Mark squinted at the Earthern Stranger, his hand moving to touch the strange Tattoo he''s awoken with.


    "I know it''s a troupe to wake up with new ink after a wild night, but typically people don''t appreciate it when it''s a stranger who does it..."


    The tiny beetle girl coughed into her hand but quickly averted her eyes when Mark snapped his head in her direction, brow furrowed.


    Undeterred, Earthen Stranger continued,


    ["THAT is a ''Sigil.'' It''s an integral part of this world; every living thing (and some not so much) here bears one. While not quiiiiiite the same, you could call them ''Living Supercomputers,'' and not be totally wrong. Suffice to say, they are an indispensable part of life.


    More importantly, the Sigil authorizes one to ''program'' the Magi. These ''commands'' take many forms. Abilities, Mutations... Magic.


    They are all a result of the Magi''s power to shape the world.


    Of course, there are limitations and stipulations involved; we can''t have people simply changing the nature of the world on a whim. First off, Magi require ''energy'' to perform their functions. Magi in nature draw their energy collectively, and because they are ''maintaining the status quo, the energy required is minimal.


    BUT, if a Sigil gives a ''command'' to the Magi that goes AGAINST that status quo, it must first provide the energy needed. And the farther this command deviates from the established natural order, the greater the demand.


    For a living organism, this energy is taken from the host''s own biological energy. This ''Metabolic Power,'' or MP as it''s typically called (Yes, yes, I know), is literally the chemical energy stored in your body. The Magi can extract and refine this energy to the extreme far more efficiently than your own flesh bag of a body."]


    Mark raised an eye at that. He was never one of those people who found the more complex sciences interesting. He''d passed his classes, yes, but never bothered to delve deeper. Even then, he understood that the Human body was nowhere near perfectly efficient.


    Not only did it fail to absorb everything it could from the food it ate, but between converting, storing, and utilizing that energy, a lot was lost as well. Just how advanced were these ''Magi'' if they were able to tap into that unused potential?


    As he mused on these thoughts, the strange didn''t stop.


    ["Secondly, the ''programs '' that can be given are per-constructed. Typically these programs take several forms, but the two most common are ''Skills'' and ''Spells.'' The difference is how they do what they do.


    This is a simplified explanation, and you''ll come to understand things better as you travel and learn, but to put it simply; ''Skills'' command ''Internal Magi,'' the Magi who have settled in your body, while ''Spells'' command ''Core Magi,'' the Magi who have settled into nature."]


    Mark raised his brow, unsure if he understood what was being said. But when he opened his mouth to ask, Tsutsuji was the one who answered.


    "Think of the Magi as microorganisms. They can be found everywhere and in every environment. That includes inside other beings. And Just like microorganisms, Magi will adapt to the environment they settle in.


    Magi who settle in the sea will better at moving water, controlling the tides and currents.


    Magi in the earth can better improve fertility or stabilize the land.


    And the Magi in a person''s body are attuned to that person, allowing them to make full use of their skills and improving their overall health. The average lifespan of a human in this world is roughly 250 years. And that''s BEFORE upgrading their Sigil."


    Mark''s eyes bulged at this revelation, but before he could comment, the Stranger once more cut him off, oblivious to the man''s surprise.


    ["Don''t be discouraged though, there are as many different programs in existence as there are stars in the Sky. It''s simply a matter of discovering them. Think of it as a fail-safe. The Magi can do many miraculous things, but humans have a history of abusing the gifts given to them, as I''m sure you understand.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Now, the System is a very ''Special'' program that I''ve created just for you, and others like you, to help you *coughandthereaderscough* better assimilate to this new world. If anything, you can think of the System as this world''s very own ''Internet''; it''s a program that Links together every Sigil and Magi into one huge interconnected network.


    This allows you to pull out information that you would otherwise not even know you don''t know. By the way, it''s also the reason you can communicate with the people of this world; your Sigil automatically translates the words spoken in your head and sends the meaning of the words you speak through the System and to the other parties Sigil, translating for them as well.


    Natives of this world don''t have access to the System the same way you do, but you''ll learn more about that later. It''s up to you whether or not you disclose this, but be careful. Not everyone will have your best intentions at heart.


    That being said, the System isn''t almighty. Just like the Internet of Earth does not have everything, certain information will not be available to you. Specifically, anything that isn''t in the ''database,'' the collective Sigil information storage, and personal information that the person isn''t willing to provide, such as their bank pin or body measurements.


    Though if this information is publicly open or something that can be inferred, you may get lucky. Specific Skills may also allow you to catch a glimpse at this personal information, but these are exceptions to the rule.


    Lastly, I wanted to talk about your own Sigil. As a human of earth, you weren''t born with a Sigil, so think of this one as another gift. The name of your Sigil is ''Survivor.'' While it''s not unique, it''s still very special.


    It embodies my desire for you to grow and survive in this new world, to bring change and stir things up. At its most basic, think of it like a ''healing factor''; any damage that you take will cause your body to rapidly recover and at the same time become stronger than it was before.


    There are other functions and secrets to it as well, but where would the fun be if I told you all that from the get-go? For now, you simply need to do what you wish and go where your feet take you. Be warned, though, while you are now much harder to kill than you were before, you are not immortal; losing a limb or two is fine, but severe damage will still debilitate you for some time.


    And any attack that could kill you instantly will not be recoverable. Survivor also follows the laws of the Magi; if you run out of MP, you''ll be no more challenging to kill than any other normal man.


    Remember Mark, I''ll be watching you. Make things interesting for me, if you can"]


    With a smile and a wave of the hand, the Earthen Stranger collapsed back into a pile of sand. Mark looked down at the glittering pile and ground his teeth, his mouth twitching. What the hell was that?! Who simply dumps all of that on someone and vanishes?


    Swallowing his frustration, Mark gave a deep sigh and leaned up against the cave wall. Tsutsuji gave a sigh herself as she stood and brushed off the dust on her legs. Then with a quiet voice, still not willing to look Mark in the eye, she spoke,


    "W-well now that, that is over, do you have questions or….."


    Before Tsutsuji could finish her words, the little pile of sand sprang back to form, and the Earthen Stranger spoke again.


    ["Oh! That reminds me! I have one more thing to mention. I am afraid that I''m going to have to put Tsutsuji on probation for a little while. She''s been warned before to curve her temper. I''d like to ask Mark to watch after her for a bit until other arrangements can be made. Take care of her well, and sorry for the trouble!"]


    The two stared in shock at the Earthen Stranger as he held his palms together and made a slight bow to Mark before snapping his fingers.


    Tsutsuji gave a small squeak, and a tiny grain of light flew out of her chest towards Mark, passing through his clothes, before hitting the Sigil on his chest.


    Mark''s eyes grew wide as he felt the Sigil go slightly warm and pulse with light under his clothes. The next moment, He was suddenly aware of some form of link between Himself and the tiny Guide girl; while it could not be called reading her mind exactly, it was as if he was infinitely aware of her, able to perceive her intentions and her emotions, her confusion and anger and fear and doubt all wrapped in one.


    Tsutsuji seemed to become aware of the connection at the same time. She stared at Mark with wide eyes, then turned to the Earthen Stranger, pleading as her tears to well up.


    "Wait! Please, Master No! Anyone but Him!"


    Mark spoke at the same time,


    "Wait a moment, I never agreed to th…."


    The Earthen Stranger''s form started to quiver as he hastily spoke,


    ["Whoops, went overtime. Sorry, this is just a Recording; I can''t answer you. Well, have a good day!!"]


    Before collapsing again into a pile of sand. Tsutsuji, in shock, fell to her knees, both palms on the cold stone ground as she gave out a loud cry,


    “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”


    Mark too cursed out at the pile of sand,


    "Wait, don''t just pretend like you are a recording! Come back here, you Son of a ------!"


    Mark''s mouth slammed shut of its own volition before he could utter the last word, leaving the only sounds in the cave the flowing of the small stream, the snoring of the two who''s slept through the commotion and gentle sobbing of a tiny girl as she lay in a puddle of tears.