Broken

Chapter 61

[Would you like to use the skill <Honesty> on the selected target? Yes/No] 

I looked down at Argus with a raised eyebrow, realizing that this would be the first time I had used this skill on someone with their direct knowledge of it. Despite being injured and bleeding from a chest wound, Argus managed a small cocky grin and lifted a finger, giving me the thumbs up.

"Just don't tell anyone my secrets." He managed to choke out a laugh.

Yes. I answered the system prompt.

[ Name: Argus Donovan (Chaos Guild)

Attribute: (N/A)

Level: 73

Mental State: Pained, Frustrated, Who really cares?]

What? Can that really be a mental state? Deciding I should just continue on, I did. So far, other than the odd mental state thing, everything about <Honesty> seemed the same/

[Status Changes: Partial Paralysis (2:14 remaining), Bleeding, +10 strength (3:22 remaining), +10 Stamina (3:03 remaining), <Lesser Heal> active on target.

Skills: <Berserk Rage>, <Aggravate>, Eh, there are a few others.

<Is a secret really necessary at this time?>]

Okay... when the new description of this skill stated that it had 'whims', what it really meant was that it had an damn attitude. How the hell did this even makes sense? I know my innate ability was literally called <Broken>, but did that have to mean that even the skills saved by it had to be broken too? I was willing to bet that no one else in the Earth's history had a freaking skill that talked back to them, and was too damn lazy to do it's freaking job!

Reigning in my resigned irritation- because, really, what else did I expect at this point?- I returned to the last portion of the readout: a description of sorts. Though, reading it, I really wondered if it could be considered 'professional' in any sense.

[Observations: The target is a simple-minded meat-head who loves to fight, even when fighting isn't necessary. Currently laying on the ground like a baby due to a simple paralysis de-buff. Oh, and no, he isn't cursed. You're welcome.]

"...thanks." I mumbled out loud, rather sardonically. If my own damn skill could have an attitude with me, then I sure as hell could give it a sarcastic answer back.

"What?" Carson asked, looking worried.

I shook my head, and decided to put this new and strange development aside for now. We had bigger things to worry about then how my skills were rebelling against me in their own ways now.

"According to my <Honesty>, he isn't cursed. Just paralyzed for the next minute and a half- give or take a few seconds." I said, and saw the relief cross over Carson's face. Having more than one teammate down with a death curse could not have been an encouraging prospect. Which reminded me that I was under a death curse, apparently.

But doing a self-scan would have to wait. The real problem was out on the ice.

"Right. I came to tell you that, before I passed out, I used <Honesty> on the banshee." I said, watching Kuro try and run his blade though the woman's chest, only to have her ghastly hands block the strike, causing Kuro to have to vanish into shadows to avoid a counter strike. "Carson, she's a named monster. Agatha, Third Princess of the Frozen Throne."

"That isn't good..." grunted Aiden at my side. "A named monster outside the tower is beyond rare, even if it's rather common within it."

I nodded. Most monsters just had their race names, not personal ones. Normally, if the system recognizes a name of a target, it means it recognizes them as a 'powerful' and/or 'unique' part of the System. More often then not they were strong, highly relevant, and tended to have a variety of skills in one shape or another.