The first rays of dawn filtered gently through the dusty air and sent bars of light slowly climbing up the wall. A gentle breeze was sent lazily winding from the window, its movement outlined by the bright particles of dust. The languid snake coiled against the walls and stirred the hay strewn haphazardly about the floor. As if sensing the disturbance, the eyes of the room’s only resident reluctantly slid open and surveyed his surroundings. That resident was me, and I was in a cell. On top of being indecent in public, apparently some witnesses testified to me shouting crazily before stripping so the local authorities decided it was prudent to keep me overnight. Good morning, new world.

I yawned and stretched my arms toward the ceiling, arching my back. A few satisfying pops rang out and I rubbed a few sore bruises on my arms and face and legs and back. A bit of everywhere, actually.

“Hey man is there any way I can get this misunderstanding cleared up?” I called out to the guard on duty outside my cell. He glanced back through the window in the cell door and flashed me a grin.

“Hahaha don’t worry Mariche is talking with the chief right now, putting in a good word. We just have to wait for the lord to stop in and you’ll be out. Only thing damaged is pride, well and your reputation heehee1.” He snickered to himself for a moment and I sighed heavily.

“Yeah that was definitely not how I hoped my first impression on the town would go, at least I’m not going to be stoned.”

“Nothing so serious, just sit back and do push-ups to pass the time or something.” Embarrassed as I was, the guy had a point; there was no reason not to make use of my forced free time. Of course, exercise was the devil so I thought maybe I could try out my skills. Not THAT one. Yeah origin is gonna have a time-out for a while, and I don’t see myself traveling at the moment so let’s try enigma. How do I even train a skill? Guild Lady said with training I could use it to hide my presence but how do I train that? Auuuhuhhgggh enigma means make stuff confusing so I must be training already… Haaaa alright let’s start with ‘erasing my presence.’ So hiding basically~ I can do that. I didn’t plan on laying under the bed though so I just sat on it and practiced being quiet.

“What are ya, meditating? The hell are ya, a monk?” The guard was glancing in and enjoying himself.

“Shush! I’m concentrating on a high level total annihilation magic. It’s so strong that I can destroy something and fix it in an instant! Behold my power!” I taunted the guard in true overblown protagonist style. Though I somewhat doubt a protagonist would flash a child. Then again the only other protagonist is Grey so maybe that’s just the kind of story I’m in. Hmm.

“Sure thing, level one, I believe you.” It feels good to be trusted. What a nice guy. No really.

I steadied my breathing and focused on becoming nothing: silent breath, slow heartbeat, absolute motionlessness. I am the wall. I exist slowly, quietly, anonymously. I decay with the wind piece by piece as an ever-drifting trail of dust pulled by the tide of the air. I move only on and with the air, each breath a year in the stone world of silence. The wind is my lungs and ground my body. I tower above and squat below; encompassing. All life is motion but I exist as the silence of death, the only quiet pulsations of life trickling and fading through the veins of the world. I allowed my eyes to drift open, imagining the slow encroachment of a glacier upon land; imperceptible. It is brighter now, the bars of light several feet higher than I left them. I notice the air shift slightly and drift with it. The door was open and it seemed someone was making a disturbance beyond it.

“WHERE THE HELL DID HE GO?”

“I’m sorry I really don’t know he was just sitting there meditating and bragging about getting his magic ready then he was gone.”

“What do you mean GONE?? You do realize what this FUCKING means don’t you?? Why the FUCK did you let him cast magic?”

“I know but he just vanished!! He said he was casting magic but he’s only level one! And Milene told me he hadn’t visited her yet so he can’t have actually known magic right? I thought he was just kidding around!”

“IT’S NOT YOUR JOB TO THINK. YOUR JOB IS TO KEEP. HIM. HERE.”

For a second I was just going to jump up and be like ‘hey guys got you ahahah!’ but the tone of the angry guys voice made me stay still, it’s like when you’re hiding and your parents get angry, for some reason you just don’t move. I get the feeling I wouldn’t get off with just a slap on the wrist at this point so I stayed still.

“Tell me the situation.” Ah that voice, it’s Guild Lady.

“Colonel Ma’am! He was here a few hours ago and was just sitting on his bed but disappeared suddenly when I wasn’t looking.” Seems I’ve been out of it longer than I thought.

“Did you check the cell?”

“Yes Ma’am! After I noticed his absence I contacted Roderick to watch the door while I went in. I checked under the bed and examined the walls and window bars. There were no signs that he did anything to any of them but there was also no sign of him.” Wait seriously? He looked that hard but didn’t see me? I’m incredible.

“Give me a full report. Start from when he left the guild, we might have missed something.”

What? Was I being watched?

“Right away Ma’am! 1502 target leaves guild hall and proceeds down main street. 1509 target enters Sewn and Stitched and conducts business with Tailor.”

“Not the lord’s mansion?”

“No Ma’am it seems he elected to conduct business in town prior to meeting his Lordship.”

“Hmm. Troubling. So he didn’t receive the mark?”

“No Ma’am, word was sent to the Lord immediately after the target woke up but he did not make it in time.”

“What terrible fortune. Continue.”

“Yes! Tailor purchases all belongings of target aside from his bag and sword. Materials are delivered to the storehouse immediately upon target’s absence. 1556 target exits Sewn and Stitched and proceeds to Soma Leathers. 1603 target enters communications with Soma. Approximately 1606 target is subjected to impulse by Soma. 1712 target leaves Soma Leathers and proceeds to Gilford’s Metalworks. 1859 target leaves Gilford’s Metalworks. 1902 impulse discharges and target is guided into using forbidden skill >.”

Forbidden?? Wait what is that impulse? Was I set up??

“1904 target is apprehended upon charges of public indecency and brought to this incarceration facility.”

“Wait why was the mark not given yesterday if he has been here all this time?”

“Ma’am! The Lord was called away suddenly due to a disturbance reportedly caused by an unusual heratosk. By the time the lord could return the target was asleep and slept until 0800.”

“Ah of course. Continue.”

“Yes Ma’am. At approximately 0800 target asked if it was possible to release him. I assured him it would be fine once the Lord arrived. 0802 target began meditating on the bed. When questioned the target responded that he was preparing an annihilation magic that could immediately destroy and restore a subject.”

“AND YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS FINE???”

“Major Gilford, please. Soldier, your reason?”

“Yes Ma’am. The reason was that due to his beginner level and lack of magic training it was taken to be a joke. His good humor implied he intended to play along and not resist. 0810, less than 10 minutes later at my scheduled check he was gone.”

“I see. Soldier in the event of an uncertain situation involving possible invocation of a forbidden skill what are your actions according to training code?”

“Colonel Ma’am! It is my duty to report such activity to the nearest officer and await instructions Ma’am!”

“No matter how insignificant?”

“N-no matter Ma’am!”

“That’s right. You overlooked a hint that could have prevented the escape of a grade B target. As the grade is not severe neither will your punishment.”

“Thank you for your leniency Ma’am!”

“Think nothing of it.”

“Yes Ma’am!”

“Take some men around back and search for tracks. Maybe he really did slip through the wall somehow.”

They’re trying really hard to catch me. I don’t really know what’s happening but I need to leave. Now. Just as I was about to bolt for the door I heard footsteps approaching. Freezing in place I saw the young soldier from before enter the room with what looked like a flashlight. With a blank expression he flicked it on and swept the room. A bright beam of light came from the thing and the room lit up with an explosion of different colors and shapes. Looking closely I saw that most of them were colored footprints. The strongest color was bright orange, and without even looking closely I could tell they belonged to me. They only went to the door were I talked to the guard then immediately back to my position on the bed.

“As I thought, it’s strongest where he was meditating then goes nowhere else. Did he teleport?” The guard frowned slightly, mulling it over. “No that’s far too high level of a spell. Then how?”

“SOLDIER.” With a start the soldier whipped around and flashed Gilford the blacksmith in the eyes.

“GAH Watch it dammit!” Gilford covered his eyes before glaring right at me. “Hmm. Only the afterimage. Damn things are messing with my eyes. Anyway soldier go look out back as you were ordered. This is a user of the origin skill, even at level one he can return something to it’s original form once a day.”

“So? Ah sir, you’re saying he broke the wall then turned it back to normal? But what about footprints?”

“Probably returned those too. As far as I know there’s a range limit to the skill so the only prints left are further than the bed.”

“I see. But, how did he break the wall then?”

“I believe I told you it wasn’t your job to think didn’t I? And even if it was you could tell from reading the report. We have no idea what his stats are. He very well could have the strength to break through something of this level. It is only for low level criminals after all. Now before I tell you again MOVE.” He barked a command at the soldier who bolted out the door, followed by Gilford. I held my breath and listened for anyone else. Hearing nothing I crept to the door and looked outside. The hallway was empty but there were voices down to the right.

Going as quickly and quietly as I could I crept down the hall to the left until I found an empty cell. I slid inside then pressed against the wall out of sight of the door. Okay time to think. How the hell do I get out of here? I considered following Gilford’s idea for a second and breaking the wall but one bruised knuckle later told me that he was clearly over-estimating me; that wall was solid. Suddenly I remembered his other point, ‘he used origin to hide his footprints’. If they don’t find anything outside they’ll come back and see that I left new prints. I’ll be screwed. Poking my head out the door I point my hand at the ground and concentrate on the idea of my footprints disappearing. Wait but I don’t want the floor to turn into sand or something, I just need my footprints gone. I thought for a second then held my hand out again, this time I focused not on returning the floor to its origin but returning it to the original state it was in before I came through. It sounded like bullshit even to me but even so I activated >. The floor looked cleaner but otherwise I couldn’t tell if I had succeeded. Oh well, here’s hoping my luck stat is ridiculously high. Maybe my stats updated since I slept?

NAME: Working on it. Totally. Def not just gonna call him noob indefinitely

TITLE: Enigmatic

AGE: ???

RACE: Human

LEVEL: 1

CLASS: Beginner

STRENGTH: ???

VITALITY: ???

SPEED: ???

AGILITY: ???

LUCK: ???

INTELLIGENCE: ???

DEXTERITY: ???

MANA: ???

SKILLS: Origin. Enigma (+Absolute Severance/ {{RESTRICTION}} Motion/ {{RESTRICTION}} Concentration). Traveler.

Well no stats yet but my skill definitely updated. So I can hide perfectly but I have to not move and concentrate to do so, which means I’ll never escape this town during the daytime. Coming to that realization I heaved a sigh and curled up in the corner of the cell to wait.

With a start I kicked awake, my movement eliciting a quiet scuffle that dissipated softly in the damp air. Panicking for a moment I froze and listened for any movement. What the hell was I thinking?? I have to bloody concentrate to not be found. So I sleep??? Anybody could have poked their head in here and found me. After a minute or so of hearing nothing I slowly let myself relax. My luck stat must really be through the roof. Oh well, hopefully I can at least leave now. A glance at the window told me that night had come and it was indeed time for the dark knight to rise. -not a euphemism. Suddenly voices echoed in from the corridor, it seems Demon Lord Guild Lady is back. Well I guess demon lady? But that doesn’t really do her justice… malevolent demon lady? No that makes her sound old and magical. Hmm, she’s pretty attractive, but not like cabaret girl attractive, more like the woman who will rip your dick off if you fuck around in a cabaret; the cabaret honor enforcer2. Perfect. She’s a malevolent and really intimidating cabaret honor enforcer. I’ll call her Mariche for short. Kinda suits her. Anyway no matter how heroic I am that’s a random encounter that should be left for later, or never preferably. When the end boss has characteristics that include ‘likely to rip your dick off’ you change your line of work. I’m currently looking into the running the fuck away business. That said, I stood and slunk out of my cell with speed and feline grace unmatchable among the human race while keeping my sight trained on the end of the corridor. I was the absolute vision of tension and control. I quickly continued slinking around while searching for an exit, followed only by the echoes of the conversation down the hall. I could pick up bits and pieces out of the jumble “…origin…might have used enigma…nothing…no signs in the forest…haven’t checked the se…wait at the farm…well fuck…” but most of it was gibberish. Suddenly my eyes alighted upon my salvation; a sewage access pipe. Wasting no time I lifted the stone cover and swung my legs into the hole. Hearing the sound of water below, I lowered myself quickly down before covering the hole and dropping. Immediately as I hit the surface of the sewer sludge I realized two things: the sewage around me wasn’t drifting along, it was rushing in a stream as fast as any white water river I was familiar with, and a sewage access cover had no business being in the middle of a jail’s hallway. For the flow to be moving this quickly this has to be a trap. I frantically started looking for a way out. Seeing none, I braced both my arms against the narrow walls in a desperate attempt to avoid whatever waited for me at the end of this fucked up water slide. Going from the current theme, it was probably going to be a magic gate connected to Mariche’s toilet bowl. Whatever it was, I didn’t have the misfortune to find out. My attempt to brace myself failed due in no small part to the slime-covered walls, leaving me to simply rocket down the tube like a starfish-shaped-projectile. Apparently, however, having victims of their shit-chute do exactly that hadn’t crossed the designers minds because only a few moments later my arm pushed straight past the wall and into a steel grating. I believe in small miracles. Maybe the fact that my arm didn’t get torn out of its socket by my momentum and the force of a shit typhoon that still threatened to drown me in what would be one of my top ten worst ways to go doesn’t sound like a miracle to some people, but I was grateful. I reached out my free hand to touch the bars and activated > to return them to iron dust, or ore, or anything that wasn’t bars and…nothing. Even if I could turn the bars into dust, I had already used origin earlier to erase my footprints. Oh I am fucked. Just as I had resigned myself to trying to explain to my forefathers that drowning in excrement was actually a pretty brutal way to go, the flow stopped. All the corn-flecked misery that had filled the narrow tunnel moments before surged past, leaving little more than slime on the walls and a faint trickle filling the bottom of the tunnel. Now that I had a moment to breathe I could see a gap at the bottom of the grate I was tangled in. It looked to be just big enough to slide under. Ok then. Deus ex machina might not be the only deuce I’m covered in but it’s certainly my favorite. Luckily, my current condition makes me quite skilled at sliding. I carefully climbed to the bottom of the grate and slid through the sludge. I’m already covered so what’s one last dip right? At least no one I know will ever see me like this. I immediately sat bolt upright and searched my surroundings for signs of life; I understand a plot device when I make one. No one seems to be around so that’s good.

Brushing myself off, more for the idea of it than for any good it did, I stood up and made my way down the tunnel. Before long I noticed there were small, evenly spaced holes diverting the flow near the sides of the tunnel. And not long after that I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, in a more literal sense than proverbial. I don’t think I’d want my tunnel to look like this anyway, little worried what it would mean about my life metaphorically. The light was close enough now that I could see it was a small exit hole into what looked like a forest. Well no reason to waste time, that poop flood trap has almost certainly gotten wherever it was going by now and I somewhat doubt this second exit is a state secret. With that I launched myself out of the sewer the way any man would, with a run and a jump ending in a superman style shit ‘n slide right out the hole. If anyone was watching they’d definitely give that exit a ten.

“That was an 8 I’d say.”

“I’d give him a 9 for style but a 1 for looks.”

1Besides, y’know, me

2Real thing? Fuck I don’t know. Kinda hope so