The Discarded Son's Skill Market

The ability to observe muscle growth and the fibers of the human body, to understand how much their strength had increased, and even to pinpoint the exact time when that increase occurred was not a skill achieved through talent alone, even though it was technically possible.

Under Lodrey’s gaze, Zaid felt so scrutinized that he could feel the pressure right down to his very bone marrow. This wasn’t just a numerical Talent with a description within a system. This was something more.

It was the experience gained over the years.

"I had forgotten that this man has been an Awakened One for over 50 years, and his enviable S-Rank strength makes him one of the most capable veterans in the kingdom—in practically every sense."

No matter who stood before him, he could study and understand them down to their very core. That was... terrifying.

Were there no secrets from him? There must have been, but right now they were beyond the understanding of a lowly Rank F like him.

Zaid grimaced, trying to force a smile. "I’m not that good, Lord Lodrey."

Lodrey laughed. "Does your family know about your awakening?" he asked, changing the subject.

At this point, Zaid wasn’t surprised by his question. Lodrey had studied his face the most. Perhaps that was exactly what had piqued his interest.

A supposedly crippled man had woken up? It must be global news.

Determined not to deny it, he shook his head. "I don’t have a family."

"You’re right." Lodrey laughed and said apologetically, "I’m sorry about the mistake. If you want, I can help you register under a new name. How about D’Arce? Zaid D’Arce—it sounds good."

Zaid looked at him, puzzled. "You... want to adopt me?"

"Actually," Lodrey raised his voice, "I have no intention of adopting anyone. However, I do need an heir."

"And you want me to be one?"

"I have to at least give it a try, right? A cripple who’s awakened and comes from one of the most powerful families in the world—I think that’s a good start. Not just any cripple can awaken," Lodrey joked.

Zaid shook his head. "I know your last name, Lord Lodrey. As a descendant of the ancient Royal Family of Toluria, you are currently the most powerful man in that family and should be the rightful ruler of Toluria. Taking me with you will bring more problems than solutions. Because you have fallen."

Lodrey sighed but nodded. "It’s no secret that the D’Arce family has fallen. There are only seven of us left, and we’ve suffered the misfortune of being unable to have children. The D’Arce family is doomed to disappear. Seven descendants, all infertile. It’s unfortunate."

Zaid remained silent. He hadn’t known about this.

"But even if the D’Arce bloodline disappears, as long as its legacy remains, the family will never perish. Our blood is not pure, which is why we do not belong to any of the three legendary groups. Our blood isn’t worth much. However, the legacy is worth more than any kingdom."

Zaid frowned. "It’s only been 10 years since the portals appeared. What kind of legacy could they possibly have that’s so important?"

Secret portals? Powerful abilities? Some secret technique? That last one didn’t even seem possible. Not even all the scientists in the world combined had been able to find a secret technique or a loophole in the inner workings of the system. How could a small family of diluted blood possibly have one?

Lodrey laughed. "Are you sure it’s only been 10 years, Young Zaid?" he asked strangely.

Zaid frowned. Yes, right? Exactly 10 years ago, the portals appeared. The beasts began to ravage the world and destroy everything in their path.

Many countries perished, including the Great Capital of the World, Gaia.

Billions of people died. The estimated number is more than 3 billion.

It has been exactly 10 years since the greatest disaster to ever strike the world began...

Exactly 10 years...

’Exactly 10 years?’ Zaid suddenly frowned...

’Ten years... Approximately 87,600 hours.’

’One hour is one week... 87,600 weeks... that’s...’

Lodrey noticed the change in his expression and said, "Exactly... It’s been over a thousand years."

Over a thousand years...

Although Zaid couldn’t quite grasp the magnitude of that amount of time, he couldn’t say it was impossible either. Because, in fact, in a way, Lodrey was right.

Hunters are constantly on the other side of the portals, especially the powerful ones. They’re allowed to stay there for many years, so someone in their mid-60s who has been a hunter for about 50 years could very well be several hundred years old.

It was enough time to build up a genuine and powerful legacy to leave to his descendants. Somehow, for the first time, Zaid finally understood why the most powerful hunters were so rich.

Of course they would be. They spent decades at a time training and killing beasts on the other side of the portals—how could they not be rich?

And that was only on Rank B sites or lower. Because on Rank A sites or higher, the time difference was often even greater—and it always increases.

Gulp! He swallowed hard, but didn’t take his eyes off Lodrey.

"Even so, I can’t register under another name." Zaid got straight to the point. "I wear a mask precisely because I don’t want to reveal myself."

Lodrey felt discouraged, but only for a few seconds. His spirits lifted again, and he nodded.

"I heard that no one at the academy knows you’ve awakened—some even think you found a Stat Stone—so I understand."

"I can’t let the Zacharys come after me." Zaid smiled. "Could you take them on?"

"If I were some kind of madman, I’m sure I could do it." Lodrey returned to his seat, laughing.

He was right. Only a madman would choose to oppose the Zacharys. Even across the entire continent, there weren’t many who were capable of doing so.

Lodrey decided to move on to the main topic. "The mercenary guild is dangerous, but for someone like you, it’s the best place to be. They rarely investigate our mercenaries, and there’s always a chance that Azrik or I might step in during an investigation," he said, pausing for a few seconds.

Then he continued. "What’s more, we handle missions throughout the kingdom and beyond. For someone looking to grow quickly, there’s nothing better than a chaotic, unpredictable environment like this. In the departments, we’ll only provide you with specialized training, but if your goal is to join the guild to grow, we won’t stop you from taking on missions—though we’ll warn you that it’s dangerous."

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