The fifth day of Baal's training session ended uneventfully, but even then, the gains of the siblings were not small. Especially for Gideon who had created his new skill. He named it mirage step.
As for why the system had not given him a notification about it and actually no other notifications for quite some time, Gideon had asked the system to not notify him of his progress. He wanted to surprise himself when the 8 years were over. That and it was distracting.
Gideon and Victoria stood silently in the field with Baal as they silently waited for Draven to arrive.
'It's been a while since I last created another more poisons.' Gideon thought while rubbing his chin. Indeed, it had been quite a few years since he had made another type of poison.
He had actually tried to create more at some point, but for some reason, he found out that he could not. But now, he felt that he could.
'Hey system, can I make more poisons? Also, why couldn't I make any more before?' Gideon asked quickly.
[Answering host, yes, host can create more poisons now. As for hosts second question, host was unable to create more poisons at the time due to the restriction of his unique skill poison manipulation]
Gideon nodded after hearing the first part of the answer, but after hearing the last part, he was shocked and confused.
'Unique skill? Restriction? System explain!' Gideon demanded as his curiosity grew.
[Answering host, host's unique skill poison manipulation allows host to create any poison he can think of as long as he knows how it works. And as for the restriction, all unique skills as their name implies can only be owned by one person, but restrictions apply as well. In host's case, he can only create three poisons a year, as for why Host never tried anymore, system is unaware]
Gideon heard the last part of the explanation and his mouth twitched, but then he thought of everything else and smiled bitterly.
'I guess I got this unique skill from the system as well.' Gideon concluded feeling depressed, but what the system said next stunned him.
[Host is incorrect, although his talent was indeed modified by the system, it was never bad to begin with. Host's unique skill is proof of that]
Upon hearing the system, Gideon's pupils constricted as his heart raced. Could it be true? However, he immediately found a problem.
'System, if what you said is true, then how come I could barely use my magic at the time? Moreover it was when you merged with me that I was able to properly cast spell and the lot.' Gideon asked feeling unconvinced.
[That was because unique skills take time to foster and they aren't development the moment one is born, they can only develop over time by absorbing the user's astral energy slowly when they are born and then after a while of nurturing, the unique skill will form. Host's unique skill was still forming and it was only after system merged with host that the unique skill formed faster]
When he heard this, Gideon's heart beat loudly as he became joyful, but then he became angry almost immediately after.
'Why the hell does a unique skill take so long to develop?!? It practically ruined my life!' Gideon gritted his teeth as he barely stopped himself from letting his aura leak out.
[In truth, the time it takes for a unique skill to develop varies. But one thing which is for sure is that the longer it takes to develop, the more powerful it will be]. Most unique skills usually take some months to a year to develop, with powerful ones taking a few years. And for host, it took fifteen years to form, and system speculates that it would've still been forming if it hadn't merged with host and accelerated the unique skill's growth]
Gideon froze upon hearing the system and his anger subsided immediately.
'Wait, does that mean that my talent was never bad, and all the bullying and ridicule I endured was never necessary. The shunning from my family, getting sent away like I was a pest.' Gideon thought and his emotions were in an erratic state, though his face was strangely calm.
"G- Gideon." Victoria with a stuttering voice called out to Gideon who turned towards her with trembling eyes. But then he noticed that there was something wet on his cheeks.
He touched them and realized that they were tears, he was crying. Then, for a reason he didn't know, he just sat down on the floor and hugged his knees to his chest and started crying quietly.
Victoria was shocked and just by instinct, she knelt down close to him and hugged him. Her usually strong and brave brother looked so feeble at the moment and her heart tore for him, all she wanted to do at that moment was comfort him.
"Everything, everything happened because I had talent? What a cruel joke." Gideon muttered and laughed in self ridicule as his tears spilled like a river.
Even if he manages to speak his heart out just before they were transported to Zion, it was enough to completely remove the grievance in his heart. And so upon learning why he suffered so much that time, his emotions gushed forth like a broken dam.
Baal looked at the two siblings and contemplated deeply. In reality, he noticed Gideon's emotional fluctuations a while ago. From the shock to the confusion, then the anger, and now just sadness.
'I would ask, but for some reason, it feels inappropriate to do so.' Baal thought and sighed. He recalled Gideon's words and felt that his talent had something to do with it.
'But then how can his talent make him feel like this?' Baal was very perplexed. He knew that Gideon other than Victoria was hands down the most talented person he had ever met, yet it seemed as if it was that talent that was making him grieve.
'Sigh, I guess he'll tell on his own accord.' Baal sighed again and continued staring at them.
"Victoria." Gideon called and Victoria immediately looked into his green eyes soaked with tears.
"Please don't ever leave me." He said to the girl who was his drive, the sole reason he desired to become stronger. The reason he survived those hellish years in the wilderness just so that he could see her again.
Victoria hugged him tighter and said with a determined voice.
"I won't. I will never." She wouldn't , not now, not ever.