"I looked into the concept of a homunculus," Healer Melon began, his voice trailing off.
It was hard to suppress the hope I was feeling at hearing that. "And what do you think?"
"It can work. Smaller-scale experiments have showed that they work with tier 3 curse skills and below.
"But nothing with tier 4 or tier 5?"
"How it would all work is the same, but the homunculus needs to have a stronger body and a higher Mana density. That means carefully growing it over time, so it doesn't break down at a higher Mana density."
"Does the Institute or anyone else use this method?"
"No. A System Priest would be a far better option for lower-tier curses. Higher-tier curse skills are incredibly rare. And then the ability to pay for a homunculus, even rarer," he said in a half-joking tone.
"But does it work?"
"Most likely and if you had the money, then I would say spend it. But in the end, it would push the procedure to a level never achieved before," he replied, and I slowly nodded. "Normally they can quickly make a homunculus over a period of weeks, months, or even a year, and it would be enough. Make it transfer the curse skill over and then let it collapse. But you need a much stronger homunculus. A Tier 6 curse makes this impossible."
"And the risk that made my mother decline?"
Someone could attack you at a distance using the homunculus. While it would require specialized skills, it is an enormous risk to have such a weakness for two decades. That is why your mother never considered it a serious solution to removing the cursed skill."
I frowned in thought. "A possible solution."
"Yes, a possible solution."
"My mother could have paid for it long ago."
"And would have to protect the homunculus for two decades. If anyone steals it, they could always use it against you. The College has decent security, but if there were a concerted effort by the Dark Cabal or other force, it would be challenging to defend such a thing."
It wouldn't be an attack, but a theft.
The College was mostly safe, but some Dark Cabal members remained at large. The uniqueness of their skills was not in question. While they might be harder to progress through, the leadership of the Dark Cabal was highly capable. They would be the people to place in the top 10 of the College.
"I guess I will have to save up," I joked.
"By the time you get enough money, you will have a chance against Legend Xanatos," Healer Melon said, and I shook my head at that statement.
"A chance is not victory. The most dangerous thing in a fight is the unknown," I said, quoting something my mother had told me while training in the dungeon. "It's surprising that the others didn't go to the lecture."
"They don't care about such things or don't realize how important it was. Many things are only obvious when you ask or express interest."
"True. I should probably get back to training up my skills instead of brooding over this information."
"It is a valid concern. Getting rid of that curse skill is important."
"Are you about to give me another health warning?"
"Sort of. I suggest you resolve the curse skill before your 36th birthday and get a tier 2 class if you haven't. You will also need to consider using your free stat points."
"That's quite a bit."
"Most people don't delay their classes like you do. While it slightly increases the potential of what is offered, there are larger risks. You will get tier 5 skills, which means you will need a higher class or suffer headaches and other health problems. And at your age, you need to spend the stat points by then for the most impact, especially Vitality."
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"I thought it was one point of Vitality to one year of life added onto fifty?"
"That is a good rule of thumb. But the process of degradation is very slow at first. While it is barely noticeable, it occurs. Then it drops off a bunch at once later. Most people aren't overly concerned about such things. But I have been following up on long-term health issues with your unique…choices."
I could tell he wanted to say foolishness instead of choices but held himself back.
"So, another time limit, even with my stat gain?"
"It isn't a hard limit. Most people feel their body failing and try to get more levels, but by then it is too late. As for your current stats, they help. With your Vitality at 50, you will live to be 100. But things will start degrading sooner. Research hasn't been done, but it is hard to get precise measurements on such things."
"Thank you for letting me know. Any issues with the curse skill long term?"
"No. Except that it will siphon experience. I also suspect that it might take skill experience as well."
I stood up. "What?!"
"Skills accumulate their own experience, or at least the mechanism is like your main level. Experience is present even if you don't see it. I suspect that the curse skill has been leaching some of that skill experience from you."
That enraged me. "How long have you known?"
"I got a reply from the Institute after seeing your status page at the end of the last semester, and I sent a letter asking questions. I just got a reply yesterday."
My rage towards him drained away and back towards Xanatos. He had been leeching off my hard work all these years.
"How many skill levels?"
"It is impossible to say. But most likely anywhere from 50 to 100 every three months."
"Over ten years, that is 4,000 skill levels."
"Yes. Your green soul fruits should have had a greater impact, especially having eaten two and with your class boosting them. I was hesitant about telling you, but you deserve to know."
All these years, my hard work was being stolen. "Did my mother know?"
"No. It isn't obvious. We can only know the name of the curse skill. With it being called Experience Siphon, no one would think that their skills are affected, just their experience gain for main levels."
My blood felt like it was boiling.
It was impossible to put into words the sheer apocalyptic rage I was feeling now.
"Your mother might have thought you were slow…" he trailed off.
My anger increased even further. "My father? Would he have known?"
"This is a unique skill, and even now it is all a guess. I suspected something only after watching you for years and knowing your medical background. It isn't something obvious, like a missing limb. Even if someone was an expert in soul magic, curse skills, and complicated System effects, this isn't something that is obvious."
I felt violated in a way that made me want to stab something and then burn it. Ozy was hissing off to the side as he picked up on my immense anger.
"Can the curse skill be used to attack the person on the other end?"
"It would prevent that, though it is possible to get a curse skill to target curse skills. Therefore, soul mages struggle. However, these skills are no longer practiced and have been lost. Soul mages were rare, and there are only occasional references to hunters from the High Vostner time period."
"Lost legacies," I said with bitterness.
"We can rediscover it. Sorry."
"It isn't your fault. Thank you for letting me know."
Despair gripped me. This news heavily affected my mental state. I wouldn't be able to focus on training my skills properly the rest of the day.
I could only hope that Legend Xanatos was enjoying all that skill experience and my hard work. Losing 4,000 skill levels was the equivalent of 10 mastered tier 4 skills or 40 tier 1 skills. It was immense in terms of labor. If my mother hadn't gotten me two green soul fruits, I would have had no chance in life. She had even killed the bastard once as well.
"Is the bounty my mother put up still out there?"
"Of course. Your father contributed as well. Xanatos' head is worth 500 platinum." That was up from the 200 it had been when I learned about the bounty years ago. "It is the highest existing bounty at the moment."
"No one found him?"
"He is a legend in the Dark Cabal." He was just that dangerous. To deal with him, a specialized team or a supreme legend was necessary.
"Well, there is nothing I can do right now. I must place first even with…this cursed skill."
"I believe in you, Justin," Healer Melon said.
I appreciated the statement of confidence, but I needed solutions, not kind words. Kind words wouldn't accomplish anything.
I had to get an insane amount of money, which I could use to hire a large team of legends to hunt down Legend Xanatos, regardless. Or use that money to create a homunculus and invest 20 years of my life in watching over it, so no one did anything to it. Since skills would need to be used on it constantly, it wasn't a simple matter of hiding it away somewhere and just waiting.
Soul skills would become a priority while I was in the dungeon. It was tempting to get out the book my mother had given me about them, but I would wait. I didn't want to divert my attention right now or list such skills on my status. While it was supposed to be kept secret, I didn't truly believe that.
That was why I hadn't been overly concerned about people learning my skills while at the College. But once I left, I would be much more circumspect about who knew my skills. That was also why I had put a lot of effort into leveling up the tier 3 skill Hidden Status. It would block most casual efforts at detection.
And if someone could use forceful means, they were stronger than me or a threat that I needed to kill. Most people didn't bother. It was better to use fighting skills in a fight than to work out another person's or monster's status. I just had to ensure my preventive measures matched my strength, and I shouldn't have any issues.
Xanatos could enjoy those skill levels and choke on them. I felt I had emotionally calmed down over the years at the College, but this cursed skill just aggravated deeply. Like a festering wound that wouldn't heal properly.