"Well, to be frank, that sounds almost too good to be true. What's in it for you?" I asked her skeptically.
"Hm? Oh, I don't have any ulterior motives, if that's what you mean. I'm simply doing my job...with your abilities, we can't afford to lose you. Since you hide your powers, you end up take on more risk than you otherwise would since you try not to go all out around others. Which can prove fatal in a Dungeon."
"Yeah, can't deny that you've got a point there."
"Furthermore, we've had an increasing number of Dungeons straying from the standard patterns lately, and higher level Dungeons are starting to appear more frequently.
If things keep up at this rate, it's only a matter of time before the Hunters start to get overwhelmed. So, it's crucial that we groom and develop the next generation as best we can, while we can."
"Mhm, I can get behind that logic," I nodded thoughtfully.
"Glad you agree. Now, in the grand scheme of things, you're still not all that powerful, to put it bluntly. So, we'll help you get there.
To let someone with your unique and powerful abilities go to waste would be a failure on my part as the head of the Hunters Union here in Sanctuary Theta.
My job is to ensure a secure future for humanity, and I've determined that helping you will help me accomplish that. That's all there is to it. So, I'll ask you again...what do you say?" She prompted me.
She's...not lying. I don't sense any deception.
Also, the fact that she's saying all this means that she was already pretty certain that I'm capable of getting stronger.
Honestly, if it wasn't for my passive lie detection, I definitely wouldn't have believed that she doesn't have an ulterior motive. At the very least, I would've been seriously skeptical.
"Well, I see no reason to refuse...just so long as I don't have to sign any shady contracts or whatever," I replied with a wry smile.
"Oh, you don't need to sign anything. We can proceed with a verbal agreement, that you're free to dissolve if and when you decide to do so.
Here's how it'll work, we'll simply notify you of available Dungeons two days before they're scheduled to be raided, and once you pick one, we'll proceed.
You can accept as many or as few raids as you want to, and you're free to join a Guild as soon as one makes you an offer," She explained.
In other words, if this were a video game, she's basically giving me an option to level up on easy mode, with no strings attached.
"Okay, then, I'm in. I mean, it'd be stupid to refuse, you're basically just asking me to do what I was already planning on doing, but a lot more easily. Can't really call it a deal since I'm benefitting while not giving anything in return, it's more like a gift. I kinda feel bad," I smiled sheepishly.
"Like I said before, this does benefit me in the long-term...consider yourself an investment, if you become strong enough to help better protect humanity in the future, it'll be worth it. Hm, but if you really feel bad...how about answering a few more questions about your powers?" She responded hopefully.
Damn it, it's hard to refuse in this situation.
"Sure, go ahead. Can't promise I'll answer, though," I replied with a reluctant smile.
"Hm, in that case, why don't you simply tell me everything you're comfortable revealing? I must admit, I'm quite fascinated by your abilities," She confessed wryly.
The same as Ariella, then.
Well, it is understandable, my powers go against most precedents with Hunters, so it's only natural that people would be curious.
Alright, what should I tell her? I don't want to reveal too much. How much would be enough to satisfy her?
"I guess I could tell you about one of my debuffs. I call it Lethargy, it triggers a wave of energy that increases fatigue in anyone who gets hit by the energy.
And I also have a stronger version called Slumber, that one needs direct physical contact to activate, but it's more than twice as effective as Lethargy," I informed her, as she nodded in intrigue.
I have two other Skills that could be classified as debuffs, my second Lust Skill and my second Envy Skill. I haven't used them yet though, at least not in a fight.
The Lust one because I wasn't sure how effective it would be, and I wasn't about to experiment against the Greater Demon, and the Envy one because it costs a ton of Mana to activate.
Huh, actually, I guess Command would also technically qualify as a debuff, now that I think about it.
"Oh, I see...I take it you used those Skills to weaken the Demon?" She surmised with a gleam in her eyes.
"No, I only used Lethargy on the Demon. I didn't have enough Mana to use Slumber, and that aside, my best option whenever I got an opening to attack at close-range was Mana Pulse."
I'm still not entirely sure if Mana Pulse is an ability that only I can use, or if others can use it too. Ariella did try to figure it out for a while, but she couldn't pull it off.
It's not that it didn't work, more that it didn't work in the same way...when she tried it, all that happened was a small burst of heat from her fingertips.
So, the method itself could be something that anyone can do, but maybe the exact effect of Mana Pulse is unique to me?
Like, since I don't have an Attribute, maybe my Mana is a bit different to the Mana of other Hunters?
Yeah, either that, or maybe I've just got a real knack for it.
"Uh, hello? Are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, sorry, guess I zoned out. Did you say something?" I responded sheepishly.
"Yes, I was asking if there's anything else you wouldn't mind showing me," She repeated herself.
Hm, I don't know, I already feel like I've revealed a lot. But then, I doubt she's going to blab after offering to help me get stronger while hiding my abilities.
I mean, my passive lie detection hasn't gone off even once during this whole conversation, she's been completely honest with me this entire time.
And like she said, it's only a matter of time before my powers are outed, so I suppose revealing one more Skill should be fine.
"Alright, I'll show you one more Skill. This one is easier to demonstrate than explain, so...
Her eyes widened as her right arm tensed, before lifting itself straight up.
"That's incredible...my arm just moved entirely on its own. Although, I think I'd be able to resist this power if I wanted to, let's see...ah, there we go," She mused, lowering her arm as she broke free of the effect fairly easily.
"Yeah, it's less effective on those who are more powerful than I am. Not sure if you'd call this a debuff, but I did use it on the Greater Demon. It didn't hold for long, but it at least immobilized her for about a second or two," I informed her.
Alright, that's all I'm going to say, I'll keep my lips sealed regarding the rest of my Skills.
"Even a single second can be a turning point in battle, so that's nothing to scoff at. The more I learn, the more assured I feel in my decision to invest in you, Kaivel Intrix," She smiled, as she held her hand out towards me.
"Yeah, I look forward to working with you," I nodded, as I took hold of her hand and shook it.