he wasn’t saying anything nice.

Cal remembered this guy. He was the same one who Alia said was bothering her over the last week. He paused, contemplating if he should do anything. He really liked Alia, plus the market vendors always used to spare him a coin when he was younger.

As he moved closer, he heard what the guy was saying. “...worth at least three silver!”

“Sir I assure you, this pelt most definitely does not belong to a frost wolf. It’s from a silver beaver and worth only two coppers at best.” The vendor had a look of frustration on his face as he tried to diffuse the situation.

“Are you calling me a liar,” the haughty ass asked angrily.

“I would nev-”

“I will report this to the guards if you do not give me a fair price. I will see you thrown in jail!”

That decided it. Cal looked around, trying to think of a way to intervene. His height of five foot four did not make him physically imposing at all, plus he was classless. There was no way he could challenge a classed delver and even if he did, it would land him in a lot of trouble.

As the vendor tried to calm him down, Cal noticed that the beaver guy’s eyes flickered to the girl silently perusing the items next to him. Ah, that was it. Beaver guy was putting on a show in front of the girl, no doubt in an effort to get her attention. If the girl noticed, she didn’t seem to care.

Cal silently slipped next to the beaver guy and pretended to examine a pelt. The vendor’s eyes caught his briefly and he gave him a mischievous grin. When the girl was close enough, he pretended to drop something and crouched down before she noticed him.

He moved back a little and right when she was right next to the guy, Cal reached a hand out and gave the girl’s ass a firm squeeze. Just as she screamed, he quickly scurried away out of sight. As she whirled around angrily, there was no one near her but the beaver guy.

Reaching the only possible conclusion she could see, she screamed atop her lungs “Pervert!” and punched beaver buy’s shocked face square on the nose.

The beating that followed drew quite the audience. Looks like beaver guy wasn’t so tough after all. Cal caught the vendor’s eye and the man flashed a small grin, subtly throwing him half a copper. Cal tipped his head and used to commotion to slip away.

All in all, it was a good day. He earned some money, stole some and did a good deed, relatively at least. He was looking forward the meal he was going have.

“If it isn’t little Caldor. I knew I smelled a rat somewhere.”

As usual, life decided to flip him the finger whenever he felt happy, this time in the form of Josh the colossal douche.

Cal gulped and looked sideways to see the guard striding towards him, scratching his bulging stomach. Josh was a level 12 [Guard] but looking at him, no one would be able to figure it out.

The man looked nothing like a typical [Guard], with his complete lack of any defining muscles and protruding belly that always seemed to shake as he walked. Combine that with the lack of friends he had among the town guards and his general incompetence, Cal wondered how he still held his position.

“Caused a bit of ruckus at the market eh,” Josh asked with a knowing grin. Cal wanted to punch him in the face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied evenly. The grin dropped off Josh’s face and he sighed dramatically.

“I know you all too well Cally. You’ve gone and given me work to do,” he said with a shake of his head. “I have to go and deal with that mess.”

“I said I don’t kno-”

Cal saw the backhand coming but wasn’t fast enough to dodge. The blow threw him to the ground and his head spun from the pain.

“Normally, I would only take half but since you were a nuisance, I think I’ll take the full amount.”

“Please Josh,” Cal managed to get out. “I- I need the money for- for food.”

“After all these years, you still haven’t learned your lesson have you?” Josh sneered at him from above and pressed down on his hand with his foot. “I don’t care, gutter rat.”

Josh bent down and searched his pockets, being sure to take all the money that he stole. Cal gritted his teeth, trying to not show the pain on his face. When he was satisfied, the guard grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close.

“Don’t make me ask again next time,” he sneered and shoved Cal back. “I won’t be as nice and you might just loose a few teeth.”

With one last grind of his heel, Josh left him. The people around them scurried away, not wanting to draw the corrupt guard’s ire. Once he was out of sight, Cal pushed himself back against a nearby wall, cradling his throbbing hand.

“Stupid fuck,” Cal cursed. Leaning his head back, he waited for his vision to stop spinning. A few passer bys took pity on him and threw him some coin but none bothered to help him up. He ignored them and looked up at the darkening sky.

He did not know how long he stayed there, eyes gazing emptily upwards and thinking back on his life.

Cal was an orphan, one of many in the town of Verdal. He didn’t know where he was originally from. All he knew was that his parents moved to the town to take refuge during a particularly brutal monster surge when he was a baby but unfortunately did not survive. This was the story of most orphans in this town, although he did not see most of them anymore.

There was Willy who he saw sometimes. He had managed to become the baker’s apprentice, but they were never really friends while growing up so Cal didn’t know him well. Willy had lucked out. He had managed to survive till level 10 in the nearby dungeon and changed his class to get himself an apprenticeship.

Others he grew up with weren’t so lucky. While some managed to reach level 10 and improved their lives, many simply died trying to delve. Spending time on the streets fighting for food left them weak and unprepared to fight the monsters in the dungeon.

‘At least they got a chance to try,’ Cal thought bitterly. Most children gained their starting class at the age of fourteen, and chances of getting a class decreased every year. He didn’t know how old he was. Eighteen? Nineteen? He didn’t even know his birthday anyway. All he knew was that he had almost zero chance to unlock his class. He had stopped caring about it long ago.

Tears came unbridled to his eyes as he looked at the twin moons in the sky. Some people said that the moons were responsible for granting classes. That was why everyone unlocked their classes at midnight. He wondered if he did anything to offend the moons. He didn’t as far as he knew. Being classless was incredibly rare. Two classless in the same town was almost unheard of.

Why was he chosen to be the unlucky one? The question used to always keep him up at night. It sometimes still did if he was being honest with himself. No matter how hard he thought, the answer never came to him.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he got up and walked slowly towards the Pearly Flagon. Checking to make sure that the hall’s lights were turned off, he knocked on the back door thrice, once soft and the other two hard and fast.

The door opened slightly and a familiar face peeked out. Seeing him, the girl opened the door wider and gestured him in.

“Cal! I didn’t think I’d see you tonight,” the girl said cheerfully.

“You know I’d never miss seeing your beautiful face a single day Alia,” he said with a chuckle.

Alia laughed at his horrible attempt at flirting and closed the door behind him. “Has that worked on any other girl,” she asked playfully as he moved to sit at a table in the corner.

“You’re the only beautiful girl I know,” he replied with a shrug.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the only girl you know,” she said mirthfully. “Here you go.”

Alia set down a plate of roasted lamb and some mashed potatoes in front of him and sat down on the opposite. With a quick thanks, Cal picked up the meat and began eating, struggling to eat with his swollen hand. Alia immediately noticed.

“What happened to your hand,” she asked with concern and took a closer look. “Wait what happened to your face?”

“Oh the usual.” He shrugged. “Josh and his stupid foot happened.”

Cal paused as she took his face in her hands and examined him. He blushed at the contact and hoped she didn’t notice.

“It looks bad,” she said softly.

Cal snorted. “Trust me, it looks worse than it hurts. He punches like a grandma.”

“Yeah, a grandma who’s a level 12 [Guard].” Alia shook her head and let him get back to eating. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“You know he only bullies you because I won’t go out with him right? He knows we’re friends.”

That much he knew already. Josh barely paid him any mind apart from the occasional extortion before he learned of Cal’s connection to Alia. While he could blame the guard for his hostility towards him, he couldn’t blame him for lusting after Alia though. She was one of, if not the most beautiful girl in town.

Cal would be lying if he said he himself didn’t have a crush on her. A pretty angular face and a cute straight nose were only part of her charm. Cal could stare at her sparkling brown eyes forever and her ever smiling lips never failed to make him smile either.

“In what world does hurting a girl’s friend make her like you? He’s as stupid as he looks,” he said, making the pretty girl laugh. “Besides, he’s always been like that. You going out with him won’t change anything.”

She flicked her flowing brown hair back, the action causing his eyes to briefly fall to her modest chest. She didn’t have the most amazing figure but her body was nothing to scoff at, curvy in all the right places and just enough of an hourglass to make heads turn. She noticed him looking and smirked, making him blush and look down.

“I could always try though, if only to get him off your back.”

Cal snorted again and waved a fork at her in warning. “Do that and he’ll start bragging to the whole town that he bedded you.”

“If Neera hears anything like that she’ll chop his dick off.”

Cal smiled as she mentioned the kind goblin woman. She was the one who took Alia off the streets and gave her a job at the inn. Although they never interacted much, Cal would always be grateful for that kindness. He would have hated to see Alia rotting in the streets like him.

“That’s beside the point. He’s dangerous and I don’t want you anywhere near him,” he said fiercely.

“Aww look who’s getting protective of little old Alia.” She reached out and pinched in cheek playfully.

He swatted her hand away and glared at her. “I know guys like him. He won’t settle for a simple date,” he warned. A sly smirk crossed his face. “Also, if you suddenly decide to start dating guys, a perfectly handsome one is sitting in front of you.”

“Nice of you to offer,” she said and leaned forward again, this time pressing her arms together to give him a teasing view of her cleavage. “But these puppies belong to girls only.”

Cal didn’t realize that his mouth had dropped open until she reached out and closed it for him.

“Had enough,” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nope,” he replied shamelessly, still staring the gorgeous mounds in front of him.

Alia giggled and leaned back, making him click his head in disappointment. “Hope you had a good look because that’s all you’ll ever get to do.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing more if all I’m allowed to do is look,” he replied cheekily and ducked under the swat she aimed at his head.

They chatted while he ate and just enjoyed each other’s company like they used to do in the streets. Life had taken them away from each other. While he had to resort to theft and odd jobs to survive, she had become a serving girl in Neera’s inn. They remained though, being the only ones who understood each other’s plight.

“So, excited for your birthday,” he asked as he finished his food. Just as he was about to get up, he froze, cursing at his careless mistake.

Alia’s face had drawn into a grimace and she shrunk on herself a little.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean to- that was stupid of me.”

“It’s- It’s okay Cal.” She gave him a strained smile.

Now Cal felt bad. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Alia shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’ve accepted it for what it is.” She paused. “I’d be lying if I said if I still didn’t have some hope though. It’s stupid, I know. Getting a class at twenty is next to impossible.”

Cal placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “It’s not stupid, Alia. There’s nothing wrong with having hope.”

She smiled at him and they stayed in comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, he got up and fished out a few coins from a hidden pocket.

“Thanks for the meal.”

She shook her head and closed his hand around the coins. “Keep it. You need it more than I do.”

She got up and pulled him into a hug, his head only reaching her bust.

‘There are perks to being short,’ he thought as he enjoyed the warmth of her breasts. They stayed like that for a while before pulling away.

“Good night,” she told him with a smile and turned to head to her own room.

“Good night,” he replied and dropped the coins he had on the table and exited the inn.

Cal made his way to his usual sleeping spot a couple of roofs over. As he pulled a worn blanket around himself, he briefly looked around at all the other sleeping spots kids used to occupy when he was younger. Now all of them were either dead or working somewhere, lucky enough to escape a harsh life.

Luck never favored him. He was classless, a thief, living on the streets living from meal to meal and the girl he liked wasn’t into guys.

As he drifted off to sleep, he wondered if he would ever become as lucky as the ones who managed to get out of this life.

‘Highly fucking unlikely.’