Ugly Bastard

/I can't believe this really works like we wanted to. This skill is absurd./ Noah spoke within his mind to his system.

/You sure it's not breaking any universal laws, that we will get some heavenly punishment for?/

*System is quite sure we have not broken any rules placed on this world in any way.*

Noah was walking the streets of the town looking around searching for something, while holding a small piece of paper in his hands.

*Just consider it as some elaborate illusion skill. It mostly is. Just works a bit differently. Just lessening the interactions with certain important people to the minimum, would be enough to lower the chances of being caught. Also getting into fights would rather be avoided as that is bound to give us out? In any other way, we are probably safe.*

"Oh. Found it." Said Noah looking at the sign of a tavern hanging over the door deep in one of the alleys.

/That should be the place the girl from the guild recommended. Also that "probably" in your words make me worry./

*There are always unforeseeable circumstances that could come in play, but if we are careful the chance of that are low*

Noah entered the door into the dimly lit dining room. While chatting with system in his head.

"Welcome, customer." Said the man in the hall room with a few plates of food in hands that he was placing on the table in front of a few men sitting there.

"Greetings. Miss Louriat at the adventurers guild directed me here. I'd like to stay for a week."

"Good, good. Come over to the counter. I'll be right back."

Noah came to the counter and looked around the place. It was quite a small inn, but the room was clean and the style had a sense of comfort, also the owner seemed like a good person.

"So then?" Said the owner coming over a few moments later. "A room for one? For a week stay?"

"Yes, please." Answered Noah

"Would you like to include breakfast, lunch and dinner?"

"A breakfast and a dinner would be great. I am not sure about lunches as I am here purely for the adventuring job."

"I see. I can offer you an adventurer set then. Breakfast is included. Also you can get a ready set of traveler food for a short trip when you work. And I will leave a portion from the day's dinner dish, just in case you return really late."

"Sounds good."

"Alright, that would be 5 silver."

Noah put his hand inside clothes pocket and took out a small bag of coins from his pocket folder. He took out a hand with the wallet and took out the 5 small silver coins, placing them on the counter.

Man took out a key from under the counter and put it on the counter near the coins.

"Third floor. The farthest room. It's the most silent room. Windows are the farthest from the main road. Oh and they are heavily protected with the magic from any outside interaction."

"Magic?" Questioned Noah. That was quite a feat for a small inn.

"My wife and I are ex-adventurers. We've picked a few tricks here and there." Answered the owner with a wink.

"You'll find a utility room with basins and a water barrel in the middle of the hall, where you can get yourself some water to wash up in the morning or before sleep. Leave the used basin on the table in the utility room after you throw out the water into the drain in the utility room please. If you want a nice soak in the bath, there's a common bathhouse down this very alley. Tell them you're staying here and they'll give you a small discount as well."

"That's wonderful. Thank you" said Noah, picking up his key.  "I'll leave my stuff in the room to come down for a… is it lunch or dinner time already?"

"Been out in the wild for a long time ain't you?"

"Yeah. You could say that."

"Lunch time just ended. We are selling dinner sets now. Today's special is my wife's best dish. So we are expecting quite a mob here in a few moments time. Hurry up to get a nice spot."

"Alright!" Said Noah and hurried upstairs. He went down the hall where he picked a clean basin and poured some water in it from the barrel in the utility room in the middle of the hall and walked further down the corridor.

When he entered the room he looked around and placed the basin with water on the table near the door, placing it near the fresh towel already lying on it. Closing the door, he looked over the room once more.

Small room with barely a space for one bed, a table, a chair and the basin table at the door with a mirror on the wall over it.

"Small, but clean." Said Noah throwing his fake traveling bag. At the corner near the legs side of the bed. He walked to the basin and looked into the mirror. A bearded man with a weary look watched at him from the mirror. Noah bent toward the basin and washed his face with water. Then picked a clean towel and wiped his face while standing up and looking at the mirror again. This time his face was back to his usual, but with glitches and spots of different color all over his face. A few moments later his face returned to that of a bearded man with a weary look in his eyes. Only this time a smile on his lips.

He hung the towel on the small hook near the mirror and walked over to the bed, sitting down carefully. 

"Not as comfy as I am used to, but quite nice still." Said Noah probing the bed with a slight jump while sitting. He looked around the room and thought about the day's events.

This all seemed surreal. Just three days ago he was a noble son of a respectable house. Now an identity-forging demon-like schizophrenic criminal with a system heavily leaning into embracing all the darkness of the world, staying in the cheap inn room that he rented with almost all the money in his possession. 

He fell back on the bed and heavily sighted. 

"And today was the craziest day of my life."

He ran from the hunters, he fought dryads, he barged into the Great Tree Labyrinth Rulers throne hall full of the armed dryads. Then hunted a few monsters on his walk to the town for money. Used an unheard means to forge his identity and get around the identity check skills of the people guarding the city gate. But even that was not the end of this.

Noah closed his eyes and days events played before his eyes.

******

Noah stood at the gates in front of a guard using "identity check" skill on him, with a bit of anxiety. Although the system reassured that there should not be a problem, he could not help but worry. After all if his trick failed he would be found guilty of at least several crimes.

However none of his fears came true. Guards let him in after a quick check and he walked through the massive gate letting out a heavy sight when he reached the other side of the city wall.

/Good. We are through./

*As I said we would be.* Answer system.

/You said probably./

*Did I?*

/You definitely did and don't make it seem like you forgot it, because I know you don't forget things./

*....*

"Now then. What do I do now?"

/We should probably go to the adventurers guild and sell the trophies from the hunt. Otherwise I barely have any money on me at all./

*There is some observation I would like to share*

/Say it/ Thought Noah, checking the road sign and walking in the direction pointing to the adventurers guild.

*You can't go to the adventurers guild directly*

Noah suddenly stopped in the middle of the road as if rooted in place

/Why?/

*Several reasons.* Answered system

*First you don't have a traveling bag, which would make people suspect you have a pocket. A rare skill among adventurers. And even then they open at least after level 10. You are barely a level 2. That will attract unwanted attention. Not the best choice when we are committing at least a few crimes already.*

*Second reason. User, have you forgotten that you already registered as an adventurer once? The first check at the adventurers guild would recognize your face and implicate your identity as forged. If you go with the real identity you risk being found alive by your family and die an untimely death from an assassination.*

/Oh crap./ Thought Noah. /I forgot the face check at the guild./ Which was no wonder as he just registered as an adventurer for the first time two days ago and barely had time to listen to any explanation from the guild worker, when his brother-in-law pulled him away saying he would explain the rules later. However, did not explain a shit in the end.

/That's a problem./

*Indeed. Unless we find a way to create a new face, we can't go to the adventurers guild.*

/Hold on! Create a new face? Hmmm…./ Thought Noah, and then changed direction he passed a few turns and alleys and finally found a nice dim and secluded place in one of the back street alleys. Where he disappeared as if dispersing in the shadows.

Noah came to the mind world and called out his painter tool and the system window. 

"System copy me this window again"

System did as he asked and a new system window appeared near the original. 

"Now make here a picture of any man that we walked by on the street."

System completed his order.

After that Noah took over the control and did a strange thing. He put his system window under the fake system window so close that they lay on each other and then overlaid his own face in the system window with the face of a stranger. Shaping the picture to fit his own face.

*Ding. Conditions have been met. Creating skill*

"YES!" Roared Noah.

Skill created: Second skin illusion.

Noah opened the Skill List and checked its description.

//Skill:Second skin illusion//

//A thin layer of illusion combined with mind interference makes others perceive the user as another person. Deeply connected with a Mind Canvas Painter skill. Consumes a small amount of mana when used//

"Yes! System, will this work?"

*System must say it is a wonderful idea. There should not be any problem to fool the identity and face check at the guild with this.

"Now let's forge a nice identity for my new persona."

*****

A bearded man with a weary look and a bag behind his shoulder walked into the adventurers guild and looked around.

This was not his first time here, but he repeated his actions from his first day.

Then he walked to the counter where one of the attendants looked up from her papers at him.

"Good day sir."

"Hello." Said Noah, trying to sound more masculine in voice. "I would like to register"

Young woman with a small sign Lina Louriat raised a brow looking at him, but did not comment.

"Please this way, then." She said.

"Oh and I killed a few monsters while traveling so I would like to exchange the trophies"

"We will do that after registering you. As it would be more profitable for a member of a guild."

She walked him into the separate room with a magical device with a white crystal embedded into it. "Please put your hand on a crystal." She said pointing at a crystal.

Noah did as she asked, while the girls prepared some papers and inserted them inside the device from one side. A few moments later the paper came out of other side of the device with Noah's information on it. 

"Mr. Lewenred. Is everything right?"

"Yes, exactly right." Lied Noah with a straight face.

"So you are a "Tamer" ? What beast you have under control. You are not obliged to say but that would be better for your task suitability evaluation."

"An alfa monster wolf."

"Oh? Tamed it yourself?"

"He's raised in a family."

"Oh. I think I've heard of such houses. You came from far away?"

"Yeah. Traveled here and there. Looking for a spot to settle down now. Thought maybe I could earn some for retirement in the labyrinth."

"All right. Sign here please and you are a member of the guild. Do you want me to read the rules of the guild?"

"Yes, please" Answered Noah while signing his fake signature under his fake name already printed in the paper in beautiful black gold cursive letters.

Miss Louriate spoke about the rules and how the guild worked and then forwarded him toward the exchange room. 

"Oh, one more thing. Maybe you could advise on a cheap but good inn around here."

"Why yes, of course. I'll write the name for you." Answered the girl picking up a piece of paper from the counter and pencil. 

"Mention them my name," she said pointing at her badge and you'll get a bit of a discount too. Have a nice day Mr. Lewenred, and good luck with your retirement."

"Good day Miss Louriat." Said Noah and walked toward the exchange room.

*****

*You will get the worst seat in the dining room if you lay any longer.

"Right." Said Noah standing up from the bed and exiting the room

/Let's start our new fake life with our first nice dinner and a good night's rest/ Thought Noah.