I Came Back And Conquered It All

Chapter 54

Mercadius’ Seeds

I had not yet guaranteed that the immortal possessed knowledge about this skill. However, I knew I couldn’t kill it right away without even attempting to ask. After all, the similarity between the immortal and [Mercardius’ Seeds] seemed more than just a coincidence.

And so, as I prepared to absorb it with [Mana Drain], I asked it straightforwardly.

But then, the answer I got in return was…

-Merca… What?

My attempt proved to be fruitless.

Either it really didn’t know what it was, or it was busy coming up with an underhanded scheme. I didn’t mean to go easy on it, so I added some more force on my finger.

At this, the thing hurriedly spoke once more.

-Wait, wait! Wait! Do you know how many skills there are in the world? Including unique skills, it’s impossible for one to know everything! However, there is always a pattern evident among them. Explain it in more detail!

I contemplated for a moment. Upon sensing my hesitation, it continued.

-Let me start with something I can infer right now! Since there is a proper noun in the skill, it is currently someone’s unique skill, or even if it weren’t, it originated from a unique skill. And it could mean that an Awakened has made a deal with the system to modify or change it!

Wait, what did that mean?

“Modifying the unique skills? Change it?”

As I showed interested in this information, it quickly began to pour more details into my mind.

– This option could only be revealed when the being meets the special condition in the dimension where the tutorial has finished! The transaction condition is that the system retrieves the unique skill acquired at the moment of Awakening. The Awakened one has nothing to lose. Instead of the unique skill being retrieved, the system opens the path for the Awakened to obtain an enhanced and modified version, or change it to a completely different kind of unique skill.

– Unique skills retrieved by the system will be set up to reduce performance and be converted to a normal skill card, so that other Awakened people can learn. Only the system knows how many dimensions it will distribute the skill cards to and how many it can duplicate.

It was information that could not be known in the past, seeing as we had not finished the tutorial.

Two more facts could be inferred from the words of the immortal.

– A unique skill is something that the system can’t create by itself. If it could, there would be no need to trade one with an Awakened to retrieve it. If it was possible, it could just make such a skill by itself.

Aside from that, it was apparently also possible that the very generic skills that Hunters learned through cards may actually be unique skills of Awakens that existed in other dimensions long ago.

“Are you saying that we can trade in skills with proper nouns by modifying or replacing them again?”

– It is possible! That’s how all of the normal skills with proper nouns are made.

If so, then that should be the case with [Artha’s Sword Dance].

I remembered when the devil’s sword witnessed my sword movement. It immediately recited the name of ‘King Artha.’

“Is the proper noun in the skill’s name of the Awakened person who modified or changed the skill?”

Was the name of the man who planted this curse in me ‘Mercadius’?

– Not necessarily. Depending on the Awakened’s intentions, it may be named after a mythical and legendary being that are passed down to the society instead of their own names, or the name of the region, country, or any unique concept.

I found it all ambiguous.

However, the more I thought about it, the more it hurt my head. Modification of unique skills was an option only available in a world where tutorials had been completed?

Based on the Mana color, my body’s curse was indeed a unique skill that the creator had unfolded by himself, not a normalized skill.

Then that meant that the being which had cast this curse upon me was not human.

‘This is too much. I would be prepared if I could at least know their race.’

With this, I asked, “Have you ever heard of Mercadius?”

– I haven’t.

I threw some keywords to the immortal that would specify the skill [Mercardius’ Seeds].

“Have you ever seen this kind of unique skill? Or something similar to it?”

Then, as if it found it surprising, it replied with agitated telepathy after a brief silence had occurred.