Then, I remembered something. In the novel, Lucas Belmont originally had not one, but two Unique Skills: the Soul Siphon, which I now possessed, and the Skill Steal, the power to steal the skills of others.
In the novel, it was never mentioned where Lucas found the Skill Steal ability. It was only revealed during his battle with the hero, when he attempted to steal one of the hero’s skills. The lack of detail and its inconsistency were infuriating. How am I supposed to find something without a clue?
Without the Skill Steal, I can’t counteract the effects of the Curse of the Talentless, nor use my strength to its full potential.
As I pondered over acquiring the Skill Steal ability, I decided to momentarily brush it off. My immediate focus needed to be on stabilizing my status levels. There was no point in having skills if my base stats remained pathetically low. I needed to build a strong foundation first.
The questions is: what’s the easiest way I can devour souls? Then, an ingenious idea struck me. The Soul Siphon unique skill required a freshly killed living being to devour its soul. What better place to start than right here in the mansion! The place was infested with rats—nasty little pests that nobody would miss.
"Why risk sneaking out to hunt in the forest when I can eliminate the rats right here?" I murmured to myself with a malicious grin spreading across my face.
I grabbed a pencil from my desk and slipped out of my room, moving quietly through the mansion’s corridors. It was late enough that most of the staff would be in their quarters, giving me the perfect opportunity to hunt undisturbed.
In the dim light, I spotted my first target scurrying along the baseboard in the kitchen. I then crept closer, and swiftly pinned it down the floor. After that, stabbed it multiple times with my pencil, ensuring its death.
"Now, let’s see if this works." I said to myself as I focused on activating the Soul Siphon skill.
I felt a strange sensation as the rat’s soul was absorbed into me, a faint warmth spreading through my body. Checking my status, I saw a slight increase.
Name: Lucas Belmont
Vitality: F Tier
Strength: F Tier
Agility: F+ Tier
Endurance: F Tier
Intelligence: E+ Tier
Wisdom: E+ Tier
Extra Skills: None
Skills: None
Unique Skills: [Appraisal] [Soul Siphon]
Curses: [Curse of the Weak] [Curse of the Talentless]
"It worked!" I whispered in excitement, seeing my base status levels going up a tier or two.
I spent the next few hours hunting down more rats, repeating the process. Each time, I felt myself growing a little stronger, my stats inching upward.
By the time I returned to my room, I had eliminated a significant number of the pests, and my status levels were noticeably improved.
Name: Lucas Belmont
Vitality: D Tier
Strength: D Tier
Agility: D+ Tier
Endurance: D Tier
Intelligence: C+ Tier
Wisdom: C+ Tier
Extra Skills: None
Skills: None
Unique Skills: [Appraisal] [Soul Siphon]
Curses: [Curse of the Weak] [Curse of the Talentless]
The next day, I woke up feeling a bit off. As soon as I checked my status, I was surprised to see that my Vitality, Strength, Agility, and Endurance had all dropped by a tier.
I quickly ran through the possibilities in my mind. It didn't take long to come up with a conclusion: It was the Curse of the Weak! Recalling it’s details, it was said that the victim is forever cursed to having F- Tier Vitality, Strength, Agility, and Endurance. If it was designed to bring my status down day by day, then this was the most likely explanation.
Furthermore, I checked my Intelligence and Wisdom stats. Thankfully, they hadn’t changed. This small mercy meant I could at least maintain my ego. But if I wanted to keep my physical stats from plummeting further, I’d need to be proactive.
"Looks like I’ll be hunting more rats." I decided. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best option I had without arousing suspicion or leaving the mansion.
After breakfast, I slipped out of my room and headed back to the areas where I had found the rats the previous night. I moved quietly, keeping an eye out for any staff who might question my presence. Spotting a rat near the pantry, I quickly caught and killed it, absorbing its soul with Soul Siphon.
The process was tedious, but necessary. I hunted throughout the day, taking advantage of any opportunity to catch the pests without being seen. By the evening, I had managed to increase and stabilize my stats, though it was clear this would be an ongoing process.
Hunting rats wasn’t a permanent solution and I needed to find a way to search for the Skill Steal ability. I still have four years before the real story starts and eight years until my imminent death.
A week after my encounter with the dungeon, Duke Asturias Belmont, decided it was time for me to receive basic education. He hired a tutor named Mr. Hawthorne to teach me about world history, simple mathematics, sciences, and, of course, aristocratic etiquette.
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Given that my mind was that of a 20-year-old from another world, I found the lessons in mathematics and science laughably simple. I barely paid attention during these sessions and answered Mr. Hawthorne’s questions with ease and solved problems with little effort. My real focus was on the subjects that would help me navigate this new world more effectively: world history and aristocratic etiquette.
World history was a treasure trove of information, learning more about empires and kingdoms. It gave me invaluable insights into the political landscape of this world, more than the novel could provide.
While Aristocratic etiquette was very tedious, it was very necessary. I learned the subtleties of court behavior, the proper way to address various nobles, and social maneuvering. Mastering these social graces was essential to maintaining my cover and ensuring that I could blend seamlessly into high society.
Despite my lack of interest in the more basic subjects, my overall progress astonished Mr. Hawthorne. What typically took two to three years, I accomplished it in just one year. He often remarked on my quick understanding and retention, which earned me rare moments of praise.
Although the Duke was not overly expressive, he seemed pleased with my progress.
Throughout this year of rigorous study, I also continued my nightly rat hunts to temporarily counteract the Curse of the Weak.
The next few days passed uneventfully. I needed to venture out of the estate, to gather more information that might help me in finding the Steal Skill unique skill book. Lesbon Town, situated near our estate, seemed the perfect destination. Now, I just had to convince Asturias to let me go.
One morning at breakfast, I seized the opportunity. "Father, I have a favor to ask.”
"What is it?" he stoically asked without looking at me.
I then chose my words very carefully. "I want your permission to let me go to Lesbon Town and integrate myself with the commoners."
The Duke remained silent and his expression unreadable, but I know I have his undivided attention.
"By learning about their lives firsthand, I might find solutions to improve their everyday lives. It would also help me grow as a future Duke." I persuasively continued. "If I can empathize with the people of the empire, it will make me a more effective leader. Our family's strength lies not just in our power but in the loyalty our people."
To my surprise, he agreed without further questioning. "Very well, you have my permission. Make sure to conduct yourself appropriately and bring back useful insights."
"Thank you, Father." I composedly replied.
After that, I left the dining room and went back to my room. My recent achievements had evidently raised Asturias’ expectations of me. He saw potential in my actions, and because of that, he gave me more freedom to maneuver.
Minutes after securing permission from the Duke, I immediately dressed in commoner’s clothing, hiding my identity, and made my way to Lesbon Town without any escort. Blending in with the crowd, I strolled through the streets. My destination was the black market, a notorious place where illegal transactions and shady dealings occurred.
Navigating the narrow and winding alleys, I finally found the entrance to the black market. The atmosphere changed instantly from a vibrant town square, to a shadowy underworld filled with furtive glances and hushed conversations. I kept my hood low, trying to not give away attention.
I then happened to approach an information broker, a wiry man with a keen gaze.
“I want information on unique skill books,” I said quietly, sliding a small pouch of coins across the table.
The broker pocketed the coins swiftly and leaned in. “Follow the alley to the left, then knock on the bloodstained door.” he whispered.
After that, I quickly went away and followed his directions. The alley grew darker and narrower as the scent of damp stone grew heavier. At the end of the alley, I found the bloodstained door, its green paint chipped and worn.
Then, I knocked firmly. Moments later, the door creaked open slightly. I pushed it wider and stepped inside, my eyes adjusting to the dim light.
The room was cluttered with oddities and trinkets, the air thick with the scent of herbs and something acrid. At the far end of the room stood a figure cloaked in shadows.
As I stepped further into the room, an old, wrinkled witch emerged from the darkness. Her eyes were cold and lifeless, and her voice sent a chill down my spine. "Welcome, Lucas Belmont." she greeted with a twisted smile forming on her lips.
I tensed up, surprised that she recognized me despite my disguise. "How do you know my name?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"How could I not know the future Duke of the Empire." she cackled softly, her eyes glinting with amusement.
Realizing there was no use in pretending, I decided to get straight to the point. "I’m here for unique skill books."
Her smile widened, revealing her yellowed teeth. "Straight to business, I see. Very well."
To my surprise, she produced three unique skill books from the folds of her cloak, each one glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. My heart raced at the sight. Finding even one unique skill book was a rare event, and here she had three. The probability of her having the Skill Steal unique skill book is very high.
I then bit my tongue to calm myself, to focus on the task at hand. I used my Appraisal unique skill and quickly identified the books. Sadly, my initial excitement faded into disappointment as the results came in. None of them were ones I was looking for.
The first book, the ‘Search’ unique skill, grants the ability to locate any object or entity. The second book was the ‘Adaptation’ unique skill, which enables the user to quickly gain skills and increase base stats in any given situation—though with my curses, it would be rendered useless. The third book contained ‘Immortality’, allowing for instant regeneration and invincibility, but it seemed unnecessary for my immediate needs.
I was also curious about the price of the skill books and asked, "How much?", looking her dead in the eye.
"One hundred gold coins each." she replied with a hint of satisfaction.
I was secretly taken aback. One hundred gold coins? That's enough to build a battle fortress! But, then again, they’re unique skill books, rare and powerful. Of course they come at a high price.
I swallowed hard, realizing I had exactly 100 gold coins with me. I need to choose wisely—there might not be a second chance. Each book had its merits, but I could only afford one.
‘Search’ could be invaluable for locating the Skill Steal book or other items I might need. ‘Adaptation’ was overpowered, but rendered useless by my curses. Lastly, ‘Immortality’ offered unparalleled protection, but it didn't align with my current strategy.