Chapter 1197 True Nature
"Now, I'm pretty sure I've already asked you this before you received the true beginning of my legacy."
Closing his eyes for a bit to sort out his thoughts, Jekyll looked at Valyr with a calm expression as he asked, "What do you think is the true nature of the skill I gave you?"
"The true nature of the skill?" asked Valyr in return, the gears in his mind turning as he thought about the skill Jekyll gave him in detail. "Back then, didn't you say that the true nature of the skill lies in hunting?"
"So, you do remember." At those words, Jekyll's eyes slightly lit up as he nodded. "The true nature of [Hunter's Tracking Eyes] lies in hunting, allowing you to pinpoint weak spots and vital spots that would turn the tides of combat to your advantage."
"On the other hand, you could consider the true nature of [Gambler's Discerning Eyes], the previous version of the current skill I gave you, as discernment." "After all, being able to discern things that others couldn't on the table is pretty important when it comes to gambling, especially if you want the odds to be in your favor."
"Well... yeah." Nodding in response to his words, Valyr decided to ask a question of his own. "Then again, what does the topic have anything to do with inheriting the final part of your legacy?"
"It has a lot to do with it, actually," said Jekyll in response, only to clarify a portion of Valyr's words not long after. "Also, this isn't the final part of my legacy. Not even close." "I'm pretty sure I told you back then that meeting the requirements I mentioned would allow you to obtain the next part of my legacy."
"Is that so?" replied Valyr with a hint of confusion on his face, thinking back to the time the two of them last parted ways.
Eventually, he recalled that Jekyll did tell him back then that he would obtain the next part of the legacy as long as he comprehended an Intent.
Though he felt a bit of embarrassment from the fact that he misconstrued the man's words along the way into thinking that he was obtaining his remaining portion of the legacy, Valyr had no regrets in meeting up with Jekyll for the skill.
Even more so now that he knew the stance the Zeihardt clan's rebel faction was taking.
"So..." After briefly apologizing to Jekyll for misremembering what the man told him back then, Valyr pondered over their entire conversation for a bit before coming up with another question to ask.
Hearing those words leave Valyr's mouth all of a sudden, Jekyll's eyes widened in surprise for a bit, only for his expression to turn into a slight grin as he noticed the expression on Valyr's face continue to change.
"The true nature of the next skill... is slaughter..." Then again, the changes did not last for long, with Valyr looking at Jekyll with confidence the moment he felt he'd completed his train of thought.
"Now, why do you think the skill's true nature is slaughter?" Although Jekyll was inwardly satisfied that Valyr had arrived at the answer he was looking for, the man decided to prod the young man a bit more to see if he was sure of his response.
Fortunately, the young man had thought it all through.
"When you told me to think about what you went through, it was there that I understood that the different versions of the skills you gave me corresponded to certain parts of your life."
Looking at Jekyll with a slightly fervent gaze, he continued with his explanation. "[Gambler's Discerning Eyes] made me think about how I met you the first time. The gambling den. The need to see through sleight of hand and other stuff."
"On the other hand, [Hunter's Tracking Eyes] made me think of your early life. I'm not too sure about the specifics around that, but I feel like 'true beginning of your legacy' sums it up."
"After all, you had to start somewhere before you eventually became known as the Northern Star."
"...And what do you think the next version of the skill would correspond to?" asked Jekyll, slightly amused by Valyr's explanation.
"Your participation in the war," said Valyr. "The pinnacle."
"It is purely because of the war that you had to force your eyes to reach a higher level."
"A level where you would be able to leverage your eyesight to decimate the opposition, a level where everywhere you look is just black circles surrounding you..."
"...If it wasn't for that, you probably wouldn't have been able to turn the tides of that war to your favor."