The Demon’s Menu

Chapter 98: Secret Keeper

Sugar!

Sugar!

Sugar!

The words Jason had come to understand echoed in his mind like the thunder of a summer day.

Then, those words once again became incomprehensible to ordinary people.

They were murmurs in a dream.

They were the ramblings of an idiot.

They were even the language of madness.

If before Jason had only felt as if his brain were about to boil,

Extreme heat!

An unparalleled high temperature arose within his mind.

His eyes became blurry.

Illusions appeared in his field of vision.

They were…

majestic, immense, indescribable reflections.

Impossible to gaze upon directly.

Those who did were certain to be punished.

Jason was no exception.

Feeling his brain boiling, he suffered a truly lethal strike.

[Suffering a fatal attack…]

[Consuming satiety for healing…]

[Consuming 3 points of satiety!]

[Complete and thorough healing achieved!]

…

A gentle warmth diffused from his stomach to his entire body.

The extreme heat disappeared, and so did the illusions before his eyes.

Everything seemed to return to normal.

But…

Jason could clearly sense that some extra knowledge had been added to his mind, most of which was fragmented and unconnected, but some pieces were linked together.

It was still an indescribable feeling.

What he had were the jumping words before his eyes—

[Collecting ‘Secret Keeper’ profession information…]

[Collection successful!]

[1, Perception above 2 (completed)!]

[2, Accepting foreign objects (completed)!]

[3, Witnessing (or becoming aware of) the indescribable (completed)!]

[Preconditions for ‘Secret Keeper’ initiation completed…]

[Initiation successful!]

[Secret Keeper initiation successful!]

[Perception +1]

[Gained unique feat: Keep Secrets]

[Keep Secrets: You are keeping that secret, swearing never to reveal it! This fills your heart with torment, yet it can also grant special strength! Effect: Bestow a one-time substantial enhancement to one of your skills.]

(Note: This special strength is neutral, and it is up to you to determine its alignment!)

…

His perception was instantly strengthened by 1, making Jason’s perception more than three times that of an ordinary person’s.

At that moment, he could even hear the faintest sounds 20 meters away.

The feat [Keep Secrets] gave him the foundation to grow stronger quickly.

But, Jason couldn’t feel happy at all.

Because everything was too bizarre.

Whether it was ‘being given sugar,’ witnessing those indescribable reflections, or becoming a ‘Secret Keeper,’ everything had been completed without him realizing.

Jason forced himself to calm down.

He needed a calm mind to recall what had happened.

And in the next moment, Jason thought of it: Sugar!

There was no doubt, ‘sugar’ was the key!

“I learned of ‘sugar’ from Dennise.”

“So, I was targeted?”

“I was forced to give ‘sugar’.”

“And then, I died,” Jason took a deep breath at the thought.

He was clear that if it wasn’t for the ‘satiation’ treatment, he would now be a corpse.

That meant, most people facing this would die.

And those who escaped death?

Would they get a bit of… ‘compensation’?

Looking again at the ‘Secret Keeper’ profession,

Jason encountered for the first time a profession that could be taken without the cost of satiation, directly upon choosing.

The description of the specialty “Secret Keeping” always made Jason feel uneasy.

“Can’t reveal that secret?”

“Once revealed…”

“Will it bring about another ‘distribution of candy’?”

Combining the events before and after, Jason’s complexion changed as he reached a conclusion.

Then, Jason suddenly paused.

He’d been ‘given candy,’ but he hadn’t tasted any ‘candy’ at all!

Not only had he not tasted it, but he had also ‘died’ once.

But Dennise had tasted it!

Although Dennise also ‘died,’ she indeed tasted the ‘candy.’

What was this?

Favoritism?

Are huskies endearing when they cause trouble?

Jason thought silently to himself.

In that moment, he finally understood the reason behind Dennise becoming ‘out of the ordinary.’

But deep down, Jason was more curious about the taste of the ‘candy.’ Whether it was as sweet as Dennise had described.

He had died once after all.

What’s the harm in eating a candy?

Unfortunately… he didn’t get to taste what it was like.

Huff!

With a sigh, Jason’s eyes settled on the specialty “Secret Keeping.”

Since it had already happened, Jason wouldn’t wallow in self-pity.

He would use everything at his disposal to change the situation.

Regarding what skill “Secret Keeping” should enhance?

Was there anything more suitable than “Protection Against Evil”?

As it was the only skill that could effectively counter the Mystical Side’s sinister and bizarre entities, enhancing “Protection Against Evil” was, in a way, akin to increasing his power limit for Jason.

“Do you want to use Secret Keeping to enhance Protection Against Evil? [Yes/No]”

“Yes!”

As Jason’s words fell, Protection Against Evil immediately changed.

[“Protection Against Evil (Proficient): You have not only skillfully mastered this Seal Imprint secret technique but also used special strength to enhance it! It is now sufficient to protect you from malicious attacks most of the time (below Explosive-level), but you still need to consume a great deal of Physical Strength to initiate this Seal Imprint secret technique! Within the legacy of the Night Watcher, some Night Watcher has made some changes to it, hence, you also possess such a technique; Effects: 1, A special force field attached to the body’s surface that can defend against attacks from negative energy creatures (below Explosive-level) and also dispel them along with their powers (below Explosive-level); 2, You can direct the evil-dispelling power toward any beings or objects within a 5-meter radius centered on you, for a long-range attack.”]

(Note: omitted)

…

A comprehensive enhancement.

The power to resist and expel was finally approaching the ‘Explosive-level,’ and the range increased by 2 meters.

However, originally, to achieve proficiency in “Protection Against Evil” required 15 points of satiation and a 2 in Excitement of Feast, but it had now inflated to 20 points of satiation and a 3 in Excitement of Feast.

Jason had anticipated this.

An enhancement in skills, naturally leading to increased consumption, was logical.

Feeling the rapid synchronization between his body and the skill, Jason’s gaze shifted to the books given by the old baronet on the small table.

This time, he believed he wouldn’t be disturbed anymore.

It seemed to be the case indeed.

After he had died once, everything had seemingly calmed down.

‘Harken is the masterpiece of the ‘Dour’ witchcraft school; they initially only hoped to create some invisible servants, but ultimately they made Hark such bizarre creatures that are intangible and yet can command the wind. In their youth, Harken’s claws are incredibly sharp, but as they mature, the claws will become dull, and with that comes an increase in their body size and an enhancement of their ability to control the wind. When facing an adult Harken, often a fully-armed team of 20-30 people is required for a possible hunt. Fortunately, the Dour witchcraft school adheres to the principle of ‘avoiding the world,’ restraining these creatures.’

‘Kierken is the cursed creature cultivated by the ‘Withered Leaf’ witch coven of the swamp; they are called elves only because they are made from the essence of ‘Leaf Sprites.’ Do not let the ‘Withered Leaf’ school learn your name, blood, or date of birth when facing them, as they are even more evil than you can imagine, however, in the year Hr1610, the Kierken elves were discovered by Magic Potion Master Hulk to have a Barrier-like function, but it’s not something everyone can master, as it was kept as a secret technique by certain sects and powers.’

…

Jason read greedily about the monsters.

Then, as the sun rose, he flipped to the section about secret techniques.

And then…

Jason’s eyes lit up.

He had unexpectedly found a surprise.