Chapter 41: Skill Selection

Courtesy greetings passed in the blink of an eye.

It was only natural, given that the gathering had been forcibly arranged by Namjin.

Namjin’s bombshell announcement—“My disciple has returned”—had caused a brief stir.

But that was as far as it went.

Though everyone was quietly calculating the meaning behind those words, this was a meeting where the former head and the current head of the family sat together.

The presence of those gathered was simply too overwhelming to make any reckless moves.

Moreover, Namjin was a symbolic figure not only within the clan but also outside it.

The mere fact that he could conduct a test on the current head’s son was a clear testament to the power Namjin wielded.

[For something like that, they sure seem hostile to each other?]

Just as Ba’al said, despite the circumstances, barely concealed wariness and hostility mingled in the air.

Every action felt like walking on thin ice.

Jiho’s gaze was particularly oppressive.

‘I wish he would just either hate me or like me—make up your mind already…’

It was a look entirely different from the absolute contempt he had shown in their past life.

[He looks like he’s outright treating you as a rival. That look is full of love-hate…]

Yeah, it was exactly that kind of look.

One desperate to catch up, full of competitive spirit.

Watching Taehoo’s toughness and courage during Namjin’s test had clearly changed something in Jiho’s heart.

The incident that evening probably played a part as well.

The memory of them creating a burial mound together. Somehow, that led to Jiho’s recognition of Taehoo.

[Sounds like there’s going to be some interesting developments within your family too.]

The first day had been a storm in every sense.

Ba’al chatted with Taehoo, amused by the events that were bound to unfold.

For Taehoo, who had to endure it from the inside, Ba’al’s remarks were the kind only someone outside the family could afford to make.

But on reflection, it really would be quite an entertaining spectacle.

Wait, thinking about it that way actually made Taehoo strangely irritated?

‘Enough of that. Let’s just continue with the conversation.’

Taehoo was alone in his room for the first time in a long while.

It was a rare, proper break.

Ba’al used this opportunity to ask about the time he met Belial, and Taehoo asked what had happened after he lost consciousness.

Though the conversation veered off in strange directions, it was time to return to the main topic.

‘Otherwise, I’ll just waste emotions unnecessarily…’

With that thought, their explanations continued.

Taehoo quickly glossed over the deal with Belial.

It wasn’t what Ba’al was curious about, and there was nothing particularly complicated enough to warrant a detailed explanation.

Ba’al didn’t press further, as he had already guessed roughly how Taehoo must have handled it.

Once Taehoo finished, it was Ba’al’s turn.

[It’ll be faster if you just open your Skill Window instead of me explaining.]

He too was brief.

Taehoo also had reason to check his Skill and Stat Windows—the skills and Quest rewards he’d received from Belial.

Ba’al didn’t ask about them either.

He simply opened the Skill Window calmly, where—

‘What is this?’

More than expected, many things had been added.

[Authority of the First Demon]
-Origin: Ba’al
-Description: Grants the power to receive the strength of all constellations! Those who have reached the pinnacle through power can wield all powers. This skill represents Ba’al’s ever-shifting heart!

Beneath it were two skills that had previously been question marks, and one of them had been unlocked.

[Delegated Authority]
-Origin: Ba’al
-Description: Ba’al sometimes lent his power to his servants in the demon world! Those who received Ba’al’s power enjoyed the highest authority there! This power is a remnant of that! If conditions are met, you can exercise Ba’al’s power on his behalf in crisis situations!
[Proficiency: 0.5%]

‘A skill with a separately displayed proficiency?’

That caught Taehoo’s attention.

Few skills had proficiency shown independently.

Even the Sword God’s skills, which seemed to require proficiency indicators, did not list proficiency as a separate stat.

‘Then why only this skill?’

If it reached 100%, would another ability awaken?

It was certainly possible. Many thoughts crossed his mind.

However,

‘I don’t know what the proficiency means yet, but even disregarding that, this is definitely an incredible skill.’

At a glance, it resembled the “Descent” skill Belial had used on Jintae.

But it was a completely different type of skill.

“Descent” forced the servant’s spirit into possession by a constellation at the cost of a penalty.

It was the final means of granting power to a servant.

But this skill seemed to carry almost no risk.

Not only did the servant directly borrow the constellation’s power, but the penalties were nearly nonexistent.

Furthermore, the range of powers you could exercise expanded as you grew stronger.

The potential was truly limitless.

Being able to borrow the power of the number one-ranked demon outright made it an even more broken skill than the Authority itself.

‘It’s like an evolved form of Authority.’

There was, however, one concern.

‘What are the conditions?’

No crucial conditions were listed.

Still, he understood why Ba’al had told him to look at the Skill Window.

‘The reason I was able to defeat Belial…’

[That’s right.]

Ba’al’s prompt reply came.

[I was able to briefly borrow your body as a correction function in the skill.]

Ba’al said this while secretly relieved that Taehoo had lost consciousness.

Their conversation with Belial had included matters Taehoo didn’t need to hear yet.

“Hmph… so that’s how it was.”

Since Taehoo hadn’t known that, he focused only on the skill’s efficiency and moved on.

Next came Belial’s skill.

[Shadow Puppetry]
-Origin: Belial
-Description: Belial’s power is shadow. It can hide one’s presence like a shadow and sometimes becomes the sharpest sword! This skill encompasses both! You can bind the movements of any enemy with shadows or manipulate them at will! Provided you have enough mana!

Having seen Jintae use it, Taehoo roughly anticipated its function, but it was even more versatile than expected.

‘If I have enough mana, I could bind the opponent’s movements for a surprise attack.’

He recalled Jintae using the skill against Dantalion’s assassin.

[Activating skill “Shadow Puppetry”!]

He moved a flower vase in the room.

It hovered in the air for about two to three seconds before returning to its original place.

“Phew…”

Even after such a brief activation, Taehoo felt a considerable amount of mana drain.

“High utility, but the consumption cost is no joke.”

It was a skill he couldn’t yet use freely.

There was a reason Jintae used it only as a last resort.

‘Even after all that training, I still can’t properly use one skill?’

Taehoo muttered bitterly.

Indeed, the training in the Sanctuary had been more about building a vessel than skill mastery.

How to utilize that was entirely up to the individual.

‘Grandfather wouldn’t be unaware of that either.’

Namjin must have foreseen it fully.

[Illusory Soul Sword First Form Transformation]
-Origin: Sword God
-Description: A sword form created by Nachal based on the Sword God’s power! It is his sword meant to compensate for his weaknesses—the First Form. It can embody many transformations within a single strike! The more sword forms you accumulate, the more transformations you can perform!

This was the reward Nachal had hung around Jintae’s neck.

Just from the name, it seemed the full power could only be unleashed by acquiring all the forms.

‘Not a skill I can use immediately.’

But it wasn’t a big problem. Taehoo already had many skills to work with.

What Taehoo really desired was something else.

He was eager to start learning his grandfather’s skills.

Nachal’s training was finished, and Taehoo’s stats were sufficiently developed. It was about time to receive them.

[It’s been a while since you became my disciple. It’s about time I taught you, huh.]

Ba’al agreed with Taehoo’s thoughts.

[Name: Nam Taehoo]
[LV: 16]
[Backing Constellations: ‘Sword God,’ ‘Ba’al,’ ‘Belial’]
[Titles: Coexistence of Good and Evil (Temporary), One Who Devoted Life and Effort, Title: One Who Understands Cheonjoongsu, Half-God’s Disciple, True Giant Slayer.]
[Hunter Rank: ??]
[Strength: 143(+20), Agility: 132(+20), Stamina: 143(+20), Mana: 140(+20)]
[Special: Your potential cannot be defined! Rank calculation is delayed!]

When he opened his Stat Window to check his abilities,

‘True Giant Slayer?’

That caught Taehoo’s eye.

[True Giant Slayer]
-Origin: Self
-Description: You have faced opponents stronger than yourself and have always defeated them. A title for one who has overcome countless crises! Believe in your resilience! When faced with a more powerful enemy, your potential awakens!

Several extra lines had been added to the description.

Mentioning the kind of power he could draw forth.

It seemed somehow linked to Delegated Authority.

[Yeah, that message popped up when you entered your body.]

Ba’al’s additional explanation gave Taehoo some certainty.

‘Good…’

Knowing that the title and skill were connected was a decent discovery.

Now, the scroll…

The main event.

A good skill could appear—or a useless one. But the chance itself always made people hopeful!

‘It’s also the first catalog I’m tearing open.’

In his past life, he had no luck with anything like this.

The moment he was about to receive his first scroll was the last moment before he died, so no further explanation was needed.

[Spy Assembly, do you accept the reward?]

Taehoo’s answer was obvious.

Soon, a single parchment quietly landed in his hand.

[Upon tearing the catalog, the effect activates immediately!]

Taehoo stared at the parchment in his palm.

[What will come out?]

Ba’al added a sound effect in his head—dugu dugu.

Slowly, Taehoo unfolded the parchment. A faint light leaked out.

A pure white befitting extreme rarity.

He focused his energy on the middle of the paper, where unknown characters were inscribed.

Swoosh!

The thick parchment tore effortlessly under Taehoo’s strength, hesitation nowhere to be found.

[The Sword God’s Catalog activates!]

The torn catalog shattered into dozens of fragments, scattering like petals in the light.

They soon took on a square shape and spread out like a map before Taehoo.

The draw had truly begun.

‘What should I pick? Which one will make people say I made a good choice?’

Ordinarily mundane thoughts went through his mind.

After a fleeting moment and countless considerations, Taehoo selected one card from the spread.

[Skill selected!]
[Sword God’s skill has been bound to you!]

A clear chime rang as soon as he chose.

The other cards, which had dazzled his eyes, vanished without a trace.

Just Taehoo and the card in his hand.

Now, what… had come out?

Taehoo swallowed once.

With a nervous heart, he checked the skill.

‘Huh?’

What was this…?