The Masked Virtuoso-Chapter 104: The First Day in a New Era

A Riftborn in the Ancient World

For the first time in eternity—Ethan Cross was just a man.

No golden flames.

No reality-breaking abilities.

No instant death powers.

Just a very annoyed (and very hungry) Riftborn trapped in ancient history.

And as he walked through Kael’s village, one thing became painfully clear—

This was going to suck.

---

The Village of Kael – A Different Time

The moment Ethan and Kael stepped past the village gates, the overwhelming sights, sounds, and smells of a time long forgotten hit him all at once.

The roads weren’t paved. They were dusty, uneven paths, packed with people shouting, bargaining, and gossiping.

Wooden carts rattled past, filled with everything from fresh fruits to hand-forged weapons. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meat, burning firewood, and something vaguely suspicious.

Ethan’s stomach growled.

"Holy hell," he muttered. "Why does everything smell so good?!"

Kael gave him a flat look. "Because it is food?"

Ethan clutched his stomach dramatically. "No, you don’t understand! I haven’t needed food for years! I forgot what real hunger feels like!"

Kael sighed. "So you are a grown man who does not know how to eat?"

Ethan ignored him, eyes darting around like a starving beast. "Where’s the food? I need it now."

Kael grabbed him by the collar. "No. Clothes first. You stand out too much."

Ethan pouted. "But—"

"No."

Ethan groaned.

---

Gossiping Women – "Who is That Strange Man?"

As they walked, Ethan started to notice the stares.

The whispers started immediately.

> "Look at his clothes! He must be from the Eastern Kingdoms." "No, no! His outfit is far too strange! Perhaps he is a scholar from the mountains?" "Why is his hair like that? It looks unnatural!"

Ethan blinked, rubbing the back of his head. "Okay, wow. I forgot how judgmental ancient people were."

Kael sighed. "You stand out."

Ethan scoffed. "I don’t even look that weird."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "You are wearing... what did you call them? ’Jeans’?"

Ethan crossed his arms. "Listen, just because I have drip beyond time itself doesn’t mean they need to stare."

Kael ignored him and kept walking.

Ethan thought the gossiping was done.

It wasn’t.

> "I heard strange people bring curses!" "No, no! He must be a wandering prince, exiled for forbidden love!" "Or worse! Maybe he is a god... fallen from the heavens for a great crime?!"

Ethan stopped walking. "Oh my god. They’re making up fan theories about me."

Kael glanced back. "What is a ’fan theory’?"

Ethan shook his head. "It’s what happens when people don’t mind their own business."

Kael sighed. "Ignore them."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You don’t have time-travel fashion."

Then, suddenly—

They ran into trouble.

---

The Street Bullies – "Demon From the Sky!"

Unfortunately, Ethan’s outfit wasn’t the only problem.

The moment they turned a corner—they ran into trouble.

A group of rough-looking men stood in the middle of the street, blocking the path. Their leader—a tall, muscular guy with terrible teeth—squinted at Ethan suspiciously.

"Halt, stranger!" he shouted, pointing aggressively. "You’re a demon, aren’t you?!"

Ethan blinked. "Excuse me?"

The leader’s lackey leaned in and whispered, "What’s a demon?"

The leader scoffed, whispering back, "I don’t know, but it sounds scary."

Ethan folded his arms. "Oh, so you’re just making things up?"

The leader glared. "You came from the glowing circle in the sky! You must be a creature of evil! And as a warrior, I will take your head to the king and marry Princess—"

Ethan immediately zoned out.

Great. Another self-proclaimed hero with zero self-awareness.

Wait.

Ethan tilted his head. "So, you guys think Rift monsters are demons?"

The leader nodded aggressively. "Of course! They come from the sky, they have unnatural powers, and they look terrifying!"

Ethan stroked his chin. "Huh. Yeah, that actually makes sense. I mean, they’re pretty horrifying to look at."

Then—he paused.

A horrifying thought entered his mind.

Wait.

Not all Rift monsters looked terrifying. Some of them were—

No.

Ethan’s face twisted in horror.

"NO. STOP. DELETE THAT THOUGHT."

The leader and his men exchanged confused glances.

Ethan turned to the sky.

"AUTHOR! WHY?! WHY DID YOU MAKE ME THINK THAT?!"

Nothing happened.

Ethan scowled. "Oh, now you stay quiet?! But when I get my powers back, I’m erasing you first."

Kael sighed. "You are talking to the sky again."

Ethan exhaled sharply. "Just give me a minute. I’m fighting demons—in my head."

---

Ethan’s Instant Death Ability Doesn’t Work

Ethan took a deep breath, refocusing. Alright. Moving on.

He turned back to the leader. "Listen, do not try to kill me. Don’t even think about it. Because if you so much as attempt it, you’ll die instantly. Or worse—you’ll be erased from time itself."

The leader scoffed. "Ha! You expect me to believe such nonsense?"

Ethan grinned. "No, I expect you to die if you try it."

The leader swung a punch.

And, for the first time in centuries—

Nothing happened.

Ethan’s smirk vanished.

The fist slammed into his face.

THWACK.

The impact sent Ethan flying backward, crashing into the dirt road.

A beat of silence.

Then—

Ethan groaned, lying flat on his back. "Oh. Oh, wow. That sucked."

Kael sighed. "You let yourself get hit."

Ethan scowled, rubbing his jaw. "No, I was just dramatically testing my mortality."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

Ethan muttered, "Alright, fine. I forgot I don’t have my powers."

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Then, he looked up at the sky.

"...Author?"

Nothing.

Ethan sat up. "...Author."

Still nothing.

Ethan stood up.

"OH, YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY, HUH?! YOU THINK I WOULDN’T NOTICE?!"

Kael tilted his head. "Who are you yelling at?"

Ethan pointed at the sky.

"THE AUTHOR SEALED MY POWERS! THIS ENTIRE PLOT IS JUST A SETUP FOR ME TO STRUGGLE!"

Kael sighed deeply. "You are insane."

Ethan growled. "YOU HEAR THAT, WRITER?! EVEN HE THINKS YOU’RE STRETCHING THE STORY! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU COWARDLY NARRATOR!"

The sky remained silent.

Ethan took a deep breath, shaking with rage.

"Oh, when I get my powers back, I’m rewriting the author out of existence."

---

Kael Intervenes

Kael calmly stepped between Ethan and the bullies.

"Enough."

The leader immediately straightened up. "O-Oh! Sir Kael! We didn’t know he was your guest!"

Kael’s voice was calm, but absolute. "You know now."

The leader nodded rapidly. "Yes! Of course! W-We’ll leave at once!"

The group of bullies scattered instantly.

Ethan exhaled, muttering. "Lucky for them, because I was about to throw hands."

Kael turned to him. "You cannot pick a fight with anyone here."

Ethan huffed. "I didn’t pick a fight—they did!"

Kael didn’t respond.

Instead, he kept walking.

---

Ethan Gets a Wardrobe Change

Ethan caught up with Kael, rubbing his sore jaw.

"Alright, what’s next?"

Kael glanced at him. "Your clothes are a problem."

Ethan looked down at his jeans and T-shirt. "I don’t see an issue."

Kael sighed. "Everyone else does."

Ethan groaned. "Oh, god. I’m gonna look like an NPC, aren’t I?"

Kael kept walking.

Ethan sighed. "Fine. Lead the way, O Great Warrior."

And with that, the two continued onward—Ethan to get new clothes, and Kael to wonder why fate had cursed him with this absolute menace of a time traveler.

---

To Be Continued...