Chapter 15: Chapter 11: Tear in the Fabric

I quietly slithered back and forth between two rotten crates, carefully avoiding any rotten spots as I pondered.

Watching and waiting to see if anyone would be coming after me or if perhaps no one had noticed my presence.

 

Did the skeleton need something in the tent or was it just a fluke it entered when it did? I muttered mentally as I waited longer to see what befell the situation.

 ...

After some time, I begin to wander back out of the crack I had squished myself in, moving towards the entrance.

Careful in hushing my approach, slowing whenever I heard the crack of bones, as I eventually get sight around the corner.

As I find the newfound skeleton is still in my tent, sitting on the floor as it stares out the door.

 

This is probably the skeleton that moved me out of that rotten building. But did it lose the lump of iron in a ravine or something?

Though as I move closer, carefully parsing where to move, I noticed...that the main tent is still occupied.

Momentarily freezing, I take my time to look at both locations, making sure I didn't miss any details.

 

I find myself staring at two skeletons, noting the quantity as I then compared the differences I found between the two as I stayed firmly where I was.

From my inspection, I can tell that they are two different skeletons altogether, rather than some costume change.

I then cling tightly to a nearby crate, as I praise myself mentally for my last-minute call as I pretend I'm not laying flat against the crate.

 

Though that elated sense of joy and serendipity is soon dashed by a cold bucket as a realization dawns upon me.

Just randomly wandering around the encampment without a direction in mind would be a highly dangerous endeavor.

For I had been under the foolish assumption that only that skeleton in the main tent was the only intelligent one wandering around.

 

But that seems to have been a pipe dream in itself, as evidence is before me contrary to that previous belief.

I scrunch up my fabric, as I then continue to observe this new skeletal visitor on my refuge.

Seeing if I could gather any knowledge on the differing roles between the two and if nothing else, know what this new skeleton looks like at a glance.

 

As I focus on it closely, and discover several lingering injuries all over its body, with more than one bone cracked or missing fragments compared to the other side of its body.

Perhaps if I may speculate, that this one is like a thug, that fights on the frontlines of the battlefield, and that the other is instead a commander? Does that explain how extensive the damage is though?

As I then realize its skull is a different shade of color from a normal skeleton, being a light shade of blue rather than white, almost as if I was staring at the coastal waters.

 

I couldn't be sure if that meant anything specific beyond being an average thug on the front, but I couldn't be sure what significance it had here.

For all the time I've spent in this place, it had only further illustrated how little power I have in my hands-in my fabric, and it's still sizzling my pride.

Though I would like to play by my rules I had no cards to play, and though it burns my pride to admit, I will play by the rules, at least until I have my power, my fame, and my influence, just you wait.

 

Though my fantasy would have continued for longer, oh did I wish it did, my attention was quickly arrested by the movement of bones.

Something had changed about the situation for the blue skull skeleton began to stand from his spot and dust itself. Held my spot as I watched, flattening to the floor.

As the skeleton then began to walk, clanking as it does towards the commander's tent, keeping its sword held by the wayside as it stands before the first skeleton.

 

Once noticing its undivided attention is on the first skelly, I spring up and backpedal, heading back deeper into the tent while avoiding any debris.

Now that they're occupied with whatever they're speaking about, let's see if I can get any kind of testing done with my body.

Though since I don't have an unlimited amount of time, I only have enough time to check one or two things I was curious about.

 

Glancing back at my titles, I flip through them quickly to see if was correct about what I had read, before closing them once more.

So I was right that the titles said I have an affinity towards using Pure Mana, Death, and Life magic now.

But they tell me absolutely nothing about how to cast the magic or what steps to take to begin learning how to cast it. Won-der-ful.

 

I had hoped there was some indication about what steps to take hidden in the title but seems I was mistaken.

While slithering backward to avoid another piece of rotten debris, I try to decide what passive skill to focus on when I see something surprising and sudden.

{Unnamed has gained the "Silent Movement" skill!}

You are reading story Reincarnated as a Cloak at novel35.com

 

I slither back almost immediately, though I quickly stopped backpedaling once I fully processed it was a notification for a new skill rather than anything else.

Though I am interested in looking at it on my sheet, I want to see if I can already see the effects of the skill without reading the tab.

Declaring to the empty air as my attention focuses on my movement as I wander forward, and back slithering almost like a snake, as my cloth body doesn't give many options in how It looks. 

 

 As I begin to notice that my slithering makes a much softer rubbing sound now in addition to a faint awareness of where to not stop.

Though perhaps unsurprisingly it doesn't feel that significant to what I was already doing besides catching the occasional mistakes I had made off and on.

Regardless it's but a further acknowledgment I'm doing something right with my time.

 

As I move between two crates once again, happy with the new skill and ready to read it, I recall that I bad curious about something else before that.

Seeking to get it done quickly and to sate my curiosity, I grab a piece of wood that had fallen off one of the nearby rotten crates.

Taking care to pick a piece of wood that had barely any rot on it, while the images of that mouse played through my mind.

 

Once held in my fabric tendril, I begin crushing it, slowly applying force as I go.

Observing as I used more and more strength, I dedicate my focus to my action until I heard the tell-tale sound.

Up until then, besides holding onto the piece of wood, I found no difficulties in breaking the piece of wood.

 

I had thought it was just a fluke I could outright crush a mouse with the way my body was made of fabric.

But this is two for two, that I crushed something that I was sure I could only hold in my grip. I would have just presumed it was a feature of my body if not for the fact my other skills directly come from my race.

I would think if it was present, it would be showing up as a skill or at least another title that I was some beast of a rag, but I haven't seen anything. I mutter as I bundle myself into a small clump of cloth.

 

Well, whatever it is, it seems to just be an issue with the force I am applying. 

Though I do wonder if I can use it in unison with my newly gained skill. Curiosity rearing its dangerous head as I pick up another fragment of wood.

As I proceed to try to apply my Stealth Movement skill to the tasks, I find happily expectingly that it does apply to my action, whispering to me what to do to prevent more noise than necessary.

Though as I finish crushing the second piece of wood, I notice my Status sheet opening up beside me, though I think not much of it. As I just presume I might have thought about it by accident and go to close it again - A monotone voice rings out inside my mind.

 

{ERROR DETECTED WHEN STEALTH APPLIED WITH UNKNOWN STRENGTH MECHANISM -> NO SKILL PRESENT?}

{ERROR ANALYZED -> STANDARD REVIEW FOR UNUSUAL INDIVIDUAL UNSATISFACTORY.}

{SYSTEM ACTION CHOSEN: RE-REVIEW.}

 

{SYSTEM CHECK: Title: REINCARNATED SOUL}

{SYSTEM CHECK: Title: OTHERWORLDER}

{SYSTEM CHECK: HAUNTED RAG}

{SYSTEM CHECK: SUITABLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -> PRESENT.}

 

{SYSTEM ADJUSTMENT FOUND AND SELECTED, ACKNOWLEDGING UNNAMED HAUNTED RAG THE "Golem's Might Level 1" PASSIVE SKILL!}

{SYSTEM ERROR HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CATALOGED FOR FUTURE CASES.}

{HAVE A GOOD DAY, UNNAMED RAG.}

...

Only after several dozen seconds of staring at the air like I was some kind of baboon did my senses return.

Ex-excuse me? I can't help but state after seeing what had appeared in my vision without warning.

What do I even make of that? Why did it wish me to have a good day? How was it capable of wishing me a good day? What-I-

 

I just froze trying to process the string of notifications that had just spammed in front of my vision.

Though even with all the time spent, dumbfounded the only response my articulate mind could muster was.-

I guess... thank you for the... well wishes?...