As Phoebe spoke, a cold shiver traced its way down Seth's spine.
Three different curses...
One could give him crippling bad luck, another could make him lose his mind, and the third could make him die from a sudden plague.
The power was utterly terrifying!
He had thought his own abilities were unique and strong, but this was a stark reminder...
Everyone in this world who wielded power was potentially monstrous!
The fact that Phoebe could end someone's life from the safety of her own home, without them ever knowing why, was both impressive and deeply frightening.
It also made a dark, unsettling thought pop into his head.
...Was that how the original Seth died?
Seth was silent for a long moment, gathering his thoughts.
"The nature of my sin is called... the Sin of the Meaningless."
He paused, wondering if he should lie about his abilities.
But the memory of her detailed and honest explanation stopped him.
Knowing she had connections to other, more powerful witches made lying a huge risk.
If he got caught in a lie later, it would destroy any trust between them and paint him as a threat.
Besides, it seems that Phoebe truly wanted wanted him to trust her... she was even quite detailed with the description of her abilities.
Although Seth found it foolish that she would let so much of her abilities be known... perhaps it was this foolishness and odd naivety that made Seth trust her a lot more.
Kindness and honesty was a kind of strength for certain people after all.
He continued, deciding on the truth.
"My current authority lets me understand other people's abilities. But it only works if I experience the power myself first-hand. Like with the witch in the market yesterday. When he used his power on me, I learned its name was [Decree]."
He took a small breath.
"My main skill is called [Null Presence]. Basically, I can become very hard to notice. People's eyes just slide over me if they aren't actively looking for me. It also gives me a kind of... natural anti-tracking. My footprints fade, and I don't leave much of a trace."
He opened his mouth to say more, to mention the strange title of 'Progenitor' he saw in his system, but he suddenly held himself back...
A cold trickle of caution ran down his spine.
He mentally pulled up the glowing screen only he could see.
[Sinner] Seth Arden (Progenitor)
[Sin] The Meaningless
[Progenitor Name] : (Unnamed)
[Progenitor Ability] Meaningful Resurrection
[The more the Progenitor dies a meaningful death, one that alters destinies, ends eras, or births new meanings for others and himself, the stronger they become upon returning.]
[Energy Affinity] Chaos
[Book of the Meaningless] (Locked)
[Stage] First Circle
[Abilities] :
[Authority of The Meaningless (1st Stage)] Experiencing first-hand the abilities of other Sin users grants knowledge about their Sin's properties and limitations.
[Null Presence] Others overlook your existence, forgetting details about you easily. Tracking abilities, clairvoyance, and even fate-based targeting struggle to lock onto you. This ability also allows you to become invisible against people who do not actively seek you out.
As he read it out.. he realized that Phoebe had not mentioned anything about Progenitors and Progenitor abilities!
She also did not mention anything similar to the [Book of the Meaningless] and [Energy Affinity]!
His eyes scanned the text.
Progenitor... Progenitor Ability... Book of the Meaningless... Energy Affinity...
Phoebe had not mentioned any of these things... Not a single word!
Her explanation had been about Sins, Authorities, and Skills.
Was this advanced knowledge she was keeping from him?
Or was his situation truly that different?
He couldn't ask directly.
It would reveal that he knew terms she hadn't mentioned...
He needed to be smarter, to draw out more information casually.
He pretended to think, then looked at her with a curious expression.
"There's one thing I still don't understand..."
He said, steering the conversation to a safer, more fundamental topic.
"How does one actually become a witch? What's the process?"
Phoebe looked at him, her eyebrow raised in surprise.
"You don't know?"
She asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
"How could that be possible..."
Seth shook his head, keeping his face a mask of sincere confusion.
"I have no memory of it. It's all a blank."
Seeing he was serious, Phoebe leaned back, her expression turning thoughtful as she searched for the right words.
"My mentor, Danica, told me that the only way for a person to become a witch is if they sign the Book of their Progenitor."
The word sent a jolt through Seth, but he kept his expression neutral.
"The Progenitors..."
She continued.
"Well... they are the origin, the very source of a certain Sin. They are like... the first and most powerful witch of that kind. My own knowledge of them is very limited as they are ancient and mysterious. Perhaps I can ask my mentor for more details. I belong to the Sin of Revenge, so my Progenitor is the source of all revenge."
She wrapped her arms around her knees.
"I don't know about other witches, but the way I signed was through my dreams. It happened almost two years ago, not long after my father was killed."
A shadow passed over her face.
"I had a long, vivid dream. In it, there was a woman. She was sweet and loving, gentle like a mother... she comforted me in my grief and rage. Then she asked me if I wanted to sign her book. In return, she would give me the power to seek revenge against the people who had wronged my father."
Phoebe's voice was quiet.
"Blinded by my pain, I said yes. I signed. When I woke up, the power was there. Later, I met my mentor, Danica, and I told her about the dream. She said that the woman was most likely the Progenitor of the Sin of Revenge herself."
She looked back at Seth, her gaze intense.
"The point is, you don't have to sign a physical book. It can happen in a dream, or through some other means we don't understand. It's a spiritual contract."
She leaned forward slightly.
"So, perhaps... before you died, or maybe in the moment between your death and your resurrection, you somehow signed the Book of a Progenitor. The Progenitor of the Sin of Meaninglessness. That could be what brought you back. It granted you a new life, but as a witch bound to that Sin."
Seth listened, his mind racing.
Her story confirmed it...
The 'Progenitor' title in his system was definitely not just a fancy label!
It was something fundamentally different from what an ordinary witch should have!
She spoke of signing a Progenitor's book, of making a contract with an ancient, powerful being...
But his system mentioned him being the "Progenitor."
It spoke of his own "Book of the Meaningless" waiting to be unlocked.
The distinction was quite staggering...
It wasn't that Phoebe was trying to keep secrets from him...
She had been completely open, sharing the foundational knowledge any witch would possess!
The problem was that this basic knowledge didn't apply to him...
After all, it seemed like he wasn't a customer who had signed a contract; he was the owner of the entire store!
A cold, sobering realization washed over him.
He definitely could not tell her about this...
The gap between a witch who had signed a book and a Progenitor who was the book felt immense, like the difference between a soldier and a king.
Kings attracted admirers, but they also attracted assassins...
Revealing this would make him a target beyond comprehension!
He simply nodded, absorbing her explanation while carefully schooling his features into an expression of thoughtful understanding.
"I see..."
He murmured, his voice low.
"Through a dream, or a contract..."
He filed the information away, a crucial piece of the puzzle that only deepened the mystery surrounding him.
"That makes a strange kind of sense."
He said aloud, giving her a small, appreciative smile.
The performance was perfect.
He had gotten the vital information he needed without revealing his most dangerous secret!
On the surface, the conversation had been a resounding success...
But internally, it left him with a chilling, complicated feeling.
A new, heavier weight settled on his shoulders.
He had successfully navigated the immediate danger, but the long-term implications were terrifying...
How the hell did he become a progenitor of a sin...!