The moment Scar mentioned honoring his promise, Kieran's face lit up.
Unable to conceal his glee, Kieran gave Scar a smarmy grin. "And here I thought you forgot about our deal, seeing as you had yet to mention anything about it."
"Watch it, kid. If I say I'm going to do something, then I'll naturally ensure that it takes place," Scar scoffed, crossing his arms before his chest.
Based on his expression, it was clear he didn't appreciate this bit of doubt that Kieran voiced. Had he not come through and made good on all his promises made thus far? As it stood, Scar saw zero reason for Kieran not to trust him.
It just simply made no sense to him.
"I thought we've reached a level where we can joke around with one another? Why are you being so uptight?" Kieran remarked, looking at Scar strangely.
"We have indeed reached that level and I indeed do not mind the small jokes. However, one thing I will not tolerate is having the value of my word demeaned or belittled in any way," Scar voiced, earning Kieran's grimace.
Had he known this topic would earn such a response, Kieran wouldn't have taken it there.
Fortunately, it served as a lesson for what crossed the boundaries of a joke for Scar, so Kieran now knew how not to overstep while interacting with him.
A few seconds later though, Scar's expression lightened as if he didn't reveal one of the darkest and most solemn expressions Kieran had ever witnessed just seconds before.
If Kieran weren't the wiser, he would have thought Scar suffered from some sort of bipolar disorder.
"Let us move to the important task at hand—the Esoteric Skills. Speaking of which, are you familiar with them?" Scar asked, extending his hand.
As he did so, an orb of dark red blood with a viscous, jelly-like consistency gradually coalesced above his palm. While the orb seemed ordinary on the surface, when Kieran looked at it, he could see some strange writing on the inside.
This writing was the reason these "skills" gained the name Esoteric Skill.
Strange and somewhat obscure in nature, Esoteric Skills were extremely powerful. But because they possessed such baffling power, they warranted sparing usage.
If one wasn't careful, overusing these skills could lead to issues.
Of course, as with any skill or ability that possessed frightening drawbacks, the negative could be mitigated by deepening one's understanding of the skill and similarly increasing one's power.
The stronger the vessel that unleashed an Esoteric Skill, the less likely it was to be injured.
After considering what he knew about Esoteric Skills, Kieran gave a slight nod. "I know a bit, I suppose. For example, because Esoteric Skills are something that Advanced Beings are meant to unleash, they're regarded as advanced skills."
"Your answer is somewhat correct. They are regarded as advanced skills, but those are merely superficial Esoteric Skills. A true Esoteric Skill holds a different name altogether—a proper one is what's known as a Secret Art," Scar revealed.
When he revealed this information, Kieran blinked a few times before thinking about what he knew. 'If that's the case, then the Esoteric Skills I came in contact with back then were all superficial? Well… considering the normal nature of my previous class, it's not that unbelievable.'
Curious to correct his lacking understanding of the matter, Kieran sought information from Scar. "Why exactly are they regarded as Secret Arts?"
"The reason is simple—the method to learn them remains a secret that only those who understand the skill possess. Additionally, when executed, these skills generally paint a sublime picture of death," Scar answered, his expression teeming with bliss.
This expression was naturally the result of Scar relishing in the glory of unleashing several Esoteric Skills in his prime, all of which resulted in a massive loss of life and destruction of untold proportions.
Among those that died, there were many unsung heroes and villains.
One might question why heroes were killed by Scar, but the reason was simple and something even a normal person would experience—betrayal.
The reasoning for these betrayals wasn't strange. In fact, it was the same reason that Scar's presence was disliked within the War Deity Council.
He was an individual that showed no mercy. Even a lifelong friend could be killed without so much as batting an eye if Scar learned he had been double-crossed.
After giving Kieran this piece of information, Scar even went on to explain another reason Esoteric Skills were regarded as Secret Arts.
"Unlike skills like Dread Culling, Baneful Cyclone, and other powerful skills that require incredible manipulation of your Mana and vitality, there's no learning involved with Esoteric Skills."
In response to this information, Kieran blanked.
If there was no learning involved, then wasn't that similar to how a player obtained their skills from their Skill Tree?
Though they could learn their skills through manual attempts, they weren't forced to do so and that was the beauty of it. In comparison, the denizens of Xenith had to toil to hone their skills and abilities.
"If there is no learning process, how is the knowledge of these Esoteric Skills imparted?" Kieran asked.
In response, Scar gave a wide grin followed by a hearty laugh, which left Kieran at a loss until Scar explained why he reacted this way.
"That's precisely how it goes. The process is imparted onto your soul, which means learning a true Esoteric Skill is akin to branding your soul. This is the reason why I said you can't have any wounds. That is because I do not possess superficial Esoteric Skills."
These skills were called Secret Arts because only one who bore the secret soul map could utilize it.
"I see…" Kieran muttered, a flash of realization sparking in his eyes.
Kieran was under the impression that only extremely rare skills could be imprinted on one's soul. This imprint was different from the Source Rune that every skill possessed.
What Scar referred to when mentioning the branding of one's soul was that huge crystal-like object that housed all those runes and even the Archaic Verity Compendium.
Once Kieran decided upon the Esoteric Skill that he wanted to learn, his soul would no longer be as unblemished in terms of the exterior.
"The only thing I'm gathering from your words is that learning a true Esoteric Skill will hurt," Kieran remarked.
Kieran could ignore the pain he felt when Hekaina enchanted the Imprint of Might onto his body. Though Scar was unfamiliar with the engraving and enchanting process, Kieran reckoned it would be a familiar procedure.
Otherwise, why would Scar mention that learning a proper Esoteric Skill was akin to having one's soul branded?
"Why are you being a little bitch? You're the last one I'd expect to complain, considering that perverse Aspect of yours. It's so powerful it resulted in a soul wound! Besides, wasn't it you that said the Wykins gave you a True Relic? What else is there to fear?" Scar scoffed, somewhat disappointed by Kieran's reaction.
Everything he said was the truth.
Any one of these aspects would be enough to put someone out of commission. However, Scar understood that Kieran was very strange, thanks to Agrianos' input.
Thus, he decided it was best not to judge Kieran from a logical standpoint. And because of this understanding, Scar held Kieran on a higher pedestal and expected greater things from him—even greater than himself.
"Well… when you put it like that… I am kind of being a wimp," Kieran murmured.
Yet Kieran's thoughts differed greatly from what he voiced.
Nevertheless, Kieran looked at the orb that remained above Scar's palm. "Is that the Secret Art you want to teach me? But I thought you said I'd be free to choose."
"No. I only revealed this so that you could glean its structure and importance with those strange eyes of yours. Now that you've done so… you may choose."
Following his words, Scar clapped his hands together and released a bloody aura that was further enhanced by Arcane Energy, which Kieran found completely strange.
A second later, that Arcane Energy was also partnered with Scar's Will—a Barbarian's variation of Will at that.
Soon enough, when Scar spread his arms, he revealed 7 orbs that looked identical on the surface, but Kieran knew better. The series of symbols within the orbs, which formed a kind of map, differed from orb to orb.
"Choose wisely. As I've said earlier, I'll only allow you to learn one. Should you want to learn more, you'll naturally have to continue proving yourself," Scar voiced.
While he would have preferred the option to choose more than one, Kieran knew it was pointless to try and convince Scar to change his mind.
After careful consideration, Kieran decided upon a skill that, when picked, made Scar reveal a gruesome grin.
"What a beautiful decision, boy!"
