“Wow! You guys had it rough, huh?” A man shouted from across the room. He was sitting in the far corner of a tavern, The Feral Tomcat. The establishment was built into a mountain, so the walls and tables were formed from chiseled stone. Chilled air filled the room, which was well-received by wandering travelers. The two men that had just walked in stopped their movements to turn to the stranger.
“I suppose so,” Nicholas replied. He and his partner were coated in a layer of slime from the monster they finished slaying. The two were exhausted from the battle and wanted nothing more than to seek shelter in the back of the tavern. The random man rushed over to the duo and stood in front of them. He had a wide smile and an over-friendly nature.
“Do you mind, prick? We’re trying to get to our room.” Rex said as he attempted to sidestep around the stranger. The man shifted to the side to block Rex’s path and crossed his arms.
“Prick? That’s a pretty rude thing to say.” The cheerful man replied. He was upset that the men treated him harshly. Of course, it was better than having them call him something worse.
“What else would you call a random dude that’s bothering you?” Rex asked with a sarcastic tone. This stranger was bothering him and his patience was running thin. Every second wasted was one that he could have been using in the local bathhouse. As time passed, the slime slid down his figure and made him shiver from the sensation.
“My name? Xander? Come on, act like you know me.” The man said, finally identifying himself. He was an adventurer that often hung around the notice board to look for work. The only problem was that he had a low level, so the jobs presented were out of his range of abilities. He tried to form a party of his own but failed. As a last resort, he attempted to warm up with Nicholas and Rex. To his surprise, neither man remembered him.
“We don’t know you,” Nicholas replied. He had a vague memory of someone but nothing more. Anything related to Xander was hazy for some reason. It wasn’t that he didn’t remember. He simply couldn’t, like something was stopping him.
“What?! Not you guys too! Come on, it’s me! Xander, the other Genesis Program participant!” Xander shouted. He was visibly distressed. This had been happening a lot as of late. Everyone he knew treated him like a stranger. Even the tavern owner, who provided his current room, didn’t acknowledge him.
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” Rex said. He was still eager to leave, but the conversation had no end in sight. Providing short answers and shutting down new topics would guarantee a swift end. He didn’t even want to bother with Genesis at the moment.
“Nope,” Nicholas added. He also wanted everything to end. It became increasingly difficult to hold his fake friendly expression. Every second diminished his energy. Fortunately, the mention of Genesis renewed his interest. It was a detail thrown in, but neither commented on it.
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“I know I changed classes, but that doesn’t mean you can forget about me!” Xander said. His mention of class changing alerted the two men. Not only had they met another Genesis Program participant, but he was also at a higher level than them. The only problem was the validity of his claims. Any adventurer worth their salt would know about changing classes, but someone who knew Genesis was different.
“Alright. Prove that you’re in the Genesis Program then. That should be easier than reminding us who you are.” Nicholas said, offering a compromise. It was clear that the conversation would only go in circles. They couldn’t remember him, but he claimed to know them. As participants of the Genesis Program, it was hard to imagine that there was no symbol or mark for recognition. Xander would simply have to say something to make the others believe him.
“My first class was [Silent Peasant],” Xander replied with a look of irritation. He could almost feel the awful sensation that first coursed through him when he heard that class. There was no other option to choose, so that was what he lived like until promoting to something better. Xander couldn’t control his face as it grimaced from the memories. It was a look the other two were familiar with.
“That sounds like Genesis,” Rex said while copying Xander’s expression. His life wasn’t easy either. The [Peasant] class came with numerous drawbacks. Low stats and stat gain meant that it was pointless to grind while in such a state. The negative skills were also a major hindrance in battle. At best, the team could only handle a single slime, if even that.
“What class did you become?” Nicholas asked out of curiosity. He wanted to know how much longer his peasant phase would be. If the changing point was close, he’d immediately rush to it.
“After hitting level five, I got upgraded to [Quiet Commoner],” Xander answered. He fondly remembered the moment he was altered. Genesis’s voice had never sounded better that day. It was a phrase he hoped to hear again soon.
“Any skills to note?” Nicholas asked. It was odd that Xander didn’t mention any skills. So far, every new level came with new skills. Additional skills also came from frequent actions. Something significant like a class change should have come with numerous skills.
“Not that I can recall,” Xander replied. He found it odd too. Why couldn’t he remember his own skill? Genesis always said something when a skill was earned, and it was next to impossible to ignore the voice when it's in one’s head.
“Ask Genesis,” Rex suggested. While the voice was an annoyance, it did answer a great number of questions. It provided information on the best place to reside in and easy monsters to slay. Of course, the questions needed to be extremely specific, and a limit was placed on the number of questions allowed per day. After all, Genesis had a reputation to uphold.
“Fine. Genesis, can you tell me if I got any new skills recently?” Xander asked. His eyes gazed at the sky, but he didn’t look at anything in particular. Genesis didn't have a physical body, but that didn’t stop it from answering.
“NOTICE. SKILL [FORGETTABLE] WAS RECEIVED UPON CHANGING CLASS TO [QUIET COMMONER]. SAID SKILL PROHIBITED IMMEDIATE DISCLOSURE.”