And sudenly darkness wrapped around me like a heavy blanket—almost comforting. I slowly woke up in a room I didn't recognize: a simple bed, bare walls, and the distant hum of the city sneaking through a closed window with blinds.
I sat up and raised my hand, staring at the long green hair falling over my fingers, soft and strange. My reflection flickered in the Terraria HUD, and for a moment, I barely recognized myself. Slender, almost divine features, a body built for stealth and agility… it wasn't my own face, not really.
"…Wait… is this… Enkidu?" I whispered, unsure if my brain was just scrambling through a fanfic-induced memory or if this was actually happening.
Before the change, I had blue eyes, neither too tall nor too short, with a face that leaned toward "okay-looking" rather than memorable, framed by simple glasses. Chestnut hair, unremarkable. Somehow I always looked younger than I actually was—a blessing in high school, a curse in the adult world.
And now… this? Sharp green eyes, long flowing hair, a frame that looked like it belonged in an epic poem rather than a grimy NY safehouse. I flexed my fingers experimentally, just to make sure they actually moved the way I expected. They did. Sleek. Strong. Almost ridiculously perfect.
"…Okay," I muttered to no one in particular, my voice unfamiliar and smooth, sliding out of me like it had been built for persuasion. "…This is happening."
I blinked at my reflection again, letting the image settle in. It was… different. Definitely not me, not exactly—but not bad. Weird, yes, but in a strangely welcome way.
A small, amused smile tugged at my lips.
"Well," I muttered, "looks like my favorite Fate character decided to lend me a body. Not perfect… but honestly? Could be worse, and honestly… not bad at all."
Just then, another message appeared in my mind, just like the ones before:
"Your identity is Enkidu—or Enki, whichever you prefer to call yourself. A lone mutant, expert in camouflage and stealth, a seller of intelligence to mercenaries, mutants."
"Also, I've assigned your physical form based on your favorite Fate character: Enkidu. Consider this a little gift, since you've been given several Fate perks."
"And yes, count yourself lucky your favorite character wasn't a woman. A sex change on top of all that wouldn't have helped much either."
I blinked.
"...You're serious?"
I sat up straighter, reflexively touching my throat.
The voice that came out when I spoke again was—
Smooth.
Not deep, not high. Just… annoyingly perfect.
The kind of voice that made you double-check if you'd accidentally walked into a radio commercial.
If it sang, you'd pay for private concerts.
If it tried to flirt? Yeah, it was unfair. Ridiculously unfair.
I didn't know if it came with the body, the perks, or some divine-level audio tuning baked into the design…
But whatever it was, it worked a little too well.
I brushed a strand of long green hair away from my face, then looked down at my hands. Slim. Elegant. Strong.
"Okay, so... I'm Enkidu now. Or Enki. Great."
I let that settle in for a moment, then let out a breath and rubbed my temples.
"I mean, I do love Enkidu, but this is way beyond cosplay."
I glanced over at the nearest reflective surface—just a warped piece of polished metal on the wall. A stranger stared back at me. Ethereal. Sharp green eyes, otherworldly grace. Not exactly my face, not exactly familiar… but weirdly, kind of nice.
Then Rob's last line replayed in my head.
"Count yourself lucky your favorite character wasn't a woman."
I laughed—short, incredulous, and maybe a little startled.
"Yeah, no kidding. This is already enough of an identity crisis without suddenly having boobs."
Still grinning uneasily, I let my hand drift downward, just to check—because at this point, I wasn't taking anything for granted.
A second later, I let out a slow, relieved exhale.
"...Okay. Good. We're still working with familiar equipment down there. Thank God for small mercies."
I shook my head, still half-smirking.
"Well, Enkidu it is, I guess. New face, new name, new world. Time to play the part."
I stood, flexing my fingers experimentally. The HUD flickered quietly in the corner of my vision, stats humming in that comforting Terraria glow. Whatever came next, I had a build—and now, a name.
Enkidu.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
The place was no luxury suite, but it had the unmistakable air of a well-used safehouse. Bare concrete walls. No windows. One bed—neatly made—a small couch, a desk with an ancient but running laptop, and a kitchenette in the corner that looked like it had seen more caffeine than actual cooking. The lighting was low, deliberately dim. Functional.
I walked barefoot across the cool floor, taking it all in.
On the desk, I found a wallet. Inside: a tidy stack of bills—roughly 400 dollars in small denominations—and a clean fake ID.
Name: Elias Kinou
Age: 20
State: New York
I blinked at it. A good enough alias. Mundane, forgettable—exactly what you'd want if you were trying to avoid standing out.
Still, it wasn't the name that mattered.
Out there, on the streets, I was Enkidu.
The ghost informant. The one who sold intel to whoever had the coin.
Beside the wallet was a small flip phone—one of those old Nokias, thick and indestructible. I opened it. No passcode, of course. The monochrome screen lit up with the date and time:
July 16th, 2000 – 06:42 AM
Location: Manhattan Midtown , NYC
Right in the heart of mutant tension. The Xavier Institute wasn't in the area. Hell's Kitchen was still Hell's Kitchen, and New York hadn't calmed down one bit. If anything, it felt like something big was brewing.
A few text messages blinked on the screen, vague and cold:
"Drop confirmed. Pickup Tuesday."
"Target moved. Will update soon."
"Low profile. Payment on delivery."
I raised an eyebrow.
Enkidu wasn't just a name. It was a reputation. One I had apparently dropped into mid-mission.
"I really hope I don't have to bluff my way through something today," I muttered.
The kitchenette had a small fridge humming quietly. I opened it up to find the kind of diet you'd expect from someone who takes their mutant body seriously: a couple of water bottles, wrapped sandwiches, fruit in containers, and a suspiciously healthy green shake in a glass jar.
I stared at it for a moment, then cracked it open and took a sip.
...Not bad. Cold, sweet, with a hint of citrus.
"As long as it tastes good, I can live with this," I muttered, taking another swallow.
After everything that had happened, I was thirsty, and if this new body wanted liquefied veggies, so be it.
Besides, now with the Terraria perk active, I doubted gaining fat, losing muscle, or having a shitty diet would really matter. The perks were doing their job. My health bar wasn't moving an inch.
"Hopefully, I won't even have to count calories anymore," I added, setting the jar down on the counter with a satisfied grin.
I peeled a slice of melon from the container next to the juice and popped it into my mouth. Juicy, fresh, exactly what my body seemed to crave. Honestly, as long as it tasted good, I'd eat just about anything.
My fingers brushed over the smooth surface of the kitchen counter, grounding me a little. This wasn't some abstract game or a dream. It was real. I had a name, a body, perks—and a growing hunger to find out what came next.
I glanced back at the HUD flickering quietly in the corner of my vision. Stats stable.
Curious, I walked over to the small closet again and pulled out the motorcycle keys. A Yamaha, just like the ones from the movies around here. Not flashy, but reliable—perfect for someone who needed to disappear quickly.
Sitting back down with the phone, I opened the text messages more carefully this time. The senders were unknown—likely clients or contacts. They wanted me to handle a drop, report on a target's new location, and keep quiet about the dealings. The deadlines were tight—one pick up scheduled for Thursday. And the pay? Enough to keep me afloat for a while.
I scrolled through the messages again, searching for more details. Some mentioned meeting points, code names, and amounts. Nothing explicit about payment, but enough to know this was serious business.
I checked my bank balance as well. Not much to write home about, but honestly, money wasn't my main concern right now. Especially since I didn't expect to be here long—and besides, I had hypnosis.
I tapped the screen thoughtfully.
"Looks like I've got a safety net," I muttered. "Not bad for a ghost in the shadows."
With a deep breath, I pocketed the phone.
Now that the adrenaline and chaos had finally settled, my brain started catching up to everything.
Which, unfortunately, included the realization that... yeah.
I probably wasn't going to see my family for a while.
Unless the —the Celestial Grimoire—found a way to take me back.
Or unless I got strong enough to force it.
Which, honestly?
With the Grimoire, that wasn't off the table.
If it worked like in the light novels—unlocking skills, dimensions, maybe time travel—then eventually, I'd get there. Eventually was good enough.
One step at a time.
Suddenly, the air shimmered with familiar white light.
Another floating message, same font, same vibe as the one from R.O.B.
Message from R.O.B.
Don't worry—your world is protected.
It's been paused.
No one will notice you're gone.
When you're ready to return, it'll be like you never left.
Focus on yourself now.
Try to enjoy the ride 😉
"...Paused?"
I stared at the words for a second. Blinked.
Did that mean time literally stopped? Like full-on cosmic DVR mode?
Was my mom just stuck mid-stir with a spoon in the air? Was my dog floating in bark-animation limbo?
Weird. Comforting. Slightly cursed.
But still—
No panic.
No family worrying about me.
No missing school or vanishing from group chats.
It was fine. Actually kind of ideal.
I had time.
I had magic.
And I had a HUD that now showed plain numbers instead of cute little icons—thank God for that.
HP: 700 / 700
MP: 250 / 250
No armor. No accessories. Just three ancient copper tools and a dream. Still, I'd take accurate numbers over vague hearts any day.
I glanced at my inventory.
Yup, still had the usual starter loadout from Terraria:
Copper Shortsword Copper Pickaxe Copper Axe
Not exactly legendary gear, but at least I wouldn't be punching trees barehanded. I mean, I could—thanks to Physical Enhancement—but it was the principle.
Mystical Infiltration and Hypnosis gave me tools. Strength Boost gave me options. And if the Celestial Grimoire worked anything like I hoped, then power wasn't just possible—it was inevitable.