Chapter 2:
Morning came with noise.
Shouting merchants, metal clashing, footsteps rushing past the narrow alley where Yuki had spent the night. His body ached from the cold floor, but he pushed himself up quickly. Sleeping too long in Orario without protection was a mistake he didn't want to repeat.
As he stepped outside, sunlight hit his face. The city looked alive, powerful… and dangerous.
Adventurers moved with confidence, some laughing, others bleeding as they returned from the Dungeon. Yuki watched them carefully. Their posture, their breathing, the way they held their weapons.
"They're monsters compared to me," he thought.
Without a falna, he was weaker than the weakest adventurer. Even with chakra, one mistake could get him killed.
The system stayed silent until his stomach growled again.
Right on cue, a new notification appeared.
[New Mission Issued]
Mission 2: Learn Your Place
Objective:
• Observe adventurers in Orario
• Identify at least three threats you cannot handle
• Avoid direct conflict
Reward:
• Random Ninjutsu (Rank D)
Failure Penalty:
• Increased Mission Difficulty (Temporary)
Yuki frowned.
"This system really wants me alive."
Still, the mission made sense. Charging into danger without understanding the world would end badly.
He spent the day walking the city. Slowly. Carefully.
Near the Dungeon entrance, he saw an adventurer dragged out on a stretcher, blood soaking through bandages. His companions looked grim, not surprised.
Threat number one, Yuki noted.
The Dungeon itself.
Later, he watched two adventurers arguing loudly in a side street. One hand moved to a dagger. The tension was sharp enough to feel.
Threat number two.
Other adventurers.
Finally, he wandered too close to the edge of the monster-filled lower streets. A distorted howl echoed from a dark alley. Yuki didn't wait to see what made it.
Threat number three.
Things that hunt the careless.
By the time the sun began to set, Yuki felt mentally exhausted but sharper. More aware.
He found temporary work again, this time unloading crates near a warehouse. The owner tossed him a few coins. Not enough for comfort, but enough for food.
When night fell and Yuki returned to his shed, the system spoke again.
[Mission 2 Completed.]
He sat down immediately, heart pounding.
[Reward Being Generated…]
[Reward Acquired.]
Ninjutsu Acquired: Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)
Yuki blinked, then laughed softly.
"A disguise technique?"
At first, he felt a little disappointed. No fire, no lightning, no flashy power.
But then he stopped and thought.
In Orario, appearance mattered. Familia symbols, armor quality, even confidence. Being able to change his face, his height, his build…
"This is perfect."
He stood up and focused on the chakra inside his body. It responded faster than before. Slowly, carefully, he shaped it.
With a faint puff of smoke, the boy in the shed was gone.
In his place stood a thin, tired-looking adult with dull eyes and messy hair. Completely unremarkable.
Yuki stared at his reflection in a cracked piece of metal.
"…Yeah," he said, voice slightly deeper. "This will keep me alive."
The transformation faded a moment later, leaving him breathing hard.
"Still rough," he muttered. "I'll need practice."
Another message appeared, smaller than the others.
[System Note: Mastery increases through usage.]
Yuki lay back and closed his eyes.
He still had no familia. No god. No official path forward.
But now he could hide, observe, and survive.
And somewhere deep inside, Yuki felt it clearly.
This city wasn't just dangerous.
It was full of opportunities.
And one day, when he was ready, Orario would notice him.
Just not yet.