Chapter 9: Demons (1)
"Skills' rank depends on strength and flexibility… that's how it is for the majority of the skills," Charlotte began the lesson talk while helping the boss and Layla clean off their little camp.
The taciturn lady put out the fire while the boss silently hurled the log back into the forest.
His first real teacher leaned down to pick up empty bottles and other utensils, leaving room for Hunter to help her.
Gladly lending a hand to such a beautiful woman, Hunter knelt abreast of her and attentively listened to her lesson while gathering leftovers from the bonfire camp.
Charlotte's lesson carried on in such a quiet mood, "Let's take your skill as an example. If your immortality was only limited to a full moon, your skill probably would be graded F. However, if the night was your endless domain, your skill would be ranked pretty high, at least A rank, in my guess. Skills can also be shaped by experiences… for instance, since your awakening happened during a battle, there's a chance your innate skill had been shaped to make you immortal during fights."
It was such a new and useful knowledge that Hunter didn't dare to interrupt her: he still inwardly contemplated aloud about her words, drawing his own theories and understanding.
He nodded to each of her sentences to tell her that he understood all she was saying.
Charlotte then became so serious that Hunter didn't even think of contemplating her words.
She said in a whisper, "Immortality… is in the hands of a few demons and spirits. A few humans have been blessed by spirits and demons, too, granting them immortality. Similarly, existences like Lucifer, who can cast a worldwide skill to return one day, are existences labeled with the immortality concept. That's why it's best for you to hide your innate skill until at least you grow strong enough to protect yourself alone. Which means you must awaken more of your innate skills. This brings us to S Rank…"
Hunter felt both dread and joy at the thought of his potential being as good as Lucifer's. It meant he would be able to enjoy nearly all that the world has to offer… but it also made him a juicy target for nearly everyone in the world!
He was a man without any allies or people backing him up… his Deathless Skill was like on a silver plate for so many stronger existences.
Even his opportunist and, more often than not, positive heart felt more worried about his potential now.
Which was why Hunter could only be thankful for Charlotte's word craft, as she spoke about the dangers first before explaining how different S skills were.
To learn more about the world, Hunter instinctively cast aside all dreadful thoughts and compelled himself to listen to the beautiful woman's lesson.
Moreover, it'd be bad to ignore her!
"S ranked skills are said to have their pinnacle of strength… then SS have both peaks of strength and flexibility… as for SSS Skills, it's said they hide will or inheritance, maybe both," Charlotte explained with a noticeable admiration toward people with SSS skills, for those reached such a high level that their experience and wealth of knowledge would never get buried in the passage of never-ending time!
Hunter curtly nodded, amazed by the fact that he could possibly have such a skill inside himself.
And he was astute enough to understand why Charlotte thought this way. After all, his blood was enough to overwrite her sealing skill and use it for his own gain!
He had a sealing skill inside himself without knowing what type it was and what it exactly did.
'Well… she doesn't know about the gray world that I had been upon death… it feels like inheritance now that I think of it… pretty challenging one, at that. Could I return to my world without completing the trial? Wait, does it mean I must die again to pick up more skills? No, not really… I felt some connection to my blood earlier. I can learn and shape my own skills! It all boils down to the experience!' Hunter inwardly concluded, taking in all of Charlotte's lessons.
He was also not going to share his gray world with anyone else. As much as building relationships with beautiful women was thrilling and exciting, Hunter had just been battered by the reality of the world.
People changed. Even someone deeply in love could change to betray her lover.
And as Hunter wanted to surround himself with the most beautiful and strongest women around him, he came to a conclusion pretty early that keeping the gray world to himself was the best choice for him.
He'd only share it with the most loyal… or maybe with women like Nakisha, whose life was probably sealed within that world.
'That's true… she must be there! I don't think I have anything else in myself, right? So my current goals should be those three: learn how to connect to the gray world without death, awaken blood-related skills, and win the yearly exam,' Hunter inwardly set his goals clear, becoming decisive to attain them all.
He was so lost in thought that he had stopped helping Charlotte, which was fine as the lady understood Hunter had a lot to think about after what she had said. So many dangers lurked in this world, after all… and he was like a succulent slice of meat that anyone would love to chew on!
"Hunter," the boss' voice woke him up from his thoughts, "We'll fly through the night. You can sleep if you want."
"No, no, no!" It wasn't like Hunter had ever slept in the new world anyway… "I like flying! Please, carry me to the heavens with yourself!"
"Ignorance is so cute," Charlotte chimed in, faintly smiling.
Although she sounded adorable, Hunter wasn't blinded by her words… "What do you mean by that, Miss Charlotte?"
"Skies… majority of it belongs to monsters. Very strong monsters that can set their own domain," Charlotte replied with the same lovely smile.
Hunter gulped down and asked weakly, "So why are we… going through the heavens? And… we didn't see any monsters before, did we?"
Charlotte chuckled, "They can't roll their domains to populated areas for a few reasons you'll learn in the future. That's why skies above villages and lands surrounding them are often clear and safe."
Hearing those words, Hunter paled and gawked at the goddess trio.
'The hell is this! I'd love to see those domains, and it's like an opportunity to get points in these three hearts, but not like I can do anything with my current strength and lack of skills! I'll be worse than a burden. I can't allow that to happen!' Hunter knew showcasing his tough mind in those domains would be enough to score points in the boss's and her companion's hearts… but he feared things might not be that simple.
He didn't want to risk breaking his already good image!
He dropped onto his knees and whispered, "I feel nauseating… concussed even! As I thought… it's my motion sickness! It has caught up to me! This demon!"
"Stand up and don't cry like a man. You don't want to be a househusband, do you?" The boss sharply spoke, lifting the young man with her wind.
As Hunter rose to his feet, he nodded and gritted his teeth, 'Curses!'