"After this, you can receive one S-rank skill from our inventory, Brother Ren."
Lu Changcheng gestured toward the back section of the vault, leading Ren through corridors lined with increasingly valuable treasures. The atmosphere grew more oppressive with each step, as if the very air recognized the power contained within the items they passed.
This section was unlike anything Ren had seen before. The security measures were immediately apparent—magical glyphs covered every surface, their intricate patterns pulsing with energy that made his skin tingle. The vault door itself was a masterwork of both technology and magic, reinforced with layers of protection that would make it nearly impossible to breach without authorization.
The walls were inscribed with symbols that seemed to shift and change when viewed directly, creating an unsettling effect that made it difficult to focus on any single glyph for too long. The air hummed with contained power, and Ren could feel the weight of the protective enchantments pressing down on him like a physical presence.
"Brother Ren, do you know why this place is so highly secured?" Lu asked, pausing before the massive door.
"Please enlighten me."
Lu's expression grew serious, taking on the demeanor of someone preparing to share critical information.
"Skills can be learned by hunters one rank below their designated level. An S-rank skill can be learned by an A-rank hunter, and likewise for items as well."
He gestured at the door, then continued his explanation.
"But when an item gets stolen, it can be seen when used. The thief reveals themselves the moment they deploy a stolen weapon or armor piece in combat."
The logic was sound. Unique items were trackable, their distinctive appearances and effects making them impossible to use anonymously. A stolen legendary sword would be recognized immediately by anyone who knew what to look for.
"But skills can be hidden," Lu continued.
"The skill book simply disappears after being learned. There's no physical evidence, no distinctive visual signature that would immediately identify the user as a thief."
Ren nodded, understanding the security implications. A stolen skill became part of the thief's permanent arsenal, virtually impossible to prove had been taken illegally.
"And skills are far rarer than items," Lu added with emphasis.
"How rarer?" Ren asked, genuinely curious about the mathematics of power in this world.
Lu's response was precise, clearly based on extensive guild records and statistical analysis. "By statistics, every hundred monsters killed will drop one hundred cores. Those same hundred monsters will drop ten items. But with a hundred monsters, the guild will see only one skill drop."
The numbers painted a stark picture of scarcity. Skills were ten times rarer than items, which were already valuable enough to build entire hunter careers around.
"That's a rough estimate, of course," Lu continued.
"The skill you will acquire is an S-rank one. That means it took approximately one hundred Calamity-rank monsters to obtain it."
He paused, letting the weight of that statement settle.
"For your information, Calamity-rank monsters are as strong as S-rank hunters. Some even require multiple S-rank hunters working together to defeat them."
Ren felt genuinely shocked by the revelation. The scope of power and effort required to obtain even a single S-rank skill was staggering. Each skill book in this vault represented battles that could have reshaped the landscape, conflicts that would be remembered as major historical events.
"So it's really that precious," he said quietly.
"Oh, you lost your memories. I'm sorry, I don't do a good job at explaining sometimes," Lu said with an apologetic expression.
"In this entire country, with a population of 120 million people, including you, there are only ten S-rank hunters."
"Ah, I remember that Joseph said something like that."
"It means that these skills are exceptionally rare. There are only ten S-rank skills left in our treasury, and nine of them were collected by me personally."
The statement hung in the air like a challenge and a warning combined. Lu was casually mentioning that he had been responsible for defeating roughly nine hundred Calamity-rank monsters. The math was simple and terrifying.
"So it means that one thousand Calamity-rank monsters have been killed by the Dao Guild," Ren said, processing the implications.
"This is both a story and a warning," Lu replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
The message was clear: Lu Changcheng was announcing, in the most understated way possible, that he could kill nine hundred S-rank hunters and still be perfectly fine. It was a demonstration of power so casual and overwhelming that it redefined Ren's understanding of what Mythic-rank actually meant.
How strong is Brother Lu, really? Ren wondered. Well, he's definitely stronger than me, that's for sure. At least we're not enemies.
The thought was both comforting and deeply unsettling. Having such power as an ally was invaluable, but the sheer scale of Lu's capabilities was almost incomprehensible.
"Then I'll leave you to choose the skill peacefully," Lu said with that same enigmatic smile, then turned and walked out of the secured section.
Alone now, Ren began examining each skill book carefully. The collection was small but represented an incredible concentration of power. Each tome was bound in materials that seemed to pulse with their own energy—some covered in scales that shifted colors, others wrapped in what looked like crystallized starlight, and a few that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
As he read through the descriptions, Ren came to a startling realization about the effects.
They were so absurdly powerful that if not for their equally absurd mana consumption, any one of these skills could level an entire city with a single activation. The raw destructive potential was beyond anything he had imagined possible.
Mythic-rank hunters have a lot of mana, right? he thought. So they can cast these kinds of skills hundreds of times.
The implications were staggering. Mythic-rank hunters weren't just called walking nuclear bombs as hyperbole—they literally possessed the power to reshape geography and eliminate entire populations. The political balance he'd observed between the guilds made perfect sense now. When individuals possessed this level of destructive capability, traditional government authority became meaningless.
Suddenly, the system's voice echoed in his mind, interrupting his contemplation.
Host.
"What's up, System?"
I recommend this skill.
Ren turned to where the system had directed his attention, focusing on a purple-bound tome that seemed to emanate an aura of mystery and deception. The cover was inscribed with symbols that hurt to look at directly, patterns that seemed to twist reality around them.
As he approached the book, its description materialized in his vision:
[Skill: Veil of False Reality]
Rank: S
Type: Illusion / Domain
ControlCost: 20 Mana per second
Can be Evolved with Doctor of the Ruin Gospel class when reaching rank B
Description: The caster projects an overwhelming illusory field across a 2-kilometer radius, rewriting the perception of reality itself. Within this field, enemies cannot distinguish illusion from truth—walls appear where none exist, allies look like enemies, the ground may shift into endless pits or burning wastelands.
Only those with S-Rank or higher mental resistance can attempt to perceive the truth.
Effects:
Illusory Domain (2 km radius): Everything within the radius is reshaped by the caster's will—terrain, structures, sounds, even the skyPerception Lock: Targets trapped inside perceive illusions as real, including pain and injury. While the damage is not physical, their bodies react accordingly (slowed reflexes, fear, panic, disorientation)False Echoes: The caster can duplicate themselves, allies, or enemies up to 10 illusory clones each. These clones cannot deal real damage but appear indistinguishable from reality, forcing opponents to waste resources fighting shadowsMind Erosion (Passive Effect): Targets with weak mental defenses suffer sanity erosion over time. The longer they remain in the illusion, the more their will breaks, potentially leading to hallucinations even after leaving the domainDomain Break Condition: The illusion shatters only if the caster is incapacitated, killed, or forcibly disrupted by another domain-level ability
Ren stared at the skill description, his mind reeling from the possibilities it presented. A two-kilometer radius of complete reality manipulation was beyond anything he had imagined. Within that space, he would be effectively omnipotent, able to reshape the battlefield according to his will and drive enemies into madness through psychological warfare.
The skill perfectly complemented his cosmic horror theme while providing tactical capabilities that went far beyond simple combat applications. He could use it for reconnaissance, creating safe zones, psychological operations, or simply overwhelming enemies with experiences their minds couldn't process.
The mana cost was significant but manageable—twenty mana per second meant he could maintain the field for extended periods during combat. And the note about evolution potential suggested that the skill would grow even more powerful as he advanced in rank.
But what truly caught his attention was the mention of the "Doctor of the Ruin Gospel class." The system was suggesting this skill not just for its immediate benefits, but because it tied into his future development path.
"Huh? What?"